Harvest

A new service launched this week from NYC-based Harvest named Co-op. Harvest is a time-tracking application that we previously reviewed. For small teams, Co-op combines a quick update tool like Twitter with inline time tracking and project management. Rather than directly clone Twitter, Co-op has added features that actually make it beneficial for the office environment. With more teams working virtually, this type of quick status and "what I'm currently working on" tool works well.

There's also a simple daily status tool so you can share what's on your plate for the day with the rest of the team. This is a great way for project managers to keep informed of what everyone is working on without having to ask.

What I'd like to see are export options for the content so the company can keep an archive. It would also be good to have an "emergency" button which would immediately alert the team through their desired channels (IM, Mobile, etc.).

I like their business model as well. Offer the Co-op service for free but to add the time tracking, you need a Harvest account.

If you live in NYC and ride the subway, you've seen the advertisements for the Freelancers Union. Their tagline is, "A federation of the unaffiliated." and they define the service as, "a nonprofit organization that represents the needs of America’s independent workforce though advocacy, information, and service." The Freelancers Union claims that over 30% of the entire U.S. workforce are indie workers. Most of the services the Freelancers Union provides are available nationwide.

There are no fees to be a Freelancers Union member and frankly anyone who works for themselves (blogger, web developer, designer, writer, etc.) should be a member. The benefits the group offers are just awesome. Health insurance is the number one benefit in my opinion.

When I lived in Atlanta my health insurance for a good plan ran about $140/month. The same plan in NYC was 10x more or $1,400/month (no I am not kidding). An even better plan (also with Blue Cross) with the Freelancers Union runs around $210/month. Please note that these are single rates. There's also a dental savings plan that normally is $7.50/month but with FU it's $3/month.

Another awesome benefit is for Zipcar rentals. In NYC the normal Zipcar rates for an average car are $10.50-12.50/hour Mon-Thurs and $12.50-$14.50 Friday. When you join the Freelancers Union, that rate drops to $8.00 on all weekdays. This has already saved me a good bit of money and you get a wider selection of cars. From my testing this morning, discounts in other cities that Zipcar serves are similar.

There are a ton of other discounts including Web services Harvest (our coverage) and FreshBooks (our coverage). The Staples corporate pricing is pretty sweet.

There are also a variety of networking events/meetups, educational courses and a job/gig board.

To become a member you need to demonstrate income over $10,000 within the past six months. Seriously, even if you just use it for the Zipcar discounts, the Freelancers Union membership is very much worth the cost (which is free).

With the buzz coming out about the 3G iPhone and the refurb iPhone hitting the market, time tracking service Harvest has created a very slick iPhone application. Harvest lets you track time and billable expenses easily and accurately. Some of the largest agencies are using Harvest and in my testing, it's a good choice for those looking to track project time.

They have also taken into account the apparent slowness of the EDGE network and designed the app to load smoothly even when not on a WiFi connection. The application pulls in all of the most used features of Harvest including both tracking time and expenses.

What's great about this app is that it helps you to "not forget" the items you need to bill to your clients. So many times, consultants don't charge their clients for time and/or expenses because they simply forgot. By putting the application into your pocket, it makes that less likely to happen and therefore increase your ROI and income.

Brett has more from the Apple perspective.