Elance is closing
It looks like Elance is closing its doors and evolving into something else.
I know many of my readers use Elance as a way to find freelancers or as a way to find freelance work, so I thought I'd share this email I just received:
Hi Alina,
I’m writing to share that we will soon wind down the Elance platform and invite you to join the community on Upwork. As we shared earlier this year, the decision to focus on a single platform was difficult but ultimately proved to be the best way to give freelancers access to the greatest jobs, and clients access to the greatest talent.
Elance companies are incredibly important to us and we are committed to helping you succeed on Upwork. We will send you an invitation that allows you to copy over your Elance profile including work history, reputation and any team member accounts to Upwork. Also, when you work on Upwork with clients you already worked with on Elance, we’ll honor the same fee you paid before.
You will receive your invitation to join Upwork within the next 1-2 months. In the meantime, please attend a webinar with information on how agencies work on Upwork and how we can help you make a smooth transition. You can also refer to this overview to learn more.
Important dates for Elance companies:
In early August, new customers will no longer be able to register for Elance.Starting in September, we’ll begin to limit the ability to post new jobs on Elance.Through early 2016, you can continue your current projects on Elance. However, we encourage you to begin all new contracts on Upwork and move existing contracts to Upwork when possible.Through mid-2016, you will still be able to access your messages, contacts, and files on Elance.
Upwork has already proven to be a rewarding marketplace for companies, with more contracts resulting in higher earnings than on Elance. We’re also working to deliver innovations to boost your productivity: mobile apps are now available for iOS and Android and a new messaging tool enables real-time collaboration.
Thank you for your business on Elance. We appreciate your patience during this transition and look forward to welcoming you to the Upwork community. You can read more about this announcement on our blog.
Best regards, Stephane Kasriel CEO, Upwork
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Will be giving Upwork a try?
