A Different Approach to Tech
As a fractional CTO, I help growth-stage SMBs avoid unnecessary complexity and cost. Fractional.tools is a practical example of that approach: instead of building a new system from scratch, I leveraged existing tools (Google Calendar) to automate time tracking and invoicing.
The problem was straightforward: tracking time across multiple clients was manual and error-prone. Spreadsheets weren’t great. Traditional SaaS solutions felt like more work—requiring context switching and adding administrative overhead.
The Solution: Leverage What You Already Use
I noticed that my entire day already involved keeping Google Calendar updated. The UI was familiar and worked well on both desktop and mobile. More importantly, every calendar entry already had a date, start time, and end time—exactly what I needed for billing.
Instead of building a new system or adopting another SaaS tool, I connected to the Calendar API and automated the workflow. By adding a simple client code to each entry, I could group time by client and generate invoices automatically.
Measurable Outcomes
This approach delivered immediate results:
- Faster invoicing — Automated generation from calendar entries
- Reduced errors — No manual time entry or calculation mistakes
- More time on client work — Eliminated administrative overhead
- No rebuild required — Leveraged existing tools instead of building new systems
The key insight: for fractional consultants, an invoice is simply a bill rate and a date range. The calendar already had all the data—it just needed to be connected to billing logic.
Available Now
Fractional.tools is now available for other fractional consultants. If you bill hourly or use retainers, this solution eliminates the administrative overhead without requiring you to leave your calendar. The best part: you never need to switch tools or learn a new system—you’re already using Google Calendar.
