Elance: A Beginner's Guide

The Basics

If you are reading this guide, you probably already know that Elance is one of the many membership-based freelance sites that enable freelancers to showcase their business. On Elance, "Sellers", or service providers, bid on projects, get rated through feedback from "Buyers," and are faced with unlimited amounts of success.

Based on your level of membership, you can bid on a certain number of projects every month. And while you may not be a beginner at writing, you are new to Elance, which puts you on equal footing with every other newbie when vying for success.

Consider Elance just like any other job. It is always the hardest to get the first one. After that, you have experience, credentials, and references to rely on when looking for a new job.

The First Decision for an Elance Beginner

As a newly-established provider, there is one question you must answer: should your first project(s) be to make a lot of money or to gain positive feedback?

The answer is simple. You want to take a couple of small projects that will allow you to build positive feedback. You may or may not make a good amount of money, but regardless there are other benefits. Not only will potential buyers look at your feedback and ratings, but they will also factor in how many projects you have completed. A 5.0 for three projects looks more impressive that a 5.0 for one project.

Still, the inexperienced has to start somewhere. On the subject of feedback, though, it is important to note that more expensive projects hold more weight than less expensive ones. Therefore, a 5.0 on a $300 project will help you more than a 5.0 on a $50 project. The same also applies for poor feedback, which means that a 3.0 on a $300 project will hurt you more tan you think. Your success is largely dependent on your feedback.

Secondly, You Should Build Your Portfolio

Now that you have decided to build your positive feedback before you build your bank account, you should create your portfolio. Your portfolio is your resume. While it is true that you lack experience through Elance, your portfolio will allow you to showcase your talent to others.