Your readiness checklist takes about 1½ to 2 hours in total, and most people split it across two sittings. Nothing has to be done in one go — every item saves on its own and you can do them in any order. Gathering the things below first is what stops the stop-and-start.
See what you need to finish your operator account for the checklist itself.
Set aside real time for two things
The four assessments are quick — around half an hour for all of them, and you can do them one at a time. The two that need a proper sitting are:
- Your intro video — 20–45 minutes realistically, because you’ll want a couple of takes.
- Your documents — 20–40 minutes, mostly spent finding them.
Documents to have ready
- Government-issued photo ID — passport, national ID, or driver’s licence.
- Proof of address — utility bill, bank statement, or lease, dated within the last 90 days.
- Your legal name exactly as it appears on that ID. You’ll sign the contractor agreement with it, and the signature has to match.
- Your tax number, if you have one. Outside the US you’ll certify a W-8BEN in a guided form at /contractor/tax — there is nothing to download, print, or upload. US persons file a W-9 (SSN or EIN) instead.
You upload these one at a time and the checklist tracks them as “2 of 4” — partial progress is kept, so you can stop and come back for the one you couldn’t find.
For your intro video
A 60–90 second introduction, filmed on a phone if that’s what you have. What works:
- Look at the camera, not at the screen.
- One sentence on who you are, one on what you’ve done, one on what you want to work on next.
- Light in front of you, not behind you.
- A quiet room.
Most clients watch this before anything else, so it’s worth the second take. Full guidance in how to record your intro video.
For the assessments
Nothing to prepare, but two things help:
- Take the internet speed check from the connection you’ll actually work on — not from a café or a phone hotspot. It’s proving your working setup, not your best-case one.
- Answer the personality and attitude assessments honestly. They aren’t pass/fail, and a distorted result mostly costs you matches with clients you’d have enjoyed.
Useful, but not required
None of these hold up your account — they live in Settings and you can add them any time:
- A CV / resume, PDF preferred.
- A short bio in the voice you want clients to read. Easier written before you open the box.
- Your skills list — the specific tools you can use unsupervised (AppFolio, Buildium, HubSpot, QuickBooks, Excel, Notion). Be specific.
- Languages and levels — e.g. “English C1, Spanish native.” Don’t inflate; assessments check.
- Professional references and a recommendation letter.
- Portfolio or work-sample links.
Payouts
Payout setup takes about 5 minutes and is not a completion blocker — you can finish your account first and set it up before your first payday.
What you don’t need
- A US bank account, US business entity, or US address (unless you’re claiming US tax residency).
- A LinkedIn profile.
- A specific certification — Anastasis tests for actual skill, not credentials.