TBCguy said:

you can't import invoice transactions in to sage

You can try

1a) File, Import/Export, Import Transactions

1b) File, Import/Export, Import Timesheets

or 

2) In the Paycheques module, select the Paycheque menu, Import Timesheets.

I've never used #2 and haven't even tested it but I do know there is a downloadable spreadsheet template that you can use to enter time.  I don't know if this information then becomes available to enter on customer invoices.

For 1a, you can import directly to customer invoices, but you cannot import line item Descriptions.  The descriptions must come from the inventory and services module for each item.

For 1b, if you do not use the payroll module in Sage 50 you may wish to use #1b.  Again, descriptions cannot be imported in this method.  It will take some work to get going but once you have the formatting set up, it should work ok.  Once the information is on Timeslips, they can be added to customer invoices or employee paycheques.

The format for #1 is in Knowledgebase article #41370.

Always do your testing on a copy of your company file, not the live file until you are sure your imports work ok.  Then always backup your file before importing.

Hi Richard, thanks for the response.  Unfortunately, i've tried it all.  Even made a copy of the db to see if I could link to the db and use sql for the transactions.  Frustrating that the timesheets don't allow you to use timesheet details as description lines for the invoices.  Then we could just enter the timesheets and import and voila.  I could setup users but this is the company file that only I have access to. 

Would it be ethical to just record the time and tasks in excel or any database (I have one setup already), then invoice for each company, the time only once every one or two weeks and use the excel / db as a details backup?  That way each employee can record time and I can print off time sheets for each employee or company then record the total time at the rate setup already.   Make sense?

I can't define what you and your clients want to see on the invoices and how much you want to be able to look up in Sage 50.  Years ago I created an import utility that created a *.imp file with the basics, then used SQL statements to find and update the description lines on the imported invoices.  The SQL method will work if you are familiar enough with programming and the database.

Timesheet users do not have the ability to see anything else in the file, they can only add timesheets, and because you are using at least Premium, you could set up an additional station to access the file and have the users enter timeslips directly into the company file with the proper description.  Then they can be put on customer invoices with the proper descriptions.  The downside is that each user would have to use the same workstation to do the data entry.  I'm not sure I would set up every workstation with the program to let them all do the data entry from their own computers.  If you have a lot of users, then it becomes logistically problematic, especially during upgrade seasons.

I'm just going to throw this out there, as I don't think it is what you're looking for, but I discovered Clockify and love it.  I only have one other employee, but she logs her own information into her timesheet throughout the day (as do I).  At month end (my billing cycle), I can print out a report (Summary or Detail) that combines our hours by client and calculates the invoice total before tax.  She can also use this as her timesheet, submitted to me bi-weekly.  Client rates can be customized. Clockify is free for personal use, but to combine employees there is a fee, but VERY reasonable.