What is a Project?
A project on Commiss.io helps you encapsulate a single transaction between you and your client. The definition of that scope is up to you, however. It could be a single painting commission, a series of icons, or even editorial reviews for a series of blog posts.
Creating a Project
Projects can be created by clients, with or without an account, by using the "Request Project" button on any custom listing. Clients don't need an account to create a project, just an email address. They'll be asked for a title, description, and any relevant example files they would like to upload.
Tip: If you need to create a project for a client, you can do so while logged out. They'll receive an email letting them know about the project.
Project Statuses
There are 5 statuses for projects, each indicating where one is along the spectrum from initial request, to completion.
Pending - New requests that have not yet been reviewed by the creator. You should keep as few projects "pending" as possible so the client knows whether or not you'd like to take their commission. If your base price doesn't match the quote you want to give the client, you should update the price now so the client is aware.
Queued - Projects that have been accepted go into your queue. Projects can stay in this state for as long as you need, giving you flexibility to manage your ongoing tasks and keep a pipeline of work coming in. Clients can see that they're in your queue, and roughly where they stand, at any point. And, of course, they can reach out to you if they have any questions.
Active - When you mark a project as active, it means you're actively working on it. You should be updating your client regularly with your progress and working toward completion.
Assets Submitted - When you think you've got the final files together, you upload them as "final assets." The project enters this state. These are available to your client in a limited preview until they've accepted them and closed out the project. If the assets are rejected, the project will return to the Active state.
Completed - Once the final assets have been accepted, the project will be complete! It's removed from your active project list and count, and the funds are considered part of your monthly earnings. You and the client can still comment on the project for 30 days, after which it'll be archived.
Invoicing Your Client
Invoicing happens automatically depending on your settings.
Invoice at Start - If you've chosen to invoice your clients at the start of your project, they'll be invoiced prior to the project exiting your queue. Once the client pays the invoice, the project will transition to Active automatically.
Invoice at End - If you've chosen to invoice your client at the end of the project, the invoice is sent when you upload the final assets. Your client's access to those files won't be unlocked until the payment goes through. Once payment is received, the project will be marked as Complete and the files unlocked automatically.
You can still update pricing as need be even after the invoice has initially been sent. Scopes change, client goals are altered. We support that!
Updating Your Project
Moving the Project Along
Our goal has been to make the process of moving your project along the steps a natural one. You'll always be prompted with options relevant to the project's status, and the project will move itself along as you take those actions. And we send invoices at the points you've selected.
Just update your project naturally, add comments and WIPs when appropriate, and stay in touch with your clients. We're confident you'll find your way along!
Submitting Final Assets
When you're ready to complete the project, you can submit the final assets using the action buttons. We'll automatically generate previews where available, and only those will be available to your clients before the final assets are approved. Once they approve the assets, the files are unlocked for their download and use.
At the moment we can only generate previews for image and PDF documents. If you're uploading any others, such as movie files, sound files, zip files, etc. you should upload some additional samples as a separate comment first.
Changing the Price or License
At any point before the project is completed, you can change the price or license. The client will be prompted to approve the change, and will be recharged/refunded if the price has been updated.
You can use this tool when the base price doesn't match up to the client's scope, if the client requests a scope change later in the project, or if you want to give them an discount. The use is ultimately up to you, and rather flexible in how it works.
We're Here for You
As always, if you have any questions at any step of the process, just let us know! We're always happy to lend a hand, really!