Intro Box
The top box displays the most simple information about the project.
Basics - The project title, client's profile photo, and the client's name.
Started Date - The day the project proposal was accepted.
Due Date - The client has the option to include a due date for the project. This date is not binding, but ideal.
Budget - The budget that the client is prepared to pay for the completion of the entire project. If the project ends before completion, the freelancer won't necessarily be entitled to this full sum.
Remaining - The amount of the above budget that hasn't been paid to you yet.
Total Earnings - The total that you've been paid during the course of this project.
Milestones Tab
In this tab, you'll see the status of all of the invoices you've sent for this project so far.
"Propose New Milestone Button"
Project-based projects are not paid according to the amount of time spent on them; they're paid by completion. This happens through one of two approaches:
Either the client pays for the completion of the entire project in one lump sum, or -
The users discuss how to break the project into smaller segments, called "milestones," and the client pays the freelancer each time one of these is completed.
If the client would like to commit his whole budget all at once, the freelancer can post a single milestone that represents the entire project by requesting the entire budget. Alternatively, if the freelancer would rather be paid throughout the project process, he can submit milestones for the completion of each significant segment and get paid along the way.
Once you've discussed how you would like to approach the project with the client, use the yellow "Propose New Milestone" button to submit your vision for the next step in the project.
When the client accepts the milestone, he is charged the amount that you submitted in your proposal and ZMZ holds the money while you work. This way, the freelancer doesn't have to worry about not getting paid. Learn all you need to know about project-based milestones, starting with this article.
Milestone Banners
When you propose a new milestone, a white banner with all of the milestone's details will appear in this tab. Here's what you'll find:
Milestone Title - You should give each milestone a title that makes clear what is being accomplished in this section of the project.
Invoice Total - This is how much you're asking the client to pay for the completion of this part of the project.
Dates - You'll see different dates on the milestone banners, depending on what stage the milestone has reached. These include: the date you proposed the milestone, the date the client accepted it, the date revisions were requested, and the date you were fully paid.
Milestone Description - This is an in-depth description of what you are going to do during this part of the project. All relevant information should be included here, like: what will actually be delivered with this milestone, what type of work you'll be doing, whether this a draft, etc.
Due Date - All milestones must include a proposed due date. This date is not binding, but it is always wise to provide good service and strive to have your work ready by when you promise it.
Attachments - If you're going to add any attachments - including the work you completed - it will appear below the description.
The above features will probably be familiar to you. Below are a few more that are specific to project-based projects:
Edit/Cancel Submission - In the upper-right corner of the submission banner, you'll find a button with three vertical dots. Click here for two more options:
Edit - Before a milestone is accepted by the client, you still have time to go back and change some of the details if you made a mistake.
Cancel - You can also cancel the milestone, even after the fee has been deposited. The fee gets sent back to the client and you won't necessarily be entitled to it later on. It's not a good idea to do this without discussing with your client first.
Status Boxes - Project-based milestones have five statuses:
Milestone Proposal Pending - You have proposed a milestone but the client has not yet accepted it. The freelancer should not begin this work until the client has accepted the proposal and made the deposit.
Milestone Payment Deposited - The client has accepted your proposal and deposited the money. Now you should feel free to work. When you're done, click the "Post Work and Request Payment" button to submit your work.
Waiting for Release - You've submitted the milestone work but the client hasn't seen and approved it yet.
Revisions Requested - There may be issues with the milestone you submitted. Communicate with the client in the messages tab.
Paid - The client has accepted your milestone and approved the release of your fee. It is now on its way to your bank account!
Messages & Project Details Tabs
There are two other tabs found on each project page.
Messages Tab
This tab offers the primary way for users to communicate during a project. You can search within your message history from the "Search Messages" bar at the top. You can share attachments by clicking the stylized paperclip icon on the bottom-right of the screen, next to the yellow "Send" arrow. This project's message history can also be accessed on the Messages page.
Project Details Tab
This tab displays all of the details of the project that the client listed in the original post, plus any changes he accepted from your project proposal. This tab is here primarily as a reference, so both parties have in mind what was agreed to.
Of course, it will sometimes be appropriate to change some of these details during the course of the project, (i.e. the delivery date, expected hours, etc). As long as those changes are discussed and confirmed in the messages tab, they will be considered binding for any issues that could arise in a dispute.
That means, for example, that if the project was originally supposed to take a week, but then the users discussed extending the due date - neither user could later file a dispute based on the original agreement of one week. (As always, this is only as long as it was discussed on the ZehMizeh website... see our dispute policies for more on this.)