How do I navigate MyElance Provider Activity?

Elance has a feature that allows providers to manage all of their bidding and awarded project activity.

Whenever you bid on a project use the Provider Activity page to monitor the status of the project. You can check on the bids placed by other service providers, ask the buyer questions about the project and once the bidding period is over, see if you were selected as a winner. If you are selected, you can then use the private message board (PMB) to collaborate and the work space to share files. From the MyElance Main Menu page, click the 'Provider Activity' link on the left navigation menu to get started.

You will find the following tabs located towards the top of your Provider Activity page:

* Bidding Open page - from this page the project you bid on is still open. No winner has been selected yet.

* Invited to Bid - an Elance buyer has invited you to bid on a project.   Once you have reviewed the project click the Place a bid link to submit a proposal or Decline Invitation to decline the project.

* Bidding Closed - no more bids are being accepted. The project is closed, but the buyer must still pick a winner.

* Accepted Projects - a buyer has chosen you for a project.

* Archived Project Projects - projects removed by you once feedback has been provided.

For each project you are bidding on you'll see the following in Provider Activity pages:

ID/Bid ID

The Project ID and Bid ID will allow you to distinguish between multiple bids on the same project.

Project

Each active project has a linked name for reference. Click on the project name for details.

Bids

The bid amount allows you to easily distinguish multiple bids for the same project.

Status

The status of each of your projects is displayed under this heading.

Below are the project Status messages displayed under this heading.

  * You Have Been Selected - This means you won a project for which you were bidding.

  * Buyer Canceled Project - The buyer either cancelled the project, or you were unable to accept the project in a timely fashion.

  * You're Invited - The buyer has invited you to bid on a project.

  * Buyer Chose Another Bidder - You were not selected as the winner. The buyer may still choose you however, if the first choice does not respond or declines the project. You will also get this message if you are selected as the winner but don't respond soon enough.

  * Finished - The project transaction has been completed and the buyer has left you feedback. You can leave feedback for the buyer.

Next Steps

Based on the status of the project you are working on, there are a number of action links displayed on the Provider Activity page. Click on one of these links to launch that particular option.

Below are some of the Next Steps messages displyed under this heading.

  * Place New Bid - This allows you to place another bid for a specific project you have already bid on. You may do this if you choose to lower your price, but it is not necessary.

  * Delete Project - Eliminates the project record from your view. In order to protect the integrity of the marketplace, bids cannot be removed once posted.The Delete option simply hides the item from your view. Your bid remains active, and if the Buyer selects your bid, the item will reappear. You can decline the project at that time.

  * Create Change Order - Allows to to update or modify business terms with your buyer.

  * Leave Feedback - After completing a project, rate the buyer. This will help the buyer build a reputation (good or bad). Building up feedback is an essential part of the Elance community and will help other service providers make informed decisions in the future. All feedback is final and cannot be modified or removed once submitted.

  * Request Feedback - Clicking this link will allow you to request that the buyer leave you feedback. Elance will send the buyer an email with the Feedback Form included for his or her convenience.

  * Fee Adjustment Request - Clicking on this link will allow you to request that fees be adjusted if there has been a change to the project's award amount or the project is cancelled.

Buyer

This gives you the user name of the Buyer of the project.  The buyer's email will be displayed after you accept a project.

Work Space

The Work Space is a powerful set of tools available to you from your buying or provider activity page as soon as you have started work on a project. The Work Space feature is a file-sharing system, with up to 50 MB of space. Monitor or show progress on the project as work progresses. Receive source material, such as text or image files, to get started on the project. You can even deliver the final product. If there is no Work Space folder icon, it means that the project is not active -- either the buyer has not selected a service provider, or you have not accepted the offer.

Message

Elance Public Message boards (PMB) help buyers and service providers communicate through Elance. You can use this message system to clarify project requirements or to request more information.

Invoice

The invoice icon appears once you have accepted a project.  Click the invoice icon when you are ready to invoice your buyer.