The Freelancer's Trap

Revenue** is vanity. **Profit** is sanity. **Cash Flow is reality. Many freelancers celebrate when they land a \$10,000 project. But they forget the \$2,000 contracting fee, the \$500 software subscription, and the countless hours spent. At the end of the month, they wonder where the money went.

Project-Based Accounting

You need to stop looking at your bank balance and start looking at Project Profitability.

How to Track It in SparkyMinis

1. Link, Don't Just Log

When you log an expense, don't just categorize it. Link it to a Project.

*Expense*: "Stock Photo License" (-\$50) -> *Link to*: `Client Web Redesign`.

2. Real-Time P&L

Go to `Dashboard > Business > Projects`. Each project card shows a mini P&L:

Invoiced: \$5,000

Expenses: \$1,200

Net: \$3,800

3. The "Unbilled" Buckets

Use the status filters to see money that is "stuck".

Draft: Work you haven't billed yet.

Sent: Work you billed but haven't been paid for.

Overdue: The red zone.

By visualizing these buckets, you can focus your energy on Cash Collection rather than just doing more work. Check Your Project Profitability →

"Profit is Not Cash Flow: Visualizing Your Real Income"

The Freelancer's Trap

Project-Based Accounting

How to Track It in SparkyMinis

1. Link, Don't Just Log

2. Real-Time P&L

3. The "Unbilled" Buckets

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