Freelance Work Online Comes Of Age @ (NAPS)—Do you need a Web site built? A logo designed? A doc- ument translated? E-marketplaces, specifically services mar- ketplaces, are becoming the popular way that many busi- nesses and independent contrac- tors are using the Internet to outsource projects. The appeal of the e-market- place lies in the ability to reach an international pool of quality ser- vice providers who bid to work on projects at competitive rates. For- rester Research estimates that the U.S. market for selling services online will reach $220 billion by 2003. One companyat the forefront bid on the project, listing their cre- together buyers with service providers but also provides them charge. The buyer selects the eLancer best suited for the project fications review, a private workspace to complete their projects This “reverse auction” dimension benefits both buyersandsell- of these exchangesnot only brings with an online portfolio and quali- and a global billing and payment A Website allows freelancers to bid on work posted by employers who wantto outsourcejobs. dentials and how much they would and budget. ers by allowing open competitive system. eLance Inc. actually uses its own service to hire specialists bidding and the ability to bypass ware development and other time and cost for both parties. This proves to be valuable in an to conduct market research, softprojects. Here’s how eLance works. A buyer—business or individual— posts a project on the site. Qualified service providers—eLancers— traditional intermediaries and search processes—thus reducing economy where tight labor mar- kets make it difficult for employers to find and retain workers. To learn more, visit elance.com.
