A time clock app is an indispensable tool for many small businesses and Mom-and-Pop operations. As a company with limited resources, you probably also have little time to complete all necessary tasks to run your business efficiently. On top of that, you need to accurately track employee time and attendance to ensure everyone is paid on time and in the correct amount. Otherwise, you chance running into labor law issues. In this situation, a time tracking tool that is dependable and easy to use is what you need.

Before you start searching for the perfect tool, you need to determine what requirements you need out of a time clock. Below are some examples to help you get started.

• Is time theft an issue? A time clock app with time theft reducing features such as facial recognition or GPS capture can help you ensure that employees are only punching time for themselves at their designated location.
• Do you have complex overtime rules? Many time clock solutions will come with pre-defined overtime rules, but more robust ones will offer customizable overtime options.
• Do you need to track time for remote employees? If you have employees who work on the road or remotely, then mobile access is a must. Most employee time tracking solutions come with mobile capabilities to meet this need.
• Does your business need job costing? Modern online time clock software typically comes equipped with ways to efficiently job cost so you can understand where time is being spent.

Once you’ve had time to determine your timesheet management requirements, you can then begin your search for the best solution to meet your needs.

Where to Find the Best Time Clock App

One of the best places to start looking for a time tracking tool is, you guessed it, online! Peer-to-peer review sites, such as Capterra, provide some of the most significant insights into how well a solution will work. The information gleaned from such websites can help you make an informed decision. When going through reviews, look for the following details:

• Ease of use. Investing in an easy to use system is essential. If a solution is challenging to use, employees will be less likely to adopt it.
• Customer support. With any time clock app, you’re bound to run into issues or have questions. Having a good customer support team at your disposal can make the difference between a great or irritating experience.
• Value. Customer reviews are a great way to determine if a solution is worth the price. You might be willing to pay more for a solution that comes with fewer features but excellent customer support. It all comes down to what you consider important and what you’re willing to pay for.
• Up-to-date. The time tracking process is evolving, and that means time clock apps need to do the same. The frequently updated solutions can provide a more secure environment and modern features necessary for accurate time tracking.

Customer reviews are also a great way to find out if the online timecard system can handle the requirements you have. If GPS tracking is important to you, search reviews that include the term to find out if the feature is useful or not. This will help you further narrow down your choices.

Choosing the Best Pricing Model

At this point, you should have a few clear time clock app choices in mind. To make it easier to determine which is best, you’ll want to look at their pricing models. Each solution has a different model, so it’s essential to understand how each works.

• Per employee. The per-employee model is where you pay a certain amount for every individual using the system and includes most, if not all, features.
• Free + add ons. The free + add on pricing model means your employees can track time for free. Some features are included for free. However, you have to pay to add on more advanced features.
• Inclusive fee. The inclusive fee model allows you to pay a flat fee based on the number of employees you have and typically includes all features.

Each pricing model has it’s own variation as well. The per-employee model sometimes includes a per location fee. The free option is sometimes only available for a certain number of employees. And the inclusive fee often has a per location fee as well. Do your due diligence to find out all costs associated with running the time clock app of your choice.

Hopefully, the information provided in this article can help you on your way to finding the perfect solution for your mom-and-pop business!