Insights

Real problems in US business, backed by data

Short, research-driven reports on where service businesses lose time and money — and how to get it back. New editions a few times a week.

Illustration of a team's work hours splitting into a smaller billable slice and a larger non-billable slice68.9%
Research

The Average Agency Now Bills Just 69% of Its Team's Time

Billable utilization across professional-services firms dropped to 68.9% — the lowest in five years and below the profitability line. Here's what that costs and how to claw it back.

Jul 1, 2026 · 6 min read
Illustration of a week of work-hour blocks with the final cluster lifted out into a separate pile of admin paperwork~6 hrs/week
Freelancing

Freelancers Lose 6 Hours a Week to Non-Billable Admin

Almost half of freelancers burn ~6 hours a week on non-billable admin — invoicing, chasing payment, bookkeeping, client hunting. That's ~300 hours a year you can't bill. Here's the math and the fix.

Jul 1, 2026 · 6 min read
Illustration of an invoice with a clock overlay showing overdue payment time$17.5K
Research

56% of US Small Businesses Are Owed Money Right Now — $17.5K on Average

Over half of US small businesses are owed money at any given moment — an average of $17,500 in unpaid invoices. Here's why payments slip and a practical way to shorten the wait.

Jun 30, 2026 · 6 min read
Illustration of a worker surrounded by many disconnected app windows with switching arrows between them~1,200×
Research

Your Team Switches Apps ~1,200 Times a Day. Here's What It Costs.

The average worker toggles between apps ~1,200 times a day, losing minutes to refocus each time. For service businesses billing by the hour, tool sprawl is a direct tax on margin.

Jun 29, 2026 · 6 min read