Suggestion: $20 Minimum for Fixed Jobs

[Michael John M]

I'm glad that Upwork policy is the same as Elance's $3 per hour minimum.

Upwork should continue and implement fixed job rates comparable to Elance.

The Fixed Job Minimum of Elance:

Job Posting Budget: Less than $500
Proposal Minimum: $20

Job Posting Budget: $500-$1,000
Proposal Minimum: $350

Job Posting Budget: $1,000-$5000
Proposal Minimum: $700

Job Posting Budget: $5,000-$10,000
Proposal Minimum: $3,500

Job Posting Budget: $10,000-more
Proposal Minimum: $7,000

[Aleksandra K]

Now I see why people are sad about the merger…

Good proposal, although I doubt it will be implemented.

[Susanne D]

Yes, it is one of the things that I also liked on Elance. Here - when I see $5-Jobs, I wonder who takes the time to write one of these lengthy proposals for it. $20 is just so, if the job itself looks decent. Mind, even on Elance you can work around it - but it keeps this type job to a lesser problem.

[Michael John M]

There are a lot of things that are good in Elance that can be retained.

For example, even though most jobs here seems to have a minimum of 2 bids, effectively cutting in half the bids compared to Elance.

I'm just glad that the Elance Connect system was implemented in Upwork, as it discourages spamming.

[Michael John M]

From Elance:

"Why do I lose points for bidding below budget?"

"The system is designed to encourage proposals within budget and differentiation based on quality. In general low-ball bidding leads to price erosion."

[Robert James R]

I want this but I also want to be assured I will be paid the amounts mentioned for a job well done 

[Preston H]

There are plenty of fixed-price jobs that are small and for which $20 would be too much. Nobody is forcing you to apply for them.

It DOES make sense to require only one connect to bid on a fixed-price job with a $20 budget.

[Michael John M]

@Preston

$20 is too much?

Are you saying that the Fiverr-like price erosion is normal at Upwork?

Elance has an anti-price erosion culture, which I hope carries over at Upwork.

[Preston H]

re: "$20 is too much?

 Are you saying that the Fiverr-like price erosion is normal at Upwork?"

Let me be very blunt. Fiverr is a joke.

Nobody wants Upwork to be like Fiverr.

But, yes, $20 is too much for some jobs.

I currently bill at $84/hour and I have to turn away a lot of people who want to pay me that much because I'm too busy. So I'm not a minimum-wage price eroder.

But there are some projects posted on Upwork that even I would do for less than $20.00.

So, yes, I think $20.00 is too much to pay for some jobs and I don't think that Upwork needs to set a $20.00 minimum for fixed-price contracts.

[Preston H]

re: "Elance has an anti-price erosion culture, which I hope carries over at Upwork."

I, too, would welcome that.