Questions about "Fixed-Price" opportunities

[d9ae1f8b]

Hello Upwork Community,

I joined less than two weeks ago. I've been going throuhg the Upwork academy learning paths and I know there's still a lot to learn. But I'm starting to bid on jobs and there's something I'm trying to understand.

I'm looking at one position that says "Fixed-price $10,000" but it also says they pay a commission based on sales. So is the $10K a base and commissions are on top of that? Or does it mean the total paid out will be $10K no matter what?  

I've also seen fixed-project opportunities that will $500 (for example) but the time frame is 3-6 months.  3 - 6 months to make $500???  Clearly I'm missing something.

If someone could help clarify this I would be very appreciative.

Thank you!!

Jack

[tlsanders]

It means that a shady client put a large number in the budget line to attract your attention without any regard to what might ultimately be paid out.

As for the others--different clients use this field differently. One client who wants one e-book per month for a year might put the price of one e-book in that field, and another the price of 12. Unfortunately, the range of expectations on Upwork is so extreme that you can't necessarily tell which it is. 

You may be able to get an idea if the client has past jobs and a payment history, but not always. 

A blogging client looking for someone to blog long term might post a budget for a single blog post, but choose "more than 6 months" because they'll hoping it will be a long-term arrangement. Also, bear in mind that a 3-6 month time range doesn't necessarily mean 3-6 months of steady work. It's the timeline for completion. That could mean 20 hours/week for that time frame or 5 hours/month, depending on the industry and the project. 

Short answer: it doesn't mean much. A lot of us ignore budgets unless they are insanely low (in that case, bypass the job) and just bid our rates. It often works out. Many clients are guessing.

[d9ae1f8b]

Hello Tiffany,

Thank you for your reply. A shady client???   Well I hadn't thought of that. 

Jack

[tlsanders]

Always consider that possibility when you see a high budget. Some are real, but scammers and those looking for low rates through alternative payment structures know that a high budget will suck people in.