Thanks to the increasingly popular outsourcing exchanges, such as Elance.com, SmarterWork.com and ContractedWork.com, it is now very easy to find and hire the right contractor for your project at the right price. If you need help with a technical project, such as software development or web programming, there are even exchanges like RentACoder.com that specialize in these disciplines and organize their participants according to their individual skills.

Using an outsourcing exchange is quick and easy. You simply post a description of your project requirements (in sufficient detail to allow a contractor to estimate its cost) and within hours you will receive proposals from a number of freelance specialists, each one eager to win your business.

You can even use an outsourcing exchange as a research tool, to get an idea of the likely cost of a development project that you may be considering. However, you should beware of posting repeatedly without awarding a contract, as this will earn you the reputation of a time-waster and may adversely affect the response you receive to future postings. As a buyer of freelance services, posting your requirements is usually free. It is the contractor that pays for access to the service, either as a monthly subscription or as a percentage commission on the value of contracts awarded.

If you decide to award a contract in response to a posting, you can protect yourself (and the contractor) using escrow payments. You simply pre-pay the contract value into an escrow account (an interim bank account provided by the exchange operator) knowing that it will only be released to the contractor when you confirm that the work has been completed to your satisfaction. Likewise, the contractor benefits from the reassurance that funds have been reserved to pay for his services. For complex projects, it is even possible to administer phased payments via the escrow account and, in the event of a dispute, take advantage of an arbitration service.

One of the benefits of online outsourcing exchanges is that they provide access to contractors from all over the world. Several countries (such as India and parts of Eastern Europe) have very low labor rates but a highly skilled and professional workforce, making it possible to buy high-quality services very economically. Most of these professionals also speak and write English to a very high standard, making formal communication no more difficult that with a local contractor. The instantaneous nature of internet communication means that it is no longer necessary to collaborate face-to-face.

Of course, the use of freelance contractors is not without its risks. To ensure that your project delivers the results you're expecting, you should follow a few simple guidelines:

• Create a budget for your entire project so that you know how much each aspect should cost. This will enable you to assess the overall feasibility before you start spending money on contractors.

• Write a detailed specification for each of your freelance requirements.

• If appropriate, use a non-disclosure agreement before sending out the specification to bidders. If so, it will be necessary to post a project overview in the freelance exchange and to operate a closed bidding process.

• Get a fixed price quotation before assigning work to any freelancer. If a freelancer is unable to provide a fixed-price quotation, it may be an indication that your requirement specification is not sufficiently clear or detailed - a warning sign of trouble ahead.

• Administer your freelance assignment using a written legal contract that clearly specifies time limits, fees, dispute procedures, confidentiality, ownership and other contractual terms.

• If possible, use the exchange's escrow payment service to protect yourself
  Affiliate Link Cloaking - Should You Use It
  If you’re getting started in affiliate marketing, you may have heard people talking about affiliate link cloaking and perhaps been wondering if this is something you should be doing as well.There are several arguments for someone to cloak their links,1. Affiliate link hijacking – occurs when someone uses their own affiliate link to purchase a product. Lets say, for example, that you read about a product on my site and click the link to the product’s main site to check it out. You then decide to buy the product, but you copy the information in the URL and then substitute your own affiliate
  uirements (in sufficient detail to allow a contractor to estimate its cost) and within hours you will receive proposals from a number of freelance specialists, each one eager to win your business.

  You can even use an outsourcing exchange as a research tool, to get an idea of the likely cost of a development project that you may be considering. However, you should beware of posting repeatedly without awarding a contract, as this will earn you the reputation of a time-waster and may adversely affect the response you receive to future postings. As a buyer of freelance services, posting your requirements is usually free. It is the contractor that pays for access to the service, either as a monthly subscription or as a percentage commission on the value of contracts awarded.

  If you decide to award a contract in response to a posting, you can protect yourself (and the contractor) using escrow payments. You simply pre-pay the contract value into an escrow account (an interim bank account provided by the exchange operator) knowing that it will only be released to the contractor when you confirm that the work has been completed to your satisfaction. Likewise, the contractor benefits from the reassurance that funds have been reserved to pay for his services. For complex projects, it is even possible to administer phased payments via the escrow account and, in the event of a dispute, take advantage of an arbitration service.

  One of the benefits of online outsourcing exchanges is that they provide access to contractors from all over the world. Several countries (such as India and parts of Eastern Europe) have very low labor rates but a highly skilled and professional workforce, making it possible to buy high-quality services very economically. Most of these professionals also speak and write English to a very high standard, making formal communication no more difficult that with a local contractor. The instantaneous nature of internet communication means that it is no longer necessary to collaborate face-to-face.

  Of course, the use of freelance contractors is not without its risks. To ensure that your project delivers the results you're expecting, you should follow a few simple guidelines:

  • Create a budget for your entire project so that you know how much each aspect should cost. This will enable you to assess the overall feasibility before you start spending money on contractors.

  • Write a detailed specification for each of your freelance requirements.

  • If appropriate, use a non-disclosure agreement before sending out the specification to bidders. If so, it will be necessary to post a project overview in the freelance exchange and to operate a closed bidding process.

  • Get a fixed price quotation before assigning work to any freelancer. If a freelancer is unable to provide a fixed-price quotation, it may be an indication that your requirement specification is not sufficiently clear or detailed - a warning sign of trouble ahead.

  • Administer your freelance assignment using a written legal contract that clearly specifies time limits, fees, dispute procedures, confidentiality, ownership and other contractual terms.

  • If possible, use the exchange's escrow payment service to protect yourself
    Rating the eBook Compilers
    Now that you've finished writing your eBook and have a basic understanding of what an eBook compiler does, you may be feeling overwhelmed by the number of compilers on the market. To help you make your decision, I have tested and reviewed the best-rated eBook compilers currently available.* E-ditorThis software has a demo version that you can download to try out before purchasing. You can't actually use the demo to create an eBook, but you can run the software and test it out thoroughly to see if it does what you need it to do for your particular eBook.This eBook compiler is one of the ea
    in response to a posting, you can protect yourself (and the contractor) using escrow payments. You simply pre-pay the contract value into an escrow account (an interim bank account provided by the exchange operator) knowing that it will only be released to the contractor when you confirm that the work has been completed to your satisfaction. Likewise, the contractor benefits from the reassurance that funds have been reserved to pay for his services. For complex projects, it is even possible to administer phased payments via the escrow account and, in the event of a dispute, take advantage of an arbitration service.

    One of the benefits of online outsourcing exchanges is that they provide access to contractors from all over the world. Several countries (such as India and parts of Eastern Europe) have very low labor rates but a highly skilled and professional workforce, making it possible to buy high-quality services very economically. Most of these professionals also speak and write English to a very high standard, making formal communication no more difficult that with a local contractor. The instantaneous nature of internet communication means that it is no longer necessary to collaborate face-to-face.

    Of course, the use of freelance contractors is not without its risks. To ensure that your project delivers the results you're expecting, you should follow a few simple guidelines:

    • Create a budget for your entire project so that you know how much each aspect should cost. This will enable you to assess the overall feasibility before you start spending money on contractors.

    • Write a detailed specification for each of your freelance requirements.

    • If appropriate, use a non-disclosure agreement before sending out the specification to bidders. If so, it will be necessary to post a project overview in the freelance exchange and to operate a closed bidding process.

    • Get a fixed price quotation before assigning work to any freelancer. If a freelancer is unable to provide a fixed-price quotation, it may be an indication that your requirement specification is not sufficiently clear or detailed - a warning sign of trouble ahead.

    • Administer your freelance assignment using a written legal contract that clearly specifies time limits, fees, dispute procedures, confidentiality, ownership and other contractual terms.

    • If possible, use the exchange's escrow payment service to protect yourself
      ME/CFS And FM : Is It Time To Quit Your Job?
      I'm writing this article because I would have appreciated someone warning me about unknowingly pushing myself into a severe relapse of PVFS (ME/CFS) a few years ago (when I was struggling to keep my full-time job).Most working ME/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Fibromyalgia (FM) sufferers face the same kind of problems at some point during their illness:Should they continue work? Should they cut down? Or should they stop completely? And if they stop where will the money come from?Unless you're on your way to full recovery, ME/CFS and FM and full-time jobs (especially demanding or stressful one
      labor rates but a highly skilled and professional workforce, making it possible to buy high-quality services very economically. Most of these professionals also speak and write English to a very high standard, making formal communication no more difficult that with a local contractor. The instantaneous nature of internet communication means that it is no longer necessary to collaborate face-to-face.

      Of course, the use of freelance contractors is not without its risks. To ensure that your project delivers the results you're expecting, you should follow a few simple guidelines:

      • Create a budget for your entire project so that you know how much each aspect should cost. This will enable you to assess the overall feasibility before you start spending money on contractors.

      • Write a detailed specification for each of your freelance requirements.

      • If appropriate, use a non-disclosure agreement before sending out the specification to bidders. If so, it will be necessary to post a project overview in the freelance exchange and to operate a closed bidding process.

      • Get a fixed price quotation before assigning work to any freelancer. If a freelancer is unable to provide a fixed-price quotation, it may be an indication that your requirement specification is not sufficiently clear or detailed - a warning sign of trouble ahead.

      • Administer your freelance assignment using a written legal contract that clearly specifies time limits, fees, dispute procedures, confidentiality, ownership and other contractual terms.

      • If possible, use the exchange's escrow payment service to protect yourself
        Be Careful Where You Get Career Advice
        Most of the advice you receive on career advancement will come from people who have ulterior motives. Some of them even have an interest in seeing you do something that will benefit them. Objective career advice is often elusive. Let’s look at some of the most common places people receive career advice and assess their objectivity.Your Employer. Many companies offer training and development programs. Some of these are well designed and they can provide you with some valuable skills and knowledge that you can use through out your career. One thing is almost always true – the training and de
        d specification for each of your freelance requirements.

      • If appropriate, use a non-disclosure agreement before sending out the specification to bidders. If so, it will be necessary to post a project overview in the freelance exchange and to operate a closed bidding process.

      • Get a fixed price quotation before assigning work to any freelancer. If a freelancer is unable to provide a fixed-price quotation, it may be an indication that your requirement specification is not sufficiently clear or detailed - a warning sign of trouble ahead.

      • Administer your freelance assignment using a written legal contract that clearly specifies time limits, fees, dispute procedures, confidentiality, ownership and other contractual terms.

      • If possible, use the exchange's escrow payment service to protect yourself and the contractor.

      If you take the freelance route, it is important to ensure that all rights to profit from the final product, or any materials produced in its creation, remain yours. If you do not, it is possible that a contractor employed to contribute to your project could claim the result as his own and use or sell it independently when it is completed.

      You should keep a paper trail linking yourself to anyone with whom you discuss your project, including emails, letters, faxes, and even written records of telephone conversations. This will establish the relationship between you and your contractors, and will prove the source of any confidential details. Although this paper trail may never be needed, if problems arise you'll be glad you made that little extra effort.