Stage 6 · Lesson 1 of 9
A clear kickoff
Start every project with a : a short message or call that confirms the plan in writing. Confirm the scope, and dates. Confirm what the will provide and by when, how and when you will talk, and who approves the work.
On a platform, do this in its messages so it is on record. For direct clients, send a short kickoff summary after the first call. Ask for access safely: have the client invite you through their own tools instead of sending you their passwords.
A ten-minute kickoff catches most misunderstandings before they turn into and bad reviews.
Common trapstarting straight away to look keen, then discovering halfway through that the client expected something different or cannot provide the content you needed.
A question to check yourself, an AI practice session and 1 cheat sheet entry come when you add the roadmap to your account. Add it
Resources for this stage
Start with
- GuideFreeUpwork Help Center for freelancers
Upwork
Read the payment protection and milestones articles before your first delivery