Free Branding Consultant Timesheet Template
Branding projects are typically structured across research, strategy, identity design, and guidelines phases, and accurate time records ensure that each phase is billed correctly and that clients understand the scope of work behind a brand. A timesheet helps a branding consultant demonstrate the strategic thinking that precedes visual decisions, which is often the least visible and most undervalued part of the engagement. Clear records also support scope change conversations when clients request additional concepts or extensions.
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How does a branding consultant fill out a timesheet?
A branding consultant timesheet logs hours by project phase, from strategy and research through to identity and guidelines, with the date, the task, and the time spent. Note the client, the phase, and the deliverable. Phase-based records make it clear how a brand fee was earned across discovery, design, and delivery.
Typical line items
- Date of work
- Client and project name
- Phase (audit, strategy, identity, guidelines)
- Task or deliverable
- Hours worked
- Billable or non-billable flag
- Hourly rate
- Running total for the project
How the work is charged
Branding consultants often quote a project fee but log hours underneath to manage scope and bill extra rounds or added deliverables by the hour. Workshop facilitation and revisions are usually tracked as their own entries.
Payment terms and deposits
A timesheet supports an invoice rather than collecting payment itself. Many consultants bill by milestone or on delivery of guidelines, so keep phase entries dated and described well enough for the client to follow.
Tax and compliance
If you are registered for sales tax or VAT, that applies on the invoice the timesheet supports, not the timesheet itself. Confirm the rules where you work.
Frequently asked questions
How do I bill for brand strategy work that precedes the design phase?
Log strategy, research, and positioning work as a distinct phase with its own entries. 'Competitor brand analysis across eight direct competitors' and 'brand positioning framework development and presentation' are concrete deliverables. Clients who understand branding accept strategy fees; those who do not may need to see the deliverables explicitly.
Should I charge for presenting multiple brand directions to a client?
Yes. Developing and presenting multiple concepts requires substantially more time than a single-direction approach. Record each concept as a block of design time and log presentation preparation separately. If your contract specified two directions and the client requests a third, log that work and raise the scope change.
How do I handle licensing or usage rights in relation to my timesheet?
Licensing discussions and usage rights documentation are professional services that take time. Log them separately from design time. The actual licensing fee or usage rights cost may be a separate invoice line rather than a time entry, but the time spent advising and documenting it should be on the timesheet.
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Read the complete timesheet guide to see how to log hours and turn a tracked timesheet into an invoice.
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