Professional & Student Freelance Book - (Unleashing Your Harnessed Potential - Chps1-3)

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Unleashing Your Harnessed Potential
Copyright 2013 by CertificationPoint.Org
All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without permission. No
patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information
contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the
preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no
responsibility for errors or omissions. Nor is any liability assumed for
damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
International Standard Book Number - ISBN13: 978-1467552288
Independent Publisher (CreateSpace.com) - ISBN13: 978-1484917235
Printed in the United States of America - First Printing: May 2013
Trademarks
All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks have
been appropriately capitalized. Use of a term in this book should not be
regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark.
Warning and Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as
accurate as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied. The
information provided is on an “as-is” basis. The author and the publisher
shall have no liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect
to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book
from the use of the CD or programs accompanying it.
Bulk Sales
CertificationPoint offers excellent discounts on this book when ordered in
quantity for bulk purchases or special sales for collegiate study or
corporate companion guides. Contact info@certificationpoint.org for more
information.
Published by 48HrBooks
2249 14th St. SW
Akron OH 44314

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Credits
Author Proofreader
Byron L. Giles Contessa L. Cooper
Claudia Bryant
Reviewers Cover Work
Richard L. Giles Jr. Byron L. Giles
Ashley E. Gates
Technical Editor Production Coordinator
Shaunielle A. Johnson Curtis A. Giles

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Dedication:
To my parents Ronald & Jonnita, brother’s Curtis and Derek,
daughter's Jalena & Kayla, cousin Shaunielle, and great
friend’s Terrance, Tracey, & Aisha for being such a true source
of inspiration, love, and support. To my son Ronnie and my
grandma’s Leanna & Lucille, I love them all and miss them very
much, may they rest in peace.

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I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
- Philippians 4:13

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Table of Contents
Part 1: Starting a New Journey ……………………. Pg. 15
1. Introduction
2. Join CertificationPoint.Org
3. Do the Work!
4. Job Opportunity Prospects
5. First Impression…”Tag, You’re It!”
6. Lessons Learned No. 1: In-The-Field Case Study
Part 2: Your Virtual World of Work ………………… Pg. 41
7. Complete Your Profile
8. Taking CertificationPoint.Org Exams
9. Bids & Proposals
10. Posting a Project
11. Binding Agreements, Contracts, & Transaction Fees
Part 3: Growing Roots in CertificationPoint.Org … Pg. 75
13. Task Prioritization
14. Building Customer Relations
15. Team Management
16. Learning to Seal the Deal
17. Gaining a Competitive Edge

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Part 4: The College Student …………………….… Pg. 97
19. To Freelance or Not To Freelance While in College
20. The Career Gateway Path Program (CGPP)
21. Student-Only Projects on CertificationPoint.Org
Part 5: Reaching Your Potential, Validating Your
Credentials …………………………………………… Pg. 114
23. Career Management & The Career Management
Portal
24. Other Unique Resources on the Website
25. Navigating Through Troubled Waters
Part 6: The Secrets to Success…You Have the “Need to
Know” ………………………………………………… Pg. 133
27. Strategies for Beginners
28. Finding and Attracting the Best and Brightest
29. Using a Project Management Approach
30. Don’t Give Up…Enjoy the Journey

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About the Author:
Byron Giles is an IT Professional who set up his own first
corporation in 2002 working in the areas of computer and
network support, web and database development, and training
following a successful 6 year stint in the US Air Force. During
this timeframe Byron completed his Bachelor's in Computer
Science and Master's in Project Management. Noticing a
gaping hole in the current processes, Byron worked with a team
of creative individuals to create CertificationPoint.Org. The
website continues to transition college students into the pipeline
of an educational and credential-based ecommerce solution in
a competitive environment; while also having healthy processes
in place to allow the students to be successful. None of the
websites he viewed included our future leaders, the college
student of today, as part of their processes. With a mindset to
bridge a knowledge-to-experience gap in the current processes
CertificationPoint.Org is here to assist for the long-run.
In his spare time he likes to go fishing, watch the Kansas
Jayhawks basketball team play, and coach his daughter’s youth
sports activities as he continues to fulfill his commitment to his
country as Reservist in the U.S. Air Force. Well, that’s enough
information about Byron. Let’s begin!

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How Is This Book Organized?
Part I – Embarking on a New Journey – This is where your
initial journey begins. You learn what CertificationPoint.Org is
all about as well as how to join the team. You’ll be provided
information on what preparations you need to make on this
journey as well as a real world example.
Figures 2.1, 2.2, 2.3
Part II - Your Virtual World of Work – Here we help you
create and manage your profile that will enable you to display
the presence you envision for yourself. You also learn how to
place effective bids and negotiate with your various clients so
that both you and your client’s best interests are met. Fees
associated with using the site will be covered briefly in this
section as well.
Figures 7.1 – 7.2, 10.1 – 10.15
Part III - Growing Roots in CertificationPoint.Org – Just like
a plant’s roots continue to grow throughout its lifetime, your
business is no different. The decisions you make along the
way can foster positive or negative growth. We’ll show the
advantages and disadvantages of both types of growth.
Figures 17.1, 17.2, 17.3
Part IV - The College Student – Yes this means you! Whether
you are a traditional college student or non-traditional student,
CertificationPoint.Org is the starting point for you to test your
skills in the open market. Sure there will be hesitations and

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reservations with regards to jumping in of which we understand
and can assist you in your initial processes.
No Figures
Part V - Reaching Your Potential, Validating Your
Credentials – You will get detailed information on why
centralizing your credentials and resume in one verified location
is important for you and your clients. You will also be provided
career management advice as well as how
CertificationPoint.Org facilitates this process for you.
Figures 23.1 – 23.8, 24.1
Part VI - Secrets to Success…You Have the “Need to
Know” – This section will put it all together for you while letting
you in on the secrets to success in the virtual collaborative
eMarketplace regardless of whether you are a college student,
professional freelancer, client, or large/small business.
No Figures
The CD-ROM
The accompanying CD-ROM contains everything you’ll need to
get started on CertificationPoint.Org along with many useful
tools to streamline your initial business processes on the
website. Please request additional copies at our website.
 Electronic versions of all the chapters

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 Registration card for additional marketing tools used on
the website
 Over 300 Developer Scripts
 Over 100 Business Productivity Templates
Errata
We make every effort to ensure that they are no content errors
in this book. If you find an error in this text, feel free to submit
feedback so that the errors can be corrected to ensure material
of the highest quality can be provided to our reader base.
Feedback can be sent to errata@CertificationPoint.Org or
through our discussion forums at discussion.CertificationPoint.Org.
Discussion.CertificationPoint.Org
For peer discussion, join the forums at
discussion.CertificationPoint.Org. The Web-based forums
allow visitors to interact with other members by posting
messages with respect to this book as well as the
CertificationPoint.Org website processes. You can view
postings at any time but registration is required for website
interaction. To join the discussion forum see the instructions
below.
1. Go to discussion.CertificationPoint.Org and click Register.
2. Read and Agree to the Terms of Use

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3. Complete the web-based registration form
4. You’ll need to confirm your account via email following the
registration form submission.
CONVENTIONS
Key Tips
Provides hints and suggestions to aid in
your successful development
Caution
Provides insight on what scenarios you may
encounter as you develop into an
experienced professional.
How to
Proceed
Provides assistance on how to proceed
through various scenarios you may
encounter.
Stop & Try It
Out
Provides the opportunity to take a break
and try out the features on the website.
InfoNote
Provides notes and features about the
website and various features to take note
of.
Terminology
Provides the terminology that you will need
to be familiar with as a
freelancer/entrepreneur.

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Communication (defined)
The act or an instance of communicating; the imparting or
exchange of information, ideas, or feelings.

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Part I: Starting a New Journey
To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true
success is to labor.
- Robert Louis Stevenson

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Chapter 1
Introduction to CertificationPoint.Org
This book aims to assist not only with using the
CertificationPoint.Org website but also act as a ready to use
desk reference when it comes managing, negotiating, and
facilitating your core business processes. Much of what you
read in this book can also be applied to daily business
processes.
The core service that CertificationPoint.Org provides is the
gateway by which you can obtain clients for business growth
and networking processes. The key objective of this book is to
act as a guide, leading to business success using the website.
We'll go on a journey of registering on the website, developing
your profile, evaluating job prospects, submitting a proposal, as
well as closing the deal. We've created a unique section in this
book just for college students. This section acts as an aid for
students wanting to obtain on-the-job training in their future
career field while still in college but, are unsure how to get
started. The Career Gateway Path Program section key notes
the pilot program which provides students with real world
projects which can be completed in a mentor-led group setting
with other like-minded students.
This book includes practical real world case study examples in
which seasoned professionals and student freelancers alike
How to Proceed
Advertising needed? - If you would like to advertise on a particular
approved for advertising portion of our website please complete the
registration and submit a helpdesk ticket.

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can incorporate into daily processes. Also included is a CD-
Rom of free to use resources such as reusable scripts, website
templates, form templates, and other internet resources.
Key Tip
Allow enough time for bidding. If your project isn't urgent, don’t make
service providers rush to bid. Remember that the top professionals are
usually the busiest, so you may eliminate some of the top contenders
by setting the bidding time too short.
So What Is CertificationPoint.Org?
CertificationPoint.Org is a global online employment
marketplace enabling the building up of successful partnerships
in the eBusiness age. CertificationPoint.Org allows clients to
hire businesses and college students, as well as independent
contractors. Online collaborative tools allow for onsite and/or
remote team project management. Independent contractors,
businesses, and college students create online profiles and
portfolios, submit proposals for jobs, and collaborate and
receive payment through the CertificationPoint.Org website.
CertificationPoint.Org allows for centralized credential
management for businesses, contractors and college students
for career management and networking.
Background
A concept initially created and conceptualized as part of a 2007
project management tasking at the University of Maryland,
University College named "An Open Resource Allowing For
College Students Learning Via Real World Projects" the

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founders of CertificationPoint.Org saw a knowledge gap to be
filled in the process of what was available to college students
once they graduated while having a short resume, limited
experience, and few business contacts to go along with an
expensive degree. A few years later the former students
launched CertificationPoint.Org.
Innovation
The introduction of college students to the
CertificationPoint.Org eMarketplace has increased competition
for bid-based global work projects. According to the owner of
the popular e-Marketplace, the idea of introducing college
students to the career field neutral website to build upon their
on-the-job skills and resume while in college has really caught
on in an industry traditionally reserved for business
professionals and professional freelancers. This introduction
has also effectively initiated the change in perception of hiring
students currently in college to complete projects. We feel this
innovative idea will only see continued success globally.
How to Proceed
Going outside of CertificationPoint - If a freelancer asks you to go
outside CertificationPoint to avoid paying fees we ask that you report
the violation and recommend that you choose a freelancer that adheres
to the Terms of Service.

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A Freelancer's Experience
20-year-old Terrance Byers has been using the site for the past
year to hone his skill set for a future career in Graphics Arts. "I
was initially skeptical of whether I could compete with seasoned
professionals, but being awarded my first tasking changed that
notion", said Terrance. Terrance goes on to say,
"CertificationPoint.Org has allowed me to build confidence in
my skills learned in college as well as stay current of what's
new in the Graphics Arts field. I'm also learning how to submit
real-world proposals while learning to sell myself".
Note from the Founder
Byron Giles, co-founder of CertificationPoint.Org, mentions "We
realized that this secure site would provide more benefit if open
to college students as well as business professionals and
freelancers". The website has incorporated an on-going pilot
program to give students an idea of what it's like working with a
customer on a project by setting up the Career Gateway Path
Program. The Career Gateway Path Program (CGPP) allows
student to work on 3 consecutive real-world work projects in a
group setting with a professional mentor. This process has
been the spark to encourage students who are unsure of their
potential in such an eMarketplace.

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Terminology – Portfolio
a sample of a service provider’s work or a virtual display used to
display graphics art, photographs etc. (Source: Webopedia.org)
Additional Resources
CertificationPoint.Org also provides college students,
professionals, and businesses a verified centralized location for
all of their credentials, awards, and resumes. This online
service allows for future employers and business partners to go
to a single location to learn about a particular candidate's
credentials. The founders of CertificationPoint.Org have over
20 years of academic and research experience and have
launched the MyPoint and BizPoint resources to facilitate
networking on CertificationPoint.Org.
What's New?
To assist businesses, CertificationPoint.Org has introduced
"Certokens" which will be given out freely to the public upon
registration at regular intervals throughout the year. Certokens
allow businesses to obtain discounts on associated project fees
as well as the promotion of a website via banner advertising.
The Certokens can be used as long as an entity wants or until
there is limited use and a colleague needs a project completed
of which at that point it can be passed along to a friend or
colleague. Certokens were made available to the public
November 11, 2012.

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Chapter 2
Join CertificationPoint.Org
Let’s get this journey started by joining CertificationPoint.Org,
but first take a brief look at the Top 10 benefits of joining the
website for the service buyer as well as the service provider.
 Central location of verified credentials
 Career-field neutral eMarketplace to bid on & post
jobs/projects.
 Project management collaborative tools to ensure
project success.
 College students can freelance as well as gain on-
the-job experience now rather than post-graduation.
 Excellent customer support.
 Ability to view businesses needing your validated
expertise
 Ability to network with other professionals
 Businesses can find and then contact qualified
personnel directly
 Businesses can post fulltime and contract work
 Valuable resources for many of industry
certifications, licenses, and degrees
At this point we can continue on to the website. When you
initially go to CertificationPoint.Org the screenshot in Figure 2.1
is what will be displayed. Feel free at this time to browse
through the website to gain a little familiarity before we go
through the dual registration process.

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By incorporating dual registration, we give you the opportunity
work on projects to earn extra income as well as a location to
manage your career to include a centralized location for your
credentials, certifications, and awards.
Info Note
We hire registered providers from time to time to work on projects
within our company, so it’s important keep your profile and portfolio
current.
Why would you want to have your career data in one location?
This provides future employers an easy verified landscape in
which to obtain an overview of your career. Imagine providing
verification for 5 certifications to an employer by sending the
employer to 5 different websites. Wouldn’t sending an
employer to one central location with respect to your
credentials give the impression that your career is important to
you? The second half of the dual registration deals with the
eMarketplace where service buyers post work for service
providers to bid on, complete, and get paid for. Let’s get
registered!

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Figure 2.1 – CertificationPoint.Org Homepage
Career Management Registration Process (See Figure 2.2)
1. Complete all required form fields to include account
type selection (Take note of the email address field.
This will need to be entered correctly because your
email account will require validation.)
2. Enter the CAPTCHA code in the field provided
3. Click the “Create” button.
4. If you’ve completed all required fields including the
CAPTCHA and terms agreement, you will receive an
email address used for registration. (Check your

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junk folder if you do not see the account verification
email in your email “Inbox”.)
5. Once you’ve verified your account, you are now
ready to login. Note: Depending on the type of
account membership you selected, certain features
will be provided.
Figure 2.2 – Career Management Registration

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Summary of Career Management Tools
The Career Management portal offers the client a
comprehensive view of their current status at a specific point in
time with respect to career progression. This portal also allows
for the facilitation of each of the core career resources to be
managed in one centralized location. Depending upon your
subscription level, you’ll be afforded more or less of the
available resources.
The portal offers businesses and individuals the ability to put
their virtual office on display in such a way that the overall core
capabilities are enhanced. The ability to advertise on the
website offers an additional option in which to gain clients and
added exposure. Although all completed projects will be
featured for up to one week within a rotation, this capability also
offers the client a degree of exposure to CertificationPoint.Org
vendors with the idea in mind to allow for marketing as well as
networking opportunities. We understand that by having your
project completed on our website is not sufficient, so the ability
to display the project and project team successes to the
masses assists both the service buyer and service provider in
the long-run.
eMarketplace Registration Process (See Figure 2.3)
1. Complete all required form fields to include account
type selection. The available account signup
choices are Service Buyer or Service Provider. (Take

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note of the email address field. This will need to be
entered correctly because your email account will
require validation.)
2. Enter the CAPTCHA code in the field provided
3. Click the “Signup” button.
4. If you’ve completed all required fields including the
CAPTCHA, you will receive an email to the address
used for registration. (Check your junk folder if you
do not see the account verification email in your
email “Inbox”.)
5. Once you’ve verified your account you are now
ready to login. Note: You will have the ability to
upgrade your account in order to bid on more
projects per month as well as the ability to mirror this
account to your Career Management portal.
Stop & Try It Out
eMarketplace Provider Submit Bid
1. Login to the Self Service Panel
2. Click "eMarketplace Subscription" User Panel Link
3. Login to eMarketplace as Provider
4. Select a project you are qualified for
5. Select “Place a Bid”
6. Complete the “Bid Specification Form”
7. Click Submit

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Figure 2.3 – CertificationPoint.Org eMarketplace Homepage
Summary of eMarketplace Tools
The eMarketplace portal provides the avenue for service
buyers and service providers to connect for ecommerce
purposes which is very much similar to a chamber of
commerce, but with a virtual feel on a global scale. A secure
virtual marketplace is not a new concept, but this concept gains
its uniqueness by effectively providing the flexibility for college
students to compete, learn, and grow in a competitive web-
based environment as independents or as part of the Career
Gateway Path Program (CGPP).

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Chapter 3
“Do The Work!”
“What does ‘Do the Work’ refer to?” This term was used by my
military instructors during my commissioning program which
was reinforced to the trainees throughout the 6 week program.
Many times we may get in a hurry and in our excitement there’s
the tendency to take shortcuts or not give it your best. We at
CertificationPoint.Org use this term in the same way I believe
the military training instructors used it. In the case of training,
our goal was to graduate and become Air Force Officers. “Do
the Work” was not only used to inspire us but also to ensure we
maintained our focus on why we were there. In the case of the
training our goal was to graduate and become US Air Force
officers.
Info Note
Setting up an account with PayPal assist greatly in the beginning if
you are a service buyer. Chances are the service provider has a
PayPal account. Ensure both parties are aware of what form of
payment the project will involve.
When referring to “Doing the Work”, take into
consideration the following:
 What are my goals?
 How much time can I dedicate?
 How will I resolve potential issues?
 What services can I offer?
 What will my profile entail?

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 How will I effectively manage clients expectations?
 What will be my proposal strategy?
 What industry level certifications should I add to my
current skill set?
 Should I develop alliances with other providers?
 How to creatively get the word out about my services?
 What will my pricing and payment terms involve?
 How do I streamline my business processes and
maintain organization?
 As a student, should I enroll in CGPP?
 When should I upgrade my subscription?
Terminology – Service Buyer
a company or individual that purchases consulting, legal, real estate,
education, communications, storage, processing, and many other
services. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
Why are these items important? Let’s briefly take a look at
each item.
As you can see, "Do the Work" involves many processes within
its framework versus just the idea in mind that an individual
needs to get to work and continue working until the work is
completed. Let's take a look at the processes involved.
What are my goals?
With respect to your progression within CertificationPoint.Org
you are working with an end-state in mind. Whether it be to

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earn a specific sum of money, to get your initial start, or to build
on your current skill set there is a mindset, potentially, of
something to be gained. Setting goals and then working
towards those goals shows that there is something of value to
be potentially obtained.
How much time can I dedicate?
Setting goals is great, but knowing how long it will take to reach
your end state will soon be up for discussion due to the fact that
not all of your time can be generally dedicated to a single
particular goal.
Caution
Working with a client - Do research on your client to see if they are
legit...for a new client ask plenty of questions.
What services can I offer?
Within CertificationPoint.Org, there are numerous services you
can offer potential clients. After researching available provider
services on the website that match your core skill set, allow
information collected to blend into how your bid proposals are
submitted, highlighting your key skills as well as how you can
set your profile apart from the rest.
.
What will my profile entail?
The basic parts of a profile will include information such as a
tagline, contact information, photo and/or logo, a portfolio of
past projects, services offered, as well as rates you’ll charge.

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Info Note
Placing funds in escrow will tell the service providers viding on your
project that you are serious about getting the work completed.
How will I resolve potential issues?
At some point, issues are sure to arrive when two individuals or
businesses collaborate. In this case, preparation as well as
your response holds much importance. Remember to be calm
and polite while you maintain the frame of mind that you are
doing business with another individual will assist you greatly in
the long run. Reading through other providers and buyers
feedback will certainly help you gain lessons learned through
other's experiences.
How will I effectively manage client’s expectations?
To effectively manage client's expectations, you want to obtain
all of the requirements in the beginning of the contract and
since you are your client's subject matter expert (SME), use
your experience as well as knowledge gained to provide
assistance. Once the requirements have been agreed
upon...stick to the requirements unless there are questionable
requirements that need a second look.
What will be my proposal strategy?
First research the available projects for those that match your
skill set. Review the initial project requirements and take into
consideration who, what, when, where, why, and how in your

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answer. Although it is difficult to maintain a custom proposal
for each project, it is necessary to do so. A canned bid can be
discerned rather quickly and deemed by a potential client that
you are either in a rush or not very serious about the project.
Terminology – Outsource
the contracting out of an internal business process to a third party
organization. The practice of contracting a business process out to a
third party rather than staffing it internally is common in the modern
economy. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
What industry level certifications should I add to my
current skill set?
Industry level certifications will require research on matching up
your skills to what is available. CertificationPoint.Org offers
free credentialing exams for subscribers in the paid
subscription categories to assist you in finding and developing
a niche.
Should I develop alliances with other providers?
This is a great question, since there are sure to be providers
that you will have to work together with for the purpose of
completing projects. Having alliances can work well at times
when you are swamped with work and the need arises to
outsource to your alliances and vice versa. We will neither
encourage nor discourage the idea of alliances.

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Info Note
Registered users are provided with a resources download area with
tons of downloads to facilitate overall project success. Site visitors
have access to a sample set of these resources.
How to creatively get the word out about my services?
There are many free ways to get the word out about your
services. Initially, you should tell family and friends and then
gravitate outside of those circles. Getting the word out is a
continual process. Remember, you receive free advertising on
CertifiationPoint.Org when you complete a project on the
website. This will allow other providers and service buyers to
see the completed project.
What will my pricing and payment terms involve?
It's best to do research for the going market rate commensurate
with your experience and skill set. You can also take a look at
how other providers are set up, which will also help you get an
idea of what works best and what may not work very well on
this website.
How do I streamline my business processes and maintain
organization?
Depending on your experience this can sometimes be a timely
process. On this journey towards building up your business
client base and skill set you will naturally start learning how to
facilitate particular processes.

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As a college student should I enroll in CGPP?
As a college student, we highly recommend the CGPP program
because you'll have a great mentor-led group experience for 3
projects. Most students also register an individual account to
test the freelance waters as an independent entity as well.
Terminology – Terms of Service
Rules by which one must agree to abide by in order to use a service;
unless in violation of consumer protection laws, such terms are usually
legally binding. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
When should I upgrade my subscription?
Upgrading your subscription depends on your level of comfort
with the website as well as how effective the site is for the
services you’re offering. We can say that you will have more
features and functionality at your disposal when you choose a
fee-based subscription plan.

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