How to create a quote?
Are you going to create your first quote in Malt? Need help completing all the steps and making sure you don't miss anything?
We leave you below all the necessary information to create a perfect budget:
Before you jump headlong into writing an estimate, make sure you fully understand their needs. Sometimes the briefs are not detailed enough... Take the time you consider necessary to clarify all the terms of the assignment with the client.
Here is a list of questions you could ask.
About the project and its context:
What key skills are expected?
When exactly will the task start?
How long will the task take?
Where will the project take place?
Can I work remotely? If so, how many days a week?
Will we have to travel?
Will the project be extended or finished on schedule?
About the team:
Who will be my direct contact in the company
Will I work alone on the project or in a team?
What type of profile does this team have?
Are there other freelancers?
... Any other point that comes to mind?
Of course, this list is not complete. Their goal is to help you understand the customer's requirements as well as possible.
So, are you ready for a well-supervised assignment?
Where can I see my quotes?
To see all your quotes, just go to the " manage my projects " section.
You will be able to see your drafts, your budgets pending acceptance, your ongoing and completed projects, as well as canceled projects/budgets.
You also have the possibility to download the budget.
To do this, you just have to click on the " View documents to download " link in the "In progress" tab of each ongoing project. You can download the estimate (pending acceptance by the customer) or the order summary (budget accepted by the customer).
Can I modify or cancel a quote?
It is totally possible to modify your short or recurring project while the client has not accepted or didn't end it , and also to cancel it.
To do this, you only have to go to "manage my projects", then to proposals and you will be able to see the project pending acceptance.
You will then be able to choose between modifying the budget information or canceling it.
Your client will receive a notification of the modification or cancellation of the budget in their Malt messaging service, as well as by email.
To modify a short project once accepted, it is different. We explain the steps to follow below.
If you modify your short project upwards :
The client must complete payment of the difference provided for in the new quote. Payment can be made directly from the project link, by credit card or bank transfer.
If you modify your short project downwards :
The client will be refund for the delta at the end of the project on his client wallet, and you will receive the new project amount within 2 working days.
How do invoices long-term projects?
When creating a quote on Malt, you have the option to propose a one-off project or a recurring project.
Recurring projects are a great option for client engagements that extend over several weeks or months, often requiring freelancers to fulfill specific ongoing tasks over the full duration of the project.
If you choose to go this route, you will need to complete a monthly activity report before the end of the month for the days or hours you worked on that project before marking the month's work complete and sending it to your client for approval.
Once approved by your client, the invoice for that month (based on the actual days or hours you worked) will be processed for payment, and you will be able to start accruing time for the following month for that recurring project.
On the other hand, sometimes there are long-term projects that don't necessarily involve ongoing or repetitive tasks but, instead, can be broken up into key milestones with different deliverables.
In this case, you might find it easier to send separate one-off project quotes for each phase of the project—instead of creating a single quote for the project in full—in order to ensure that you get paid in a timely manner at the end of each of the project's phases.
Whether you go the recurring project or multiple one-off project route for your long-term projects with clients, there's always an easy way to manage them on Malt and ensure you get paid without any delays.
You'll need to write up each quotes, including an indicator for each stage in the title.
job title + down payment
job title + part 1, part 2, etc.
job title + January, February, etc.