TaskPal - Buyer Guide | Software outsourcing and freelance job - Freelancer market (web development and more)

Posting Projects

To post projects on Taskcity, simply click the Post Project button on the right-hand side of the each page.

1. Enter a title and a description for your project.
2. Select the category that best describe your project and the skill set you would like your expert to have.
3. Select the other option for your project such as, Budget, Estimated Duration, Bid Duration.
4. You may attach up to 5 files (maximum size 15 MB per attachment) that help clarify the project requirements and enable experts to prepare more thorough, relevant bid proposals.
5. Review your information on the Preview page. To make changes to your posting, click the Edit link. If you have already login, click Confirm & Post.
6. Once you have posted a project, you cannot edit the original description. You can, however, add more text to the bottom of the description and attach files.( Only projects that are still open for bidding can be edited. )
7. We will be reviewing your project in 12 hours and you will be notified by email once it's been approved.

Finding Experts

To browse expert profiles:

1. On each page, select the Find Expert tab, type in what you're looking for in the search field, choose a category (optional), and click the Search button.
2. Sort by clicking on the radio button to the right of Sort by ( Activity, Portfolio, Feedback, Projects Won ).
3. Data of expert is located on the right which includes Positive Rating, Projects Won, Feedback, Portfolio and Earnings, click the number to view the detail. Click the expert name to view their detail profiles.
4. Invite expert to bid project: Click the expert name. You will see a Invite to Bid. If you already have bidding open projects, you will see a window listing all of your projects that are open for bidding. You can either choose an existing project or create a new one.

Communication and Cooperation

When a bid proposal is entered for your project, you will receive both message and email notification. Before you choose an expert, you'll have the opportunity to compare the bid proposals you've received.

1. Click Project Management in the project page to view Bid Proposals List.
2. Review the expert's profile by clicking on their username. This may include information about services offered; a summary of their feedback ratings and earnings.
3. Use the Project Message Board to communicate with and interview experts.
4. If the bid duration has ended, you can extend it to allow more experts to submit proposals. To extend bid duration to accept new proposals, click the Extend Bid Duration button, and the bid end date will extend for another 3 days.
5. To accept a bid proposal and choose an expert for your project, click the Select The Proposal button on the bottom of the winning proposal.
6. On the Work Plan page, you'll have the option to submit initial business terms to the expert, including project milestones, agreement documents, and other specifications. Review the expert's name, proposal amount, and initial business terms before clicking Send Work Plan.
7. Once you have accepted the work plan, you will be notified by both message and email when the expert accepts the project. The expert can choose to accept or reject the work plan.
8. If you would like to add a new milestone:
* Click the Add Milestone buton.
* Fill in the milestone information on the popup window form.
* Review your Work Plan and then click Submit to send them to the expert for approval.

Project Management

Once you have signed the work plan, you may contact the expert directly to discuss the requirements and manage the project in useing any of the project management tools:

Files
Work Log
Writeboards
Tasks
Members
Statistics

Project Payments

Your project expert will send you a request to escrow and/or release payment for each milestone. You will receive both message and email notification for each request.

1. Fund the Escrow account for the project
2. Release payments from the project's Escrow account to the service expert upon completion of each milestone.
3. On the Payments page, you will see the Escrow & Release section. The Escrow & Release section lists the project milestones and the escrow and release status of each milestone. To escrow a milestone, click the Escrow button.
4. The expert will receive both message and email notification that Escrow funds have been submitted, and the Escrow column will change to the date you submitted the funds.
5. After you fund a milestone, the expert can request the release of that milestone payment amount.
To release milestone payments from the project's Escrow account,click the Release button.
You may only release payment on a milestone that has been funded. Make sure you have reviewed the milestone that the expert has completed, and you fully accept the services provided before you release funds.

Additional Information

Taskcity supports the following browsers:

* Internet Explorer 7.0+
* Firefox 3.0+
* Mac Safari 4.0+
* Chrome 3.0+
* Opera 9.0+

We also recommend that you have latest version of Adobe Flash installed.

Other things to do if you find issues: