SWIP created Assignment projects to make the freelancing process more about relationships. A traditional jobs site is very transactional: a business posts a job and a job seeker applies. SWIP adopts the techniques of social networks to build strong connections among businesses and freelancers. Assignment projects are part of that process.

Establishing A Community of Trust

We structured Assignments to support clear communications between the project owner and the freelancer. Businesses will only find quality applicants if everyone understands an Assignment’s expectations. Contributors will only get satisfactory work if a project sets fair criteria and compensation.

Each project owner completes an Assignment Term Sheet that describes the task. We encourage them to explain thoroughly the background motivating the project. That includes their objectives as well as any requirements or deliverables. This gives you a full sense of what to expect and lets you better judge whether you are a right fit for the task.

A timeline for the application process and the completion of the task could include interim milestones and deliverables. Assignment creators also define the success criteria. And they set the reward that freelancers earn in compensation for their work. That reward could be a cash payment, hourly compensation, or some other source of value.

Find Assignments That Match Your Talent

You can find open Assignments in SWIP’s Discover Projects section. SWIP’s algorithm also will recommend projects for you based on your profile and any skills you have claimed. If an Assignment looks like a good match for you, submit a bid in the Comments section. The project owner may ask for more information or invite you to discuss your proposal in more detail.

Candidates and the Assignment project’s owner will communicate back-and-forth to reach an agreement on the terms of the relationship. If both agree that job and freelancer are the right match, then the two enter a formal, binding agreement. As a freelancer, you deliver work that meets the Assignment’s criteria. The project’s creator then grants you the reward.

Assignments Support Freelancers’ Independence

In most cases that reward will be a form of financial compensation. SWIP collects these rewards from the business before the Assignment posts. We hold the funds in escrow until the project owner signs off on your work. At that point we deduct our fees and release the funds to you through SWIP’s payment system.

Our business community need the unique talents SWIP’s network of freelancers offer. Assignments are a great way for you to pick up extra work, and extra income, between Challenges. And who knows? You could build an on-going business relationship that profits you both.