Do you know how to describe the work you have done?

Clients want to know how you spend your time, and how you word it matters.

On your timesheet entries, there are a few rules you should follow on how to best explain the value you have created for the client:

Use standard terms to describe the work you have done

Use past tense. E.g. 'Built', 'Investigated', 'Resolved', 'Enhanced', 'Created', 'Optimized', 'Experimented with', 'Improved' or 'Fixed'.

Use the word 'bug' only if it fits the definition of a bug.

The term 'Investigated and changed' is better than 'Fixed bug'. The word 'bug' gives the impression that the problem was solely the developer's fault, when often most fixes are to do with changes as a result of unspecified work (extra validation, extra testing or gold plating).

❌ Figure: Bad example - Vague work description

✅ Figure: Good example - Clear description of the work completed

Be specific about what you did

• For a new form, write 'Created Client form'.
• For adding a button to a form, write 'Client form - Added button AddNew'.
• If trying to find a bug, write 'Investigated error on ClientDiary form'.
• If you fixed something, write ‘Done’ or ‘Resolved’
• If you made something faster, write 'Optimized procClientDiary'.

Use capital letters appropriately

Use a capital letter for proper nouns, such as names, brands, and product names.

For example, “Adam Cogan,” “SQL Server,” and “Toyota” should be capitalized. Common nouns, such as “website,” should not be capitalized unless they start a sentence.

Start a new line for each new detail

This makes the timesheet easier to read. However, don't go overboard and use half a page for a single timesheet entry.

Avoid abbreviations

Avoid abbreviations unless they are widely understood, as they can make content harder to read and understand.

E.g. Use 'version' rather than 'ver'.

❌ Figure: Bad example - This is an example of a bad timesheet note

✅ Figure: Good example - Informative timesheet note

Notes for the extra TimePro fields

• Avoid using "General" as a project in your timesheets
• For public holidays, timesheets should be entered as "Leave"
• For customers in other states, travel time is usually billable and should be recorded separately on the timesheet. This ensures the customer has a clear record of the exact time spent travelling to and from the client site

Non-Billable time

If you do any work related to a client that you would not usually bill for, such as attending an initial meeting or travelling within Sydney, you should still enter the time under that client.

When it comes to invoicing, the rate for this time will be set to zero. However, the time will still appear on the invoice, giving the client a complete record of all the time spent on their project.