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Elance - A Freelance Worker's Dream A number of online companies are now serving as a mediator between a client and service provider. For instance, Guru.com and Elance.com have become big business over the years, bringing people together - those needing work done and those wanting to do the work. Elance takes the position of creating a common ground on which buyers and providers can meet and conduct business. The options for making good money online with Elance are truly amazing. For instance, you will discover a number of categories to include writing, web design, research, administrative support, marketing, legal, and more. This website forum is a virtual marketplace open to people from around the globe. Therefore, you might find a businessperson in New Zealand needing multiple articles to help build an online business. However, with start-up budget low, this person reaches out to writers on Elance, hiring them to write. The concept of Guru.com and Elance.com is actually very simple. Service providers, those who offer their services online, are required to pay a monthly fee. This fee is broken down by the category or categories in which they want to work. In addition, a small fee is taken from the project fee, which is how Elance makes money. For instance, if you were a graphic designer, you might pay $75 a month to be a member of Elance. However, this fee would allow you to bid on 40, 50, 60, or more jobs, depending on how busy you want to stay. If you bid on a job to create graphics with the final cost being $1,000, Elance would take a percentage of that price, still leaving you with a nice profit. Once the project was complete, the buyer would then make final payment and leave feedback. As your feedback increases, more and more potential clients will lean toward choosing your bid. We do recommend that you require a 50% deposit on all jobs. While some buyers may bulk at this suggestion, most understand this is a fair business proposition. For bidding you are telling potential clients why they should hire you for a job over another provider. If you were bidding on a writing job, you would provide a proposal to the buyer, telling him or her about your experience and the specific job you would do. This information is then reviewed by the buyer, along with other bids from other service providers. If the buyer were confident that you are the best match, the project would be awarded to you. Elance also provides a private message board so that providers and buyers can communicate. With this, information specific to the project can be discussed so the scope is fully understood. You also want to create a profile in Elance, which is free. Within the profile, you have the opportunity to shine, telling interested buyers about your education, experience, and even having a place where you can provide samples of your work. The truth is that with sites such as Guru.com and Elance.com, if you get serious about bidding, there is good money to be made. |