Budget Feature

Overview:
The client budgeting feature in Bill4Time helps you monitor your billed amounts against pre-set budgets. While budgets won't limit your ability to bill over the set amount, they provide valuable insight when used alongside the Budget Report to track progress and spending.

Set a Budget for a Client

1. Access the Client Record:

   • Navigate to the Clients tab and select the desired client.

2. Click the Budget Button:

   • In the client details view, locate and click the blue Budget button.

3. Input the Budget:

   • Manually enter the budgeted amount for this client in the provided field.
   • Click Save once you've entered the budget.

Using the Budget Report

After setting a client budget, you can track and compare the budgeted amount against actual billed amounts:

1. Go to the Reports page.
2. Select the Budget Report under the Entry & User tab.
3. Review the report:
   • The report displays the budgeted amount for each client alongside the actual amount billed.
   • Use this information to monitor progress and ensure billing aligns with your client's budget expectations.

Important Notes:

• Billing Flexibility: Setting a budget does not restrict your ability to bill over the allocated amount. This allows for flexibility in managing client needs while keeping budgets as a reference point.
• Proactive Monitoring: Run the Budget Report regularly to stay informed about any discrepancies between the budgeted and billed amounts.
• Notifications: Enabling and setting Notifications will allow users to be notified when balance thresholds are met.  Learn more here. 

The budgeted amount for that client will then be shown alongside the amount you've actually billed for that client. Setting a budget will not prevent you from billing over the set amount, however, the report can then be ran regularly to review.