As a freelancer or self-employed person in Switzerland, you often bill by the hour. A time sheet documents when you worked for which client and on what — and serves as the basis for your invoice.
If you're still unsure what hourly rate to charge as a freelancer, you'll find our calculation formula with industry benchmarks there.
01What Belongs in a Time Sheet?
A complete time sheet should include the following information for each entry:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Date | When was the work performed? |
| Client / Project | Who was the work done for? |
| Activity | What exactly was done? |
| Hours | How many hours were worked? |
| Hourly Rate | Agreed rate per hour (CHF) |
| Amount | Automatically calculated: hours x hourly rate |
At the end of the month, you can see at a glance: total hours, total amount and the breakdown by client. This is the basis for your invoicing.
02Download Template
Our Excel template contains two worksheets: the time sheet with automatic amount calculation and a monthly overview by client/project.
With amount formula (hours x hourly rate), client assignment and monthly overview. Ready to use immediately.
03Filling in the Template — Step by Step
Download the Excel file and open it in Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice Calc.
Replace the placeholders at the top of the document with your name and the current month.
Delete the pre-filled rows and enter your own working hours. Per entry: date, client, activity, hours and hourly rate.
The 'Amount' column calculates automatically (hours x hourly rate). Check that the calculation is correct — especially if you have different hourly rates per client.
The second worksheet shows the summary per client/project. Adjust the client names if you have different clients — the SUMIFS formulas pull the data automatically.
04Tips for Your Time Sheet
- Record daily: Enter your hours on the same day wherever possible. Reconstructing from memory leads to inaccurate entries and lost hours
- Describe activities clearly: 'Programming' is too vague. Be specific about what you did: 'Implemented API endpoint for orders'. This also helps when invoicing
- Adjust hourly rate per client: If you have different rates (e.g. CHF 150 for corporate clients, CHF 120 for startups), you can change the hourly rate per row — the amount is calculated automatically
- Don't forget breaks: Only record hours actually worked. A 30-minute lunch break does not belong in the time sheet
05Time Tracking and Invoicing with einzly
Instead of maintaining Excel spreadsheets, you can use einzly to assign your hours directly to a client and create an invoice from them with a single click. All data flows automatically into your accounting.
- Invoices from hours: Convert recorded hours directly into a professional invoice — with QR payment part and VAT
- Client overview: See at a glance which client generates how much revenue
- Accounting included: Invoices, expenses and profit in one tool — no double entry