Odesk Contractor Manual 2013

5/18/2018 Odesk Contractor Manual 2013

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UpworkA Freelancers Guide to

Get to work,

grow your business,

and do what matters to you.


2/21

A Freelancers Guide to Upwork

alefonn

PART 1

Introduction

1 Welcome

3 Why is Upwork right for you?

4 Who can work on Upwork?

5 How does Upwork make money?

PART 2

Getting started

8 Joining Upwork in three easy steps

9 Membership plan options

11 Building a great profile

PART 3

Finding work & submitting proposals

16 Finding the right work

20 Submitting a proposal and interviewing

24 Complete the interview

PART 4

Doing the work & getting paid

27 Managing your project

29 Upwork Payment Protection

PART 5

Finishing things off32 Completing a contract

33 Managing your reputation and profile

36 Best Practices

TIP 1

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Table of Conte


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1 Doing the work and getting paid A Freelancers Guide to Upwork

CHAPTER 1

Welcome Our dream is to build workplace for the wor

Stephane Kasriel, CEO


4/21

3 A Freelancers Guide to UpworkIntroduction

Why is Upwork right for you?

Great work

is rewarded

Youll work with great clients and earn money. Delivering

these awesome experiences will lead to even more work and

more clients.

Our technology

makes it easy

We have tools to help you get set up, find more clients,

manage your own work, and get paid quickly and reliably.

Were a

community that

wants you

to succeed

As you win and succeed on jobs, well do our best to help

you find more opportunities for continued growth.

Payments

are protected

With Upwork Payment Protection programs, you can b e more

confident that youll always be paid for work you deliver.

Individual

freelancers

For self-employed individuals and small companies that have

a specific skill set and are looking to work on their own.

AgenciesFor companies and individuals with multiple employees orsubcontractors and for teams of freelancers who plan to

tackle projects together.

Who can work on Upwork?

We welcome all independent professionals and agencies to join the Upwork

community, whether you are a web designer from Serbia, or a writer from

Brazil. Depending on your business needs, we invite you to register and work

in one of two ways:


5/215 A Freelancers Guide to UpworkIntroduction

How does Upwork make money?

Service fees

For each payment it processes, Upwork charges a 10% service fee, which

is generally paid by the freelancer. For example, if you agree to perform

a project for $200, youll receive $180, and Upwork will receive $20.

Because of this, many freelancers choose to add a small mark-up to their

rate to account for this business expense (for instance, charging $220, so

that they will receive a flat $200).

1

Membership plans

All freelancers and agencies must subscribe to an Upwork membership

plan. Our Freelancer Basic membership is free of charge and provides

all the functionality youll need to run a thriving business on Upwork. For

those who want additional premium benefits, we offer a paid Freelancer

Plus membership option. There are also Basic and Plus membership plans

for agencies.

2

FREE FREE

FREELANCER AGENCY

PLUS

HOURLY FIXED-PRICE

Billing rate

This is what

the client sees

Bid

This is what

the client sees

$ $

$ $

22.22 111.11/hr

/hrYoull earn

Estimated

Youll earn 100.00

Upwork receives 10% of the

amount charged to the client.

Depending on hours billed,

amount may vary slightly

due to rounding.

Upwork receives 10% of the

amount charged to the client.

?

?

? ?

20.00


6/217 Doing the work and getting paid A Freelancers Guide to Upwork

CHAPTER 2

Getting

started

Join Upwork in three steps:

1

3

2

Sign up and select a membership plan

If you havent signed up already, nows the time. Pick the

Membership Plan that best matches your needs. Remember,

you can change your membership plan in the future.

Create your profile

Fill out as many fields as possible to create a profile that

highlights your skills, elaborates on your experience andindicates your desired hourly payment rate.

Set up your payment option

Get ready to get paid and tell us how you want to receive

your earnings. We recommend setting up two fund transfer

methods so that you can be paid easily.


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9 A Freelancers Guide to UpworkGetting started

Membership Plan options

Agency Basic membership (Free)

For one-person agencies. This plan allows an agency owner to show a company lo

and company name in their Upwork profile. It includes 60 Connects per billing cyc

unlimited invitations to jobs, and Payment Protection. No team members can be

added or assigned work on the Basic plan.

Agency Plus membership ($20 per month)

For multi-person agencies. In addition to a company logo and company name, th

plan allows an agency owner to add unlimited team members and share Connect

among their team. It also includes 80 Connects per month, the ability to roll over

to 80 unused Connects to the following month, the ability to buy extra Connects,

visibility into what others are bidding on jobs, unlimited invitations to jobs, and

Payment Protection.

AGENCY BASIC AGENCY PLUS

Owner Only

The agency owner applies for jobs and works as a

one-person business, with no team members

Multi-Person Teams

Add and support unlimited teams and team

60 Connects per Month* 80 Connects per Month*

Shared across the agency

Hourly Protection

For eligible hourly jobs, youre ensured payment for

every hour worked

Rollover Connects

Unused Connects automatically carry over t

following month (up to 80)

Fixed Price Protection

For fixed-price jobs, payments are secured through

pre-funded milestones

Buy Additional Connects

If you run out of Connects, you can buy mor

time ($1 per Connect)

View Competitor Bids

See the minimum, maximum, and average bid

any job

Hourly Protection

For eligible hourly jobs, youre ensured paym

every hour worked

*NOTE Connects are used to apply for jobs,

with each application requiring 1 to 5 Connects

(0 if youre invited or rehired)

Fixed-Price Protection

For fixed-price jobs, payments are secured t


FREELANCER BASIC FREELANCER PLUS

60 Connects per Month* 70 Connects per Month*

Shared across the agency

Hourly Protection

For eligible hourly jobs, youre ensured payment forevery hour worked

Rollover Connects

Unused Connects automatically carry over to thefollowing month (up to 70)




Buy Additional Connects

If you run out of Connects, you can buy more at any

time ($1 per Connect)

View Competitor Bids

See the minimum, maximum, and average bid for

any job

Hourly Protection

For eligible hourly jobs, youre ensured payment for

every hour worked

*NOTE Connects are used to apply for jobs,

with each application requiring 1 to 5 Connects

(0 if youre invited or rehired)




Freelancer Basic membership (Free)

This includes a complete Upwork profile, 60 Connects per billing cycle, unlimited

invitations to jobs, and Payment Protection.

Freelancer Plus membership ($10 per month)

Includes everything in the Freelancer Basic membership plan, as well as 10 additional

Connects per month (for a total of 70), the ability to roll over up to 70 unused Connects

to the following billing cycle, the ability to buy extra Connects, and visibility into what

others are bidding on jobs.


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11 Doing the work and getting paid

Building a Great Profile

Successful profiles are complete, accurate, and paint

a compelling picture of your skills, services and

accomplishments. Your profile is your opportunity to

advertise your freelance business to potential clients,

and you can complete it however you think best.

Here are some thoughts on how you can make a

great first impression.

J OB S F RE EL AN CE RS R EP OR TS M ES SA GE S 8J O BS F R EE L AN C ER S R E PO R TS M E SS AG E S 99+

formerlyoDesk

Megan Malley

Overview

Work History and Feedback

I am a multi-media designer experienced in interaction design, UI/UX,

and visual design. I bring a strong knowledge of leading design teams,

working with stakeholders and in shaping brand strategy. I have been

working with Adobe Creative Suite software for over a decade. I am also

proficient using other social media, email marketing and Google...

4:00pm local time - 3hrs ahead

Visual Designer

Work History

Availability

Languages

558 hours worked

4 jobs

97% Job Success Score

response time

Available

Full time

24hrs

FluentEnglish

Toronto, Canada

CONTACT

Web Designer for Desktop Application

5.00

hours144

/hr$77.70

11,188.80 earned

Aug 2014 Jan 2015

5.00

Web design Brand consult ing Graphic Design

"Beautiful work by Megan for one of our new projects.

Absolutely no doubt that she's a skilled designer, and

I'd love to hire her again for new projects."

Newest First 4 jobs in progress

Brand guide

36 hours

$77.70/hr

Aug 2014 Jan 2015

2,797.20 earned

5.00

Fast work, knows what shes doing. Professional.

Save

more...

$77.78/hr

TOP RATED ?

Megan Malley

I l i i i i i i i i I

i l i I i l l i i

i i l i i I

i i i i I l

i i i i l i il i l

4:00pm local time - 3hrs ahead

Visual Designer

Toronto, Canada

Web des ign Brand consu lt ing Graph ic Des ign

''

l

more...

.

Professional Picture

Headshot image of yourself

Friendly expression

Plain background

Business casual attire

Targeted Skills

Pick 3-5 core skills

Put your best skills at the top

Take Skills Tests

Accurate Title

Reflects persona

Indicates preferre

Short and impact

Compelling Overview

Use complete sentences

No bullet points

Highlight your prefered work

Include past professional achievements

FOOTNOTE

Profiles will not be visible on Upwork until they are completed and verified.


9/21

13 Getting started

...

I

Carnegie Mellon

l

Education

Master of Arts (M.A.), Graphic Design

. . .. .

.

.

.

.

.

.

:December 2009 - March 2011

Complete Education & Employment History

Add your most recent education

Highlight accomplishments, professional certifications

and licenses, special recognition or awards

Include employment history

Building a Great Profile(continued)

Visual Portfolio

Add past work samples

Secure permission from past clients

FOOTNOTE

Other profile areas

Professional Certifications: Add professional certifications.

Introduction Videos: Add an introduction video to let clients know what its like to work with you.

Linking External Accounts: Link external accounts to your Upwork profile to show your online presenc


10/21


CHAPTER 3

Finding

work &submittingproposals

Finding the right work

Searching for projects, and setting up your Job Feed

is easy, and an important part of getting the most

out of your Upwork membership. Again, while you

are welcome to do what you deem appropriate, your

search will help ensure that you never miss out on

those project for which you are a great fit.

1

3

2

Pick a core skill

Enter a core skill or two into the search bar to find

projects that match your talents.

Set Filters

Use filters on the left-hand side of the

Search Results Pageto find a more targeted list.

Add to Job Feed

After setting your search preferences, add it to your

Job Feed so you can have an ongoing, updated list

of new projects that match your preferences.


11/21

17 Finding and submitting proposals

HOURLY

On hourly contracts, youre paid by the hour,

making this a preferred option for many

freelancers when a project requires flexibility.

Examples of projects that can work well in an

hourly format include Technical Support and

Accounting Advisors.

Hourly contract payments are eligible for

Upwork Hourly Protection

Heres how:

1. Agree to the number of authorized hours with

your client via the Offer Details page.

2. Install and track your project time using the

Upwork Team App.

3. Add descriptions and notes of your work to your

Time Log.

4. Quickly address with your client, and request

approval for, any changes needed to your

authorized hours.

Fixed-Price or Hourly Contracts

On Upwork there are two types of projects you can

work on with your clients. Heres how they compare.

FIXED-PRICE

Onfixed-price contracts, youre paid a final

cost for a project deliverable, or set of

deliverables. This option can be ideal when

the deliverable or deliverables are more

clearly defined. Examples of projects well-

suited for fixed-price format include Web

Design and Mobile App Development.

Fixed-price contract payments are p

with Upwork Fixed-Price Protection

Heres how:

1. Agree to project milestones with your c

clearly outlining what youll deliver, wh

youll deliver it, and for how much of th

project cost.

2. Wait until milestones are funded befor

any work on the project.

3. Submit your work deliverables throug

Upwork platform.

4. Make sure youve been paid for a mile

and that the next one is funded, befor

continuing work.

FOOTNOTE

Tips for a succesful contract

Regardless of which contract type you and your client agree to,we suggest that you always:

Agree to final payment terms (hours, deliverables and costs) on the

contract offers page.

Confirm that your client has a verified payment method on file.

Deliver work product through the Upwork platform.

Only receive payments through your Upwork account.


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Photo

Submitting a proposal

and Interviewing

FOOTNOTE

What are Connects?

Connects are tokens you use to submit applica-

tions. If the client invites you to apply or is rehir-

ing you, you wont need to use any Connects. All

other applications require anywhere from 1 to 5

Connects, depending on factors such as the size

and type of job.

Each Upwork membership plan comes with a

Connects budget. For individual freelancers, the

Freelancer Basicplan comes with 60 C

per month, while the Freelancer Plusp

includes 70 (with the ability to purchase

and roll over unused Connects to the fo

month). For agencies, the Agency Basic

60 Connects per month, while the Age

plan comes with 80 Connects per mont

monthly Connects budget is replenishe

beginning of your billing cycle.

1. Find a job you like and press the Apply

button.

2. Review the number of *Connects required

to submit an application and your Connects

balance.

3. Read below for tips on how to write a

winning Application.

4. Enter your offered rate, write a cover letter,

add attachments (if any), and send the

application.

5. The client will review applications

contact candidates for interviews.

6. The client may propose a paid tes

get a better idea of your skills. Thi

great way to find out how well you

togetherjust be sure to agree up

and number of weekly hours befo

begin. There are no free test jobs.

violation of Upwork policy.

7. After everything is discussed, the c

send you an offer. Review it, accep

start working.

Now that youre ready to submit proposals to

clients, heres how the process works:



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Be specific

Keep it short and to-the-point. Briefly tell the

client about your relevant skills and experience.

Showcasing specific examples of your experiencerelated to the clients field can make a difference.

Dont hesitate to ask

Appropriate clarifying questions about the job

show your understanding and demonstrate the

value you can bring to the project.

Follow directions

Some clients might ask you to answer a specific

question or include a keyword in your cover let-

ter. This helps them filter out generic, copy andpaste applications. Look for these directions and

follow them.

Proof read, edit, and deliver

Did you address all the criteria and answer the

clients questions? Have you added relevant links

to samples of your work? Do a final grammar and

spelling check before you hit send.

Writing a winning proposal

Your cover letter is how you introduce yourself,

highlight your skills and experience, and tell the

client why they should hire you. Its your opportunity

to show that you understand the project and are

qualified for the job.

Heres how to write a cover letter that works well

with clients and leads to interviews:

FOOTNOTE

Dont Spam

Dont send generic cut and paste cover letters to every job post. It hurts your

chances of getting hired and can reflect poorly on your Upwork reputation. Its okay to

adapt an old cover letter, but make it relevant to the project youre trying to win.

21

Break the job into phases

For instance, building a website may include

five of them: planning, design, development,

review, and testing.

Calculate your charge

For each phase, calculate your charge by

estimating the time it will take to complete,

including revisions.

Add it all up

Add up the estimated cost of all phases

a little extra to account for unexpected

Evaluate profit vs risk

Consider any additional profit desired,

risks that you might take on, in decidin

a final amount.

Propose your cost

On Upwork, freelancers always set and negotiate

their own rates. You can even set a different fixed or

hourly rate for each proposal you submit. Just change

the default rate in the application before you hit the

Send button.

To decide your price for fixed-price jobs, some

freelancers find it makes sense to start with an

estimate of how long it will take to finish.

Heres one way to do it:


14/21

A Freelancers Guide to UpworkDoing the work and getting paid

Submit and keep moving

Once youve applied, you may receive a notification

that the client would like to set up an interview, or

maybe even hire you immediately. In some cases, you

may not hear anything back at all. Clients are not

mandated to respond to all applications, so keep your

options open by applying to other jobs.

FOOTNOTE

What is Disintermediation?

Disintermediation is when you accept a clients payment outside of the Upwork

platform. Doing so, or suggesting this to your client, is a violation of Upwork policy

and can result in suspension of your account. If a client asks you to start work withoutcreating a contract on Upwork, beware! You wont be protected by Upwork Payment

Protection, and Upwork cant ensure youll get paid.

Just remember, work on Upwork, get paid on Upwork.

23

Complete the interview

If the client requests an interview, reply quickly with

your availability and find a time that works for you

both. If your potential client is in a different time zone,

be prepared to interview at a time that is outside the

traditional 9-to-5 window.

Interviews can be text-based through the Upwork

Message Center, Skype, or over the phone, so agree

on a method that works best for both of you. Make

sure you understand how the interview will be

conducted (for example, voice vs. text on Skype) so

you can prepare in advance.

Heres a bit of advice on how to make

the most of your interview:

Be flexible

Time zones and communication preferences can

be tricky; be willing to adapt to the clients time

and interview method requirements.

Do your homework

Research your client and their project, so you

can have a meaningful conversation about their

business, and write down a few project-specific

questions.

Be professional

Talk about your accomplishments and ask ques-

tions about the job in a way that is respectful and

polite.

Be honest

If you dont know the answer to a question (or

dont like the answer you have to give), be honest.

Misleading a client will lead to a bad experience

for everyone.

End on a positive note

Ask if there is a deadline for hiring so y

know when the client will make a decisdont forget to thank them for consider

application.

After the interview:

Provide additional info

If you promised to send some extra de

link to a portfolio piece during the inte

so promptly. Its easier to do it right aft

conversation.

Always follow up

Send a short note and reiterate on the a

made during the conversation (if there a


15/21


CHAPTER 4

Doing the

work &gettingpaid

Starting the project

with a kick-off

You control how you get the job done, and your clients

will rely on your expertise to get started. Before you

start working, consider setting up a kickoff meeting or

writing a message to your client.

Establish a client communication plan that details

how often youll need to report on progress. You can

communicate with your client through the Message

Center, email, or chat, but choose one method and stick

with it to avoid confusion.


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Managing and delivering work

HOURLY CONTRACTS FIXED-PRICE CONTRACTS

UpWork App

Applications

Using the Team App

If youre starting an hourly contract, youll want to

download the Team App to log hours and get paid

for your time.

The Work Diary feature of the Team App helps

you track your time and takes work-in-progress

snapshots at random times in 10-minute inter-

vals. These snapshots reassure your online clients

that you have worked all the hours billed to them

through Upwork and helps ensure youll be paid,

even if a dispute arises. (You can always delete

any snapshots you dont want shared and billedto your client.)

Your client may set a maximum number of hours

you can log in one week. Know your limit and tell

your client when youre getting close to it. This

allows them to decide whether to increase the

limit or wait until next week to continue.

When the week is over, you and your client have

a chance to review your timelogs before they are

finalized and payment is processed. The bill-

ing cycle ends every Sunday, and your earnings

become available 10 days later.

Escrow and Milestone-based payments

For fixed-price contracts, you and your clients

will create a list of milestones. The client will

prefund each milestone with Escrow, and the

money will be visibly held on the Upwork plat-

form. When youve completed the work for a

milestone, its a good idea to let your client know

and submit your work to them on Upwork. If

theyre satisfied with the work, the funds will be

released to your account, and youll follow the

same sequence for the next milestone.

If your client is not satisfied with the services, youwill have to communicate directly and discuss

adjusting the terms of the deliverable in order to

find a mutual understanding and get paid.

If, however, theres no way to come to a

sus, either you or your client ca n reach

Upwork for free dispute assistance. In t

we will schedule and moderate a discus

that you can come to a mutually agreea

tion regarding the release of funds held

Milestone created Milestone achieved Paym


17/21


Every hourly contract using the Team App is eligible for Upwork

Hourly Protectionto give you confidence that an hour worked is

an hour paid.

Every fixed-price contract managed with Escrow and Milestones

is protected by Upwork Fixed-Price Protection. Just set up your

contract terms, manage the work and payments on Upwork and

you can have confidence youll get paid.

Trust & Safety

The Upwork Payment Protection



18/21


CHAPTER 5

Finishing

things off

Completing a Contract

Your contract is complete after youve delivered

the final product or the number of hours needed

by your client has finished. Send an email to

notify your client and let them know youre

available if they have questions or concerns.

If your contract remains open, your client

may still be reviewing your work. But because

you receive Final Feedback only after the job

is closed, feel free to ask them to close thecontract once the work is reviewed and paid for.


19/21

33 A Freelancers Guide to UpworkFinishing things off

Managing your Reputation

and Profile

Once you complete a job, your client will rate your work

from 1 to 5 stars with Final Feedback, provide you with a

private Recommendation Rating, and leave a note abouttheir experience. These are optional for the client to leave,

but most do as it is an important method for evaluating

their experience. Delivering quality work, communicating

early and often with your clients and being an overall

pleasure to work with are the most important things you

can do to receive good final ratings.

Pay attention to your Job Success Score

Your Job Success Score is a comprehensive,

single measure of your performance on Upwork.

This Score can influence how high you show in

Search results, whether or not youre considered

for special programs and rewards (see below)

and how clients view your past results.

When compiling your Job Success Score, we take

the following factors into account:

public and private feedback

successful completion of work

client complaints

responsiveness levels

missed deadlines

disputes

long term client relationships

Refresh your Profile:

Update your portfolio once a job is done, adding

an image or link to the final product if its permit-

ted by the client.

Learned something new?

Add it to your overview and skills list. And if

youve strengthened a skill, retake the rele-

vant test on Upwork or mention that skill more

prominently.

Have a great testimonial from a client?

Perfect, add that, too.

1

1

2

2

3

3

Track your Stats:

You can carefully monitor all the factors that comprise your Upwork

reputation on your personal My Stats page (See screenshot above).

This page covers three sections:

Client Satisfaction

Illustrates your overall reputation on the platform.

Communication

Measures your client responsiveness.

Marketing Effectiveness

For freelancers that have won a job, this shows how effective you

are at applying to and securing the right jobs.


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35 Finishing things off

Strive to be the best.

Our Top Rated Program

The Top Rated freelancer program recognizes

freelancers who consistently deliver high-quality

work to their clients.

The program provides Top Rated Upwork freelancers with perks

that may include:

A Top Rated badge to help your Upwork profile stand out

Invitations to submit proposals for premier projects

Priority phone, chat, and email support

How do you qualify?

By consistently delivering great experiences for your clients on

Upwork. Heres more details on what it takes to become Top Rated:

A Job Success score of at least 90%

12-month earnings of at least $1,000 through Upwork

An account in good standing with no recent account holds

A 100% complete profile with photo

Up to date availability (if unavailable now, set a date estimate)

At least 30 days of work history on Upwork.

Communicate early, communicate often

Be proactiveclients usually get concerned

when they dont hear from a freelancer.

When in doubt, ask

This will help clear up confusion, save time,

and keep the job going smoothly.

Set clear expectations

Provide honest and realistic project updates

and quickly alert your client when you

encounter a problem.

Respect deadlines

Deliver your work on time, every time. If y

think youll miss a deadline, let your client

know so they can plan accordingly.

Be a pleasure to work with

Listen to your clients concerns and respo

with a positive attitude. Developing a rapp

can make for a great work experience for

both parties.

Under-promise, over-deliver

Never promise more than you can deliver

consider giving a little extra to every job.

Bestpractices

How you run your business is completely up to

you, but here are some practices from successful

freelancers to consider.


Documents

Odesk Contractor Manual 2013