= Hidden Bids; 
= Non-Public; 
= 
= 
Quick Guide
- Outsource
- Outsourcing work has become a practice frequently used by Emloyers or Buyers to reduce costs and to stay competitive. 99Freelance.com makes this possible by providing a platform or a marketplace where the Buyers and the Freelancers connect. The Buyers post projects and select the Freelancers that meet the skill requirements. The Freelancers find projects that match their skills and set fees that they are want to charge the Buyers. The project starts when a Buyer is matched with a Freelancer and funds is deposited into escrow. 99Freelance.com recommends that no funds is to be exchanged outside of escrow. This protects both the Freelancers and the Buyers.
- Certified Members
- Freelancers and Buyers have the option to sign up for "certified membership" status by paying an annual fee. This status is displayed with the UserID of the certified Freelancer or Buyer. The certified membership status indicates that the Freelancer or the Buyer is committed to any projects that they are involved in. A Certified Buyer is likely to attract more Freelaners to place bids. This can result in getting lower bids and lower costs. Similarly, a Certified Freelancer may be looked at more favorably by the Buyers. This can result in being selected for projects posted by the Buyers. This is especially valuable when a Freelancer has no prior feedback ratings. Certified members also receive discounts with other services.
- Featured Projects
- Highlight your projects and make them visible to all the Freelancers by selecting the "Featured Project" option when posting a new project. When many Freelancers see your projects, you receive more bids and therefore have a much better chance to select the best qualified Freelancer for your project. The fee to have a project featured is $20.00. This fee is non-refundable even if the project is canceled without selecting a Freelancer. If a featured project is canceled and relisted , the fee for the "Featured Project" option is waived. This waiver is limited only to the first relist of the same featured project. Please note that the "Featured Project" option is required for all design projects.
- Private Projects
- When a Buyer wants to make a project available only to one or more specific Freelancer, the Buyer can select the "Private Project" option when posting a new project. Making the private project enables the information about the project to be visible only to the selected Freelancers. There are many reasons why the Buyer may want to keep the information from being viewed by other Freelancers. The information may be confidential and the Buyer prefers to work with a Freelancer who is already under a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). The Buyer may prefer to work with a particular Frreelancer because of good past experiences. Private projects cannot be viewed by anyone except for the invited Freelancers. Posting a private project is FREE.
- Design Projects
- Buyers have the option of posting projects as "Graphic Design Projects". This special category enables all of the participating Freelancers to place bids at the same budget set by the Buyer. This budget is fixed. The Buyer must selects the "Feature Project" option. The participating Freelancers submit designs for the Buyer to review and select. A Freelancer can have a maximum of five (5) pending-review designs per graphic design project. Only one Freelancer is awarded the project by the Buyer. A certain number of designs from each of the participating Freelancers may be selected to remain in the design showcase. This is free advertisement for participating in the graphic design project even for a Freelancer who is not awarded.
- Post / Cancel a Project
- Only a registered Buyer can post a new project. A registered Freelancer cannot post projects. There is no cost to register and become a Buyer. There is no cost to post a new project that does not include any special options. To post a new project, a registered Buyer needs to provide project title, project description, start and end date, fee and category. A new project will automatically appear at the top of the list of the open projects. In general, a Buyer can cancel any of the Buyer's projects as long as the Buyer has not awarded the project to a Freelancer. A project can be canceled when there are outstanding bids submitted by the Freelancers.
- Bid
- Only a registered Freelancer can place a bid. A registered Buyer cannot place bids. There is no cost to register and become a Freelancer. There is no cost to place a bid. To place a bid, a registered Freelancer needs to provide a short description about the bid, a bid price and a time period that will take for the Freelancer to complete the project. The bid will automatically appear in the list of bids for the project. It is suggested that the Freelancer provides a good description about own qualification and experiences. This may include previous related work. To become a registered Freelancer, please click HERE to register.
- Escrow
- The escrow service is an essential part of transfering funds from the Buyer to the Freelancer. It allows the Freelancer to confirm that the Buyer is serious about hiring the Freelancer. The funds deposited into the escrow account is held until the work is completed by the Freelancer. Only the Buyer can release the funds from the escrow account. The Buyer cannot unilaterally request for withdrawal of the funds from the escrow account without the agreement of the Freelancer. Once the funds is released from the escrow account, it will be added to the Freelancer's account. 99Freelance.com recommends using escrow services for all projects.
- Communication
- The successful completion of a project depends a lot on the Buyer and the Freelancer having the same understanding about the project requirements. The Buyer and Freelancer can communicate, both before and after accepting, publicly via the Project Forum or privately via the Private Message system. 99Freelance.com recommends both the Freelancer and the Buyer keep one another updated about the progress of the project. This allows the Freelancer to stay on the right track. Having frequent communication helps identifying potential problems early, keeping the project on schedule, and reducing the possibility of any subsequent disputes.
- Feedback
- The credential of the Freelancers and of the Buyers depend partially on the feedback they received. As a Buyer, if you feel that your Freelancer performs an outstanding job, give that Freelancer a good feedback. Similarly, a Freelancer can also give a great feedback to a Buyer who is fair, helpful and cooperative enabling the Freelancer to complete the project without many issues. The goal here is when your Buyer or your Freelancer is happy, a great feedback can mean many more repeated businesses from the same Buyers and new businesses from other Buyers. A good working relationship can go a long way in improving the bottom line.
- Fees
- Standard project posting fees ($5.00) are charged to the Buyers if the project is awarded to a Freelancer. Standard prooject completion fee is also charged to the Freelancers when the project is completed. Please read carefully when you select options while posting a new project. The fees for the following options are non-refundable: Featured Project option, Showcase Project option, Urgent Project option, and Full-time Project option. The fees for the following options are refundable if the project is canceled prior to it being awarded to a Freelancer: Standard Posting fee, Private Project option and Hidden-bid Project option.
