July 2024 EHI Online Meeting

By
DATE: 12 July 2024
Welcome and Prayer
Augustin opened the meeting with prayer. 
Discussion 

Greg: It is great to have everyone with us today! Elin, do we have something to celebrate?

Elin: Congratulations to Iragi for being awarded Top-Rated on Upwork!

Greg: Congratulations!

Iragi: Thank you so much!

Greg: That is evidence of his good work on Upwork. That will help him get more work.

Greg: Today, I want to do three things. I want to devote some time to some questions. I also want Mike Burns to tell you about his work with two groups of freelancers. Third, I want us to come together to make a list of things to pray for. Let’s start with Jeff, Augustin, Philemon, Legrand, and Iragi: Are there any questions or comments related to Upwork?

Legrand: Connects are becoming more and more necessary, and thus, expensive. I say this because Upwork is now requiring freelancers to pay Connects to create a proposal for jobs that they have been invited to.

Philemon: I have the same concern, especially for the new freelancers that we are trying to help join Upwork. I wonder how a new freelancer just starting out on Upwork would be able to face all these challenges concerning Connects. I was helping my friend start a new freelancer profile on Upwork. He did not receive the free Connects that Upwork used to give for new freelancers to begin submitting proposals to jobs.

Iragi: It is now $50 to pay for a wire transfer instead of $30. The money I made recently was transferred automatically to my bank account, and I had to pay an expensive transfer fee.

Greg: Elin, do you know if they can turn off the automatic transfers?

Elin: You can set a minimum balance required for automatic transfers. However, balances over 180 days old are automatically transferred to your payment method.

Iragi: Elin, recently helped me to improve my profile. When I look at my profile on my computer, I can see the changes to my profile that I made, but when I look at my profile on my phone, I cannot see the changes that I have made.

Elin: Please send me a screenshot of both your computer view and phone view of your profile.

Greg: Iragi, are you using the app or the internet browser on your phone?

Iragi: I use the app.

Philemon: You can try to update the app that you are using on your phone.

Iragi: Thank you, Philemon.

Greg: Mike, can you send the link explaining the work you have been doing with freelancers?

Mike: Yes. Here it is: https://michaelkentburns.com/index.php/cohort-1/

Mike: I have a website that helps web developers work together on projects. I’m currently working with a group of freelancers who have different levels of experience. The projects they’re working on are very complex, so I created this training site to give them more resources and help them work as a team. One important thing I’ve learned is that freelancers don’t have to work alone. It’s better to collaborate with other freelancers, especially on big projects. I now have a new team of freelancers working on a project together. They are being mentored by the first group and myself. We are a small community of freelancers who train each other and share our knowledge. This helps more people learn how to be successful on Upwork.

Christian: I’m collaborating with Efatha in computer science.

Greg: Very good! Alright, let’s talk about prayer.

Bible Verse 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

(NIV) Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

(LSG) Soyez toujours joyeux. Priez sans cesse. Rendez grâces en toutes choses, car c’est à votre égard la volonté de Dieu en Jésus Christ.

John 14:13-14

(NIV) And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

(LSG) Et tout ce que vous demanderez en mon nom, je le ferai, afin que le Père soit glorifié dans le Fils. Si vous demandez quelque chose en mon nom, je le ferai.

Greg: The New Testament talks a lot about the importance of praying. One verse says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” As a team, let’s pray for what we need Jesus to help us with in Bukavu to build His Kingdom. The book of John mentions, “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do.” If Jesus visited Bukavu, what would He want to see? This will guide our prayers. We know Jesus dislikes poverty because He fed the 5,000. He dislikes disease because He healed people. He dislikes demonic activity because He cast out demons. In the Old Testament, it says we are created in God’s image, meaning we are meant to create. We are also meant to subdue the earth, so we can pray about subduing the earth in Bukavu. What problems do we see that we can pray about? What would Jesus want us to pray for?

Iragi: Jesus wants people in Bukavu to get work so we can get rid of the bad things you mentioned.

Greg: Right. So what should we pray for, Iragi?

Iragi: We should pray for people from Bukavu to have permanent work.

Legrand: We should pray for a good business environment.

Philemon: I would like to pray for people to discover their true identity in God–that they have power to create. I also want to pray for people to trust one another, because if people do not trust one another, they cannot work as a team.

Jeff: We should pray for love, so that people will love one another and work together to achieve wonderful things.

Augustin: We should pray to God for more people of Bukavu to be successful on Upwork such as those on this call. We should also pray that money or jobs do not become idols; only God can provide for us. Additionally, we should pray for peace in the DRC, because without peace, there cannot be a good work environment.

Greg: Very good. I have a few prayer requests also. See the prayer list of your prayers and mine here.

Closing Prayer 

Iragi closed us in prayer. 

Upwork Tips 

CLOSING JOBS

If a job has been in progress for a long time, you can opt to close a job if the client does not end the contract. Best practice is to not close too many at once as it may affect your JSS. To end a contract, go to “My Jobs”, select the project, click on the three dots, and choose “End Contract”. Provide a reason and optional feedback, then confirm.

RESEARCH THE MOST IN-DEMAND SKILLS

AI skills are growing in importance for developers. Data Science & Analytics skills are in very high demand. Project management is more valuable than ever. https://www.upwork.com/research/in-demand-skills-2024

PAYMENT SETTINGS

https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211060918-Manage-how-you-get-paid

To access your earnings, you need to add a payment method and set your tax status. Be sure that the name on your bank account matches exactly your verified name on Upwork. You can set up more than one payment method.

Payment options include:

    • Direct to Local Bank (outside of U.S.) — $0.99 per transfer
    • S. Dollar Wire Transfer — $50 per transfer
    • Third-party payment vendors: EHI freelancers recommend using Payoneer.

Note! As of June 2024, Upwork increased the fee for international wire transfers for all payouts from $30 to $50. Additional fees and restrictions may apply depending on the bank.

To get paid on Upwork, first connect a payment method. Make sure your name on the bank account is the same as your Upwork profile. You can use direct bank transfers, wire transfers (with a $50 fee as of June 2024), or third-party providers like Payoneer. EHI freelancers recommend using Payoneer.

Next, set a payment schedule. You can get paid automatically on a weekly, twice-monthly, monthly, or quarterly basis. To enable automatic payments, set a minimum amount to be paid out. You can always withdraw your funds manually at any time. Balances over 180 days old are automatically withdrawn to your payment method.

If you want to keep some money in your account for buying Connects or paying for membership, you can set up a Reserve Balance.

How quickly you can access your earnings depends on the project type. Hourly contracts pay out ten days after the billing cycle (which ends on Sunday). Fixed-price and Project Catalog contracts pay out five days after the client approves the work. Bonus payments are accessible five days after the client’s payment is processed.

CONNECTS UPDATE

https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211062898-Understanding-and-using-Connects

    • Connects are required to submit job proposals, to boost a proposal, and to activate an Availability Badge.
    • The number of Connects needed for a job proposal varies by project.
    • Previously, Upwork gave a one-time bonus of 50 free Connects when you completed your profile. This has changed. You now need to add a payment method and then either purchase 100 Connects or subscribe to the Freelancer Plus plan. Once you choose one, Upwork will give you a one-time bonus of 50 Connects.
    • After completing your initial purchase of 100 Connects while on the Freelancer Basic plan, you will receive 10 free Connects monthly.
    • If you subscribe to the Freelancer Plus plan, you will continue to receive 100 Connects every month.
    • Connects are returned to you in two cases: if a project is cancelled by the client before a contract is created, or if a job post is removed because it violates Upwork’s Terms of Service.
    • Unused Connects roll over each month and expire after one year.
    • You’ll receive 30 free Connects if you earn a Rising Talent badge
    • Connects cost $0.15 (USD) each and are sold in bundles or a custom amount of your choice.

REFERRING JOBS TO OTHER EHI FREELANCERS

Have you received a referral from another freelancer? If you get a referral email, that means another freelancer got an invite jo a job that they couldn’t accept. They may have been too busy, or the project may not be a perfect fit for their skills.

Have you referred another freelancer to a job invitation? Do you have more job invitations than you have time for? Or did you get a job invitation that is not a perfect fit for your skills? If so, you can refer another freelancer to the job.