TSheets takes the tough sheet out of your time sheet

Nov 21, 2008 by Dan Taylor    4 Comments    Posted under: Technology

A while back, before the great database debacle, I won a writing contest with TSheets, which ultimately led to my employment with TSheets.  I got an email the other day from a reader that was asking what happened to the story.  I promised to re-post the original article (dated April 30th, 2008), but I also want to mention that if you’ve not heard about TSheets’ Freshbooks integration (certain passages written by yours truly), go give it a read.  Pretty cool stuff for small business owners and self employed professionals.  Without further adieu:

TSheets takes the tough sheet out of your time sheet

3000 BC: Fred Flintstone ends day by listening for high pitched squawking bird. Quarry Foreman spends hours pouring over timestones at the end of the week.

1634: Bells signal farmers to and fro the fields. Hungover bell maid causes hours of lost wages as farmers stand poised at edge of fields.

1868: Steam whistles pierce the industrial landscape. Drought results in days of lost productivity.

1913: IBM introduces the first ‘Punch Clock’. Band Aids become standard working apparel.

2008: Tsheets simplifies your life and brings employee time tracking to a new millennium.

How many times has the wife/husband/significant other heard, “Babe…I’m so right there with you….just as soon as I get these time sheets calculated.”? How many times have you missed the game because, let’s be honest, assembling timesheets for payroll, while important, is as about as exciting as watching the grass grow?

Tsheets was born from the best stuff on earth: necessity. Whether you’re tracking 5 employees or 5000, tsheets is a simple to use, LAMP based app that can keep track of all your employees.

Running a single office? Keep track of all your core employees, consultants, developers, freelancers, etc. all in one location. You can even monitor real time. Running multiple locations across the city, state, country, world? Man, you should own stock in Excedrin, as that has nightmare written all over it. Fear not young captain of industry…tsheets can take the tough sheet out of your time sheet.

Employees forget to clock in/clock out (when…when dear lord will they learn)? No problem, anyone you grant admin rights to can clock an employee in/out at any time. What about the subcontractors I’ve got running the electrical today? Bossman got a blackberry (and you KNOW he does) or other web-enabled device? No problem, give him the URL, and he can clock in/out from anywhere in the world. Better yet, your code ninjas strutting around with their new iPhone? Tsheets has developed the TGadget that not only works as a Google widget, but functions flawlessly with an iPhone. What about that hacker we just hired to test our security features, I just have a feeling he’s going to change the clock time on his home machine, and cheat me outta 20 hours of ‘work’ while he’s off fragging somewhere. Consider that hacker PWND, ‘cause all times are stored in centrally in UTC time.

Whether you’re running a tiny (read self employed) business, or charting your way to the stars (read the guy in the armani), if you’re dealing with ye old adage, ‘time is money’, tsheets is a product you can’t afford to be without.

For more on TSheets, their products and services, check ‘em out at TSheets.com.

Related articles

• Part 2: More Time with Matt Rissell of TSheets
• Review: Timekeeping applications for the iPhone

Win an iPhone 3G from TSheets.com!

Jun 30, 2008 by Dan Taylor    26 Comments    Posted under: Technology

Oh snap!  Ok, if the new iPhone wasn’t enough to get you juiced, how about a free one?  Right.  Let me say that again…how about a free iPhone 3G?  Un huh…and no, it’s not a scam.  This is the real deal folks, a good ol’ fashioned down home competition that isn’t all about some skeevy marketing company trying to get your email address and then repackage it.  It’s about change.  The iPhone 3G makes change in one’s life possible.

So here’s how it shakes out:  What’s the craziest/coolest/awesomest(?) thing that you do at 10 after 5?  Ok, before you start whining, yes…some of us do leave the office at (or pretty darn close to) 5pm everyday.  Which reminds me, ed. note: Remember, life is short.  Work hard, but also remember to leave the office at a decent hour.  Too much time at the office and/or working is not a good thing.

Ok, with my public service announcement out of the way, as Eminem said it best, “Let’s get down to business”.

The rules to bring home the bread are simple.  Photograph it, Film it, Blog it, hmmm…is there another media I forgot?  Anywho, you get the point.  The guys at TSheets what to know what you do at 5:10.  5:10 or Five Ten or 5ive 10, etc. must appear in your image (still or moving) or your blog.  They also need you to give ‘em a shout out here, and link yo’ junk up to TSheets.com (think SEO love).

Here’s the official skivvy from TSheets directly:

“5pm is possibly one of the most celebrated times all around the world. You’re free. Great God almighty, I’m free at last! Granted, at 10 after 5 you may or may not be calling it a day, but by most standards you’re free to go if you so choose. And this is exactly what we want to hear about. How do you rock it at 5:10? What’s the coolest, craziest, most creative thing you do at 5:10? Tell us all about it…maybe you load up the iPod and have your favorite DJ slam your subway ride home? Is 5:10 the time that you slip the wingtips under the desk, strap your Specialized shoes on and blaze through commuter traffic all the while chasing Lance Armstrong along the Champs-Élysées? Send us as many entries as you’d like. Talk to us!

All Entries must Include:

Something indicating that it is 5:10pm (examples = Picture with clock in the background, Video with clock, or blog posted at 5:10pm). Rockin’ a Flava Flav style clock is HIGHLY encouraged.

A link labeled “time tracking” linked to http://www.tsheets.com and a comment on this page so that we can find your entry.

You’ll score mad props from the judges by getting the most views or comments on your entry or if you give a shout out to TSheets. Props where props are due, but ultimately the most creative/crazy/cool post will land the ice.”

That’s it!  So now there are NO excuses NOT to have the year’s hottest bit of techno love riding in YOUR pocket.  And let’s be honest here folks…anyone that reads this blog on a regular basis MUST be slightly creative/crazy/cool…..Let ‘em hear about it!

Disclaimer: I am currently employed by TSheets.com as a copywriter (that copy was HOT wasn’t it?) and find an ethical conflict of interests, so I will not be entering this contest.  However…all of YOU are permitted to enter…so get movin’!