How do I manage the work or project once I have awarded it?

Once you have awarded a project to a service provider, Elance provides you with several tools to make managing your project easier and safer.

1. The Private Message Board (PMB) helps you maintain a time-stamped, archived, third-party record of all relevant communication with the service provider.  By using the PMB you do not have to worry about filing important elements of the conversation with the service provider. If buyers and service providers communicate outside the Private Message Board (PMB), via email, instant message or telephone, they transcribe relevant conversations to the PMB to maintain a record of what is agreed.

2.  MyElance helps you track all administrative tasks associated with the project, including managing business terms, receiving and approving deliverables, authorizing payment, and finally, rating the work.  You can use MyElance to manage multiple projects from multiple providers simultaneously.

3.  Work Space is a feature inside MyElance that allows you to share files and comments with your service provider.

4.  Escrow is a feature inside MyElance that allows you to fund discrete portions of the work and release payment once the work is received.

Please click here for an overview of how Elance works.

Or, click here for a printable user manual.