A Client's Guide to Success on Elance

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Keep Up the Good Work:

A Client’s Guide to Success on Elance

Table of Contents

1. Work Differently™: Success awaits....................................... 3 2. Creating Your Job Post: Set yourself up for success............. 5



6. Managing Your Project: Where work gets done................... 18



1. Managing terms, payment and approval................... 19



2. Managing work and paying for Hourly jobs............... 20



1. Create a clear and detailed job summary.................... 5



3. Managing work and paying for Fixed Price jobs........ 20



2. Select the right category and subcategory.................. 7



4. Managing jobs on a daily basis................................. 22



3. Specify the skills or experience needed...................... 7



4. Choose between an Hourly and Fixed Price job......... 8





5. Set your budget as accurately as possible.................. 8







8. Your Reminder: Stay safe.................................................... 25



9. Job Well Done: Keep up the good work............................... 26

3. Finding Great Freelancers: Be proactive............................. 10



7. Once Your Job Is Complete: The final touches.................... 24

4. Choosing The Right Freelancer: Cut to the chase............... 12



5. Awarding Your Job: Close the deal...................................... 16

Mark F. Japan | The Moneo Company

Section 1:

Work Differently™: Success awaits Hello and welcome. We’re glad to see that you’re ready to grow your business with great freelancers. Whether you’re new to Elance or looking to fine-tune your hiring talents, this Client’s Guide to Elance is your starting point. You’ll learn everything from how to pinpoint the best online workers, to setting budgets, managing projects, making sure you only pay for what you expect and getting the absolute most from online freelancers. First things first though. Hopefully you’ve already registered at Elance. If not, sign up now (it’s free). Now, what exactly is Elance? Elance is where people Work Differently™. We’re an online workplace where businesses go to find, hire, manage and collaborate with skilled online freelancers. Elance has over 500,000 businesses posting 100,000+ jobs each month. Here at Elance you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you’re in control, working safely and only paying for what you expect. Plus, we’re there with you every step of the way.

Xan H. United States | Buffalo Jackson Trading Co.

On Elance you’ll find the world’s top professionals. They’re the happiest ones too. Why? Because “Elancers” are self-employed and free from big commutes and small cubicles, so they love their work and are more productive than every day employees. Check out our latest global freelancer survey to see why Elancers are so cheerful when working with you. Oh, and the results are equally impressive for businesses, as you’ll see from browsing our most-recent global business survey.

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Section 1: (continued)

Work Differently™: Success awaits How Elance works. It’s simple. To find, hire and manage jobs using top professionals on Elance, all you need is a web connection and an internet-ready device. You can even use your smartphone or tablet. To get started, just post your job for free on Elance. We’ll help you find a perfect freelancer who matches your needs and budget. You’ll then collaborate with your freelancer in a secure Workroom, taking advantage of all the great communication tools and features available to help you confidently manage your project and freelancer. You’ll only pay for work that you approve, and Elance will be by your side taking care of the paperwork that typically comes along with paying. This lets you focus on what you do best: Growing your business.

In terms of payment, you pay your freelancer using the Elance platform. That’s it. There are no additional costs for using Elance to manage your job. Instead, Elance’s service fee of 8.75% is paid by the freelancer, meaning they’ll account for this in their price. For example, when your freelancer submits a $500 proposal, we add our fee to their quote (you’ll receive a bid of $543.75). When you pay your freelancer, we deduct our $43.75 and pass the remaining $500 on to your freelancer. Ready to dig in and learn more? Let’s get started. Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the guidelines in the following pages. With the instruction provided you’re sure to grow your business using Elance.

Ramon R. United States | Smallbiztechnology.com

Next: Creating Your Job Post Elance: A Client’s Guide | 4

Section 2:

Creating Your Job Post: Set yourself up for success To attract the best talent on Elance you’ll first need to create a job post for your project at hand. The job post briefly explains what you’re looking for, and usually, how much you want to pay. In the next section we’ll discuss your many options for getting this job posting in front of freelancers, but for now let’s focus on making your post stand out. After all, with thousands of businesses competing for the time and talent of our best freelancers, it’s important that your job post be eye-catching and informative. So, what are the keys to a great job posting?

1. Create a clear and detailed job summary. You’ll save time and effort by being specific in your job post. Here’s why: • You’ll attract the best proposals, as freelancers look for clients who are well organized and prepared. • You’ll get started faster, since project details help answer freelancer questions up front. • You’ll avoid bumps in the road, making a smoother path to a successful project.

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Section 2: (continued)

Creating Your Job Post: Set yourself up for success Here are some tips: ▪ Details. Details. Details. Writing your job post is no time to be vague. Let freelancers know exactly what the project entails, what’s expected, what skills you’re looking for and any other details critical to the project. If it’s important for understanding the scope and timing, include it. While there’s no ideal length, be succinct and write it as long as it needs to be. And don’t include confidential information that you wouldn’t want shared publicly.

• Provide example files, if possible. As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. In addition to describing your vision, include a sample that speaks volumes. The example can be something you’ve worked on, or something on the web that’s close to the job you have in mind.

- Hiring someone to develop a mobile app for you? Specify if you’re looking for an iPhone or Android app (or both!). - Looking for an article writer? Include an estimate of word length in your job post. - Need animation in your marketing video? Highlight the need for animation experience and ask for examples in your post.

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Section 2: (continued)

Creating Your Job Post: Set yourself up for success • Consider using an Elance template. If you’re not sure where to begin to create your job post, try one of our pre-populated templates. We have them for many different jobs in a range of categories, and each can help you get started by filling out important areas. Remember to customize the wording to reflect your unique project and requirements. This can be a real time-saver, especially on your first couple of jobs until you see how easy it is to start from scratch.

2. Select the right category and subcategory. It’s critical that you place your job in the appropriate category; otherwise it won’t be seen by the ideal freelancers. Freelancers can only bid on your job if it’s in their respective category. This helps Elance ensure your job post is visible to the right talent. Not sure which category is best for your job? Try searching for similar projects on Elance, and you’ll find the category and subcategory they’re organized under. This will save you time as you’ll help limit the proposals you receive to higher-quality matches. When selecting the category and subcategory, think about the outcome you’re looking for: • Need a logo for your investment firm? Select the Design & Multimedia category and Logo subcategory. • Hiring a PR consultant for your small IT business? Post your job in the Sales & Marketing category (Not IT & Programming).

3. Specify the skills or experience needed. If your job requires specific know-how, such as a background in iOS or Photoshop expertise, share that fact up-front. This will save you time as you’ll help limit the proposals you receive to higher-quality matchers. Need someone with PHP programming skills? Looking for a writer who has editorial experience and speaks Spanish? Want custom animation development in your video? Select those skills when prompted.

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Section 2: (continued)

Creating Your Job Post: Set yourself up for success 4. Choose between an Hourly and Fixed Price job.

5. Set your budget as accurately as possible.

On Elance you’ll have the option of paying on an hourly basis or with one fixed price. We note this with options “Hourly” or “Fixed Price.” Each has its unique benefits for various projects, but here is a quick recap:

If you’re new to hiring freelancers, estimating the fixed price cost or hourly rate of a job can be a learning curve. But don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it soon. Spend some time considering all of the variables, then try to suggest a reasonable figure. This isn’t necessarily your final price. You can negotiate with the freelancers you like before settling on a final price. Estimating a budget helps make your project more attractive to the best candidates, as freelancers will know you have given thought to the project scope.

Choose Hourly jobs when: • You need flexibility, as project size and scope may change. • You have an ongoing project involving follow-up. • You want to evaluate 2 or 3 freelancers, getting a feel for work before committing to one freelancer for a larger job.

Tip: You can also look for jobs similar to yours already posted on Elance, and see what others are charging. Or make it an Hourly job (vs. Fixed Price) and simply allocate a number of hours for work. You can add more hours as you get a better feel for the project.

• You want to start a job instantly and fine-tune some details later. • You want to make sure you only pay for hours worked, and want to take advantage of the free Elance Work View™ feature to track work and view your freelancer’s real-time screenshots. Choose Fixed Price jobs when: • The project is set in stone, and you’re familiar with the amount of work required. • You want to use the Elance Escrow feature to fund key milestones in the project and release payments gradually as you approve work that’s been completed.

When in doubt, leave the budget open. If you’ve scratched your head to no-end and just can’t determine a reasonable budget, it’s OK. Set your budget as “Not Sure” and as you narrow down your choices, you can always discuss the cost and hours required with each freelancer to work out a fair price.

Regardless of which option you choose, you can change at any time. Simply request the modification and you and your freelancer can change terms in a heartbeat.

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Section 2: (continued)

Creating Your Job Post: Set yourself up for success Move your project atop the job list. Elance automatically places your job near the top of the listings page once you post it. This should make it easy for you to find freelancers searching for projects that match these skills. However, if you need additional opportunity to catch the eye of top freelancers, for $25 you can choose to feature your post so it stands out on the listing page and freelancers know you’re serious about your job. Bonus: This fee actually lets you re-list your job at the top of the listings page twice, giving you more chances of being seen.

• Job Posting Visibility – Use this option to determine if your job is viewable by all Elancers, or only candidates you invite to view the posting. • Preferred Candidate Location – Use this option to specify where you prefer freelancers to be located. Once you check the box, you’ll be prompted to indicate the location. • Post This Job For – Use this option to determine posting length, using the pull-down menu to select how long the job will remain posted. Choose anywhere from 1 to 90 days. • Proposed Start Date – Use this option to indicate when you would like the work to begin. • Purchase Order Number – Use this option to provide a PO number for your freelancer to use when invoicing.

Further hone your posting with Other Options. On the Create your job page, you’ll see a section called Other Options (Privacy, Location, etc.). Click the Show button to reveal more alternatives you can apply to refine your post. This includes options to select:

Next: Finding Great Freelancers Elance: A Client’s Guide | 9

Section 3:

Finding Great Freelancers: Be proactive Now that your job is posted, it’s time to find the perfect freelancer. It may take a couple hours for freelancers to come across your job post, absorb the requirements and respond with their job proposals. But that doesn’t mean you have to wait. Get things going by searching for and inviting freelancers to bid on your job post. Here are some thoughts on finding that talented professional quickly and easily. First, check out Elancers we’ve recommended. Using our sophisticated matching tools, we automatically generate a list of Elancers who look right for you. We’ll show you these candidates immediately after you create your job post. Browse the candidates and invite the most-promising ones to submit a job proposal.

• Use Search for potential candidates. Another option is to find freelancers using Search. In the search bar at the top of most Elance pages, simply toggle to “Search Freelancers” and type in any search criteria. Be specific. You can search by specific skills (PHP experts) or more general descriptions (web programmer), or by the work you want done (develop a mobile app). Invite those who are the best fit.

You can also select Portfolio Samples search and identify candidates by viewing samples of their previous work. Simply click the Portfolio Samples tab and type in what you’re looking for, such as “Ecommerce website” or “Restaurant logo”. You’ll find samples sure to give you a great idea of what’s possible for your job.

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Section 3: (continued)

Finding Great Freelancers: Be proactive ▪ Look for Tested Skills. While searching, on the left side of the search results, you can also narrow your search to freelancers who have passed Skills Tests on Elance. These tests let you know that the person you’re working with has proven know-how in the area you need. There are hundreds of Tested Skills on Elance, from programming and development to design, language proficiency, marketing savvy and more. ▪ Invite members of pre-screened Elance Groups. Elance Groups are full of talented and verified freelancers. With an A-to-Z offering of Groups (literally Android Development Experts to Zoho Creator Experts) it’s easy to find trusted professionals. Group membership is often dependent on verifying credentials (Microsoft Certified Professionals) or passing certain Skills Tests (WordPress). You’ll find Elance Groups ranging from technical fields to creative fields. Simply invite all members of a Group to submit a job proposal, or filter the list to hand-pick a few of your favorite candidates.

After posting your job, getting proposals and also inviting a handful of other great Elancers on your own, you should find yourself with a nice collection of potential hires. Now it’s time to identify the freelancer(s) best for your unique project.

Next: Choosing The Right Freelancer Elance: A Client’s Guide | 11

Section 4:

Choosing the Right Freelancer: Cut to the chase OK, you posted your job, invited interesting freelancers and perused our recommended choices (if not, see section 3). Now it’s time to narrow your list to a few shining stars. You can do this by reviewing their Job Proposals and Profile pages and taking time to chat with top candidates, among other timesaving options.

Beyond pricing, when choosing among candidates here are some thoughts: ▪ View freelancer Proposals. Interested freelancers will respond to your Job Post or invitation with a Job Proposal. What do you look for in a Proposal?

Keep in mind that the freelancer with the lowest price is not necessarily the best choice. Nor is the person with the highest bid. To get the most value, your ideal freelancer should offer outstanding talent at a fair price. Although pricing is a moving target, often determined by supply and demand, here is a quick outline of some popular skills available on Elance and the average price per hour to complete that job: All Countries - 2012

Average rate

Higher-end rate

Mobile Developer

$23-35/hour

$100-$160/hour

Web Developer

$20-$30/hour

$90-$120/hour

Graphic Designer

$18-$26/hour

$40-$50/hour

Writer

$13-$19/hour

$45-$55/hour

Search Engine Optimizer

$9-$14/hour

$50-$65/hour

Virtual Assistant

$7-$11/hour

$25-$30/hour

Customer Service Agent

$7-$11/hour

$25-$30/hour

Book-keeper

$12-18/hour

$25-$35/hour

For updated pricing statistics, including for skills not provided here, visit the Elance Talent Trends section.

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Section 4: (continued)

Choosing the Right Freelancer: Cut to the chase ▪ Look for someone truly interested. A good Job Proposal will include an introduction that’s written specifically to your project. Rather than a form letter sent off to any possible client, they demonstrate interest and ask good questions to get clarification. ▪ Look for professionalism. The tone of the Job Proposal should be professional, with attention to detail. There should be a natural flow of information from section to section, making the Proposal a unified piece.

▪ View freelancer Profile pages. Each freelancer has a public Profile page on Elance, which is a great starting point to determine their skills and experience. Here are areas for you to review when browsing a freelancer’s profile: Overview: Think back to when you were writing your job post, and how much effort you put into writing something that was professional and friendly, yet succinct and detailed. Expect the same from a freelancer. Review their Overview to ensure it’s clear and relevant. Is this the sort of person you want to work with again and again?

▪ Look for unique value and benefits. Find freelancers who have direct experience in the job you’re hiring for. Also browse for people who point out how they’ll take a unique approach to apply their skills towards your project.

Feedback ratings and comments: When clients complete each project on Elance, they’ll rate and leave comments on the quality and value of the work they received. Clients also rate each freelancer’s work on a scale of 1 to 5– including areas from Quality and Cost to Response and Professionalism. Pay close attention to these ratings, especially if the freelancer has several jobs and consistent ratings. Take a moment to browse the written Feedback the person has received, and if clients consistently recommend the freelancer. Also look to see how the freelancer responds to feedback–this can be a good indicator of the professionalism you’ll encounter on your job.

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Section 4: (continued)

Choosing The Right Freelancer: Cut to the chase

Levels: Closely related to Feedback and Ratings, Elance Levels is a numerical ranking we calculate to show where each freelancer stands among their peers. It takes into account many variables, from a freelancer’s activity and long-term relationships to earnings, reviews and more. The higher the Level, the higher they’ll appear in results when you search. Tested Skills: Freelancers are encouraged to take Skills Tests on Elance, to show their proficiency in their fields. There are hundreds of test available, in virtually all fields. On each Profile page you’ll see a list of the skills tested, and where they rate among their peers (Top 1%, Top 10%, etc.). Look to make sure the freelancer has taken and performed well on the skills tests that matter most to you. Groups: Many freelancers have joined Elance Groups reserved for Elancers who have been pre-screened, by providing specific credentials or other proof of their expertise. Check to see if the candidate has joined a particular group, which will give you a good indication of their skill level in that area.

Portfolios: There’s no better way to get an idea for someone’s talent than to see actual work they’ve done. If applicable, simply click on the person’s Portfolio to browse related projects. ID Verification: Freelancers have the option of having their identification formally verified through their Elance account. Look for the green check mark to see if your candidates have taken this step.

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Section 4: (continued)

Choosing The Right Freelancer: Cut to the chase • Consider a smaller project with 2 or 3 freelancers. Another popular option is to give a few freelancers a small portion of the project (or a related job) to see how things go. It’s easy to set up an Hourly job for 2 or 3 hours, and let each work their magic. You’ll get a good idea of each person’s skill and work style– hopefully enough to make an informed decision on who to go with for the entire job. Think about this as you would a normal hiring process, except you’ll get the opportunity to see how the person performs. You’ll only allocate a small portion of your overall budget in the process, and eventually go with the best freelancer, paying and thanking the others for their time and effort. • Use multiple forms of communications to screen freelancers. When you’re starting to narrow choices, it’s good to open a line of communication with top freelancers. Your project Workroom has its own private message board, allowing for email communication that is automatically captured on Elance, where it matters most. Sometimes it makes sense to simply pick up the phone or use Skype to discuss the project. This is okay after you’ve received a proposal from interested freelancers. Just always be sure to document the conversation back in your project Workroom, particularly if you’ve discussed any decisions around timing, budget or scope of work. Really, any details important to your project should be documented back in the Workroom’s message board and updated in the project’s official Terms & Milestones. While having these conversations off Elance is fine, and can often help you come to a decision faster, be sure you’re managing your project and payments only through Elance. This is how you stay protected, avoid any potential scams and take advantage of all Elance has to offer, including our awesome Customer Support.

In conclusion: Use this handy checklist. That’s a lot of information to absorb, eh? As a quick review of what to look for when considering freelancers, here is a brief checklist of ideal requisites. Hopefully your ideal candidate will have: □ A genuine interest in your specific job. □ A job proposal that’s professional, friendly and well-tailored to your project. □ Direct experience tackling projects closely related to your job. □ An impressive Portfolio of related work (if applicable). □ A succinct and well-written Profile page. □ Positive Feedback and Ratings from clients, as well as a high Level. □ Tested Skills in areas related to your project. □ Membership in Elance Groups related to your project (if applicable). □ ID verification status. □ A track record of responding promptly to your requests during the vetting process. You’ve now gathered all of the important information needed and you’ve made your decision on which freelancer to hire. Now it’s time to hire and get the work started.

Next: Awarding Your Job Elance: A Client’s Guide | 15

Section 5:

Awarding Your Job: Close the deal With a top candidate (or entire team) picked, it’s time to finalize the negotiations and get ready to work. Start by confirming the price and job terms. Here is some advice on quickly and efficiently settling things. Negotiate a fair price. You may have already proposed a price on your job post form, or mentioned a price when communicating with a freelancer, and now it’s time to finalize that budget. Often a freelancer will be excited about the job, but they’ll estimate that the project will require more funding. This could be an issue with your original price estimate, or it could be that the scope of the project may have changed. Either way, keep these thoughts in mind: ▪ Always remain professional. No need to take things personally. You’re a professional and you know what the job is worth to you. Simply explain why you feel you’re offering a fair price. Be flexible if your freelancer offers points which you hadn’t considered. ▪ If things change, update terms and milestones. When changes happen, update all related items in the project. Be especially sensitive to shifting end dates, price and scope. ▪ Avoid fraud. Never take jobs off Elance. If freelancers ask you to complete the job or pay them outside of the Elance platform, a warning bell should go off in your head. Something is not right. It’s against Elance rules and you’re in danger of getting scammed. If you agree and pay them outside of the Elance platform, you will lose all protection Elance affords you. Period.

Now it’s time to award the Job. Here’s how: ▪ Select a freelancer’s Proposal. When you’ve found the winning offer, simply award the job by selecting the best Proposal. You’ll be prompted to update all the terms and milestones. These updates will get sent to the freelancer for approval and vice versa should they request any edits. Here’s more information on setting those final terms: For Hourly jobs, terms include: a) the number of authorized hours you agree to pay your freelancer each week, b) the hourly rate for these hours and c) the number of weeks the job will take. You’re going to want your freelancer to use Elance’s Tracker tool with Work View turned on, so make sure you discuss this with your freelancer and Tracker with Work View is activated. Tracker acts like a timecard, and freelancers sign into Tracker when they sit down to work on your job. Work View will then take randomly-timed screenshots of a freelancer’s screen and automatically upload these screenshots to your job’s Workroom. This gives you unprecedented visibility and control into the time you’re paying for. The nice thing about Work View? If you see activity in your freelancer’s timesheet not related to your job, you can reject that time and avoid paying for it.

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Section 5:

(continued)

Awarding Your Job: Close the deal Be sure to review timesheets on a regular basis too. If you simply approve them blindly, you may run into surprises at the end of the project. By staying up-todate on the quality and price of the deliverables you’re receiving, you and your freelancer can stay in synch. Also, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to put your payment method on file through the “Financial Accounts” section of your Elance account (Manage/ Financial Accounts). This is important because with Tracker turned on, AutoPay is turned on. More information on Auto-Pay is available in the next section of this Guide, “Managing Your Project.” For Fixed Price jobs, terms include the project milestones and amounts you agree to pay your freelancer for the work delivered at each of those milestones. Milestones are key dates in your project when you expect work to be delivered and make payment to your freelancer. The vast majority of Fixed Price jobs on Elance work best with more than one project milestone because this gives you multiple opportunities along the way to view, approve and pay for work. Here are a few examples of the types of milestones clients and freelancers set for projects on Elance: For a writing project: • Milestone 1: freelancer delivers an outline of the final writing • Milestone 2: freelancer delivers a first draft of the final writing • Milestone 3: freelancer delivers final writing

For a video project: • Milestone 1: freelancer delivers a storyboard of the video script • Milestone 2: freelancer delivers a first draft of the video • Milestone 3: freelancer delivers a second draft of the video • Milestone 4: freelancer delivers final video with source file Set as many milestones as you’d like, breaking up your total budget among these key milestone dates. By using Elance Escrow, you can then fund these milestones ahead of time, giving your freelancer the confidence that payment is securely in place so they can begin work. Payment doesn’t get released until you allow it*. While you don’t need to fund all milestones at once, funding the first milestone is a best practice and we encourage freelancers to avoid doing any work on any milestone until it’s been funded. Looks like you’ve found the right person and settled on terms. You will be notified by email (and in your My Jobs section) when the freelancer has accepted the job. Now it’s time to start the project and get some great work done. *Note: we’ll cover more about releasing payment on your project milestones later in this Guide. However, it should be noted that payment on an Escrowfunded milestone will get released automatically after 30-days if no action has been taken by the client after the milestone is marked complete.

Next: Managing Your Project Elance: A Client’s Guide | 17

Section 6:

Managing Your Project: Where work gets done Congratulations! Your Job was accepted and you’re now ready to work with your freelancer for an awesome result. With every project you’ll automatically be assigned a secure Elance Workroom where you and your freelancer can collaborate. This is also where you’ll track progress, receive completed work and ensure that your freelancer gets paid for work you approve.

Elancers you’ve worked with to this job, inviting new Elancers you find or even inviting other colleagues to join Elance and become part of the team as a new Team Member or Guest User. Here’s how to add Team Members:

These notes will make you get great work and build a working relationship that can extend to projects down the road. While there are many services and features, below are some highlights on how to get the most from working with Elance.

Remember, you’re free to invite additional Team Members or Guests. Great work happens when the full team works together. To make sure you have the right people tackling and reviewing work, Elance makes it easy to assemble the right team. This includes freedom to create entire teams of workers rather than a single freelancer. Build an entire team. Many businesses realize that the most-efficient and effective way to work is to have a full team of freelancers ready at all times. A good example is a full team of Elancers to build your website–from a UX designer and key programmers to SEO experts and link builders. But once the project is over, keep the team together for regular maintenance. Simply open an Hourly job (see Section 5) and keep it open for when work is required. Then 24/7 you’ll be ready to assign more work instantly when the need arises.

1. From the top-level navigation on any Elance page, click Manage/My Team. Or, from your Workroom’s main page, in the People section click Add. 2. Select either Team Member or Guest User (Guests have limited functionality and will only have access to the Workroom for a limited time). 3. Follow the on-screen direction, either adding an existing Team Member or inviting a New Team Member or Guest.

Add existing Team Members, new Team Members or Guest Users. As your project is progressing along, you may find it beneficial to bring in additional Elancers or colleagues to augment the process. This can include adding other

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Section 6: (continued)

Managing Your Project: Where work gets done Note: When adding Team Members, you can determine the level of access each person has. Here are the roles you can assign and the functionality allowed: Administrator Can complete all Elance tasks.

In our Help Center you’ll find several sample contracts you can customize to further refine your agreement with the freelancer. From Non-Disclosure Agreements to Engagement Letters, you’ll find sample documents containing key issues. You simply personalize them with your exact details and upload them to your job.

Hiring Manager Except for Withdrawals, can perform all tasks. Recruiter Except for Withdrawals and Payments, can complete all tasks. Staff Can perform a partial set of actions required for jobs.

1. Managing terms, payment and approval. Take advantage of the many features built into Elance that help protect you, your money and your ideas. While all freelancers who are on Elance agree to our Terms of Service, you can also further protect yourself and your ideas with additional terms before and after your job is awarded. ▪ Consider NDAs and other documents. If you need to provide candidates with sensitive information in the job post, before you’ve hired, it’s a good idea to ask each freelancer submitting a proposal to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement before you engage in further discussion past your initial job post. This way you can explain the job need without concern for protection of your intellectual property.

▪ Independent Contractor Services Agreement. Your original ideas are what separate you from other businesses. By default, the contract you and your freelancer agree to before work begins has a work-for-hire provision. This means that you, as the client, own all work created by the freelancer. Also included in the agreement are freelancer obligations to confidentiality, nondisclosure and non-competition. ▪ Upload Additional Terms. You can further amend your working relationship by adding to the language of your job terms, if the amendments are uploaded to your Workroom and both parties sign and agree to the alterations. To do so, visit the Terms & Milestones page of your Workroom and add these files. Your freelancer will be prompted to accept these additions.

Elance: A Client’s Guide | 19

Section 6: (continued)

Managing Your Project: Where work gets done 2. Managing work and paying for Hourly jobs.

3. Managing work and paying for Fixed Price jobs.

It’s easy to stay on top of the work performed for Hourly jobs. To do so, your freelancer should use the Work View feature and Tracker tool so that screenshots get submitted to your project’s Workroom and timesheets get submitted to you automatically at the end of each week. With these tools, you can review screenshots along the way and after a timesheet gets submitted, you’ll have 5 days to review that timesheet before it gets automatically paid. During this review period, you can reject any time that wasn’t spent on your job from the timesheet so you don’t pay for these hours. Just click Timesheets in the Workroom, select the appropriate Timesheet and Review.

With Fixed Price jobs, you’ll manage payment by setting milestones. You can then use the Elance Escrow feature to fund these milestones, and each time a milestone is approved by you the funds will be paid to your freelancer.

Again, you’ll have 5 days from when a timesheet is submitted to you, before it gets automatically paid. This is called Auto-Pay. Use this time to review the timesheet, look at the screenshots during those project work hours and reject any time you don’t see was spent on your job. You have full control to review and approve the authorized hours on your job. Use the 5 days to do so. This is called Work View Protection. Once the auto payment has been made to the freelancer, it is not refundable.

As mentioned earlier in this Guide it’s recommended that you break your project up into several smaller milestones. Initially you can fund just the first milestone, or fund all milestones at once. It’s up to you, but note that we recommend freelancers don’t start working on a particular milestone until it is funded.

When a milestone is achieved, meaning a freelancer has uploaded the work deliverable to your Workroom, they will mark that milestone as complete, thereby triggering a request to release the Escrow funds. Now, it’s your turn: review the work that was uploaded by the freelancer. Is the first draft of your blog article exactly what you were expecting? Did the freelancer create the website wireframe as you had both agreed to in the project terms? If the answer is “Yes” and they’ve done the work that was expected, then release the Escrow funds for that milestone so your freelancer can get paid and you two can move on to the next milestone. If the answer is “No”, message your freelancer in the Workroom and discuss what needs to be done before you release those funds. You have 30 days to resolve any issues–after that time the invoice will be paid automatically (unless other steps are taken through our dispute process). With Elance Escrow and milestones, you approve the work before you release funds. This is called Elance Escrow Protection.

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Section 6: (continued)

Managing Your Project: Where work gets done Again, funds will be released when you review and approve work for that milestone. NOTE: Funds are automatically released 30 days after the job is marked complete. So be sure to either release the Escrow funds prior to this, or work with your freelancer on any edits that need to be made to the work. If you are unable to work with your freelancer to receive a deliverable that you approve for releasing Escrow funds, you can contact Elance for dispute assistance. Simply click this option in your job’s Workroom to get in touch. Be sure to allow time in the process for this step, as payment will be automatically sent after 30 days.

▪ If needed, Elance will assist. If no resolution is agreed upon between you and your freelancer, we will discuss the situation with all parties and attempt to resolve concerns. We have a well-defined dispute assistance process in place, which can be accessed directly from your project Workroom. Although we don’t make final decisions, we help facilitate the discussion to make sure all issues are on the table to more easily reach a consensus on matters.

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Section 6: (continued)

Managing Your Project: Where work gets done 4. Managing jobs on a daily basis. As well as payment and approval features, you’ll find many ways that Elance makes it simple for you to complete projects quickly and efficiently. Here are some additional tools available to you in your project’s Workroom. ▪ Communication and collaboration. You’ll find tools for staying in touch (from email to video conferencing), as well as solutions for sharing files and tracking work. Use them, particularly your job’s private message board and the Terms & Milestones page where you can document key decisions you and your freelancer agree to. This is critical should any problems happen during the project that need Elance’s help, or should you require dispute assistance (as only the agreements documented here can be reviewed during the assistance). ▪ Request weekly status reports. It’s simple for freelancers to keep you updated on jobs. For hourly jobs, the weekly timesheets created by Tracker serve as status reports. And remember, if your freelancer is using Work View, as we strongly recommend, these timesheets will also include realtime screenshots so you can see exactly what’s being worked on during your Authorized Hours.

For Fixed Price jobs, ask for weekly status updates, with notes on tasks performed, hours worked, journal entries, attachments and plans for the upcoming week. These status reports, along with your project’s milestones can help you stay on top of progress. ▪ Upload all files and ask for all files to be uploaded. Make sure everyone uploads all files to the Workroom when changes are made and deliverables are sent. If your freelancer needs to use an off-Elance service to upload their deliverables, be sure they document the location, file names, etc. in the Elance project Workroom’s message board as well. ▪ Eliminate paperwork and busy work. Elance has streamlined the process of getting work done, including taking many of the bureaucratic steps out of the process. Things happen automatically, intuitively and greenly. Mother Nature will thank you. For example, invoices will be automatically generated weekly on Hourly jobs by Tracker. For Fixed Price jobs, these invoices are created when milestones are completed and approved.

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Section 6: (continued)

Managing Your Project: Where work gets done We also have a 1099 service available. If you are a business in the United States (U.S.) and you hire a freelancer who is a “U.S. Person” as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), you may be required to submit a 1099 tax form to the IRS at the end of the tax year. For clients with multiple jobs and freelancers, this can involve a great deal of paperwork. On jobs that require a 1099 form, if requested by the client, Elance will issue the applicable 1099 forms on behalf of the client to the IRS and to the freelancers at the end of the tax year. A summary report will be provided for the client as well.

▪ Control notifications. On Elance you can decide what correspondence you receive and how often you’ll receive them. From marketing materials to alerts, simply indicate your preferences. ▪ Real-time analytics. You’ll find a summary giving you a concise update of how much money you have spent on which projects. Just click Manage/My Reports to find this useful information. With the information provided in this Client Guide to Success, you should be getting great work and building a lasting relationship with your freelancer. But once the job is finished and the freelancer paid, there are a couple more steps to ensure the process goes smoothly for everyone involved .

Next: Once Your Job Is Complete Elance: A Client’s Guide | 23

Section 7:

Once Your Job Is Complete: The final touches Before you move on with the great work you received, take a moment to finish up the loose ends:

▪ Keep track of your freelancer. Use your My Freelancers page to quickly locate and Rehire your preferred partners. Be aware of how busy they’re getting, to make sure there is time for your next project.

▪ Provide Feedback. Your opinion matters. Feedback is among the mostsignificant ways clients are able to differentiate between one Elancer and another. Take a moment to rate how well the person performed, and what value you received. Keep in mind that Feedback cannot be changed, so don’t leave Feedback early, be honest and refrain from anything which you may regret later. Remember, freelancers can read your reviews too, and some of the information you provide will be made public while some may remain private and only available to the freelancer. Also of note is that freelancers can respond to your feedback, so always handle responses (positive or negative) in a professional manner.

Next: Your Reminder Elance: A Client’s Guide | 24

Section 8:

Your Reminder: Stay safe Your security is paramount at Elance. Naturally we don’t want to see you waste precious time and lose money. Keep these critical things in mind at all times: Manage or document key decisions on Elance: • Use the message board.

• For Fixed Price projects, set milestones for key points in your project. More than one milestone is almost always recommended. - Fund Escrow for a milestone before your freelancer begins working on it. You can fund all at the outset, but this isn’t required. - Always review and make sure you approve the work before you release Escrow funds for a milestone.

• Always update the Terms & Milestones section if there are changes to the price/timing/scope. • Don’t take your project off Elance, even if the freelancer insists! This eliminates any protections you have and means we have much less room to help you. Review the work: • You have full visibility into what you’re paying for. Remember: Stay on Elance, pay on Elance. • For hourly projects, require that your freelancer use Tracker with Work View turned on - Always review timesheets during the 5-day review period before payment is automatically made. - Reject any time from the timesheet before it gets automatically paid.

Next: Job Well Done Elance: A Client’s Guide | 25

Section 9:

Job Well Done: Keep up the good work By following the advice in this Client’s Guide to Elance, you’re sure to have incredible success using talented professionals on Elance. The opportunities are endless! As mentioned earlier, freelancers love long-term client relationships. Not only is it more fulfilling to work with repeat customers, they also can increase their Level by working with you consistently. So when you’re finished with a project, don’t be shy about suggesting other work your freelancer can do. Sometimes you’re so focused on that to-do list in front of you that you don’t realize the opportunities that are right in front of you. Perhaps the project has on-going maintenance needed, or additional parts to complete the puzzle? Use your freelancer as an invaluable partner.

Thanks again for becoming a part of Elance and the online work revolution. We’re excited to help you Work Differently™ and be more successful. It’s awesome to have you on the team! If you’re looking for additional help for managing your projects on Elance, check out these resources: Elance Help Center Elance Official Blog Quick Start Help Videos Terms of Service Elance Webinar Sign Up Cheers, The Elance Team

Laura G. United States | Extreme Sports X

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