1. Overview
2. Personal Profile Set-up
3. My Page
4. RFP Response
5. RFP Creation

Use built-in tools like the publisher to share your files (even audio and video), the calendar to share information about upcoming events, and online BLOG forums to share experiences and opportunities.

Your "Personal Profile" is available to other users who click on your name after performing a "People" search. They will find your contact information and your Feedback rating if you have one.

To customize your Personal Profile, first log in to the site using your username and password. (If you are already on the site and have not logged in, scroll to the bottom of any page and click "logout"...then enter using your username and password.) Then follow this path:

"Tools" (from the main menu) then click on "Personal Profile"

On this form you can make changes to you or your company's status. In addition, you can upload a photograph of yourself or your company. Instructions for these operations appear on the form.

Once you "update" your information, you will see the resulting public display. You may add information about yourself or your company by clicking "comment". Make sure your comments are available to everyone so all can see your additional information. These instructions can be found on the form. You can "edit" your comments at any time.

Your "My Page" will be available to other users as a way for you to post your capabilities. The pages are searchable by looking up "vendors" and then clicking on a company name.

Let's work on setting up your page. First, find the "edit" button that is closest to the top of the page...very near the word "Search". Click this button.

Next you will see the layout form. Keep the title of the page the same as your company name.

Note the layout options. Select a layout that suits your content and click it. You will see "Section" boxes that correspond to your layout columns below.

To add content to a column in your layout, select the corresponding Section box and click "Add".

You are now working within just one Section, and you will be asked to give this new content a name, and an appearance, you can play with these until you find the look you want, but right now, let's add some content, so click "Add" once again.

This page shows all the types of content you can put on your page. The most common is a Story, so let's select the "Story" option.

Here you may give your story a headline or do so within the text editor below. The same with pictures, you can upload a picture to be displayed above your text by using the upload feature above the text editor...or you can upload pictures within your text by doing so inside the text editor.

The text editor should feel like most other word processing applications. You have the features you need to enter new text or paste from an existing copy, insert pictures, special characters and a spell checker.

When you have entered your copy, scroll down below the text box and click "Update".

Now you see a preview of what your new content will look like on your "My Page". If you need to edit the content, highlight it in the section box and click "Edit". If you wan to remove it, click "Remove" and if you have several articles or other content, you can move their display order up or down.

Decide if you want the section title to be displayed or not and scroll down to click "Update".

Now you should see your content in the section box of the column you selected. Scroll down below the Section box and click "Update" once again. You should now see your new content published on your "My Page".

Repeat this process as often as you like. Try to keep your page uncluttered and easy to read so others can find the information they need quickly. Some examples can be found on the "Services" page from the main menu.

Always edit your content by starting from the uppermost edit button. The edit buttons nearer the content are not always reliable.

Other types of content include:

• Calendar
  Share information on upcoming events.

• Files
  Organize your published files into categories for quick access.  Files may be viewed or downloaded.

• Links
  Link to web sites, published files, people or discussions.  Organize your links into categories you define.

• Polls
  Find people's opinions on a variety of questions that you design.
  

Take time to read any files that might be attached to the RFP, these will be found on the same page and should be read prior answering the RFP.

Your answers should be as complete as possible. Most questions will be "Yes/No" or "multiple choice" in nature. The text answers can be long or short depending upon the space allowed by the creator. Watch your spelling, there is no spell checker here and spelling is important for your image.

When you have answered all the questions, there is a space for your comments. This is an opportunity to say something about your firm that may not have been asked, or perhaps a list of references ...whatever you like, but this text will be viewed by the rfp issuer.

You may edit your response prior to submitting, but once submitted it is gone and you cannot re-submit. After submitting, be sure to go to "Tools" and click on "My Responses" to see your submission and how your score compares to the current top three scores.

Keep track of your progress against other bidders by checking "My Responses" often. You will learn from this exercise how to respond and who you might potentially contact to partner with.

• Finding Your Way Back With the Links Trail

  Near the top of the page, just under the tabs, is a trail of links that shows you where you've been.  Click on any previous page in the trail to instantly return.

• The Site Map

  Can't find a particular page?  In the upper right of every page, is a link to the site map, an organized list of all of the pages on the system.