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Freelance at ELance.com: A Review

Every Monday, I try to write about the “good” aspects of money. You know, the fun stuff: making money, saving money, finding ways to make more money. A couple of weeks ago, I realized that it was time for me to throw my hat into the “freelancing ring.” I spend hours every week working on this blog–writing, researching, responding to emails, sending emails. I realized that I could put all this work to use and discover a way to make more money by freelancing.

THE DISCOVERY

Like most things that I find on the internet, I have no idea how I stumbled upon ELance.com. (Don’t worry, this is not an affiliate link. This is an actual post intended to help you find ways to make more money!) I sniffed around the site. I signed-up and logged on. I spent a couple of weeks dabbling on the site and in their forum in order to get a better feeling for how things operate. (This is generally an excellent first step for any new endeavor–do the research.)

THE PROs

Elance.com is basically a site for freelancers. If you work 40 hours a week or work part-time, Elance might be an excellent marketplace for you to advertise your skills and talents. There are multiple categories on Elance that speak to a myriad of different computer or writing skills (everything from website design, to article writing, to writing brochures to virtual assistance to finance management). Head on over to the site and take a look in all of the various categories to see if you have any of the skills that individuals are requesting.

THE CONs 

Like most things in life, there are a couple of issues I have discovered that are slightly problematic. After spending some time in their “Water Cooler” area (the forum), I discovered that some of the advertisers flee the scene before paying up. (There are some ways to get around this. Just ask some veterans some tips.) Also, ELance does not seem to favor the beginner. It appears as though it is difficult to get your first “job.” (However, once you win your first bid and do good work, other jobs come more easily.) Finally–and this might be the deal breaker for most people–the spectrum of freelancing opportunities are contained to a limited number of skill sets. It may work perfectly for you if you are a web designer, but the site might not benefit you if you do not have any of the necessary skills.

A GOOD RECOMMENDATION 

Overall, I think it is a fairly helpful discovery. If a friend recommended the site to me as a way to make extra money, I would think it a good tip.  Although not the perfect freelance site, I think it is much stronger and more use friendly than other freelance sites I have come across. In fact, earlier this morning I just posted a couple of bids on project.

I’ll keep you posted if they come through.

Do you have any thoughts on this or other posts? If so, please leave a comment. We would all love to hear your thoughts.