Slashdot Mirror
Are Freelance Web Sites Useful?
GrokSoup asks: "There is an article [registration required] in a recent Wall Street Journal about the rise of freelance sites like eLance, Guru.com, FreeAgent, and HelloBrain. While I've looked at these things before, I've never used them. Have many Slashdot-ers used them for tech freelance work? What kinds of experiences have you had? Think they're useful? "
I've never offered myself as freelance on one of these sites, but it's been quite a while since I freelanced.
As a web design/develppment firm, I know we look to local freelancers as outsource agents rather than a freelance site when we have rough deadlines or take on too much work.
Everything helps, especially when you're in a dry spot, so surely freelancers should use sites that offer service. More importantly, make sure every firm in your area has your skillset and contact info on file.
I miss the schedule of freelancing and the pay 9when things were good), so I love to help out those in town that still live that way.
bugger.net | MunkAndPhyber.com
I used to use freeagent quite happily. Back then
they used to be know as churchill benefit. basically you would go out an get a contract with
a client. Call up churchhill and used them as you employer for w2 stuff. For about 200 bucks a month
they took care of w2, taxes, etc.. plus you could get decent group rates on heath benefits..etc.
I think it makes going independant a lot easier since they basically take away all the hassle and let you concentrate 100% on your client. All I had to do was send them a timesheet every week and they billed my client for me.
Mike
Sellers post RFPs on the site and you submit a bid. Lowest bidder doesn't necessarily win - in fact, almost never does in my experience. What wins bids are clearly written repsonses that address the main points of the RFP and refer to either a working prototype of the project they want done, or a freelance web page with lots of detail.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems is that freelancers don't take the time to write decent bid proposals, don't spell check, etc.
By the same token, a lot of companies don't post clear RFPs -- they are often infuriatingly vague. What is worse is that, although eLance provides an online message board for freelancers to ask the companies questions about the project, the companies rarely check back to answer those questions. It is hard to put in an accurate bid if you don't know exactly what the client wants done.
Despite these issues, eLance is a site worth checking out. Of course, YMMV. :)
------- "One of the joys of travel is visiting new towns and meeting new people." -- G. KHAN
Some friends told me about this ... Independent Consultants Exchange (I forget what the D stands for!) a couple of years ago; they'd found good contracts through DICE. I tried it once, but although I did get responses, I didn't follow up since none sounded particularly suitable for my situation.