Introducing New Provider Membership Structure
New Plans Launch December 4
On December 4, 2007, Elance will introduce a new provider membership structure to simplify the available plans, make it easier for you to choose the right plan for your business and reduce the cost of submitting a proposal for the majority of projects on Elance. We highly recommend that you review your new plan today, as this is the final week before the changes take effect.
Keeping it Simple
Since launching the existing membership structure in 2001, we have slowly increased the number of available membership plans to 90 different options. When you include the options for add-on bids and the Select program, providers are literally presented with dozens of choices. It was no wonder when we learned that providers – especially new providers – were generally confused about which membership plan to select.
The new membership structure significantly reduces this complexity with the following changes:
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Fewer categories. We will merge some service categories, reducing the number of primary categories from 11 to 8. For many of our providers, this will reduce the number of categories needed to maintain memberships, creating significant cost savings. View new category structure
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Simplified membership plans. We will reduce the number of membership options by eliminating the quarterly and annual memberships – offering each category at the same price. Previously, providers had 90 possible options to choose from. Monthly plans are the most popular on Elance; they provide the flexibility to pay-as-you-go, maintaining your membership only during the months when you want to work.
Individual and Business Memberships. Providers will have a payment plan based on the size of their business. Individual freelance consultants who do not bid the same amount as a larger firm will have a plan and monthly payments that closer meets their usage.
Expand free membership option. We will also expand the courtesy listing option – called Basic Membership under the new membership structure – for those providers who do not use Elance extensively, but would still like the ability to use Elance on a limited basis. |
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Replace bids with ‘Connects’. Connects are similar to bids – enabling you to submit a proposal on a posted project. The primary difference is that the quantity of Connects required per project proposal will vary according to the value of the project, and the cost per Connect is lower than the existing cost per bid. By matching lower budgeted projects to a lower proposal cost and higher budgeted projects to a slightly higher proposal cost, we expect to improve the experience for both buyers and providers. Learn more
Reduce cost to bid. With the new Connects model, the cost to submit a proposal will be the same or lower for the majority of projects on Elance. For example, the cost to bid for projects valued at less than $250 will be $.50 (1 Connect), significantly less than the existing $1.50 cost to bid, and the cost to bid for projects valued between $250 - $1,000 will be $1.00 (2 Connects). For projects valued at over $1,000, the cost to bid will be $2.00 (4 Connects). |
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In addition to simplifying our plan structure, these changes will also result in a reduction in monthly membership plan fees for the majority of our active service providers.
Introduce a Premier Provider Program.
We will launch a new and merit-based program for qualified top providers, called the Premier Provider program, and we will end the existing Select program. Learn more
Next Steps
All providers will be automatically enrolled in a new membership plan that is most similar to their existing membership plan. Paid providers will receive a credit for time remaining in their existing subscription, and the credit will be applied towards the cost of the new membership plan.
Please review your Elance recommended membership plan in the new membership structure. You can make changes to the recommended plan anytime before December 4, 2007. In order to make the proper decision, we highly recommend that you click here today.
Note: Should you choose not to review or amend the Elance recommended plan, your existing paid membership will automatically transition to the Elance recommended membership level on December 4, 2007.
