Need work? Check Elance
EmailEvery report indicates hiring is down across the country, so I was intrigued to receive an email from Elance.com saying hiring on the site is up–way up. Fabio Rosati, CEO of Elance, an online marketplace that connects businesses of all sizes with freelance talent, explains what’s behind the trend.
Q) Unemployment continues to rise, but you say hiring on Elance is up. Why?
Rosati: Hiring on Elance is up primarily because more companies are hiring and managing independent professionals and teams to do contract work. And they are doing it online, which is quicker, more cost effective and flexible than traditional hiring or staffing. At the same time, more talent than ever is doing work this way.
Q) Who’s hiring and what specifically are they looking for?
Rosati: The majority of the hiring today is done by IT and Marketing departments. Their work tends to be project-based and require skills that businesses do not have in-house. Some technologies are wildly popular and IT managers are constantly looking for people that have high test scores and good ratings on our site: for example, if you know PHP, Search Engine Optimization, Joomla! or WordPress your market is hot. Similarly, many Marketing managers are hiring designers, writers, and market researchers, and people with administrative skills such as data entry and email management.
Q) What’s the best way for someone who has never used Elance to get started?
Rosati: The most successful people on Elance think of themselves as businesses and treat their Elance profile as their storefront. Especially in the beginning, it’s very important to position yourself as a specialist: focus on what you are really good at and enjoy doing, and resist the temptation to list all the other things you can do. When evaluating the various jobs posted on Elance, think about and speak to the “client” behind each job post. Consider yourself in “start-up” mode for the first few months: you are building your own professional services business.
Click to read the full report on the hiring trends at Elance or visit the site at Elance.com. If you've used Elance, share your experience here.
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There is also a crowdsourcing website for graphic designers at ContestDesigns.com (http://bit.ly/1NI4wz)
Posted by: grant tailor | November 4, 2009, 5:58 am 5:58 am
I use Elance often. It is one of the best online marketplaces I have ever worked with.
Posted by: Pothi | November 4, 2009, 7:52 am 7:52 am
As a long-term advertiser on Elance.com (nearly a decade), I must say that this piece is extremely misleading. While the number of project posts may be up on Elance, the value of each has dropped about 90 percent over the past two years due to the recession.
A quick scan of hourly project budgets on Elance.com will reveal a plethora of opportunities paying $5 to $10 per hour. One can work at McDonalds and earn more, while enjoying the perks of employment including healthcare, vacation and sick leave, a regular and dependable paycheck, unemployment compensation should the job disappear, protection from law suits, etc.
One cannot hang a shingle and expect to earn a quick hundred or more on Elance. The site, like the Yellow Pages, is a professional venue where businesses advertise their services to other businesses. Cost and risk mentioned above, along with self-employment taxes, computer equipment and software, professional liability insurance, advertising, write-off for bad debt, legal expenses, etc., all required to run a business, make current projects on the site relevant only to offshore workers.
Marketing Directors and larger companies can still find high-quality full-time U.S. based professional consultants on Elance. But they should expect to pay standard consulting rates for such services. When businesses outsource, they pay up to six times the hourly rate they would for an employee doing the same. So the site is ideal for one-time, back-up or ramp-up support. Permanent or long-term positions are more cost-effective when conducted by a benefited temp, part-time or full-time employee.
That said, an unemployed individual cannot and should not expect to jump on Elance and win a project here or there when they need extra cash. Starting a business requires heavy up-front capital and a lot of dedication as you build your reputation and client base. I took a massive loss during my first two years as a consultant advertising on Elance.com. I worked 60 to 80 hours per week and supported myself and my daughter with funds withdrawn from retirement accounts, savings accounts, investments and credit cards. I also did not have healthcare for the first four years of self-employment.
If you’re willing to work hard and take that risk, believing in your dream enough to put substantial money behind it, then Elance is the right venue for you. If not, you’re best focusing your time and energy networking and landing that full-time job.
Posted by: anonymous | November 15, 2009, 7:56 am 7:56 am
Elance is by far among the best of Online jobs providing work online, it was one of the first websites i came across during research on legit work at home , there are others like and everyday people are using these websites to earn a steady income.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Paid-to-Write-
Posted by: Brandon Fowler | December 9, 2009, 4:06 pm 4:06 pm
I don’t understand what “Pothi” meant by
” … requires heavy up-front capital … I took a massive loss during my first two years as a consultant advertising on Elance.com. ”
If a person already owns a computer, has an internet connection, and posseses the skills for the jobs that he is bidding for … when did Pothi have a chance (let alone a ‘need’) to invest serious capital into his Elance work?
Does Elance charge free-lancers a large fee for advertising (as a prospective free-lance employee)?
Posted by: James Apperson | January 16, 2010, 2:29 pm 2:29 pm
I think this is a very informative piece and I truly believe that Elance is the wave of the future and a wonderful opportunity for buyers and providers. To date, I have completed over 700 projects on Elance and have been a provider for over 10 years.
During this timeframe, I have had mostly positive experiences on Elance and would highly recommend Elance to anyone just starting out or for seasoned providers looking for new opportunities as well.
The thing about Elance is that it does require that the provider have a specific and marketable skills and that they be willing to put forth some effort. The starting costs are low but the rewards are high. In fact, for those individuals wanting to try out the service, Elance allows a free membership where individuals can bid on 3 projects as a test.
That said, one can succeed on Elance if they follow these rules:
1. Bid often and don’t used canned responses.
2. Scrutinize buyers and only bid on projects that you can master. After all, your reputation is at risk and you certainly don’t want to take on more than you can chew.
3. Don’t lowball but bid competitively.
4. Always require 1/2 upfront and the balance upon project completion.
5. Do your best – better than your best and don’t be afraid to ask for more work from satisfied clients.
5. Stick with it and don’t give up.
By doing this, one can definitely succeed at Elance.com.
Posted by: Kristi Patrice Carter | January 28, 2010, 6:17 pm 6:17 pm
Grant – You’re either new, cheap, located in India or all of the above.
Posted by: Mary | February 15, 2010, 9:27 am 9:27 am
It looks like Elance’s paid “Ambassador’s” have finally responded.
http://tinyurl.com/yerr88g
Posted by: Sarah | February 15, 2010, 9:31 am 9:31 am
Hello Mary-
Thanks for pointing out that I am indeed working as Elance’s Ambassador. Actually my position is no secret and I am very proud of this accomplishment. Why Elance? Because Elance is a great online marketplace and with hard work, perserverance and much talent, I have successfully won over 800+ projects to date and have made over $313,000 over the past 10 years. Why you wonder?
Not only am I good at what I do but I also know how to market myself and have proven with my stellar reputation that writers can make a decent income on Elance if they market themselves effectively. I welcome anyone to contact me if they want advice on just how to do that. In fact, I’ve also started a blog about my experiences as well.
Kristi
Posted by: Kristi Patrice Carter | February 21, 2010, 9:08 pm 9:08 pm
Sorry – I meant Sarah not Mary and I do welcome anyone to contact me if they want proven advice on how to make Elance work for them. : )
Posted by: Kristi Patrice Carter | February 21, 2010, 9:09 pm 9:09 pm
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Posted by: Clinical Nutritionist | August 9, 2010, 4:06 pm 4:06 pm