Consider the following while working with an Employer. If you can say "yes" to all of the following, you are part of a successful relationship. If you answer "no" to one or more of the points, step back and see how your association can be improved.
If you feel confident about the issues discussed above and have taken steps to protect yourself and the Employer, you are part of a successful contractor relationship.
- Maintain good communication throughout the project. Good communication is key, be it at the beginning to discuss the project needs, Project Agreement terms, and schedule; in the middle to discuss progress, changes, and roadblocks; or at the end to review and confirm the project.
Guru.com recommends that all Freelancers use Work Room Discussions to communicate with the Employer. It's convenient, centralized location and real-time notification features make it ideal for keeping track of project progress.
- Conduct regular meetings and project reviews. To keep the Employer abreast of the latest project details, speak often, informing the Employer when deliverables are uploaded to the Work Room for review. This will help the Employer learn where the project lies with regard to the overall deadline, as well as allow you to date and timestamp all deliverables for escrow release.
- Create and upload a Project Agreement that outlines the project scope, deliverable dates, payment terms, ownership, confidentiality, termination, and expenses. The Project Agreement helps Employers and Freelancers understand the project requirements, as well as helps Guru.com during dispute resolution.
- Understand the payment amount and schedule. A full understanding of how much you will charge and when you will issue the invoice or request an escrow release is tantamount to a comfortable relationship.
- Use SafePay. It is the safest way to transact with Employers, as you can request the Employer to pay 100% of the project payment to Guru.com before you begin working on the project. Employers who are willing to use SafePay are serious about paying you.
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