Elance Provider Guide
PROVIDER PROFILES
PROJECTS
- Getting Projects
- Getting Alerts
- Receiving New Email Project Alerts
- Receiving Invitations to Bid
- Screening Projects
- Submitting proposals
- Communicating with the Buyer
WORKING WITH THE BUYER
- Winning the Bid
- Agreeing on the Terms
- Accepting the Project
- Providing Services
- Communicating with the Buyer privately (after project acceptance)
- Delivering Your Work
GETTING PAID
SUPPORT
PROVIDER PROFILES |
To submit proposals on projects that interest you, you must sign up for an Elance provider membership plan and create a provider profile. Your profile will represent all the categories for which you or your firm have membership plans.
Your profile allows you to promote your marketing message and samples of your work tailored to each category.
To sign up on Elance:
1. Click on the Find Work tab in the top navigation.
2. Click on the
button.
3. Review the membership plans and benefits, and choose which one is right for you. When you are ready to continue, click on the
button.
4. Choose your plan type, Individual or Business.
5. Choose your membership plan and category(ies) in which you would like to offer your services.
Paid membership plans offer several benefits, including the ability to purchase additional Connects and service categories, eligibility for the Premier Provider Program, and Elance Chat (IM) and Elance Call, which enable buyers to contact you instantly.
6. If you have a promotional code, enter it and click the Apply button.
7. Review your selections, and click Continue when you are done.
8. Enter your account information and primary contact information, and click Continue when you are done.
Make sure that you check the box that states you have read and accept the Elance Terms of Service.
9. If you selected a paid membership plan, choose your payment type, enter the appropriate information and click the
button. The payment type that you choose in this step will become your default payment method and will be used to pay your monthly membership fee. Should your default payment method fail, your membership will be automatically downgraded to a free membership plan. You may edit your payment method(s) at any time by going to MyElance > My Account > Account Details.
10. Start your profile by entering a tagline, keywords, summary description, and about us section to describe your company and the services you offer.
11. Click on the
button when you are finished. You will be taken to the Edit View of your profile.
12. To take the Elance Admission Test, click on the Pass Elance Admission Test link.
13. Review the Elance University provider courses, the Terms of Service, Provider Guide and Help. When you are ready, click on the
button.
14. Review the test details and instructions, and click the button at the bottom of the page to start the test. When you have completed the test, you will be given your test results. If you passed the test, your provider profile will have the status "Passed". If you did not pass the test, your provider profile will reflect the status "Not Yet Passed", and you may retake the test immediately.
15. Click on the
button, and you will be returned to the Edit View of your profile.
16. You may also upload photos and videos to further distinguish your profile.
To upload a photo or video which will be displayed on your profile page:
a. Click on the Edit link in the upper right sidebar of your profile page.b. Select the radio button to display either a photo or YouTube video on your profile.
c. If you choose to display a photo, click on the Add a Photo link to upload your photo.
d. If you choose to display a YouTube video, copy and paste the YouTube URL in the text field provided. If you would like your video to play automatically when it loads, check the box labeled "Autoplay when video loads".
e. Click the Save button when you are done.
To upload a search results image which will be displayed near your company name in search results listings:
a. Click the Click here link in the Search Results Image section.
b. Click on the Upload Thumbnail button to upload your image. Click the Save and Continue button when you are done.
17. You may also include links to your external profiles on LinkedIn or Facebook if you have a paid membership.
To add LinkedIn or Facebook URLs to your profile:
a. Click the Edit link next to the External Profile Links section in the right sidebar of your profile page.
b. Type or copy and paste your LinkedIn and/or Facebook URLs in the appropriate fields.
c. Click Save when you are done.
18. You may update or add information to your profile at any time by clicking My Elance > Provider Activity > Provider Profile.
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Elance recommends that you upload samples of your work to the Portfolio section of your Service Provider Profile.
To create your portfolio:
1. Click My Elance > Provider Activity > Provider Profile.
2. Click the Portfolio link.
3. Click Edit Current Folder.
4. To add items to the current folder, click Add Items. Click the Browse button to navigate your computer for the file you want to upload. Double click on the file icon to select it. Enter a title and description. When you are finished uploading files, click the Add Items button. Thumbnails will automatically be created for image files and most popular applications.
5. To organize your files into folders, click Add Subfolders. Enter a subfolder title and description.
6. To arrange items within a folder, click Arrange Items. Click on an item you want to move, then click on its new location.
7. You may also arrange items within folders and delete, edit or move folders and items. More Info
Referring Your Profile to Friends
After you have completed your profile, you can refer your profile on Elance to friends.
To refer your profile to friends:
1. Go to MyElance > Provider Activity > Provider Profile.
2. Click the
Refer My Profile link.
3. You can either copy and paste your profile URL and send to your friends via email or IM, or you can forward your profile by entering up to 10 of your friends' email addresses and clicking the Submit button. You can also choose to edit the personalized message and have a copy of the email sent to you.
4. When one of your friends who is not currently a member joins Elance and spends or earns $1,000 on Elance, you will receive a $50 referral reward.
PROJECTS |
After you have created your provider profile and passed the Elance Admission test, you can start submitting proposals to projects. Access projects by browsing the Elance site or by receiving invitations from buyers to bid on projects.
To browse projects:
1. On the provider home page, type in what you're looking for and click the Search button.
2. You can browse projects by:
3. Click the Details+ link to view the project description.
4. For additional information, mouseover the buyer's username or the number of bids received.
In addition to actively browsing Elance for projects, you can also sign up to receive daily email notification of projects in your categories of interest.
To sign up for New Project Alerts:
1. Click My Elance > Preferences > Email Notifications.
2. Select the categories in which you want to bid. You will receive a daily email containing links to projects posted in the categories that you select. Hold down the CTRL key to select multiple categories. If you select a category by mistake, while still holding the CTRL key, click on it again to remove the highlighting and deselect it.
3. Click Update Preferences.
You can use the Elance RSS feature to receive daily feeds on projects based on your specified tags or keywords.
To receive an RSS feed:
1. Go to the Elance homepage.
2. Click on the Find Work tab in the top navigation.
3. Enter in your desired tags or keywords in the blank field, then click Search.
4. On the search results page, click on the RSS icon
located at the top of the page and, when prompted, click on the Subscribe Now button. At this step, you may also choose to have the RSS feed sent to your My Yahoo! portal.
5. When you return to the Elance site later, simply click on Bookmarks > Feeds.
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Buyers may also invite you to bid on their projects. When this happens, the following will occur:
To review and bid on projects to which you are invited:
1. Click My Elance > Provider Activity > Invited to Bid.
2. Click the project name to view the project description and any uploads related to the project.
Screening ProjectsWhen you find a project that interests you, Elance recommends that you review the buyer’s Elance buying history.
To review the buyer's Elance buying history:
1. On the Project Description page, you can see the buyer's name to see their project history and feedback:
2. Review the number of Elance projects posted by the buyer and the number awarded. You may also click the buyer's username to see more details on their project history.
Be wary of buyers who have posted many projects but have never awarded them on Elance. They may not be serious about hiring a service provider.
For a buyer to use Elance’s Billing and Payment system to pay you, they must first activate their Elance account. You will know if a buyer has done this if the Billing and Payment System confirmed icon
appears near their username. If a buyer has chosen to pay for a project using Escrow, you will see the Escrow icon next to the project title.
After you have reviewed the project, you are ready to submit a proposal:
To submit a proposal:
1. Click on the project name.
2. Complete the bidding form, including your bid amount. In determining your bid amount remember to include the Elance’s Service Fees - 4% - 6% plus 2.75% to cover payment processing costs. Bids above US $2,000 will automatically have Escrow as the Payment Preference. In your bid proposal summary, describe your relevant experience, qualifications, and what value you will bring to the project.
3. The buyer can choose to have service providers enter in their bids based on a single fixed amount, or enter in an hourly rate and the closest approximation to the number of hours to complete the project. The system will then calculate the total bid amount.
4. Click Attach Files to upload a more detailed proposal.
5. Indicate the amount of time you need to deliver the project.
6. If the buyer has chosen Escrow as their payment preference, this is the only method they will use to pay a service provider. If the buyer has not chosen Escrow as their Payment Preference, but you will only accept Escrow payments, click the checkbox to Use Elance Escrow.
7. If you would like a sponsored placement for your proposal, check the box labeled "Yes! I want a sponsored placement for my proposal". Your bid will be highlighted and appear at the top of the buyer's bid list. Only 2 sponsored placements are available per posting (on a first-come, first-served basis). To see how many Connects are required for a sponsored placement, click here.
8. Click Continue when you are done.
9. Review your bid, then click Confirm.
Once you submit your bid, the project will move into the Bidding Open tab in My Elance > Provider Activity > Bidding Open. You can view your bid at any time by clicking My Elance > Provider Activity > Bidding Open, then click the project name link.
Communicating with the BuyerAfter you submit your bid, the buyer may contact you via the Private Message Board (PMB) to discuss the project in more detail. When this happens, you will receive an email notification and a message board icon will appear next to the bid.
To respond to the buyer’s PMB questions, follow step 1 or steps 2-4.
1. Reply to the email notification you receive from Elance by following the instructions in the email, and your response will be posted to the PMB.
2. Click My Elance > Provider Activity > Bidding Open.
3. Click the Message Board icon in the far right column labeled "Message".
4. In the message dialog box, enter your reply and click Post Message.
WORKING WITH THE BUYER |
If the buyer selects your bid proposal, the following will occur:
You must then accept the project selection on Elance before you can begin. Click on the Accept Project link. You may accept the default business terms, or enter in the key milestones in the appropriate fields, and upload your project agreement contract document on the Business Terms page. Your buyer will review and either accept, modify or decline your business terms. Until you submit the business terms and obtain the buyer's approval, the project will not be fully awarded and accepted.
To accept the project:
1. Click My Elance > Provider Activity > Bidding Closed > Accept Project.
2. Review the project and bid details on the Default Business Terms page. If you accept the terms as outlined on this page, click the Accept button. When you accept the business terms, they become active immediately and no further approval is required from the buyer.
3. If you would like to upload a project agreement specifying the requirements and deliverables or edit the project milestones, click the Edit Business Terms button.
4. Review your business terms on the Preview Business Terms page. Click Submit to send your business terms to the buyer for approval.
When you submit your business terms, the buyer will be notified by email and will either modify them, decline with comments or accept them as submitted. You can communicate via the Private Message Board to discuss the changes. If the buyer modifies the business terms, you will be notified by email and can either accept the buyer's changes, make further modifications or decline the project.
Once both parties accept the Business Terms, the following will occur:
5. If the buyer has requested Elance's 1099 service on the project, you may need to submit your W9 information. (Typically, this will only apply if both the buyer and provider are based in the United States.)
6. If you are a provider based in the United States, select the option "I am a US Person" and click Submit.
7. If you are a provider based outside of the United States, select "I am NOT a US Person" and click Submit.
8. Enter your information on the W-9 Request for Taxpayer Information page and click Submit.
9. Review your information on the W-9 Information Preview page and click Confirm when you are done.
10. Print out your W-9 form from the W-9 Information Print and Send page, sign it and send the signed copy to Elance. Click Continue.
Communicating with the Buyer Privately (after project acceptance)
Once you have accepted the project, you can contact the buyer directly to discuss the project and begin work. You can communicate in the following ways:
When you have completed the project, you may deliver your files or work product via the Elance Private Message Board.
To access the Private Message Board:
1. Click My Elance > Provider Activity > Accepted Projects.
2. Click the Private Message Board icon next to the appropriate project.
3. Click the Click to Upload Attachments button. Follow the steps in the dialog box to upload your completed work.
You may also share files (up to 50 MB in size) with your buyer via the Elance Workspace. You may create, copy and download multiple files and folders in the Workspace (one file at a time).
1. Click My Elance > Provider Activity > Accepted Projects.
2. Click on the Workspace icon
.
3. Click on the Shared folder.
4. Click Upload.
5. Click the Browse button to locate the files you want to upload.
6. Click the Attach button to save your file to the Workspace.
7. Click the Add Comments button to leave a message.
8. Use the Private Message Board to alert your buyer that you have uploaded a file to the Workspace.
GETTING PAID |
At key milestones or when you have completed the project, you will need to invoice the buyer through Elance’s Billing and Payment system to receive payment for non-Escrow projects. Once the buyer receives your invoice, they will send payment via Elance’s Billing and Payment system.
To invoice the buyer:
1. Click My Elance > Provider Activity > Accepted Projects.
2. Click the Send Invoice icon in the Invoice column.
3. Enter the invoice details including payment terms, the item(s), description(s) and amount(s) you are invoicing for, invoice notes and optional provider reference. Click Continue when you are finished to preview your invoice.
4. Review the invoice details on the Preview Invoice page and click the Send Invoice button. If you need to make changes, click the Back to Edit Invoice button.
5. Enter your Elance password on the Send Invoice page and click the Send Invoice button. Your buyer will be notified that they have received a new invoice.
6. You can also print out the invoice you sent for your records. Click the Print Invoice link on the confirmation screen that appears when your invoice has been sent, or click the Print button from the view invoice screen.
To request payment on an Escrow project, you need to:
For Escrow projects, once the buyer and provider accept the business terms, the Elance system automatically requests funding for the first milestone from the buyer. To request funding for subsequent Escrow project milestones:
1. Click My Elance > Provider Activity > Accepted Projects.
2. Click the Manage Escrow Payments icon
in the Invoice column.
3. On the Project Billing page, you will see a list of project milestones, contract amounts and the funding and release status of each milestone under the Project Milestones tab. Click the
Request Not Sent link under the Funding Status column.
4. Review the information on the Enter Funding Request Details page. Click Continue to preview your funding request. When you are satisfied, click Submit, or click the Back button to make changes. The buyer will receive an email notification to fund the specified milestone. When the buyer funds the milestone, the Funding Status column will change to the date it was funded.
5. After the buyer has funded a milestone, you can request release of that milestone amount. Go to MyElance > Provider Activity > Accepted Projects. Click the Mange Escrow Payments
6. On the Project Billing page, go to the Project Milestones tab and click the
7. Review the information on the Create Escrow Funds Release Request page. Click the Submit button to send your release request to the buyer. The buyer will receive an email notification to release the funds from escrow. When the buyer releases the funds, the Release Status column will change to the date it was released.
8. To withdraw funds, you can go to your Account page. If the buyer does not respond to your release request, contact the buyer through the PMB. If the buyer does not respond to the PMB, click on the Request Mediation link at the top right side of the Business Terms page.
Receiving Payment
Once the buyer submits payment, the invoice icon will change next to your project in Provider Activity > Accepted Projects.
1. Click the New Payment icon to go to the Project Billing page and view billing and payment details.
2. Go to MyElance > Provider Activity > My Account > Transaction History to view your transaction history.
3. Go to MyElance > Provider Activity > My Account > Account Details to withdraw funds.
You can withdraw funds from your Elance Account at any time.
- If you are in the United States, you can withdraw by Automated ClearingHouse (ACH) bank transfer, check, the Elance Prepaid MasterCard or PayPal. More Info
- If you are in Canada, you can withdraw via wire transfer, check, the Elance Prepaid MasterCard or PayPal.
- If you are outside the United States and Canada, you can withdraw by wire transfer, the Elance Prepaid MasterCard or PayPal. More Info
To withdraw funds:
1. Click My Elance > My Account > Account Details. In the section titled "Elance Account Summary", click the Withdraw Funds button.
2. Enter the amount you want to withdraw.
3. Select a withdrawal method, then click Continue.
SUPPORT |
Elance supports the following browsers:
• IE 7.0
• Firefox 2.0
• Safari 3.1
Other things to do if you find issues:
- Ensure that Javascript is enabled in your browser
- Clear your browser cache and restart your browser
If you have the above settings and are having difficulty viewing any Elance pages, please click on the 'Contact Us' link above. Send us your browser type and version, PC or Mac, and the links or screens you were trying to access.
Additional information about using Elance may be obtained in the following ways:
1. Click Help in the navigation bar.
2. Browse the top questions for answers to the most frequently asked questions, find what you need in the Help Topics, or type in what you're looking for in the Search Help field and click Search.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Elance Customer Service as follows:
Email: http://www.elance.com/service
Phone: (Mon-Fri, 7am - 7pm Pacific Time): 1-877-4-ELANCE (1-877-435-2623)
Online Help: http://www.elance.com/help
