PROJECTS - More flexibility with task and pricing

PROJECTS - More flexibility with task and pricing

Hi Everyone,
I would like to use PROJECTS in my Zoho Booking app but it does not fit into my business.
For example: I charge per sessions fixed price. My session usually are 2 hours  and I bill the customer on the end of the month. My session can have different time length and different fee. Generally, I charge per session and if someone booked the session and did not come I still charge for it. I cannot set it up with current properties of the PROJECT options. It can be done but it is too much clicking and the report or invoice could be misleading as there is only option per hour as a billing rate.
Let's analyse how the PROJECTS can be improved  based on car mechanics business:

Billing Method:
1)  Fixed cost per project -  this option is fine, mechanic can agree with customer that the car will be repaired for the fixed fee no matter of how long it takes. But if mechanic would like to do teaching session charging £100 for 2 hour session , this will not fit into this option. Mechanic would need to create for each session new project - not good option - better to invoice each time.

2) Based on project hours -  this option has a fixed rate per hour.  Project can be split into different tasks like changing  tyres in the car or changing the brake pads etc . But ... still not perfect when it comes to teaching and charging per session. It can be that for each session there is new task, but too much clicking and misleading hourly rate instead sessions. Imagine that you have 5 students for each teaching session you have to spend a bit of time to register it. 

3) Based on task hours -  this one is the most close almost perfect for those who charge clients per session. Each task can have separate rate but there is only option per hour. Perfect for mechanic who can say that changing the engine will cost more per hours as require more experienced mechanic where topping up the oil can be done by les experienced employee. 
Probably most of the business will be charging per hour as it is the most profitable approach, but when you are teaching , you know that 2 hours session is booked, it would be better just by one click record that student came for the session, instead two clicks like start the session and end of the session and adjusting the time when you finished session just 10 minutes late. Better to have just one click to record the attendance. 

in my opinion following option for the task would add much more flexibility for many businesses. Each task could be billed by:  
  1. hour - it is billed for every minute spend on this task - the only option which is currently available
  2. per session - it is billed fixed amount per each session, no matter if it take 5 minutes more or less
  3. simple  - billed just per task, each task with different rate and no time counting.

than our mechanic could for each student create project and for different teaching subject have different task. Theory of car design could be charged per session - each time when student come for lecture, it can be clicked the task button and it automatically register the date of the session. On the end of the billing period it list when and how many session were taken and listed on the invoice.  Practical teaching could be charged by hours, and like above it will later list when and how many hours were taken.  Exams and feedback could be billed as simple task.

In such situation this option should be called : "based on task " instead based on task hour

Also task could be listed as sale items, than the question is what is the difference to invoice client vs creating the project for client.
well, if the client come for session once out of blue moon, the invoice is the best option. But if we have regular client it is unpractical to send 20 invoices per month. It is better to create project with no fixed time and billing the client on regular basis like a month.  It could be said that just open a draft invoice and add manually item as a session to it. Well, project have timesheet with listed opened tasks , there is a list for projects what allow quickly access the particular project and client. There is dashboard space for quick access to projects. Do I need every time search the client and manually list time and date for the session in the invoice? Also projects have a budget expenses etc. In my opinion, above option for the task, would give many businesses more flexibilities to monitor regular clients. Each business is different, but one common denominator for all of us it time. We do not want to spend hours fiddling  with the invoices and monitoring revenue from clients. Projects option is great idea in accounting app. But probably there is a question where to draw the line how complex it should be in the accounting app as there is separate Project app? 

4) based on staff hour -  this is self explanatory, I do not have a staff members so probably I cannot  have more detailed look into this option. 


let me know what you think about it
M
 

      Zoho Campaigns Resources


        • Desk Community Learning Series


        • Digest


        • Functions


        • Meetups


        • Kbase


        • Resources


        • Glossary


        • Desk Marketplace


        • MVP Corner


        • Word of the Day


        • Ask the Experts


          Zoho CRM Plus Resources

            Zoho Books Resources


              Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                Zoho Projects Resources


                  Zoho Sprints Resources


                    Zoho Orchestly Resources


                      Zoho Creator Resources


                        Zoho WorkDrive Resources



                          Zoho CRM Resources

                          • CRM Community Learning Series

                            CRM Community Learning Series


                          • Tips

                            Tips

                          • Functions

                            Functions

                          • Meetups

                            Meetups

                          • Kbase

                            Kbase

                          • Resources

                            Resources

                          • Digest

                            Digest

                          • CRM Marketplace

                            CRM Marketplace

                          • MVP Corner

                            MVP Corner




                            Zoho Writer Writer

                            Get Started. Write Away!

                            Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                              Zoho CRM コンテンツ








                                ご検討中の方

                                  • Recent Topics

                                  • Need the ability to have read only fields on a form.

                                    There needs to be functionality in Creator that allows a field on a form to be read only. Most screen building software applications have this capability. I know you can hide certain fields from specific users and that you can also make the whole form read only but that's not the functionality I need. I want to be able to create a form where certain fields are editable and other are for display purposes only (read only). For example if the form was displaying information on an item that the user
                                  • Reverse payment on accidentally closed invoice.

                                    An invoice was closed accidentally with the full payment added. However, only partial payment was paid. How can I reopen the invoice and reverse this to update it to show partial payment?
                                  • New integration: Track booking page appointments in Google Analytics 4

                                    Hello all, Greetings from the Zoho Bookings team! We’re excited to introduce our new Google Analytics 4 (GA4) integration designed to help you track booking activity, understand customer behavior, and measure marketing performance, all in one place. What
                                  • Zoho Books Sandbox environment

                                    Hello. Is there a free sandbox environment for the developers using Zoho Books API? I am working on the Zoho Books add-on and currently not ready to buy a premium service - maybe later when my add-on will start to bring money. Right now I just need a
                                  • How to list emails in a folder, e.g. Inbox, on multiple pages when using Zoho mail webpage?

                                    Something as shown in the figure. There are totally 50 emails in Sent folder. If "Mail per page" equals 20, then the Sent folder is split into 3 pages. When I wander through Sent folder, I can just select a specific page to jump to. BTW, it seems that
                                  • Zoho Calendar soft bounce on @hotmail.com and @yahoo.com email addresses

                                    Hello, our Zoho calendar recently does not send the calendar invites to emails with hotmail and yahoo domains and comes back with a "soft bounce". other domains like Gmail works fine. Also sending "email" to the same emails to the above domains work well
                                  • IMAP Server not responding.

                                    Trying to connect a phone via IMAP and getting "imap.zoho.com not responding." Is the server down, for maintenance or otherwise? I've tried this on two different devices and got the same error on both.
                                  • Elevate your CX delivery using CommandCenter 2.0: Simplified builder; seamless orchestration

                                    Most businesses want to create memorable customer experiences—but they often find it hard to keep them smooth, especially as they grow. To achieve a state of flow across their processes, teams often stitch together a series of automations using Workflow
                                  • ERROR CODE :512 - 5.4.4 DNS error:NXDOMAIN.

                                    Suddenly we cant send mail, we are getting this error for all outbound mail to multiple domains.
                                  • Option to Disable Knowledge Base Section in Feedback Widget Popup Hello Zoho Desk Team

                                    Hello Zoho Desk Team, How are you? We are actively using Zoho Desk and would like to make more use of the Feedback Widget. One of the ways we implement it is through the popup option. At the moment, the popup always displays the Knowledge Base section,
                                  • New in Cadences: WhatsApp follow-ups, upgraded limits, and options for add-ons

                                    Hello everyone, We're rolling out two key updates to help you engage better and scale smarter with Cadences in Zoho CRM. Reach customers on WhatsApp, directly from Cadences Previously, Cadences have enabled you to automate follow-ups through emails, calls,
                                  • Zoho CRM Analytics - Allow To Reorder Dashboards

                                    I would like to suggest that you add the ability to reorder dashboards in the Analytics Module. I can see that this has been requested some time ago, the latest 9 years ago. I am not sure if this is a big or small endeavor, but such a small fix can go
                                  • Can Zoho Flows repeat Actions more than once?

                                    I'm attempting to make an intentional Zoho Flow loop using the below layout. However, when "WithinLimit" condition is met, the program fails to execute the action "Get & Add Request Co..." again. Is this by design? Is Zoho Flows unable to repeat actions
                                  • Unveiling Cadences: Redefining CRM interactions with automated sequential follow-ups

                                    Last modified on 01/04/2024: Cadences is now available for all Zoho CRM users in all data centres (DCs). Note that it was previously an early access feature, available only upon request, and was also known as Cadences Studio. As of April 1, 2024, it's
                                  • customer data security

                                    We are exploring ways to enhance our within Zoho CRM. Our Goal: We want to fully integrate RingCentral with Zoho CRM to enable click-to-call functionality for our sales team. However, to comply with data privacy regulations and protect customer contact
                                  • Zoho Cliq not working on airplanes

                                    Hi, My team and I have been having this constant issue of cliq not working when connected to an airplane's wifi. Is there a reason for this? We have tried on different Airlines and it doesn't work on any of them. We need assistance here since we are constantly
                                  • Sync CRM inventory data with Zoho Books

                                    I just switched everything over to ZoHo books, but I am trying to find out why the CRM Estimates, Invoices, and Sales Orders created in ZoHo CRM are not then duplicated in ZoHo Books? I had Quickbooks before, and had to do everything twice, I thought
                                  • mask Customer phone number and agents cant see customer phone number

                                    Is there any way we can integrate Zoom Phone with Zoho CRM while ensuring that customer phone numbers remain masked? We need a solution where agents can make outbound calls but cannot see customer phone numbers. Please let us know if there is any solution
                                  • Presenting ABM for Zoho CRM: Expand and retain your customers with precision

                                    Picture this scenario: You're a growing SaaS company ready to launch a powerful business suite, and are looking to gain traction and momentum. But as a business with a tight budget, you know acquiring new customers is slow, expensive, and often delivers
                                  • how to differentiate if whatsapp comes from certain landing page?

                                    I create a Zobot in SalesIQ to create a Whatsapp bot to capture the lead. I have 2 landing pages, one is SEO optimized and the other want is optimized for leads comes from Google Ads. I want to know from which landing page this lead came through WhatsApp
                                  • Email Reminders on Shared Calendars

                                    How do we turn off the setting that emails reminders to everyone who has accepted or declined a calendar invite? If 8 of us have been invited to the same meeting, we receive 8 notifications for every step of the process, from invitation to decision.
                                  • Default Sorting on Related Lists

                                    Is it possible to set the default sorting options on the related lists. For example on the Contact Details view I have related lists for activities, emails, products cases, notes etc... currently: Activities 'created date' newest first Emails - 'created
                                  • additional accounts

                                    If I brought 5 emails to my account. Can I later buy additional emails.
                                  • WebDAV / FTP / SFTP protocols for syncing

                                    I believe the Zoho for Desktop app is built using a proprietary protocol. For the growing number of people using services such as odrive to sync multiple accounts from various providers (Google, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, etc.) it would be really helpful if you implemented standard protocols such as WebDAV / FTP / SFTP so that alternative inc clients can be used.
                                  • Open Sans Font in Zoho Books is not Open Sans.

                                    Font choice in customising PDF Templates is very limited, we cannot upload custom fonts, and to make things worse, the font names are not accurate. I selected Open Sans, and thought the system was bugging, but no, Open Sans is not Open Sans. The real
                                  • What's New in Zoho Inventory | Q2 2025

                                    Hello Customers, The second quarter have been exciting months for Zoho Inventory! We’ve introduced impactful new features and enhancements to help you manage inventory operations with even greater precision and control. While we have many more exciting
                                  • How to refresh a ticket view ?

                                    I am doing a widget where I send a rest api call to make a new draft to the ticket I am viewing. The issue is sometimes it refresh a ticket view and I can see inserted draft right away, but sometimes I do not see it even if it is inserted correctly and
                                  • Ugh! - Text Box (Single Line) Not Enough - Text Box (Multi-line) Unavailable in PDF!

                                    I provide services, I do not sell items. In each estimate I send I provide a customized job description. A two or three sentence summary of the job to be performed. I need to be able to include this job description on each estimate I send as it's a critical
                                  • Supervisor Rules - Zoho Desk

                                    Hi, I have set up a Supervisor Rule in Zoho Desk to send an email alert when a ticket has been on hold for 48 hours. Is there a way to change it so that the alert only sends once and not on an hourly basis? Thank you Laura
                                  • ResponseCode 421, 4.7.0 [TSS04] Messages from 136.143.188.51 temporarily deferred due to user complaints

                                    Had email bounce. Let me know if you can fix this. Thanks. Michael
                                  • Zoho Canvas - Custom templates for related lists

                                    Hi, I see that the example pages load always one of our related lists in a custom template, but I dont know how to work with that:  1) How can i make my own custom templates for related lists?  2) Where and how can i check out existing custom templates?
                                  • Automation #15: Automatically Adding Static Secondary Contacts

                                    Rockel is a top-tier client of Zylker traders. Marcus handles communications with Rockel and would like to add Terence, the CTO of Zylker traders to the email conversations. In this case, the emails coming from user address rockel.com should have Terence
                                  • New Zoho triggers Google Dangerous flag due toabnormal charcters

                                    Just signed up and doing my first email test. I sent it to my google email account but it got flagged as Dangerous" due abnormal characters. My DNS setup looks ok. Page snips attached Help Please Thanks, Rick DC PowerWorld
                                  • Top Bar Shifting issue still not fixed yet

                                    I mentioned in a previous ticket that on Android, the top bar shifts up when you view collections or when you're in the settings. That issue still hasn't been fixed yet. I don't wanna have to reinstall the app as I've noticed for some reason, reinstalling
                                  • Triggering Zoho Flow on Workdrive File Label

                                    Right now Im trying to have a zoho flow trigger on the labeling/classification of a file in a folder. Looking at the trigger options they arent great for something like this. File event occurred is probably the most applicable, but the events it has arent
                                  • Is there a way to set Document Owner/Sender via the API

                                    When sending requests for zoho sign, it would seem zoho uses the id of the person that created the zoho api cred to determine the owner_id, is there a way to set a default for this?
                                  • SendMail to multiple recipients

                                    Hi, I'm trying to send an email to a list of recipients.  Right now the "to" field is directed to a string variable. (List variables won't work here). In the string variable, how can I make it work? trying "user@app.com;user2@app.com" or "user@app.com; user2@app.com" just failed to send the emails. Ravid
                                  • Populate drop down field from another form's subform

                                    Hello, I found how to do that, but not in case of a subform. I have a Product form that has a subform for unit and prices. A product might have more than one unit. For example, the product "Brocoli" can be sold in unit at 3$ or in box of 10 at 25 $. Both
                                  • Usar o Inventory ou módulo customizado no CRM para Gestão de Estoque ?

                                    Minha maior dor hoje em usar o zoho é a gestão do meu estoque. Sou uma empresa de varejo e essa gestão é fundamental pra mim. Obviamente preciso que esse estoque seja visível no CRM, Inicialmente fiz através de módulos personalizados no próprio Zoho CRM,
                                  • Signup forms behaviour : Same email & multiple submissions

                                    My use case is that I have a signup form (FormA) that I use in several places on my website, with a hidden field so I can see where the contact has been made from. I also have a couple of other signup forms (FormB and FormC) that slight differences. All
                                  • Next Page