DBA as profile name

[jeff_kingfisher]

Greetings—I just spent the entire afternoon getting set up here, and went to submit my first proposal. I was informed that I needed to submit my ID, which is understandable. I was informed, however—perhaps I'm misunderstanding—that the name on my ID will change the name on my profile. The name on my profile is Jeff Kingfisher, which is a DBA I've been working under for over 20 years. Professionally, no one knows me by my legal name, and none of the projects I've listed for references will make sense with it. Surely there's a way to have my legal information—for banking, identification, etc—separate from my profile name... isn't there? Please advise. Thank you.

[tlbp]

I don't think there is. Upwork doesn't permit pseudonyms. You aren't permitted to include information on your profile page that would enable prospective clients to contact you outside of Upwork anyway. So, the first disclosure of your full name or pseudonym should take place only when you send a proposal. At that point, you can inform the client that your published works appear under your professional name and not your legal one. 

[jeff_kingfisher · Accepted solution]

Hi Tonya - Oh, I see—they wouldn't see my full name anyway, only "Jeff K"; at most, verifying with my ID might change it to "Jeff S" - and I don't care, they don't see my full name anyway. "Jeff Siegel" - my given name - will only be seen by me. And I can tell them who I am when I make a proposal. I think I've got it now. Thank you - I try not to bother folks with obvious things, but I looked around and couldn't figure this one out. Cheers, Jeff

[mwiggenhorn]

Your information has to match that on your bank account/ payment method, too.

[petra_r]

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Jeff K wrote:

I see—they wouldn't see my full name anyway, only "Jeff K"; at most, verifying with my ID might change it to "Jeff S" - and I don't care, they don't see my full name anyway. "Jeff Siegel" - my given name - will only be seen by me.

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No, once you start communicating with a client, they see your full name, which has to be your real, legal name.

[wendy_writes]

Jeff, this is not addressing your question - it is about your profile.

The first few sentences should be about what you bring to client projects ... not about you.

When you submit a proposal it is only those first few lines that a buyer sees; this is what will determine if he/she/they open it and read further.

You're in a niche market and I doubt if many of your competitors have your skills, track record, or versatility ... so make it work for you.