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mortaz
Community Member

Offering FREE help to project owners!?

Hi Folks, 

 

Is there away to contact a Project owner without responding to a proposal?   I am coming acorss proposals from Startups for help with Invesntor Pitches and I want to direct them  to free resource including meetings at Silicon Valley Angel forums. 


Any suggesiton or guidance would be appreciated.  

   

17 REPLIES 17
prestonhunter
Community Member

You may send a proposal.

 

Or not.

 

The choice is yours.

martina_plaschka
Community Member


David M wrote:

Hi Folks, 

 

Is there away to contact a Project owner without responding to a proposal?   I am coming acorss proposals from Startups for help with Invesntor Pitches and I want to direct them  to free resource including meetings at Silicon Valley Angel forums. 


Any suggesiton or guidance would be appreciated.  

   


Why do you want to provide free work? 

It's referral to Angel meetings and I am not offering any material
service to the Projects.

It doesn't really matter.

 

This is a good idea. Or this is not a good idea.

 

This is free work or this is not free work.

 

It does not matter. Because the user interface has no such functionality.

 

You need to first talk to Upwork and get them to add a new user interface element for freelancers to contact job posters or project owners without using connects.


Preston H wrote:

You need to first talk to Upwork and get them to add a new user interface element for freelancers to contact job posters or project owners without using connects.


No, nobody needs to contact Upwork and ask for this.

I already write to the Upwork Support to explore this as a feature.


Preston H wrote:

 

You need to first talk to Upwork and get them to add a new user interface element for freelancers to contact job posters or project owners without using connects.


That's a mahoosive no from me. 


Jamie F wrote:

Preston H wrote:

You need to first talk to Upwork and get them to add a new user interface element for freelancers to contact job posters or project owners without using connects.


That's a mahoosive no from me. 


It'll obviously never happen, so telling him to contact support is just encouraging complete waste of Support's time. Preston knows that there is no chance of this ever happening for several reasons. 

 

lysis10
Community Member

So spend 10 cents (or whatever it costs for a connect) and send them the super helpful totally free materials that you totally have no vested interest in and just want to help them because you care so much about startups.

Clients are here to look for freelancing help, not to get spammed. If you aren't applying to provide a service, you will quickly get reported and banned.

You thought my message was a spam?!  FYI,  my reponse to the project owner was indeed well recieved and he's now connected to a well-respected Angel Forum in Silicon Valley where he will be able to get additional help by watching CEO's pitch! 

 

I am looking for more efficnet way to help Startup CEOs without the added burden of repsonding to a posted Project!  **Edited for community guidelines**

    

Somehow your free help turned into watching a CEO's pitch.


David M wrote:

You thought my message was a spam?!  FYI,  my reponse to the project owner was indeed well recieved and he's now connected to a well-respected Angel Forum in Silicon Valley where he will be able to get additional help by watching CEO's pitch! 

 

I am looking for more efficnet way to help Startup CEOs without the added burden of repsonding to a posted Project!  **Edited for community guidelines**

    


No, but if freelancers have the option to contact clients without using connects for a proposal, they start spamming them begging for work.

 

You should just spend 1 connect and send the information you want to share in a proposal. If the clients replies you get 10 connects.

Try not to find them outside Upwork and message them directly since that would be a ToS violation.

a_lipsey
Community Member


David M wrote:

You thought my message was a spam?!  FYI,  my reponse to the project owner was indeed well recieved and he's now connected to a well-respected Angel Forum in Silicon Valley where he will be able to get additional help by watching CEO's pitch! 

 

I am looking for more efficnet way to help Startup CEOs without the added burden of repsonding to a posted Project!  **Edited for community guidelines**

    


I work with a lot of startups. Startup CEOs generally come to Upwork when they need additionaly help. They are not unaware of free resources, but those resources are usually how-tos or tutorials for them to do it themselvs. They come to Upwork when they want to hire an expert to help them. They are not incompetent. They are aware of free resources. But they want to hire an expert. 

 

When I'm a client the last thing I need is freelancers spamming me free resources to do the job  myself. I know I can figure it out myself, but I'd rather pay an expert and save my time for where I'm an expert. Now, if the client invites me to a job and I think they can do it themselves with a little help, I offer to do the job or if they'd like to coach them instead, which costs less. Sometimes they want that, sometimes they just want/need someone to get it done for them. But most don't want spam, which is what a lot of messages from freelancers asking questions or making suggestions is. 

 

You're not thinking about the implications beyond what you yourself want to do. That's the error most make when suggesting "improvements."  

mortaz
Community Member

That's good advice.  I am new to the Freelance section of Upwork and wasn't aware that's what "Connects" are intended for!  I also wrote to the Support folks about a Radio Button on the project to offer options for freelancser to Volunteer.  

tlbp
Community Member


David M wrote:

That's good advice.  I am new to the Freelance section of Upwork and wasn't aware that's what "Connects" are intended for!  I also wrote to the Support folks about a Radio Button on the project to offer options for freelancser to Volunteer.  


Building your brand by being useful is an appropriate device for lead generation. However, that device should be used on you own website, third-party publishing sites, social media, forums and in other similar settings. It is in appropriate to use Upwork as a top-of-funnel lead generation tool.

 

Upwork does not earn income if you "volunteer" nor if you redirect clients off-platform to receive free advice. In fact, Upwork prohibits you from providing prospective clients with any information that may enable them to find you off-platform. Additionally, Upwork has historically prioritized protected clients from unwanted messages sent by freelancers. A "radio" feature would run counter to nearly all of Upwork's goals and interests. 

 

In effect, you are asking Upwork to add features that would enable you to poach its customer base. 


David M wrote:

That's good advice.  I am new to the Freelance section of Upwork and wasn't aware that's what "Connects" are intended for!  I also wrote to the Support folks about a Radio Button on the project to offer options for freelancser to Volunteer.  


No volunteering, no free advice, nothing of that sort. You want to earn money, as everybody else. That should be your goal. 

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