Hiring on Elance

If you’ve been looking to hire a freelance professional over the internet, chances are you’ve heard of the leading online marketplace for freelance professionals, Elance. Whether you’re the CEO of a major company and need some marketing materials, or an entrepreneur just getting your internet business set up, this freelance site will be of great help. Learn the many reasons why Elance is the place to find competent freelancers over the internet.

The Freelancers Are True Professionals

The freelancers you can find on Elance (writers, programmers, researchers, etc.) aren’t just individuals with mediocre skills. In fact, the providers are verified professionals with proven capabilities. In face, Elance verifies the freelancers’ addresses and phone numbers and also requires every freelancer to take an admissions test before beginning any jobs. Elance also strongly recommends that they pass specific tests to gauge their experience and work quality. Most freelancers also verify credentials so clients can hear firsthand from previous satisfied clients. Elance provides rewards for those freelancers who provide excellent customer service, timeliness with projects, and satisfy their customers – drawing highly qualified freelancers who are competent and talented.

Elance Allows Different Payment Options
Elance rises above their competition in more than one way, but one really great feature that stands out is their set of payment options. With Elance, you can choose to pay one flat price for your entire project, or you can break it down and pay your freelancer by the hour. Your freelancer will provide invoices along with their work progress so you can see exactly what they’ve done. In addition, if you have a massive project, you can create milestones to break it down even further. You might decide to let the project run for one month with weekly updates and payments. It’s completely up to you!

Elance’s Guarantees Give You Peace of Mind
Whether you hire a freelancer by the project or by the hour, you’ll fall under Elance’s guarantees – either the Fixed Price Guarantee or the Hourly Work Guarantee. With the Elance Fixed Price Guarantee, the payment for the jobs will be held in a secure Escrow account, so the freelancer knows they’re going to be paid. However, you’ll have the chance of perusing the work and giving your approval on it before you release the freelancer’s payment. This provides a platform for excellent quality work and peace of mind, both for you and your provider.

In addition, you’ll receive screenshots and comments when you work with a freelancer under the Elance Hourly Work Guarantee. This allows you to see the progress being made on the project, including what work the freelancer has done by the hour, guaranteeing payment for time spent on working.

Elance Has Many Additional Features

Elance provides several other features that you simply can’t find with other freelancing sites. For instance, the freelancer and the client share a ‘workroom,’ where communication is enhanced through file-sharing features, message boards, upload capabilities and more. This allows you and the freelancer to work together to clear up confusion, manage projects, correct versions of the projects and so much more. There is even a real time chat option, so you and the freelancer can communicate freely and make sure you’re on the same page. These features reduce the confusion and make transactions go smoother.

The Feedback and Rating System

Once the project is completed and you’re satisfied with the work you’ve been given, you can leave thorough feedback for your freelancer. This helps the freelancer secure jobs in the future, as clients can see that you’re a satisfied customer. Incidentally, this is also how you can gain information about your freelancer before hiring them for the project. Feedback points include communication, expertise, quality of work, and more. They can leave feedback for you as well, and respond to the comments you leave on their profile.

The amount of features, options, and guarantees provided by Elance are simply unmatched, which is the reason they are the number one freelance market place on the internet today.