Getting Started with Expert Portal

Overview

What Is the Expert Portal?

The Expert Portal is your dedicated workspace on Helios, a separate, focused environment built specifically for manufacturing professionals. While businesses use Helios to find and hire expertise, the Expert Portal gives you everything you need to present your skills, find work, manage engagements, and get paid, all in one place.

The portal is organized around how experts actually work: build your profile to get discovered, use the Earn Money section to find and respond to opportunities, manage active engagements through contracts, and use the Productivity Tools to support your client work.

Who Is It For?

  • Manufacturing professionals who want to offer their expertise on Helios, whether through pre-packaged services, project-based gigs, or fast-turnaround quick tasks.

Key Features

  • A dedicated navigation structure separate from the business portal
  • Expert Profile (My Profile) - your public-facing professional page
  • Earn Money section - access to Services, Gig Postings, and Quick Tasks from the expert side
  • Experts Listings - the full directory of experts, including your own listing
  • Productivity Tools - Catalogs+, Helios Drive, Bookmarks, and more available to all members
  • Dashboard - an overview of your activity, profile completeness, and available opportunities

Key Terms

  • Expert Portal - The dedicated portal environment for experts on Helios, accessed after logging in with an expert account.
  • Earn Money - The left navigation section containing all expert-side engagement tools: My Services, Gig Postings, and Quick Tasks.
  • My Profile - Your public-facing expert profile page, accessed via Experts → My Profile.
  • My Services - The section where you create and manage your service listings and review incoming requests from businesses.
  • Gig Postings - The section where you browse open gig postings from businesses and track your submitted applications.
  • Quick Tasks - The section where you browse short-turnaround task postings from businesses and track your submitted applications.
  • Experts Listings - The full directory of published expert profiles on Helios. This is where businesses discover and evaluate you.
  • Dashboard - Your home screen after logging in, showing profile completeness, available gigs, active engagements, and platform activity.
  • Profile Completeness - A percentage score showing how much of your Expert Profile has been filled out. A higher score improves your visibility in the Experts directory.

Understanding the Expert Portal Navigation

The left navigation panel is organized into the following sections:

Dashboard Your home screen. Shows profile completeness, a count of available gigs matching your skills, active engagements, and recent activity.

Earn Money

  • My Services - create listings and manage incoming service requests
  • Gig Postings - browse open gigs and track your applications
  • Quick Tasks - browse short tasks and track your applications

Experts

  • My Profile - build and manage your public expert profile
  • Listings - browse the full expert directory

Productivity

  • Catalogs+ - access to 800+ industrial product catalogs
  • Equipments - view equipment linked to active engagements
  • Activities - task and project tracking board
  • Helios Drive - secure file storage
  • Bookmarks - saved catalog page references
  • Global Search - search across the entire platform

Settings

  • Workspace Settings, payment setup, account preferences

How to Access the Expert Portal

  1. Go to helios.supplies and log in with your expert account credentials.
  2. After logging in, you will land on your Dashboard - the Expert Portal home screen.
  3. Use the left navigation panel to move between sections.
  4. If you see a business-facing view instead of the expert portal, check that you are logged into the correct account.

How to Get Started as an Expert

  1. Complete your Expert Profile - go to Experts → My Profile and fill in all sections: headline, summary, experience, industries, skills, certifications, work samples, and work preferences.
  2. Click Verify Profile to submit your profile for verification and add a trust badge to your listing.
  3. Click Publish to make your profile visible in the Experts directory.
  4. Create your first Service listing - go to Earn Money → My Services → Listings and click + Create Service.
  5. Browse open Gig Postings. Go to Earn Money → Gig Postings → Listing to find projects matching your expertise.
  6. Browse open Quick Tasks. Go to Earn Money → Quick Tasks to find fast-turnaround opportunities.

The Three Ways to Earn

Services - Create a packaged offering that businesses can browse and request directly. Define the scope, process, deliverables, and pricing once. Businesses request it; you respond with a proposal and get to work.

Gig Postings - Browse custom projects posted by businesses. Apply with a targeted proposal. If selected, move through offer → contract → deliver → get paid.

Quick Tasks - Browse short, focused requests posted by businesses. Apply fast, deliver quickly, build credibility. Great for staying active between larger engagements.

Related guide: Three Ways to Earn on Helios →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Expert Portal separate from the business portal?+
Yes. The Expert Portal has its own dedicated navigation and tools designed for experts. While some features like Catalogs+, Helios Drive, and Bookmarks are available to both experts and businesses, the Earn Money section, My Profile, and Experts Listings are specific to the expert experience.
Do I need to complete my profile before I can earn on Helios?+
You do not need a 100% complete profile to start, but a published profile is essential. Businesses review your profile before hiring you for services, gigs, and quick tasks. A more complete profile with filled-in skills, industries, and work samples significantly increases your chances of being selected.
Can I use both the expert and business portals with one account?+
Currently, expert and business accounts are separate. If you need to operate as both an expert and a business on Helios, you will need separate accounts for each. Contact the Helios team through the Get Help panel for guidance on managing dual accounts.
How do businesses find me on Helios?+
Businesses discover experts through the Experts directory (Experts → Listings), where they can search and filter by skills, industries, certifications, work mode, and rate range. They also find experts through service listings in the Services marketplace and through gig applications. A published, complete profile with accurate skills and industries is the most important factor in being discovered.
How does payment work for experts?+
All payments on Helios are processed through Stripe. You must connect a Stripe account before you can receive payments. Go to Settings → Setup Payments to complete the connection. Once a contract is completed and the business finalizes the engagement, payment is processed and transferred to your connected account — typically within 1–3 business days depending on your bank.
What is the Dashboard available gigs count?+
The Available Gigs count on your Dashboard shows the number of open gig postings that match the skills listed in your Expert Profile. The more complete and specific your skills matrix, the more accurately this number reflects relevant opportunities for you.
Can I use the Productivity Tools as an expert?+
Yes. Catalogs+, Helios Drive, Bookmarks, Activities, and Global Search are available to all Helios members, including experts. Use them to reference product specs, store engagement files, and organize your client work alongside your active projects.


Troubleshooting

I logged in but I see a business portal instead of the expert portal.+
You may be logged into a business account. Log out and log back in with your expert account credentials. If you only have one account and are unsure of the account type, contact the Helios team through the Get Help panel.
The Earn Money section is not visible in my navigation.+
Earn Money is an expert-only section. If it is not visible, you may be logged into a business account, or your account may not have been fully set up as an expert account. Contact the Helios team through the Get Help panel to confirm your account type.
My Dashboard is not showing any available gigs.+
The Available Gigs count is based on your published skills. If your Skills & Competence section in My Profile is empty or unpublished, no gig matches can be calculated. Fill in your skills matrix and publish your profile, then check the Dashboard count again.
I cannot set up payments in Settings.+
Go to Settings → Setup Payments and follow the prompts to connect your Stripe account. If the Setup Payments option is not visible or the Stripe connection is failing, try a different browser or contact the Helios team through the Get Help panel for assistance.
My profile completeness percentage is not updating.+
Each section of your profile contributes to the score. Focus on the required fields first: Headline, Summary & My Story, Professional Experience, Skills & Competence, and Work Preferences. After saving each section, refresh the Dashboard to see the updated score.
The portal navigation is not loading correctly.+
Try refreshing the page. If the navigation remains broken, clear your browser cache (Cmd+Shift+R on Mac, Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows) or try a different browser. If the issue persists, report it through the lightbulb icon → Ideas & Platform Feedback, or use the Get Help button to contact the Helios team.


Tips for Getting the Most Out of the Expert Portal

  • Publish your profile before anything else. An unpublished profile is completely invisible to businesses. Nothing else you do on the platform matters until this is done.
  • Set up Stripe payments early. You cannot receive payment for any completed engagement until your Stripe account is connected. Go to Settings → Setup Payments before you start taking on work.
  • Use all three earning methods at once. Your Service listings work passively while you actively apply to Gigs and Quick Tasks. There is no reason to limit yourself to one method.
  • Check your Dashboard regularly. The Available Gigs count updates as new postings match your skills. It's the fastest way to see relevant new opportunities without browsing the full board.
  • Treat your profile as a living document. After each engagement, update your Work I've Done section, add any new certifications, and refine your skills. A recently updated profile signals an active, engaged expert.


Create Your Expert Profile →

Three Ways to Earn on Helios →

Offer Expert Services →

Apply for Gigs and Projects →

Take on Quick Tasks →

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