Elance is a concept inspired by Harvard Business Review article “ The Dawn of the E-lance Economy” in 1998. It came into existence from 1999. It is based in California, United States. Latest estimates say over half a million freelancers work here.
What is Elance?
Elance is the preferred marketplace of Companies and Freelancers. Companies come here to find specialists to work for them without any permanent association. Freelancers join Elance to offer their services to the wide range of companies. The relationship has no strings attached. Companies are not required to pay perks and increments. Workers are not required to report sharp at 10AM.
One of the most important feature of Elance is that it is free to join. You can apply up to 10 jobs for free. There are membership plans for contractors who want to apply more jobs. Elance pays via Credit card, Bank Transfer, Paypal or Moneybooker account.
Join and showcase yourself by creating a stellar profile. Try to stand alone by showing your credentials to the buyers. Offer to work for a competitive fee. Always quote less to build your feedback. Complete the job adhering to the deadlines and satisfy the buyer. Always ready to walk the extra mile because a satisfied buyer will bring more and more clients to you.
Positives
Huge pools of Freelance Contractors and job opportunities.
You can find buyers willing to pay more compared to other Freelance websites.
It is less intrusive. It does not intrude your privacy with its monitoring system.
Once you are accepted as a provider, Elance adds the fund to the escrow account and hence your payment is guaranteed.
Elance is the pioneer in outsourcing.
Huge amount of choice when it comes to selecting a job.
Negatives
The competition is high with the huge pool of talent ready work for less.
The Project Management system could do with some improvement.
Verdict. If you are looking to work as a freelancer, Elance is a must. Join Elance and build your Freelance career.
Rating ********9.5/10
Video - Elance Tutorial. How to create your profile in Elance
