Businesses grow on the strength of their relationships, but it isn’t always easy to make that first connection. For independent professionals and agencies, getting in front of businesses that need your particular skill set is crucial for growth; for businesses, it’s finding the right talent with the right expertise at the right time.
Project Catalog™ is designed to make these introductions easier. It offers a curated collection of projects that are predefined by the experts: Scope, cost, timing, and deliverables are clearly outlined by talent on Upwork, then presented in a way that makes it easy for businesses to browse and buy.
But how does this new way to use Upwork fit into your business strategy? We’ve talked to people on both sides of the equation to find out how Project Catalog can help you get work started.
Project Catalog showcases predefined fixed-price work, featuring tens of thousands of projects across more than 300 categories, including design, web development, translation, and writing. Businesses can see the creative process as well as the talent who will be doing the work.
“My business was deeply involved in the catering industry and, when Covid struck, we lost nearly all our clients within a week—we had to pivot fast,” said Kevin Downey, Founder and CEO of K2 Prospecting Systems. That meant creating marketing collateral from the ground up and, when an opportunity arose to test Project Catalog, Downey knew where to start: A new image for his podcast.
“I like that Project Catalog highlights samples of each designer’s work upfront. This doesn’t just give me a sense of what someone can do, it also helps me confirm what direction I want to go in,” he said. “I know exactly what I’m buying—it’s clearly laid out, easy to understand, and it’s a very fluid process.”
His search connected him with Tatiana O., a graphic designer in Russia. “Tatiana has been great to work with,” Downey said. In addition to the podcast cover art, she’s continued to work with K2 on other projects including the company’s logo, rate card, website header, and a video.
“Creating that handshake opportunity between professionals—like me—and potential clients is incredibly hard. It’s a major challenge for people with a wealth of skill and knowledge to get those introductions."
—Scott Brower, Mobile Application Developer
Scott Brower is in-demand as a mobile application developer, but a lot of his potential clients face the same hurdle: Understanding how to get the results they want.
Maybe they want to build an app but don’t know where to start. Or they already have an app but need to pivot or dig themselves out of trouble. “I spend a lot of time educating businesses, even before they decide who they should work with, because I think it benefits everyone,” Brower said.
Brower offers a service on Project Catalog that’s tailored to get these projects started. Clients get expert insights into their most pressing work while he sets a foundation that could lead to larger projects down the road.
“I can specifically highlight my consulting services and offer myself as a subject matter expert to clients who may need my services but are still in the planning phase,” he explained.
For more than a decade, Brower held executive positions with several global companies before launching his own businesses. However, that expertise can blend into his Upwork profile—lost amid much larger development engagements.
“With Project Catalog, the offering as well as the time and cost becomes extremely clear to prospective clients. It’s allowed me to grow this aspect of my business in a way that wasn’t possible before.”
Cara Bedford of CompuVision has worked with independent talent for years and is excited by the new possibilities offered by Project Catalog. "By using Upwork to adopt flexible talent, my team has been able to 4x our output,” she said.
CompuVision’s marketing team has been working with web developer Sam Crockett since 2019—initially to design a custom website, then progressing to larger and more technical projects.
"Through Project Catalog I'm excited to be able to offer clients like Cara—and new Upwork customers who are not sure where to start—an easy way to hire me for my favorite work while growing my business in a way I couldn't before."
Ready to start your next project? Browse Project Catalog today.
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