Project Manager FAQ
Project Manager FAQ
General
What
is this site?
The
basic premise of this site is that there are many businesses
that need skilled linguists to translate various
documents, and that there are an equal amount of linguists
out there trying to find work. At translatorplanet.com,
both parties can meet and get work done. The site is based
on a reverse-auction (kind of like ebay but backwards)
method where businesses sign up for free and post work
that needs to be done. Then, translators(eg spanish translators) can log in (or
receive emails for their specialty language), assess the
needs of the business, and bid on the project. Several
linguists can bid on a project and then the business can
choose the translator (eg spanish translators) that most fits their need. Translators
can upload sample work and resumes so that business can
make an informed decision.
After a business chooses a translator, the business puts
money in an escrow account that can only be released by
the business and canceled by the translator (eg spanish translators). This way,
both parties are protected: the business knows he does
not have pay until satisfied with the work and the translator
knows that money has already been set aside so he will
get paid (two major problems in freelance type work).
At the end of the project, each party gets to rate the
other. If the translator does a good job, he will get
a good review, and is more likely to get more work! If
the business works well with the translator, he will get
a review and it will be easier to get qualified translators
for future work. A win/win for both parties!
How
does this work?
After signing
up, you can open a project and provide all the details
of the project you require. Freelancers will then be able
to view your project and bid on it. This is similar to
an auction, but there is no mandatory end date and you
choose the winning bid yourself. Once you have chosen
a freelancer they will begin work on your project. That's
it!
How
much does this cost?
There
is no signup fee and no monthly fee, but you are required
to give TranslatorPlanet.com a commission on each project
you successfully fill. The commission is usually only
$5.00, but we are currently waiving that fee for all businesses.
How
do I communicate with Freelancers?
You can post
messages on the message boards. If you post a private
message, only the user it's addressed to will be able
to see it, that user will also be notified by e-mail that
you posted a project for them.
Projects
How
do I open a new project?
Click on the
"create project" button or go
here.
What is a budget range?
You can optionally specify how much money you are
able to spend on this project.
Why
do I have to choose the amount of days until my project
needs to be done?
There needs
to be an end to every project, to leave room for new ones.
But you can extend your project any time you want.
Can
I change the information I provided about my project?
No, but you
can add information by going to your account and using
the edit button. You can also use the message board to
post new inforamation about the project. If the information
you provided is completely wrong, you can close your project
without choosing a freelancer and without any penalty.
You can then go ahead and open a new project.
How
do I close my project, extend it, or pick a freelancer?
You can do
all this by logging in to the account management area.
Click on the "Manage Account" button or go
here.
Can
I re-open a closed a project?
No, you will
have to open a new project.
What
does it mean if my project is frozen?
This means
the ending date you chose for the project has past. No
Freelancers can place any new bids, you must either pick
a freelancer or extend the project.
Translator FAQ
General
What
is this site?
The basic premise
of this site is that there are many businesses
that need skilled linguists to translate various documents,
and that there are an equal amount of linguists out there
trying to find work. At translatorplanet.com, both parties
can meet and get work done. The site is based on a reverse-auction
(kind of like ebay but backwards) method where businesses
sign up for free and post work that needs to be done. Then,
translators (eg spanish translators) can log in (or receive emails for their specialty
language), assess the needs of the business, and bid on the
project. Several linguists can bid on a project and then
the business can choose the translator (eg spanish translators) that most fits their
need. Translators can upload sample work and resumes so
that business can make an informed decision.
After a business chooses a translator, the business puts
money in an escrow account that can only be released by
the business and canceled by the translator. This way, both
parties are protected: the business knows he does not have
pay until satisfied with the work and the translator knows
that money has already been set aside so he will get paid
(two major problems in freelance type work). At the end
of the project, each party gets to rate the other. If the
translator (eg spanish translators) does a good job, he will get a good review, and
is more likely to get more work! If the business works well
with the translator, he will get a review and it will be
easier to get qualified translators for future work. A win/win
for both parties!
How
does this work?
Browse the list of projects posted by businesses for the
ones you would be interested in, or have TranslatorPlanet.com
send you an e-mail anytime a new project is posted that
fits under your expertise. Then you can decide to place
a bid on the project, as well as provide details of the
work you can do. Update or retract your bid anytime you
want. When the project creator chooses a Freelancer (winning
bid) you will be notified. If you are chosen you can begin
work on the project and get paid.
How
much does this cost?
There is no signup fee and no monthly fee, but you are required
to give TranslatorPlanet.com a commission on each project you
win a bid on. The commission is 10% of your bid (minimum
$5).
How
do I communicate with Project Managers?
You can post messages on the message boards. If you post
a private message, only the user it's addressed to will
be able to see it, that user will also be notified by e-mail
that you posted a project for them.
Projects
& Bids
How
do I place a bid on a project?
Click on the "Place Bid" button which you can find on the
project page (there's one above and another below the list
of current bids).
How
do I update a bid I already placed on a project?
Just submit a new bid and your old one will automatically
be removed.
How
do I cancel a bid I placed?
Log in to the account
management area, find the project, and click on the
"retract bid" link.
What
if I have a question about a project (that will help me
place my bid)?
Just post a message on the message board for that project.
You can access project specific message boards by clicking
on the link provided on the project page.
Why
can't I find the "Place Bid" button on the project page?
If the project is closed it does not show up, because bidding
has ended. It will also not show up if the project is frozen,
which means bidding has temporarily been stopped.
What
is "bid for the total project"?
This is the amount (in U.S. dollars) that you will charge
the project creator, if you are chosen. It's a project total,
NOT an hourly rate.
What
if I can't make an accurate bid? Can I just estimate how
much I will charge for the project?
You should not make any estimates. The information provided
should be enough to decide how long it will take you to
finish the project. If there is not enough info, use the
message board to ask additional questions to the project
creator before placing your bid. Remember, by placing a
bid you enter into a legally binding contract. If you abuse
this system you risk receiving poor reviews by others, and
possibly being banned from TranslatorPlanet.com.
Payments
& Fees
When
do you charge your commission and how much will it be?
As soon as you are chosen as the Freelancer for a project
you have bid on it will be closed/archived and you will
be charged 10% of your bid, or $5, whichever is greater.
Do
I have to add money to my account?
Not right away, but eventually you will probably have to.
If your account balance is below zero dollars for more than
30 days your account will be frozen. You will not be able
to place any new bids on projects.
How
do I add money to my account?
Login to the account management area and click on the "deposit"
button.
When
can I withdraw money from my account?
After you have done at least one project and your the amount
of money in your account exceeds $20.
If
I end up charging the project owner less than I bid on their
project, can I get a partial refund on the commission TranslatorPlanet.com
takes?
No.
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