How this works for creators: Bid on requests
This is a place where everyone can make requests to get (almost) anything made. Creators then bid on the opportunity to design and/or make the item.
It's your opportunity to collaborate with a buyer and win the job to design and/or make items for people.
This guide will walk through the creator’s side of a request.
Step 1: Bidding on requests
It's free and easy to bid on requests. To begin, qualified creators can view buyer requests and submit bids to design and/or make the custom item.
If you're not currently a qualified creator and you’d like to design and/or make custom items for people, you gain access to requests by opening your own personal online factory.
Let's go over each bit of the bidding form in detail:
Describe exactly what you will do:
How will you ship the item? Describe in detail what you will design and/or make, based on the buyer's request and your own skills and capabilities. This is the text you will use to describe exactly what you are selling and what the buyer is buying if your bid is accepted and turned into a binding agreement, so be sure to include all the relevant details (like its purpose, materials, colors, size/measurements and any other important info. You can also include web links to relevant images, sketches or videos).
How much will it cost to design and/or make (per unit)?
Provide your price for creating each individual item. Your offer may be different than the buyer's ‘ideal price’ in the request if you think it will cost more or less to design and/or make the item. All transactions are in United States Dollars (US$).
Estimated shipping cost:
This is what you anticipate it will cost to ship the item, based on the buyer's location and the description of the item.
When can you finish the item?
Your delivery deadline may be different than the buyer's deadline if you think it will take more or less time to create the item. Be honest, but keep in mind that the buyer might need the item for an event or by a certain date for a gift.
Terms of payment:
Let the buyer know how you will accept payment. You should also note if you require full payment up front, after the item is complete, or in installments.
How will you ship the item?
Explain your shipping method and packaging here.
When you’re done have a look over your bid before you submit it to make sure all the information is correct. Once you have submitted it you will not be able to make changes unless a buyer replies to you.
Now click on the ‘Submit’ button to send your bid to the buyer. Note that your bid will be emailed to the buyer directly, so your bid will only be seen by the buyer.
Also note that multiple creators can bid on the same request. The buyer can accept, decline or request changes to your bid. They'll email you if changes are desired, and you two can work out the details together. Be sure you edit your bid to accurately reflect those changes before the buyer accepts it.
Step 2: Confirm your bid
Congratulations, the buyer has accepted your bid by replying to your email with a final decision to run with you! Excellent news.
Sometimes things change in the time between when you submitted a bid and the buyer accepting it. For this reason, once a bid is accepted by the buyer, you must confirm that you are still available to design and/or make the item. Once you confirm that you'll design and/or make the item by reply email, the request/bid becomes a binding agreement and both you and the buyer agree to follow through with the transaction.
Step 3: Accept payment
Once you have confirmed your bid on email, you need to collect payment from the buyer in a mutually agreed way. You should then receive payment from the buyer according to the terms of the bid outlined in the email. You might agree to accept upfront payment or part payment now and final payment upon completion.
Step 4: Design and/or make the item
Now that the transaction has been completed, it’s time to start working on the item. When you’ve completed the request, just collect any final payment that may be due from Step 3 above, then deliver to your excited buyer.
If you deliver a finished product, then the job is complete. But if the buyer wanted you to deliver a product design, so they can use their own personal online factory to click to make for the product parts to be delivered direct from Ponoko, then you might like to give them some advice on how to do this.