5 Things You Didn't Know About Elance
- Elance has more than 4 million users, and at least 3 million are freelancers looking for job opportunities on the site.
- Freelancers reportedly have earned more than $1.2 billion since Elance's inception back in 1998, and the number only continues to rise.
- There are more than 3.6 million businesses enrolled to post jobs on Elance, and Elance has freelancers is more than 180 countries.
- The countries that had the highest-earning freelancers working through Elance in 2014 were India, the United States, the Philippines, Ukraine and Pakistan.
- More than 77% of the Elance freelancers have a college degree, 55% of which have 6+ years of experience in their areas of expertise.
How to Redeem a Coupon Code at Elance.com
Although Elance regularly offers coupon codes that allow you to receive discounts and credit towards the payment of freelancers, the site does not require you to input coupon codes into it during the checkout process. The checkout process on Elance is different from a retail site. Instead of placing items into a shopping cart, businesses post jobs and then hire freelancers to complete those jobs. After the job is completed and submitted to the client, the client submits a payment for the services that he or she received from the freelancer. At the time of payment submission, clients can input coupon codes to receive discounts off their services, and they can take advantage of any current promotions the site has going on, such as free freelance connections.
Elance Review
Similar to StarterSquad and Guru, Elance is a site that serves as a common meeting place for freelancers looking for work and employers searching for freelancers with specific skill sets. Elance's platform is based in Mountain View, California, but it has businesses and freelancers from all over the globe as registered users on the site. Because the site is an Internet platform for online employment, the site is able to connect businesses to freelancers in other countries who are best qualified for their specialized interest projects that freelancers in their own country aren't.
Elance was first launched in 1999, but its name was actually inspired by a Harvard Business Review article entitled "The Dawn of the E-Lance Economy" that was published in 1998. The article spoke of the changing landscape for freelancers because of the innovation of the Internet. Initially, Elance was launched to provide technology to support virtual work, but a couple years after its initial launching, it introduced a vendor management service that contractors and third-party services could use. In 2006, Elance developed the platform that it uses today, which provides an online platform for contingent work.
The way that Elance works is straightforward. Businesses or clients seeking freelancers to complete their projects must create an account before using the site. Once an account has been created with a verified email address, then the account is fully active and can be used to create job postings. In addition to posting jobs for specific projects, though, Elance clients can search for freelancers and reach out to ones that meet their qualifications, and they can solicit proposals for work. Generally, though, after freelancers review job postings and apply to the job postings that they want, then the clients evaluate the applications that they receive and select which freelancer they want to go with.
How does Elance make money through its system, though? Because Elance serves as the middleman connecting the client with the freelancer, it receives a commission on the fees that the client pays the freelancer. All payments are conducted through the Elance system as well as all file transfers and other communications between the client and freelancer. This not only protects the clients, but it protects the freelancers as well. If any disputes arise about communications, it is all documented through the Elance system, and system administrators can review communications as necessary to settle any discrepancies. Additionally, payments are held in escrow by Elance to ensure payment upon completion of milestones.
Elance's Work View tool is innovative in that it not only provides an official record of all work completed for a client, but it also has a Statement of Work for project-based jobs that allows clients to visually see the progress of their projects through milestone indicators. Elance's system has been cited as an example of an "emerging paradigm of informal workplace communication, employing social media tools and cloud-based applications to drive productivity."
Not only does Elance allow businesses to find the freelancers with the skill sets that they need for specific projects, but it also allows businesses to save money by lowering their payroll expenditures since they won't have to incur the expense of hiring full-time workers to complete a specific project for them. Instead, they can pay for the highly skilled professionals that they want at much lower rates. Finding competent freelancers can be difficult since there are so many on the Internet, but Elance's system works to pair clients with freelancers who meet their needs, cutting down search friction and time wasted, resulting in a more productive work atmosphere.
To save money on your next freelance project, using an Elance coupon code (especially one found on Giving Assistant) not only allows you to indulge in cash offer offers and additional discounts, but also comes with free job postings.
One of the most-viewed videos uploaded by Elance to YouTube is Elance Annual Impact Report. This video tells the public about the group of people who make up the Elance community, and how they are working together to create economic opportunities for millions of businesses and freelance professionals through online work. The Elance mission and vision are spelled out int he video, and real-life stories areshared that celebrate the ingenuity, talent and diversity of Elancers around the globe.
Elance Social Media Links
Elance on Twitter: In an effort to bring more clients and freelancers together, Elance on Twitter highlights their latest promotions and discounts off projects as well as their numbers of freelancers within targeted skill sets.
Elance on Facebook: From answering questions to posting inspirational work quotes and memes, there are many different ways to interact with the company on Facebook.
Elance on Google+: In order to keep up with the latest technology and freelance demands, Elance's Google+ account also shares user-submitted photos, fun videos, timely news, and interesting facts.
Elance on Instagram: In between the wealth of snapshots placing clients and freelancers in different settings, you'll also find images filled with information about Elance's latest projects, promotions and events.
Elance on Pinterest: In addition to highlighting Elance services, you'll find a wealth of information and inspiration in Boards titled 'Freelance Facts and Figures,' Elance Blog,' 'Freelance Manifestos,' 'Search Engine Optimization' and 'Inspiration Center.'
Elance on YouTube: When you're looking for ways to maximize the use of services found on Elance, freelancing tips, and site presentations, check out the company's uploads on YouTube. No matter whether you're a client or a freelancer, the company's YouTube account has something for everyone.
Elance Contact Info
Elance Global Headquarters
441 Logue Avenue
Mountain View, CA 94043
Telephone Number: +1 (650) 316-7500