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Smart Working Tips
Over 500,000 professionals use Guru.com to locate and secure contract and freelance
Work. Guru.com strives to
create the tools professionals need to make smart and safe working decisions.
These Smart Working Tips, along with the
information and articles in the
Help Center and Resource Center, will help
you to secure and complete work on Guru.com with confidence.
Tip #1: Read the
project posting
The
employer’s project posting will help you to decide if the project suits your skills and interest. The information
provided will also help you to tailor your proposal to the employer’s requirements. When viewing the description, look
for a budget and timeframe, a description of the work needed, and any specific location, skill, or equipment
requirements.
Project budget is between $2,500 and $5,000.
Website portfolio needed.
Location requirement is
U.S.A.
Desired due date is February 1.
Use of SafePay
Escrow specified.
Tip #2: Look at the employer’s statistics
The Feedback rating, SafePay payments, and Invoice statistics will help you to learn about the employer’s history on
Guru.com. Along with the project posting, they will help you to decide which employers and projects fit your needs.
Out of a possible 5-stars, this
employer has a 5-star rating.
Read what other pros are
saying about this employer.
Previous payments show that this
employer has used Guru.com before.
View the number of invoices paid and
outstanding, and the pay time lag.
Questions?
Visit the Guru Help Center
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Tip #3: Be descriptive and honest
When writing your bid and proposal, include as much information as possible, including:
Your skills and experience relative to the project
Your suggested plan of attack
Pricing and time estimates
Contact information
Be honest. Do not make false promises or list inaccurate information. If you are unsure about the price or time to
quote, use information from similar projects completed in the past to create an initial bid. Explain that you will
provide an accurate quote when more information becomes available.
Price and time quote Explanation of experience
relative to the project
Desired payment process
Proposed plan of action
Contact information
The ability to communicate what you can offer in a concise and forthright manner will help the employer to decide if
you meet their needs.
Tip #4: Communicate
Before you agree to work on a project, talk to the employer and gather as much information about the project as
possible. During the project, conduct regular meetings and project reviews to keep the employer abreast of your
progress.
Professionals can communicate with employers via the Private Discussion Board, or they can request contact
information
directly from the employer. To maintain the flow of good communication,
gather several means of reaching the employer, including one or two ways to reach the employer if the primary
methods fail.
Questions?
Visit the Guru Help Center
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Tip #5: Create a Project Agreement
Create a Project Agreement before beginning any work with an employer on Guru.com. The agreement should
include:
Scope of work
Deliverable dates
Payment terms
Ownership
Confidentiality
Dispute Resolution
Expenses
Termination
Guru.com allows you to upload Project Agreements on the website for approval by the employer – keeping this
essential document online, with your other important project items.
Tip #6: Protect Yourself - Use SafePay Escrow
Use SafePay Escrow, and receive the highest level of payment protection for professionals.
Ask the employer to escrow 100% of the project payment before you begin work, and release the funds
after you complete the project deliverables.
Escrow request for full project amount.
SafePay Escrow allows pros to request a release
of escrow funds when a deliverable is met.
Funds are deposited, held pending
delivery of the product.
! Note: Remember to receive allpayments on Guru.com. Because of its high-risk nature, Guru.com’s Terms of
Service prohibit the receipt of money outside the SafePay system. All payments must go through either SafePay
Escrow or Invoicing.
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