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Use Elance to cut your workload
Elance matches freelancers that need work, with individuals that need a project to be completed. Sign up for free on Elance and ‘buyers’ can post a project ranging from virtual assistance to engineering design. The buyer writes a detailed description of their project and ‘suppliers’ bid on it. The buyer selects a freelancer based on their portfolio, feedback, reputation and communication and their price. Due to global exchange rates you can often have your work completed for a great price and if you aren’t satisfied with the freelancer’s work, you don’t have to pay.
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Use Elance to cut your workload
The wonder of personal outsourcing
Elance in a nutshell:
1. You post your project and its budget.
2. Freelancers bid on your project.
3. You choose a supplier.
4. The work is completed and the supplier is paid.
What exactly is Elance?
Elance matches freelancers that need work, with individuals that need a project to be
completed. Sign up for free on Elance and 'buyers' can post a project ranging from virtual
assistance to engineering design. The buyer writes a detailed description of their project and
'suppliers' bid on it. The buyer selects a freelancer based on their portfolio, feedback,
reputation and communication and their price. Due to global exchange rates you can often
have your work completed for a great price and if you aren't satisfied with the freelancer's
work, you don't have to pay.
Why use Elance?
1. Save time and money - Take advantage of your region's economy to pay for labor at a
fraction of normal costs. Elance helps your business to grow without adding overhead or
the expense, time and management issues associated with hiring staff. Elance lets you
hire as needed with no long-term commitments. Delegating your tasks allows you to
focus on growing your business as oppose to micro-managing it.
2. Trustworthy, secure and stable - Elance is stable and well established having led online
outsourcing for the past 7 years, with over 800,000 registered users and over $100
million in transactions. There are hundreds of new users and project postings every day
and Elance's feedback system encourages buyers and suppliers to offer their best.
Elance offers a private message board that makes it easy to track progress and resolve
disputes.
3. Access to experts - Elance grants access to thousands of professionals who specialize in
all sorts of disciplines, from virtual assistance to complex programming languages. You
can decide who to hire based on their communication, portfolio, earnings, feedback,
repeat customers and their offer.
How to use Elance
From the Elance homepage, you are invited to "Post a project". This short guide will take you
through the dos and don'ts of posting your first project.Title
Just like an auction listing, take a while thinking about your title and ensure it draws attention.
Capture the theme of the project and entice suppliers to click on it e.g. Simple Spanish to
English Translation.
By using the word "Simple" you are making the project more enticing to browsing suppliers.
The more enticing the title, the more people will view your project, the more offers you will get
and the more competitive the offers will be. Do not use vocabulary that might exclude suppliers
and avoid abbreviation, lengthy titles and complexities. Elance gives you an opportunity to
disclose detailed project requirements and deadlines and your goal at this stage is simply to
attract viewers.
Description
Choose your category, and then subcategory and Elance will offer you a link to view a specimen
description. By sticking to the example description it is hard to go wrong but you can obtain
better results with a few additions.
· Personalize your introduction, explaining the type of person you are looking for and
their potential gains from working with you. If you suggest long term involvement with a
provider they will often lower their price.
· Emphasize the critical aspects of the project detailing your expectations and what the
supplier will provide in terms of file formats.
· Attach an example of the quality of work you are looking for.
· Offer a breakdown of your budget in your project description highlighting what the
supplier will be paid for.
Files
Create a PDF (use OpenOffice Writer) of the project description and upload it; making it easy
for you and the supplier to refer to the original description.
Work Type
If you are hiring a virtual assistant you might want to offer a per-hour rate, but if the project is a
one-off then offer a fixed fee.
Approximate Budget
Be realistic, you will not get a complete Web 2.0 solution built for $100 but at the same time
don't be afraid to offer small projects for under $500
Who Can Bid
Since this is likely to be your first project and you won't have any relationships with suppliers,
choose "All Elance providers".(Un)Sealed Bidding
Keeping your bids unsealed will make your offers more competitive and ensure you get the best
price. You might have to use sealed bidding on large or high-level company projects.
Work Location
The location of a supplier is unlikely to affect the quality of their work (make sure their English
is of a satisfactory level before committing to a project). Select "Anywhere" to take advantage
of low-cost suppliers.
Use Escrow
You pay Elance and release the funds to the supplier once work has been completed. Secure
and free, why not use it?
Choosing big or small suppliers
The greatest value suppliers (although higher-risk) are the individuals and first-time bidders
looking to make money and establish their reputation. Large companies who bid on your
project often have huge earnings because they are designed to churn out solutions as rapidly as
possible. You might notice that their proposal seems a little generic and don't expect their
communications to change. They are likely to deliver a quality package, but you are unlikely to
establish a relationship with them. Typically, you won't be in direct contact with the actual
people working on your project (rather a project manager).
You put yourself in a much better position if you are in direct contact with the supplier. An
individual that really wants the business will likely go that extra mile, free-of-charge and allow
you to create a truly bespoke solution. Choose the provider who has set themselves apart and
demonstrated the level of quality and professionalism you are looking for.
Maximizing your results
Provide the supplier with as much detail as possible before they go to work and with ample
feedback when they send you samples for review. Have a clear idea of what you want before
your write your project description. Constantly changing your mind or being vague will confuse
the supplier and likely end with you not getting what you are looking for.
You are paying the supplier to work for your; take the dominant role. Be polite and
understanding, but get to the point in your communications. Ask for a little more than you
expect (politely) and you are likely to get it. Don't settle for anything less than perfect and
remember that you are paying the supplier to complete the project to a satisfactory level.
When you are satisfied with the completed project, pay promptly and immediately leave a
paragraph of positive feedback for them. Once this is done, highlight your good work and
strengthen your relationship with the supplier. The supplier's personal email address is
available on their page; go get it if you don't already have it. Contacting your supplier every
once in a while or inviting them to bid on new projects will keep your relationship healthy
building long-term dedication and making the experience a pleasure for everyone.
The wonder of personal outsourcing
Elance in a nutshell:
1. You post your project and its budget.
2. Freelancers bid on your project.
3. You choose a supplier.
4. The work is completed and the supplier is paid.
What exactly is Elance?
Elance matches freelancers that need work, with individuals that need a project to be
completed. Sign up for free on Elance and 'buyers' can post a project ranging from virtual
assistance to engineering design. The buyer writes a detailed description of their project and
'suppliers' bid on it. The buyer selects a freelancer based on their portfolio, feedback,
reputation and communication and their price. Due to global exchange rates you can often
have your work completed for a great price and if you aren't satisfied with the freelancer's
work, you don't have to pay.
Why use Elance?
1. Save time and money - Take advantage of your region's economy to pay for labor at a
fraction of normal costs. Elance helps your business to grow without adding overhead or
the expense, time and management issues associated with hiring staff. Elance lets you
hire as needed with no long-term commitments. Delegating your tasks allows you to
focus on growing your business as oppose to micro-managing it.
2. Trustworthy, secure and stable - Elance is stable and well established having led online
outsourcing for the past 7 years, with over 800,000 registered users and over $100
million in transactions. There are hundreds of new users and project postings every day
and Elance's feedback system encourages buyers and suppliers to offer their best.
Elance offers a private message board that makes it easy to track progress and resolve
disputes.
3. Access to experts - Elance grants access to thousands of professionals who specialize in
all sorts of disciplines, from virtual assistance to complex programming languages. You
can decide who to hire based on their communication, portfolio, earnings, feedback,
repeat customers and their offer.
How to use Elance
From the Elance homepage, you are invited to "Post a project". This short guide will take you
through the dos and don'ts of posting your first project.Title
Just like an auction listing, take a while thinking about your title and ensure it draws attention.
Capture the theme of the project and entice suppliers to click on it e.g. Simple Spanish to
English Translation.
By using the word "Simple" you are making the project more enticing to browsing suppliers.
The more enticing the title, the more people will view your project, the more offers you will get
and the more competitive the offers will be. Do not use vocabulary that might exclude suppliers
and avoid abbreviation, lengthy titles and complexities. Elance gives you an opportunity to
disclose detailed project requirements and deadlines and your goal at this stage is simply to
attract viewers.
Description
Choose your category, and then subcategory and Elance will offer you a link to view a specimen
description. By sticking to the example description it is hard to go wrong but you can obtain
better results with a few additions.
· Personalize your introduction, explaining the type of person you are looking for and
their potential gains from working with you. If you suggest long term involvement with a
provider they will often lower their price.
· Emphasize the critical aspects of the project detailing your expectations and what the
supplier will provide in terms of file formats.
· Attach an example of the quality of work you are looking for.
· Offer a breakdown of your budget in your project description highlighting what the
supplier will be paid for.
Files
Create a PDF (use OpenOffice Writer) of the project description and upload it; making it easy
for you and the supplier to refer to the original description.
Work Type
If you are hiring a virtual assistant you might want to offer a per-hour rate, but if the project is a
one-off then offer a fixed fee.
Approximate Budget
Be realistic, you will not get a complete Web 2.0 solution built for $100 but at the same time
don't be afraid to offer small projects for under $500
Who Can Bid
Since this is likely to be your first project and you won't have any relationships with suppliers,
choose "All Elance providers".(Un)Sealed Bidding
Keeping your bids unsealed will make your offers more competitive and ensure you get the best
price. You might have to use sealed bidding on large or high-level company projects.
Work Location
The location of a supplier is unlikely to affect the quality of their work (make sure their English
is of a satisfactory level before committing to a project). Select "Anywhere" to take advantage
of low-cost suppliers.
Use Escrow
You pay Elance and release the funds to the supplier once work has been completed. Secure
and free, why not use it?
Choosing big or small suppliers
The greatest value suppliers (although higher-risk) are the individuals and first-time bidders
looking to make money and establish their reputation. Large companies who bid on your
project often have huge earnings because they are designed to churn out solutions as rapidly as
possible. You might notice that their proposal seems a little generic and don't expect their
communications to change. They are likely to deliver a quality package, but you are unlikely to
establish a relationship with them. Typically, you won't be in direct contact with the actual
people working on your project (rather a project manager).
You put yourself in a much better position if you are in direct contact with the supplier. An
individual that really wants the business will likely go that extra mile, free-of-charge and allow
you to create a truly bespoke solution. Choose the provider who has set themselves apart and
demonstrated the level of quality and professionalism you are looking for.
Maximizing your results
Provide the supplier with as much detail as possible before they go to work and with ample
feedback when they send you samples for review. Have a clear idea of what you want before
your write your project description. Constantly changing your mind or being vague will confuse
the supplier and likely end with you not getting what you are looking for.
You are paying the supplier to work for your; take the dominant role. Be polite and
understanding, but get to the point in your communications. Ask for a little more than you
expect (politely) and you are likely to get it. Don't settle for anything less than perfect and
remember that you are paying the supplier to complete the project to a satisfactory level.
When you are satisfied with the completed project, pay promptly and immediately leave a
paragraph of positive feedback for them. Once this is done, highlight your good work and
strengthen your relationship with the supplier. The supplier's personal email address is
available on their page; go get it if you don't already have it. Contacting your supplier every
once in a while or inviting them to bid on new projects will keep your relationship healthy
building long-term dedication and making the experience a pleasure for everyone.
