Start with a billable definition
Before opening a timer, define what is included in the engagement. Client calls, project work, onsite visits, research, and follow-up can all be billable when the scope says they are. Internal marketing, business development, and a meeting that was cancelled before it began usually need a different treatment.
Use a three-part capture routine
- Start with a client context. Pick the client or project before the task begins. That avoids vague entries that are hard to invoice later.
- Record close to the work. Run a timer for focused work and backfill immediately after short calls or site visits.
- Review the week. Scan your calendar, sent work, and project notes for sessions that never reached the timesheet.
Write entries a client can understand
"Research" is weak. "Reviewed lease revisions and prepared owner questions" tells the client what happened without exposing internal detail. A good entry has a date, a client, a sensible duration, and a plain-language description.
Weekly review checklist: open meetings, work delivered, calls, onsite visits, travel, and unbilled entries. The review takes a few minutes when the rest of the week was captured near the work.
Keep the approval step
A calendar event is evidence that time was reserved, not proof that billable work happened. Keep a human review between a suggested meeting and a saved time entry. That makes the invoice easier to explain and correct.
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