Remote freelancers have one distinct disadvantage when it comes to productivity. Distractions are everywhere! Working from home, there can be inevitable distractions – like your kids, the telephone, the pile of laundry, and pretty much anything else home-related. However, the lure of the most powerful distraction of all, the Internet, is shared by traditional office workers as well.

I find it helpful to set aside 30 minutes a day for what I call “avoidable distractions.” I peruse a few blogs, check in on some news sites, and drink my coffee before getting to work. That way I don’t have to feel guilty about feeding my curiosity later, and can go ahead and get it out of the way early on.

Everyone has different vices for online distractions, for instance visit YouTube.com and search for “puppies” or “kittens” and you’ll see around 6 million hits per video. Thankfully I do not have an addiction to watching these cute animal videos, but bizarre news and fascinating stories do grab my attention. This is a gray area of online reading that I find both helpful for my work, and distracting. Blogs and news stories contribute to my developing ideas as a writer, but sometimes the stories take me down a decidedly non-work rabbit hole. Below are some of the most interesting pieces that have passed my screen recently as part of my planned morning excursion into distraction.

	From the blog Dvorak Uncensored, comes a post about the CIA’s top secret “Acoustic Kitty” program. I know, I just said I’m not addicted to kittens, but this story is far from cute, it leaves one baffled by the absurd monetary cost, tickled by the hilarity of the concept, and appalled at the abuse to the cat.
	The Guardian and The Washington Post both reported from different angles recently on the controversy of Rupert Murdoch threatening to remove his publications from Google’s search results, and Microsoft responding with an offer to pay him to do it. All of this in an effort to achieve fair payment for the content of News Corp’s many news outlets, and to promote Microsoft’s Bing.
	Animated stereo images of old japan appeared last month on PinkTentacle.com, an all things Japanese blog with an emphasis on art and pop culture. The images combine two things rarely found together, authentic historic images and 3D.
	Apple Insider reported recently about the first “iPhone Worm,” that funnily enough has the sole purpose of rickrolling it’s victims and replacing their iPhone’s wallpaper with an image of Rick Astley. The worm only effect jailbroken iPhones (iPhones that have been hacked to remove any ties to one single mobile carrier.)
	The UK paper, the Daily Mail ran a story that brought to my attention the environmental impact of the shipping industry. Car and Jet pollution are on most of our radar screens, but the high sulfur fuel burned in container ships and oil tankers is apparently the worst offender of all (when looking only at the impact of sulfur, and not other agents).

Hopefully, you can be more productive than me this week by simply reading this consolidated post and not having to seek out all of these stories on your own… Let us know what you’ve found distracting this week, and how you handle your own work from home distractions in the comments!

From building a portfolio to moving onward on oDesk towards a profitable freelancing career, Sara Haley shares some perspective from the provider’s view in her eBook series, How to Make Money on oDesk. Here, she shares what she has learned during her time in the oDesk oConomy.

It’s a vicious cycle in the beginning—in order to get a job on oDesk, you need some positive feedback, but in order to get that positive feedback, you need to get a job on oDesk. It may seem, at first, that there’s no way to actually get your foot in the door and get started, but with a few strategies, you can build up strong feedback quickly and easily.

In the beginning, in order to quickly establish an oDesk profile, you’re going to want to look for small jobs with quick turnaround times (like same day jobs) that can provide you with instant feedback and get your oDesk profile developed with some work history and logged oDesk hours.

When it comes to your very first job, you’ll want to work above and beyond the expectations of the buyer. This will not only surprise and delight your client, but up the chances of being hired for future projects they may need outsourced work for. Not only this, but it encourages the buyers to leave you a glowing feedback for all to see—and the best thing you want on your feedback is a line like, “I’d hire them again in a heartbeat for all my freelance writing needs!” The line says it all and will stand out in a sea of sub-par providers.

Avoid getting a bad rating and work hard. And I mean, hard. Especially those first few jobs—you want to get some great feedback going so that you can show prospective buyers that you’re the person for the job, that you have past satisfied customers and that you completed everything as agreed and in time.

When the job has been closed out, both the buyer and provider are offered the opportunity to leave feedback. Be sure to leave feedback for the buyer immediately to remind them that feedback means a lot to you, and chances are, they will reciprocate with positive feedback as well. If, for some reason, you go a few days without feedback or additional contact from the buyer, it’s not considered rude if you send a polite email message to the buyer just reminding them that you’re getting your start on oDesk and feedback means a lot to you. Just in case they forget. Again, make sure its polite and not pushy, and just let them know that getting good feedback at the beginning of your oDesk career will help you gain the trust and work for other exceptional buyers like them.

There is, however, a limitation as to when feedback can be posted, so if you haven’t received feedback from the buyer after the job and you’ve already left them feedback, be sure to contact them soon or your window of opportunity will be gone.

One mistake I see all too often is a new, frustrated provider posting on the forums that they’ve been signed up for months and have yet to get a job. Most times, the major mistake I notice is that their hourly wage is extremely high.

Of course, by having an outrageously high hourly wage on oDesk and a new member profile with no ratings or feedback, you’re setting yourself up for disaster. Just like on eBay, you’re more likely to purchase goods from a reputable, long-time seller with great feedback than you are from a newly registered seller without any feedback at all. Same goes for oDesk—you have to start somewhere, and that somewhere is generally on the more inexpensive side. But don’t fret—once you have a few jobs with glaringly positive feedbacks under your belt, raising your rates will go unnoticed to those looking to hire someone for quality work. I’m a firm believer in the phrase, “you get what you pay for.” You are what you’re worth, and make sure your resume, feedback and portfolio reflects work that corresponds with the hourly wage you are asking. (My eBook series, How to Make Money on oDesk, gives you the steps, the knowledge, and the confidence to get you working for the hourly wage you deserve!)

Just like word of mouth, positive feedback can be priceless. If a buyer sees that you’ve knocked the socks off of your previous clients, it will put you closer to the top of their list of prospective hires.

Sara Haley is a happily married stay-at-home mom to her two children and spends her free time working on oDesk and freelance writing her own eBooks. She is the writer for Omaha-Moms.com and HappyApping.com, as well as the author of numerous eBooks, including her How To Make Money on oDesk series and The Ultimate Transcription Job eBook. She also writes for companies like eHow and Bukisa in addition to the freelance writing and online work she does for her ever-growing list of satisfied oDesk clients. A link to all of her online ventures can be found at sarakhaley.com

Freelance animation and illustration are among the creative fields booming here at oDesk, so we thought our talented animators and illustrators deserved their very own list of helpful and inspiring blogs and web sites devoted to their craft. If we’ve missed any of your favorites, let us know!

	THINKING ANIMATION From - Angie Jones and Jamie Oliff, authors/animators Asset - Inspiration, buzz, news, CG talk Read - “Example Animation Review” by Angie Jones
	COGHILLUSTRATION From - George Coghill, cartoon illustrator Asset – Tips, wisdom, technique and inspiration Read - “6 Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts for … ” by George Coghill
	ILLUSTRATION CASTLE From - Heather Castles, illustrator Asset - Business/marketing tips, creative advice, expert advice re: greeting cards and children’s books Read - “How to Color a Pencil Sketch” by Heather Castles
	DRAWN! From - Various contributors Asset - Resources, buzz, ideas Read - “Seeing and Drawing the Figure in Space“
	ILLUSTRATION MUNDO From - Nate Williams and other contributors Asset - Inspiration, forums Read – “7 Elements of an Effective Portfolio Website” series by Thomas James
	COLOUR LOVERS From - Darius Monsef and various contributors Asset - Colors, colors, colors, trends, forums, feedback Read - “106 Blue Palettes” by Evad
	ANIMATION TIPS & TRICKS From - Shawn Kelly, ILM artist Asset – Q&As, tips, and insights Read - “How Common Is It to Use a Flipbook or PAP?“
	ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY From - Penelope Dullaghan and various contributors Asset - Weekly creative challenge, forums, artist interviews Read - “IF Interview with Tim O’Brien” by Yuko Shimizu
	TODAY IN ART From - Anonymous art community Asset - International community and feedback, inspiration Read – “30 Works of Art Painted with iPod Apps … “
	VECTOR ART From - Luis Drukker, Donald Davis and “Toni” Asset - Inspiration, freebies, tutorials Read - “How to Skew a Dot Pattern …” posted by Luis Drukker

Working from home can either liberate you or weigh you down — it’s all about how you do it. Having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work. Here at oDesk, you’ll find the tips and tools to do it right.

- Tamara

If you’re working with others online, as a small business owner or freelancer, then your computer is the conduit to your work. Your computer’s efficiency correlates directly to the your work productivity. Below are some tips to optimize performance and make the most out of the computer you already own.

Disclaimer: Changes of this type may have the potential to cause loss of data. Before making any alterations to your system, backing up your data is strongly recommended. Proceed at your own risk!

OS and Memory
Memory (RAM) is where programs live while your computer is turned on. Your operating system(OS) is the first program loaded in to memory. You or your OS can then load more programs. However, if your OS has been instructed to load spyware, viruses, worms, or non-essential software in to memory, this can cause your computer’s processing speed  to grind to a halt.

This particular article is aimed at users running Windows XP. However, if you are running a Mac, check out Onyx. In my experience most Mac problems stem from Disk Permissions issues. Onyx is great at fixing these issues.

Malware Cleaning and Prevention
PC Tools Spyware Doctor and PC Tools Anti-Virus, are both available as free downloads. They can help you identify and remove malware from your system.  Once they’re installed they will auto-update unobtrusively and let you know if there are any more problems.

If the above doesn’t work, then the offending piece of software is brand new and really evil. Check out the forums on MajorGeeks.com. Chances are someone else has had the same problem and the solution is there, or they are in the process of figuring it out.

Unwanted Legit Applications
Now, if your machine is still running slow there are probably some programs running that just aren’t necessary.

If you truly do not use the application, then remove the application using “Add/Remove Programs” (Located by click “Start” and then “Control Panel”).

Net Squirrel has a great article on “How to use MSCONFIG” a windows systems tool that can help  you make sure that only necessary programs are running at startup.

Clean Slate
If your problems originate with the “blue screen of death” (windows goes to a blue screen, and there will be a lot of text that you don’t understand), or if none of the tips above have yielded performance on par with your computer’s original state (from the manufacturer), then reformatting and reinstalling may be a good option. This is a sure fire way to get back to a good performing system. Consult your computer’s user manual, or see below. Re-installing windows will cause data loss. Backup.

Microsoft’s Instructions on How to Install/Upgrade/Reinstall Windows XP.

Final Thoughts
Keeping your system in a healthy state isn’t too tough if you do regular maintenance. However, keep in mind that some of the programs above have the potential to cause permanent data loss. Backing up your data is highly recommended before undertaking any of the above. If you are hesitant to delve this deep in to your system, then consider consulting a professional computer technician in your area.

In case you haven’t noticed, there are approximately 3 billion different ways in which friends, relatives, clients, freelancers, employers, and anyone else riding the World Wide Web can communicate. Okay, so maybe I can’t back that number up, but the point is, there are enough communications-based software suites, stand-alone programs, freeware downloads, payware applications, and other nifty add-ons to help ensure that even your mother-in-law can stay in the loop. Some of these applications are basic chat programs, while others offer everything from video conferencing, online document sharing, and even real-time brainstorming and document editing in virtual online meetings. Whether you’re a part-time freelancer with just a couple clients, or a swamped buyer with a large staff of contractors working on multiple projects, these five communications keepers should be close at hand.

Skype

Skype offers users high-quality voice and/or video chat to any other Skype user in the world, free of charge. Let me put that another way: Free international voice/video conversations in a professional, high quality application. The only fees associated with Skype are for calls made to traditional land lines or cell phones, but then again, isn’t that what a normal telephone is for? Skype is one of the most popular online communications tools, and it should be a staple for anyone who makes a living through the internet.

Eyejot

Eyejot is the exact opposite of text-messaging, in that it uses a web interface to send and receive video messages through email. Eyejot is convenient in that it requires no special install or client, it works with just about any web browser, it’s free to download and use, and the video emails can be sent to any valid email address. In an era where people fanatically send text messages over a phone, sending video messages in an email seems deliciously ironic.

Digsby

Digsby is ideal for social networking aficionados seeking a single interface to manage communications across multiple platforms, including personal email accounts, social networking sites such as Facebook, and popular chat programs like Yahoo Messenger, all with a single login. Users can also respond to individual sites through Digsby, or issue a general posting to all sites under the Digsby umbrella.  And since Digsby is free to use, it could be the most convenient piece of communications software you never had to buy.

AIM Pro

AOL’s dressed-up, free-to-use, Instant Messenger professional edition offers some impressive resources for online communications, including video conferencing, integration with Microsoft Outlook, encrypted communications, and when partnered with WebEx (see below), secure online file sharing.

WebEx

Cisco’s WebEx is the only item on this list that actually costs money to use, but it’s also arguably the best web-based meeting software available. It features a relatively simple interface that allows users to set up virtual meetings complete with voice chat and video conferencing, secure connections, file hosting, desktop sharing, and real-time file corrections for anyone participating in the meeting. If your workweek consists of daily brainstorming sessions or regular project updates, shelling out $59 per month for WebEx isn’t such a bad deal.

These are but a few of the tools available to both buyers and providers in the quest to keep the lines of communication open. Have you any other offerings to add? Tell us about the must-have communications suites you use to keep in touch with your associates!

A while ago, we presented 10 Excellent Design Blogs, and we heard from many of you that some of your favorites weren’t on that original list – so now it’s time we added another 10! On these blogs and web sites, freelancers can find freebies, tips, inspiration and ideas on all things design.  Take  a look at our new list of excellent design blogs, and let us know what you think. Did we forget any of your favorites?

	CMD+SHIFT DESIGN BLOG From - Liz Andrade, web designer Asset - Advice, ideas, Liz’s video posts Read - “Communication in Web Design” by Liz Andrade
	THE DESIGN CUBICLE From - Brian Hoff, founder, graphic designer Asset – How-tos, ”Sweet Tweets,” and typography talko Read - “30 Enticing … Web Designs” by Brian Hoff
	FUDGE GRAPHICS From - Franz Jeitz, graphic designer Asset - Inspiration, freebies, tutorials Read - “40+ Great Summer Wallpapers” by Franz Jeitz
	YOU THE DESIGNER From - Gino Orlandi, graphic designer Asset - Tips, forums, job listings, freebies Read - “7 Things to Ask Your Clients for Besides Money“
	I’M JUST CREATIVE From - Graham Smith, graphic designer (logo specialty) Asset - Logo design tips, freelance tips, freebies Read – “Logo Design Budgets … ” byGraham Smith
	CRAZY LEAF DESIGN From - Various contributors Asset - Job boards, tips, themes, how-tos Read - “50 Free Wordpress Designs” by Alex
	METHOD TO THE MAYHEM From - Calvin Lee, graphic design Asset - advice, social networking from design perspective Read - “How to Brand Yourself with a Twitter Background” by Calvin Lee
	DESIGNM.AG From - Multiple contributors Asset - Forums, freebies, community, inspiration Read - “The A-Z List of Free Grungy and Dirty Fonts” by Callum Chapman
	DAVID THE DESIGNER From - David Hyde, graphic designer Asset - Inspiration, advice, tips Read – “52 Fonts to Use Instead of Helvetica” by David Hyde
	JUST CREATIVE DESIGN From - Jacob Cass, graphic designer Asset - Resources, social media insights, design tips Read - “10 Twitter Design Lists You Must Follow” by Jacob Cass

Working from home can either liberate you or weigh you down — it’s all about how you do it. Having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work. Here at oDesk, you’ll find the tips and tools to do it right.

- Tamara

The needs and lifestyle of a freelancer are unique, and we know it’s hard to find advice that deals specifically with your world. So, we’ve gathered up ten websites and blogs we think every freelancer should know about to help make the most of the freelance lifestyle:

	JUNE WALKER: Tax and Financial Advisor to the Self-Employed … From - June Walker, tax consultant Asset - Tax advice for freelancers in the US Read - “Get an EIN for Security Reasons” by June Walker
	CONSULTANT JOURNAL From - Andrea Coutu, founder, marketing consultant Asset - Scam warnings, tax and financial planning info, marketing info Read - “How Commenting on Blogs Markets Your Business” by Andrea Coutu
	FREELANCE LIVING From - Chris King, author, freelancer; various contributors Asset - Inspiration, guidance, advice Read - “What’s Your Business Model” by C.J. Hayden, MCC
	ZEN HABITS: Simple Productivity From - Leo Babauta, Zen master, author Asset - Productivity advice, work/life balance Read - “The Slow Secret: How to Make Lasting Changes in Your Life” by Leo Babauta
	THE SELF-EMPLOYMENT BLOG: Practical Tips for Success From - Karen Greenstreet, small business consultant; various contributors Asset - Thoughts on marketing yourself and your business, inspirational video clips Read – “It’s So Important to Take Time Off” by K. Greenstreet
	FREELANCERS UNION From - Freelancers Union (Exec. Director Sara Horowitz) Asset - Insurance, legal advice, retirement and political advocacy Read - “Unpaid Wages: How to Collect” by Gabrielle
	THE ANTI 9 to 5 GUIDE: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube From - Michelle Goodman, freelancer and author Asset - Wisdom targeted to women, but good for all Read - “Recession Ethics for Freelancers” by M. Goodman
	UNDRESS FOR SUCCESS: Work From Home Resources and Advice From - Kate Lister and Tom Harnish Asset - Advice, scam awareness, resources Read - “2008 Telecommuting Stats”
	BRAZEN CAREERIST: Advice at the Intersection of Work and Life From - Penelope Trunk, entrepreneur Asset - Solid career advice for those at home or at work Read – “Focus on Learning in the Face of Recession” by P. Trunk
	EXPIREMENTS IN LIFESTYLE DESIGN From - Timothy Ferriss, author Asset - Inspiration, motivation Read - “How to Respond to Criticism” by T. Ferriss

Working from home can either liberate you or weigh you down — it’s all about how you do it. Having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work. Here at oDesk, you’ll find the tips and tools to do it right.

- Tamara

The demand for iPhone developers on oDesk has only increased over the past year. If you are currently developing for the iPhone and looking for some more resources to keep your skills sharp, or you’re wanting to get started developing, the links below should be helpful.

	The Mobile Orchard – Top notch tutorials, news and a weekly post on “This Week in iPhone News” that can be helpful if you want to stay up to date up in a condensed format.
	Maniac Dev - Offers news updates and commentary on iPhone features, tutorials, and even has an excellent top ten list of their own.
	The Apple Blog – Includes a few helpful tutorials, but mostly focuses on keeping you apprised of happenings in the world of Apple. Check out their walkthrough on Adding Analytics to your App.
	iCode Blog – iPhone Tutorials, and excellent commentary including this reaction to Adobe announcing that Flash CS5 will be able to export iPhone Apps.
	iPhone SDK Articles – As the name suggest, no frills, just straight up tutorials. Case in point, a helpful article on dynamically adjusting your apps to local currency, language, and timezone.
	Cocoa with Love – Cocoa and Objective-C Programming Tutorials for both Mac and iPhone. In depth analysis, like this article on optimizing loading of large tables on the iphone.
	iPhone Development – Offers excellent iPhone commentary, Jeff Lamarche is the Author of “Beginning iPhone Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK”. Read this article where he praises, tears down, and rebuilds a snippet of code on device detection.
	iPhone Incubator – Solid news, commentary and tutorials. An interstesting counterpart to oDesk’s Top 10 Banned iPhone Apps, is iPhone Incubators’s Top 57 ways to get your app rejected from the App Store.
	Mac Create – iPhone news and interviews with developers. Read Toki Torri App creators talk about how they hatched this well recieved game.
	App Every Day – The anonymous author “Matt”, created 25 apps in 25 days in the month of August 2009, all the code is available for download. An ambitious, and interesting project.

Helpful Non-Blog Links

The following, while not traditional blogs, might be very helpful links if you are interested in developing for the iPhone.

	Apple’s iPhone Developer Portal – It’s tough to beat the documentation that apple provides.
	iPhone Dev Central- Offers a database of user submitted tutorials.
	iPhone Dev SDK – Unnoffical iPhone development forums.
	iPhone Dev Camp – The iPhone Dev Camp is a non-profit organization that meets regularly to present iPhone apps and select winners of their “Hackathon” contest, many of the entries are open-source.

My faith in professional online etiquette was called into question last week, when I spotted a rather unflattering eBay auction—posted by a professional dealer no less—advertising a car. In a single run-on sentence devoid of capital letters, the auction promised heightened sexual attraction for anyone in the driver’s seat, contained several obvious spelling mistakes, and concluded with no less than 18 exclamation points. If ever there was an example of how not to conduct business online, this auction was it.

Acting professional in online communications, whether through email, online postings, or profiles, should be a matter of common sense for oDesk providers and buyers alike. Unfortunately, the comfortable anonymity that stems from communicating through a computer keyboard can be quite deceptive. As a result, the automatic etiquette-check in our brain that separates professional communications from informal situations may never get tripped. Should this happen, lucky individuals will just eat a crow sandwich and move on. Those less fortunate could miss key employment opportunities or even lose clients.

Blogs and guides for more detailed “netiquette” are everywhere, but Netmanners.com should be a prerequisite for anyone venturing into a professional online career. Carol Bory’s daily blog on business etiquette and Marcia Pledger’s suggestions are also worthy reads. If you don’t have hours to study the finer points however, these six etiquette tips can help ensure you don’t commit a professional faux pas.

• Don’t use smiles or emoticons. These are fun, cute ways to convey emotions in an informal email or forum post, but they don’t belong in a professional communication. Good rule of thumb: if you’re not sure a particular passage will be taken correctly without a smiley or emoticon, don’t use that passage.

• Don’t get fancy on fonts or formatting. Formatting can change between computers, fancy fonts or multi-colored formatting can sometimes be difficult to read, and frankly, it also looks like a cheap attempt to get attention.

• Keep email attachments small. Under 256 Kilobytes (Kb) is a good rule of thumb. If you’re unsure what kind of connection your recipient is using, contact them first to ask permission on larger attachments.

• Don’t use internet lingo or abbreviations. Everyone likes to LOL, but AFAIC, such lingo is far too informal—and potentially confusing—for anything but basic chatting between friends.

• Include your email address in your closing signature. Aside from being convenient, some mail readers don’t display email addresses. Sure, one could just hit reply, but what if your message was forwarded to someone else?

• Don’t type angry. You will type things when you’re angry that you’d never, ever say to someone in person, and if you send it, you will regret it.

Feeling a little broke? Coming up with an empty wallet a little more often than you used to? Well your own personal stimulus plan might solve your problem. What’s the plan? Raise your rates.

We’ve asked three popular bloggers who specialize in the freelance realm — and ooze the wisdom of experience – what tips they would offer consultants / providers / freelancers who are looking to bring in more money by raising their rates. Our three bloggers? Freelance financial writer and author of You’ve Found Your Specialty — Now What?, Yolander Prinzel of Freelance Writerville; freelance graphic designer Ben Gribbin of Podcast for Freelancers; and self-proclaimed “gear head geek” and creator of the peer code review tool Code Collaborator,  Jason Cohen of Freelance Switch.

Thankfully, their advice is free!

TIPS FOR RAISING YOUR HOURLY RATE

EARN IT. “If you are going to up your rates, you really need to have a reason for doing so. If you’ve gotten better at design, for example, you’ve earned it. You must communicate why you are now charging your clients more,” says Ben Gribbin.

BE REALISTIC. “Be brutally honest with yourself,” Gribbin adds. “Everyone would like to charge $200 per hour. Are you worth it?”

SPECIALIZE. “The easiest way to command higher rates is to specialize in a subject that you have a lot of experience with. People pay more for expertise,” says Yolander Prinzel.

TIER SERVICES. Prinzel continues, “You can raise your rates, while still making your services available to all budgets. Create tiered services that allow for full-service to those who can afford it and modified services for those who can’t.”

TRACK TIME CAREFULLY. “Record your time accurately,” Jason Cohen tells us. “Don’t round up to the nearest hour. Then you can charge more.”

INCREASE SLOWLY. “Try increasing your rates incrementally,” says Gribbin. ”For example, don’t go from $10 per hour to $50. That’s a big jump. But increasing $10 or $20 per year is more gradual, and you’ll see clients change from smaller businesses to larger ones.”

GUARANTEE RESULTS. “Offer money back if such-and-such isn’t delivered,” Cohen suggests. ”Of course, be careful with this one, but if you set the boundaries correctly it proves you’re willing to put your money where your mouth is.”

Working from home can either liberate you or weigh you down — it’s all about how you do it. Having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work. Here at oDesk, you’ll find the tips and tools to do it right.

- Tamara

WordPress is one of the top skills requested by buyers in the oDesk marketplace. CMS-based development, and specifically blog development, is at the heart of the Internet economy. Not only are blog developers important, but so are writers. It has bee said that “Content is king.” Regardless of what role your work falls into, it’s important to have some level of understanding of how WordPress, the current leading blog platform, operates.

Getting Your Hands Dirty

If you’re a writer or buyer, and don’t care too much for the nitty gritty, it’s okay! Wordpress.com is an easy way to get started blogging. There you can sign up for an account, get a free blog (i.e.- YourBlogTitle.Wordpress.com). Follow the directions in Wordpress.com’s Getting Started Guide and you’ll be blogging in no time.

For developers there is Wordpress.ORG (sorry to use caps, but it’s an important distinction). Wordpress.org is where you can find information on downloading and installing Wordpress. The Wordpress.org Installation Guide will walk you through downloading the package, uploading it to your own server, creating a mySQL database, and running the WordPress installer.

Also, ProBlogger has a great screencast on the whole process.

Developing Locally

Okay, maybe you’re thinking, “but I just want to tinker around, and I don’t have a dedicated server for development.” Yes, you do (hint: you’re looking at it) and if you aren’t developing on your own local server, then you are missing out! Working this way allows you to develop offline, and it’s fast. However, I do not recommend using the software below to host your own website from home. Developing with minimal security can be dangerous online, and working locally reduces the hassle of securing the site during development. Just remember that these servers are designed for developing – not hosting.

If you’re working on Windows XP, XAMPP is a great package to help you get started running a local Apache, MySQL, and Php servers. Tamba2 has a great tutorial on running XAMPP.

If you’re on a Mac, MAMP is what you’ll want to be running. See WordPress.org’s guide to setting up MAMP.

If you’re on a Linux box, Supriyadi Slamet Widodo’s blog has an excellent guide to setting up a LAMP server on Ubuntu, and instructions on installing Wordpress on your LAMP server.

Theme Development

One of the most requested Wordpress related jobs is Theme Development. Wordpress’s Theme Development documentation is fortunately thorough and relatively easy to read.

There you can get started on learning how to develop a theme from scratch, or get resources on how to modify an existing theme. If you are modifying themes, be sure to appropriately credit the original designer, even if your theme looks completely different, the time spent developing the back end deserves credit, and it’s the right thing to do.

Sometimes working from home can get a little routine, and you might lose your focus. Check out these ten different takes on staying motivated from bloggers around the Web.

Working from home can either weigh you down or liberate you — it’s all about how you do it. Having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work. Here at oDesk you’ll find the tips and tools to do it right.

- Tamara

Contracts are most likely not your favorite part of freelance work. Hammering out a watertight, legally binding agreement can be a bit of a distraction when what you really need to do is get some work done for your clients. So your choices are: operate on a handshake, purchase an off-the-shelf contract, or employ a lawyer to draft a custom one.

While we aren’t lawyers, and wouldn’t presume to tell you how to write your own work contracts, there are a few items that may be worth considering. Below are some of the terms that can cause heartburn when drafting a contract, and how we address them in the oDesk Marketplace User Agreement.

Don’t Stiff Me (Services and Fees) – Determining what work is to be done, and how much to be paid is most likely the crux of your contract.
oDesk’s take: oDesk encourages you to be upfront about your rates, and guarantees payment for hourly work. Providers should act in good faith to complete the desired work, and buyers are obligated to pay for hours spent (within the agreed upon weekly hours) or the agreed fixed price.

I won’t be back. (Termination) – An escape clause can be a touchy subject. Addressing the possibility that the project or working relationship won’t work out can cast a dark cloud over an agreement, but it’s necessary that both parties be protected.
oDesk’s take: Hourly assignments may be terminated by buyer or provider at any time, and the Buyer is obligated to pay for hours worked prior to termination. Fixed Price Assignments may only be terminated by mutual agreement.

Who owns what? (Work Product and Buyer Deliverable) – Assigning ownership of Intellectual Property is important. Who own the source code? What happens if your client hires a third party to modify it?
oDesk’s take: Providers do not retain Intellectual Property rights. Any copyrightable works prepared by Provider in connection with an Assignment for Buyer shall be “works for hire.” Any materials that the buyer provides along with an assignment remain property of the buyer. The provider is obligated to destroy any copies of that material after an assignment is completed.

Don’t borrow without asking. (Pre-existing Intellectual Property in Work Product) – Reinventing the wheel isn’t necessary, but being upfront about what work you are building upon, is. Sure, you can build an e-commerce website at breakneck pace if you develop it based upon an off the shelf CMS, but does your client know about the licensing fee? What about the payment module for their merchant account, are you going to purchase it, or roll your own?
oDesk’s take: If providers wish to use 3rd party software (or other IP) to complete an assignment, then they need written consent of the buyer. This includes open source software. It is assumed that providers will delivered unique IP that then becomes property of the buyer.

Including the Details? (Entire Agreement) - Using your proposal as the basis for, or as an exhibit in your contract can be great for insuring that all the details of project are included, and that your obligations are clearly outlined. Any agreements made through oDesk are considered part of the service contract for that particular assignment, so it’s important to be clear about expectations with buyers/providers, but rest assured that clear effective communication will translate to your assignment’s Service Contract.
oDesk’s take: The Service Contract outlined above, plus any agreements made between buyer/provider inside the oDesk Marketplace are the full terms of the Service Contract for that assignment.

Be sure to also check out the oDesk Policies Page, it provides detail of the information given above, as well as some useful insights in to how to make the most of the oDesk Marketplace.

At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT, and technology is the key ingredient that makes this system work. So we thought it was time to address the various modes of modern communication, creation and collaboration.

Which of these tech gadgets are your tech gadgets?

From largest to smallest …

COPY MACHINE: An Oldie But a Goodie
Best - If used sparingly and combined with a printer or fax.
Worst - If you have an old dinosaur that needs upkeep.
Needed - If you consistently need massive amounts of copies.

FAX MACHINE: It’s Come a Long Way
Best – If you aren’t paying for an extra phone line.
Worst – If you are still using rolls of paper (say it ain’t so).
Needed - When a potential client says: “Can I fax you this?”

PRINTER: A Necessary Evil
Best – If you can hit “print” from any room in the house.
Worst - If your ink costs as much as your electric bill.
Needed - For contracts, tax papers, etc.

COMPUTER: The Crucial Ingredient
Best – If you still have it under warranty (or are a tech wiz).
Worst – If it has a virus or takes 15 minutes to boot.
Needed - Are you kidding?

LAPTOP: Priceless
Best – When it’s light, fast and new.
Worst – If it weighs as much as your microwave.
Needed - When you have to be able to work from various locations.

MINI: A Tiny Luxury
Best – If you work on the go … really on the go.
Worst – If you blog, work on large pdf files or have carpel tunnel syndrome.
Needed - When you can’t lug around a laptop (or can’t afford one).

PDA: Palmtop Computer
Best – Maybe not.
Worst – If it’s the size of a Dan Brown novel.
Needed - In 1999.

SMARTPHONE / iPHONE: All the Rage
Best – If you know how to use it.
Worst – If you don’t.
Needed - For those who need Internet access at all times.

HEADSET: Hands Free Talking
Best – If it’s comfortable and gets good reception.
Worst – If it’s so small you can’t find it when you need it.
Needed - If the telephone takes up more than 20% of your work day.

WFHT Recommended Reading
“Home Office Essentials” from About.com
“Tips for Home Office Technology” from Fast Company Blog
“The Technology Every Freelancer Needs” from Freelance Directory
“Choosing a PC Pt. 1” from Freelance: UK

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work.

- Tamara

Jasmine with oDesk friends, April 2008

“Things change when you love your work,” says Jasmine Sison, who has been with the team for two years. “I am always looking to find new ways of making my work easier and faster without sacrificing quality.”

Jasmine quit her in-house job and has worked full-time for the oDesk team since January ‘08. She notes that the posting that led to this great fit seemed perfectly suited to her from the start — it wasn’t just work she could do, it was work she wanted to do. “The position was something that interested me and I am very good at doing,” she says. “A nice combination of my education, acquired skills and experiences that I have gained from other work and work environments.”

As director of customer service, Shannon Adkins makes sure the job stays interesting, and that her providers continue to feel engaged, with brief weekly training sessions in which they troubleshoot a recent difficult case. She also uses oDesk’s transparency to keep everyone involved. “All metrics are published to the entire team, and all team members know how they are doing relative to their peers, as well as how oDesk as a whole is doing.” And those who are doing well receive bonuses.

But Shannon looks not just to the present, but the future: “We provide a clear guideline of how to move up in the organization, from entry level to team lead or specialist.”

“My potential is being discovered and my existing skills are honed and challenged,” Jasmine says. “I love learning, and I get my daily dose from this team.”

For more on how oDesk makes remote work work, read our full case study.

Telephones didn’t always come with tiny pop-out keyboards and message screens. Once upon a time, people would actually speak into phones to talk directly with other people. No text messages, no email, no internet browsing, just actual conversations with folks who listen and respond with phones of their own.

There are many freelancers and providers out there who believe business can be handled through emails and text messaging alone, but the truly successful entrepreneurs know this simply isn’t true. There’s a time and a place for both written and verbal communications, but nearly 20 years of email, the rapid rise of text messaging, and other social networking mediums have erroneously de-emphasized the importance of telephone conversations. The fact is a single telephone conversation carries a far greater impression than the best email ever could. That may frighten many of those used to online communication here in oDesk-land, but the advice offered from Gotta Know Online and Associated Content—not to mention our tips below—will show you there’s absolutely no reason to fear the speaker.

Smile when you make a call or answer the phone.
Smiling has the unconscious effect of giving your voice a very friendly, upbeat tone, and that’s how every business conversation should begin.

Always identify yourself on incoming and outgoing calls.
If you’re a freelancer, this can be as simple as answering calls with “Hello, this is Chris,” or “Hi, this is Sandy, how can I help you?” If you’re working for a company, include their name as well. On outgoing calls, always identify yourself to the person that answers, even if you need to speak to someone else. A good example would be “Hello, this is John Doe calling, may I speak to Richard?”

Be an active listener.
Active listening is a fancy way of saying “pay attention!” Turn off music, close the office door, or if necessary, go to a different room where you can offer your complete, undivided attention to the person you’re talking to. Active listening also means you’re not just a silent partner. As the other person speaks, let them know you’re paying attention (or in the cell phone age, that the call didn’t drop) by offering simple acknowledgements such as “sure” or “I see” to the things they say.

Leave short messages.
If you have to leave a message, make it short and to the point. Offer your name and number both at the beginning and end of the message, with a sentence or two in the middle explaining your call. A 20-second message is usually sufficient to get the point across; anything longer should be addressed in the callback.

Resist the urge to take a business call while on personal errands.
Cell phones allow us to talk shop anywhere, but taking a business call while you’re eating dinner with the family or standing in line at the grocery store is not a good idea. Let it go to voice mail and call back as soon as you’re in a more suitable location, even if it means making a quick trip to your car. It may appear as though you’re showing dedication to your clients or customers, but choosing to take a call while rapped up in a personal activity almost always makes the caller uncomfortable, and if you’re in a public setting, you risk blaring out potentially sensitive information.

While these tips provide a good foundation for telephone etiquette, remember that the best phone jockeys develop their own unique style over time. Have any other suggestions to maximize professional telephone conversations? Feel free to share your tricks of the trade in the comments section below.

I was on the road last Thursday, after a Client meeting, and I had an oDesk conference call in 3 minutes. I pulled over at the nearest strip mall, parked, pulled out my iPhone and dialed into the meeting just as someone on the call said:

“OK, I just e-mailed out the agenda. Everyone please let me know when you have it open”

So I muted the call, and pressed the home button on the iPhone, which switched me back to the main menu (the call remained connected).

Cool…

Then I launched the E-mail app, and found the e-mail containing the meeting agenda. I was able to open the MS Word Document and view the agenda while still on the call.

Very cool….

About two minutes in, someone on the call asked me a question:

“Henry, are you available next Tuesday at 2:00? “

So I tapped the yellow bar at the top to switch back to the call, unmuted it, then pressed the home button, launched my Google Mobile app (review, review) and pulled up my Google Calendar.

“Yeah, I’m free. Want me to go ahead and send out the meeting invite?”

I created a new event, invited attendees, and sent the request out with just a few swipes of the finger. No sooner than I did that, I got an incoming call from a Friend, so I switched back to the phone, and with one click was able to put the conference call on hold while I took the new inbound call.

“Hey, I’m on a conference call, can you text me?”

I hung up the phone, and switched back to the MS Word Document, and a few seconds later I got a pop-up window with a text message:

“Hey want to meet for drinks later?”

So I responded affirmatively, wrapped up the conference call, and then:

• Made a few oDesk Blog updates in the WordPress app (review, review)
• Did a few Client Twitter updates with Tweetie (review, review),
• Logged my hours for the day in Minibooks (review, review) and in my oDesk Work Diary (in the Safari Browser App)
• Logged my To Do items in Remember the Milk (review, review)and EnCamp (review, review), the best third-party Basecamp app)
• Put Slacker Radio (review, review) on the headphones (near-flawless free streaming radio)
• Sent IM’s to all of my clients with the Skype app (review, review)and Bejive app (review, review), a multi-client IM tool, to see if anything else was needed for the day
• Plugged the address for the restaurant into the TomTom GPS app (review, review), and headed for the Bar
• Well, I actually might have gotten in a quick game of Tap Tap Revenge 2 (review, review) first (the most addicting game ever created)

All in a days work, and in the palm of my hand!
What are your favorite apps for working on the go? Please let us know by leaving a comment below!

At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT, so we know that working from home can be a liberating experience. However, for some, the time at home may create habits that lead to an unhealthy way of life. Here are some tips to keep yourself sane, social and successful!

Don’t let your laptop become your best friend. Let’s face it, you don’t have to work from home to be a laptop addict, but with this line of work, the risks are greater than normal. To keep yourself out of laptop-abuse rehab, watch TV with nothing on your lap, don’t take your laptop to bed with you, pick up the phone next time you need someone instead of e-mailing them (especially if they are a friend), and give yourself at least one completely computer-free day a week. You’ll be surprised how much you miss your little piece of plastic, with it’s cute little keyboard and shiny screen, but trust us, this is for your own good. (We promise.)

Don’t spend too much time alone. Of course, we all have different needs for social interaction, but no one should be alone all or even most of the time. So, if you haven’t spoken out loud in the last 24 hours, you need to pick up the phone or run to your nearest coffee shop and strike up a conversation with someone. If you live with family or roommates, you may think you’re immune to loneliness, but you’re not. Make sure you’re talking to and meeting with other people (who don’t live with you) on a regular basis. It’s important to have real people in your life. (Sorry, Facebook doesn’t count!)  Make sure your community extends past your front door.

Don’t spend too much time at home. Speaking of your front door, make sure you are getting out of it. Often. Get outside once a day, drive somewhere every other day. Go to the park, walk around a mall, eat dinner out, work at a library — just spend time away from your four walls, preferably in the sunlight. If you can begin to think of sunlight and fresh air as health supplements (because they are!), you might be more likely to get your daily dose. (If you are a stay-at-home parent with little ones and freelancing or consulting, this can be especially hard to do, because you are probably exhausted. But it’s as important for your kids to get out of the house as it is for you.)
 

WFHT Recommended Reading
“Even Lone Wolves Need a Pack” from Bizzia
“How to Overcomee Loneliness When You Work From Home” from Spark Plugging
“7 Tips for Freelance Writers” (hint: these aren’t just for writers) from Hub Pages
“Overcoming Loneliness” from Freelance Folder
“Tips for Dealing With Home-Office Isolation” from Consultant Journal

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work.

- Tamara

The speed of innovation means new technologies are being introduced every day. What you may not realize is that some of the “older” tech knowledge is still in demand today, and with an abundance of new-generation programmers flooding the digital realm, programmers with some old-school knowledge can be worth a pretty penny.  Here are five savvy skills from yesteryear that can still prove themselves valuable, even if they don’t pop up in every day conversation.

LOTUS NOTES

Lotus Notes has a history spanning more than 20 years, causing some industry analysts and mainstream business press writers to make predictions of its impending demise, but the numbers don’t lie: IBM reported an increase of 100 million seats over the last decade. While the market for jobs requiring Lotus Notes skills has been up and down, there are a few folks out there consistently looking for those with the knowledge to handle any Lotus-related curveball that may come their way.

UNIX SHELL

The Unix shell was unusual when it was first created in 1977. On systems using a windowing system (as many do these days) some users may never use the shell directly. On Unix systems, the shell is still the implementation language of system startup scripts, including the program that starts the windowing system, the programs that facilitate access to the Internet, and many other essential functions. Due to the recent movement in favor of open source software, most Unix shells have at least one version that is distributed under an open source license, which may further explain why this “old school” technology is still a desirable job skill.

COLDFUSION

ColdFusion was anything but cold when it hit the digital realm in the mid 1990s. As the internet exploded in popularity, CF and its legions of programmers rode the dot-com wave to great success thanks to a winning combination of functionality and simplicity. Stiff competition over the years has left  ColdFusion overshadowed by other offerings such as Rails and PHP, though the language does maintain a devout following that actively seeks out other CF aficionados.

COBOL

No, we’re not talking about the ancient planet that served as the cradle of humanity in SyFy Channel’s Battlestar Galactica (besides, that’s spelled with a K), but it is nearly as old. With roots dating back to the late 1950s, COBOL is one of the industry’s oldest programming languages, and according to Stephen Kelly of Micro Focus, still “equates to 80% of the world’s actively used code.” It may not be cutting edge, but there’s no denying the benefits of being able to work with, modify, and update a language that remains so prevalent in modern society. It may not lead to an exclusive contract, but in a world where few institutions even teach COBOL, knowing this language can be a valuable asset indeed.

FORTRAN

If COBOL is ancient, FORTRAN is prehistoric, at least in the technological timeline. 1953 marks the birth of this particular programming language, and what it lacks in sophistication, it makes up for in speed and simplicity. Versions of FORTRAN code still serve front line duty in numerous applications, especially in the engineering and scientific realm, where FORTRAN’s ability to efficiently crunch numbers with little fanfare make it an ideal language for complex calculations.

The hot jobs aren’t necessarily the “hip” programming gigs. Rather, they exist at the point where demand outweighs supply, and that’s not always at the crest of the wave. Programmers know just how fast this industry moves. Today’s in-demand language could well be tomorrow’s history lesson, but having a diverse background can easily mean the difference between scrapping for work with millions of fresh programmers, or showcasing yourself to an under-served niche segment where knowledge of older languages reign supreme—and gets you the job.

Here’s the scenario: You just got a callback on a job interview for a big league position, and you have a meeting with the hiring manager tomorrow afternoon. The ironing board immediately comes out to press your suit into a flawless statement of power. A quick visit to the hair salon turns the mop on your head into an executive-level style. That evening you review your resume and portfolio, making sure both are updated with your latest and greatest accomplishments. You make every conceivable effort to absolutely knock the socks off the interviewer, because everyone knows the cliché: You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

And yet, when it comes to written communications online—be it for freelance work, full-time positions, or even general inquiries—folks haphazardly shoot out emails or post profiles with nary a proofread. The fact is, sloppy online first impressions are the equivalent of showing up to an interview—or conducting the interview—wearing ripped jeans, a dirty T-shirt, and a baseball cap advertising beer. And yes, these E-impressions matter just as much as the real thing.

Like it or not, the text you type isn’t just your flawless business suit, it’s also your perfect haircut, friendly smile, attentive posture, and firm handshake all rolled into one.

If that sounds a little frightening, well, it should. If anything, text-based first impressions are even more important than their in-person counterparts, simply because so much rides on so little. On the flip side, introductions though an email or online posting can be immensely advantageous, in that text-based impressions can be endlessly reviewed, revised, and polished beforehand. As such, there’s no real excuse for a poorly-worded first impression, and if you send just such a communication to someone like Jerry over at PSPrint.com, don’t expect to hear anything back because your efforts will go straight to the recycle bin. Jerry’s blog offers some good tips for catching common grammatical goofs, Jesse’s piece at Robust Writing is a good primer for why proper grammar is important, and as your resident oDesk blogger, I offer these bits to help ensure your text-based first impressions are top notch:

• Make sure you have a grown-up email address. Even the very best E-communications lose credibility when they come from a person calling themselves PaRTy4liFE@kegstand.gig. If you’re just trying to be creative, find another way.

• Have someone else proofread your work. Having a second set of unbiased eyes reviewing your work is the absolute best way to catch mistakes.

• Read your work out loud, slowly and methodically. This is a common trick among professional writers to help make sure errors are caught when a proofreader isn’t available.

• Don’t be lazy. Not correcting basic spelling/grammar mistakes says you’re either too stupid to know better, or too lazy to care.

• Don’t be intimidated. You don’t have to be a good writer to write well.  Not every person is a natural born writer, and most people understand this. A mediocre message that’s properly structured is far more professional than a clever paragraph full of dumb mistakes.

At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT. This Tuesday, we want to welcome those of you who are new to working from home and new to this wonderful — though sometimes unusual — business of freelancing, consulting and providing the world with your talent and skills!

FIFTEEN TIPS FOR YOUR NEW LINE OF WORK:

1. Motivation and dedication will be your best friends. Learn to have them.

2. Caffeine will be your second best friend. Stock your house with it.

3. Have a business plan and write it down. Even if it’s as simple as: Find clients on the internet and provide excellent service.

4. When you are working, imagine there is a “closed” sign on your front door. No friends, no census takers or religious zealots allowed — you aren’t home. You’re at work.

5. Beware watching TV while you work. Unless, of course, you are okay with subconsciously inserting bizarre phrases like “that walk is fierce,” “we’ve lost contact with the sub,” or “he’s at the 30-yard-line” into e-mail correspondence with your clients.

6. Network, network, network.

7. Just because you can enjoy a cocktail while working, doesn’t mean you should. Reasons? Impaired work skills and bizarre phrases in e-mails. (See #5.)

8. Find out how being self-employed will affect your taxes.

9. Get a work e-mail account. Separating your e-mail accounts will help you tune out fun when you are working, and it will help you tune out work when you are just having fun.

10. Seek more than one client at a time, even if you don’t need to. In this economy you don’t want to be dependent on one company for your income.

11. Create an online portfolio with a web site or blog.

12. Don’t take your laptop into the kitchen to work while cooking. Bad things happen to laptops in there.

13. No, seriously, find out about your taxes.

14. Be patient. Don’t expect to be busy right away. It may take time to build your business.

15. Enjoy your new-found freedom. Work at the park. Walk your dog on your lunch break. Spend a day at the beach and work at night. You are your own boss now!

WELCOME TO  OUR WORLD!

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work.

- Tamara

Okay, so you’re hip to the World Wide Web and all the techno-programming required to build the coolest virtual environments in E-town. You’ve got game, you’ve got the software, but you’re missing the most vital ingredient of all: Clients. Even the best web-design mojo is merely untapped potential unless you have an A-list of clientele eager for your efforts, and since you’re eager to earn a few greenbacks for your skills, simply showcasing your talent isn’t enough.

Successful freelance web developers aren’t just outstanding programmers, they’re outstanding communicators as well. This part of the job can be easily overlooked, but it’s vital to landing a contract, establishing clear objectives, and following through to a successful conclusion. If communication makes you nervous, don’t sweat it. There’s no special method to making it happen, just be open, honest, ask questions when you need to, and don’t be afraid to speak up if something concerns you. If it all sounds a bit intimidating, here are some good tips to help you establish some good freelancing habits.

Getting the callback:

• Regardless who initiates first contact, remember that less is better. The biggest mistake people make when it comes to a first contact situation is going overboard trying to impress. Sending paragraphs of programming languages and software suites you’re familiar with usually just frustrates clients, especially in the current economic climate where your project inquiry is one of 600 billion sitting in a manager’s inbox. Consider what the client is looking for and answer that SPECIFIC need, keeping your inquiry to a paragraph and offering to discuss the project further at their convenience.
  



• A portfolio is good, but so is reputation. For developers just starting out, having some sort of portfolio will be the only way you can demonstrate your ability. Avoid filling your portfolio with the same type of projects; three creatively-different web sites are more impressive than nine cookie-cutter efforts. Nor should you develop portfolio tunnel vision, because word-of-mouth and positive feedback are absolutely worth their weight in gold. In fact, some experienced developers don’t even have a portfolio; they develop new business simply though their reputations, so garnering solid feedback and soliciting recommendations from past clients should be as important as archiving web sites for future display.
• Don’t sell yourself short! While low-paying gigs for fresh developers may be a necessity to help build your reputation, don’t just automatically offer up low bids in the hopes of landing a contract. Consider the scope of the project; many times, clients will associate a provider’s skill level to the rates they charge, so if you dish up a lowball price, the contract may go to a provider with a higher rate simply because they’re perceived to be a better candidate.

Sealing the deal:

• Be honest with yourself and your client. This seems like a no-brainer, and while most providers have nothing but the best intentions, being too eager can sometimes lead to inaccurate assessments and bad judgment. Don’t be afraid to say no; if there are aspects of a project that you’re not familiar with or qualified to handle, the client needs to know. If the project has a deadline that you’re even remotely concerned about meeting, speak up. If the project specifics are vague, don’t commit to the work until you know specifically what the client is looking for. Don’t get in over your head just because you’re eager for the work; your shortcomings will become apparent sooner or later, and the end result could wind up costing you in the long run.
• Respect your client’s intelligence. While some folks may have technical knowledge, there are plenty of clients out there who just know they need a web site. Tech-savvy clients may prefer to converse on a more technical level, while others just want to leave the details to you. Adjust your communications accordingly to suit the situation, but never assume what your client needs to know, even if their technical knowledge is on the lower end of the scale. Let them tell you what they need to know, or politely ask if they’d like you to explain something. Nine times out of ten they will concede to your best judgment, but giving them the option of learning something new shows a considerable amount of respect and consideration on your part.
• Hammer out specifics on the project. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to fully understand what your client is looking for, even if they ask you to handle all the details. While having creative freedom to work can be nice, that same freedom can also leave you holding the bag if the client isn’t happy with your decisions. Even the clients who say they have no preference in design usually have some sort of idea in their head of what they want, it’s just a matter of bridging the communication gap to find the specifics. Sometimes, simply asking what they don’t want is an effective way to garner some details.
• Be specific on contract details and expectations. Unattended variables on projects have the potential to backfire, so before enteringinto a new project, make every effort to establish specific details on things like deadlines (both for you and the client), payment schedules and methods, confidentiality agreements, and copyright information. Disclaimers and other legalese are also recommended, especially if the client decides to “tweak” your coding, or hires other developers after you’ve completed your work. Be wary of clients who seek guarantees of success and/or minimum web site traffic; the nature of web development and internet usage is entirely subjective, and the fact is there’s no way to guarantee any sort of usage results. Most importantly, if you’re uncomfortable with a pending arrangement or contract with a client, do not be afraid to turn the project down.

Following through:

• Don’t assume anything during the course of the project. NEVER automatically make significant decisions on a project unless the client has given you clear authority to do so ahead of time, regardless of the problem or how little the client may know about web development. Apprise the client of the situation and ask what they would like to do, even if it means asking their permission to use your best judgment. Keeping these decisions in the hands of the client shows a tremendous amount of respect, concern, and professionalism on your part, while also encouraging healthy communication during the various project stages.
  
• Deliver regular updates. Even if everything is rolling along like clockwork, silence over time has a way of eroding even the strongest bonds of trust and confidence. Offering brief progress updates—even if you’re working hourly—will go a long way in reassuring your client that the project is in good hands.
• Respect your client’s time. Be prepared to work for your client when the clock starts, maintain your productivity, offer regular updates (even if working hourly), but don’t abuse the time given to you. Inform your client of potential delays or setbacks as soon as they occur, and be prepared to offer “off the clock” time if personal matters cause the project to fall behind.
• Offer minor tweaks, edits, and tech support pro-bono at the close of the project. Don’t commit to hours of free work, but offering a little bit of bonus help at the end of a project goes a long way in cementing good relations, and it shows that you stand behind your work.
  
• You are the boss of you, but you also work for your client. Never forget that, as a freelancer, you’re in charge of the work you do. That’s not a license to be disrespectful, abusive, or ignorant of your client’s needs, but you know best how to do your job, so stand behind your actions, speak with confidence, and don’t be afraid to use the word ‘no’ if a request isn’t something you’re willing or able to do.

With freelancing and remote work, the ability to give a visual presentation adds a lot to the efficiency to handle the tasks at hand. While communication technology has come a long way, sometimes phone calls, emails, and screenshots just don’t cut it. When you need the feel of an in-person presentation, you not only have to think logistics and distance, but also the cost and the environmental impact on having someone “come in”. We’ve investigated some of the options for free web conferencing – an easy alternative to the in-person meeting.

.

Yugma offers their application free for up to 20 attendees to your meeting and all the standard bells and whistles are provided. Yugma runs on Windows, Linux and Mac.

They even have a handy dandy Skype plugin:

DimDim has all the usual features too and also offers the first 20 attendees free. DimDim needs no install which is a nice feature. This one is interesting in that they offer their software as open source for anyone who wishes to build their own.

Here is a demo from the chief designer:

Vyew also does not require any installation as it is browser based. Vyew has a nice feature in that it is persistent so if you cannot get everyone together at once, the meeting lives on where others can come in later and edit/collaborate.

Here is an intro video to give you the details:

All are roughly similar on the basics but they emphasizing different features for more specific needs – try them all to find the one that’s the best fit for you!

At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT. This Tuesday, let’s talk about that pesky but all-important issue of how you prove yourself worthy of that next freelance gig. How do you present yourself to your next client? How will they see your work?

Accept that paper resumes and leather portfolios are becoming dinosaurs in the freelance world. If you are a freelance writer — be it technical, copy or white papers — chances are, you’re accustomed to presenting your work on paper. Photographer or graphic designer? You may be used to glossy images couched in leather and clear plastic. The thing is, when your business moves to the online world, you — just like a web developer or software engineer — will need to  start showing your work online. The option of walking in for a sit-down interview is no longer on the table. All you have is e-mail and the internet. Get used to it.

Get your work online as soon as possible. Whether you choose to build a portfolio on a freelance site, like oDesk, or build your own web site, it’s important to put your previous work on the internet. If you are a web developer this will be easy. Create your own site, with links to sites you’ve made. Not so tech savvy? Enlist a friend or trade services with another freelancer. Find a way. But you can always utilize a blog. With free blog options like WordPress and Blogger, there’s no excuse. Anyone can create an online showcase for their skills or job history.

Protect your work and make your site simple. So, you want to put your work online, but you’re worried about idea theft and plagiarism? Be savvy. Writers, don’t include full articles (unless it was published on line, in which case, just link). Instead, offer half of each piece, with a note to e-mail you for the entire thing. Photographers, graphic designers, etc., always “watermark” your work. However, besides protection, the best thing you can do for yourself is to keep your site or blog reader-friendly. Nothing too fancy. Plenty of white space, no splashy fonts. It should be as easy to navigate as a physical portfolio is to flip through.

WFHT Recommended Reading
“Build a Killer Online Portfolio in 9 Easy Steps” from Freelance Switch
“Freelance Writer Online Portfolio” from About.com Freelance Writing
“How a Blog Can Help Your Photography Business” from Freelance Switch
“Redesign Your Portfolio Site: 4 Tips … ” from Freelance Folder
“Creating a Successful Online Portfolio” from Smashing Magazine

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work.

- Tamara

At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT. This Tuesday, we want to acknowledge a few special moments in every freelancer’s life. Those moments where you realize that your friends — and maybe even your family — have no idea that working from home really is working.

For every time you’ve wanted to cringe (or scream), we offer you the following …

7 SIGNS YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
NEED TO BE REMINDED THAT
WORKING FROM HOME REALLY IS WORKING:

7. Your roomate is off work for the week and has invited half his old fraternity to the house to hang out with him. All day. And all night.

6. Your reading club is baffled and offended that you — someone who is home all day! — can never seem to finish the books. 

5. The head of the Parent Teacher Association just called to find out why you’ve never volunteered to be your child’s room mom. Isn’t it about time?

4. Your younger brother paid you a surprise visit last month and is still pouting because you couldn’t take a few days off to just “hang.” I mean, you are your own boss, right?

3. Winter break is just around the corner, and two other families from school just called to find out if they can pencil you in to watch their kids. Because they have to ”work” that week. 

2. Your neighbor just asked if you could start checking in on her new puppy every day. You know … ’cause you’re home anyway, right?

AND THE NUMBER ONE SIGN IT’S TIME TO DO SOME REMINDING?

1. Your spouse walked in the door last night, looked at the dirty kitchen and asked you — in a surprisingly pointed tone  — what exactly you’ve been doing all day.

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work.

- Tamara

Freelance writing bloggers sometimes come and go like  rain in springtime. However, there are many right now who are relevant, smart and here to stay. We just want to make sure you know they’re there. So, check out our alphabetical listing of 40 great writing blogs, (almost) all written for freelancers. You just might discover a new favorite!

	ALL FREELANCE WRITING: Your Freelance Writing Source Blogger – Jennifer Mattern; pro business, web content writer Love - Free templates, the job board, and Mattern’s wisdom Read - “How to Become a Better … “ by J. Mattern
	BAD LANGUAGE: Writing About Writing Blogger – Matthew Stibbe; business, tech, marketing writer Love -The intelligent community and Stibbe’s solid content Read - “Email Etiquette Revisited” by M. Stibbe
	BIZZIA: Freelancing Blogger – Allison Boyer; writer, owner of ABContent Love - Monthly topics, advice covering fiction and non-fiction Read - “Charging for Rush Assignments” by A. Boyer
	BOB BLY: Copywriter Blogger - Bob Bly; marketing copywriter, consultant Love -Bly’s experience, the blog’s large community Read - “The 12 Undeniable Truths of … Writing” by B. Bly
	CONFIDENT WRITING: Because Our Words Count Bloggers - Joanna Young; writing coach / Various Guest Bloggers Love - Inspiration, motivation, amazing guest posts Read - “The … Power of Audacious Writers” by D. Boyken
	COPYBLOGGER: Copywriting Tips for Online Marketing Success Bloggers - Brian Clark; marketing strategist / Various Others Love - Rants, mass audience, range of experienced contributors Read - “5 Steps to Going Viral on Twitter” by D. Zarella
	THE COPYWRITER UNDERGROUND: Copywriting Beyond the Words … Blogger – Tom Chandler; writer, marketer, consultant Love -Copywriting news, trends, humor … and Tom Chandler Read - “The Numbers Aren’t Pretty … ” by T. Chandler
	THE COPYWRITER’S CRUCIBLE: Copywriting for Websites, Articles … Blogger – Matt Ambrose; marketing copywriter Love - Tips, practicality, traffic wisdom, proven experience Read - “Copywriting Principle … Vital for SEO” by M. Ambrose
	DAILY FREELANCE WRITING TIPS Blogger – Chesley Maldonado; freelance writer Love - Vulnerability, inspiring posts, relevance Read - “Loneliness and Freelance Writing” by C. Maldonado
	DAILY WRITING TIPS Blogger – Maeve Maddox; published author Love -Grammar, vocab. guidance … plus Maeve, Maeve, Maeve Read - “Setting Your Freelance Writing Fees” by M. Maddox
	FAB FREELANCE WRITING: Make Money Writing Blogger – Angela Booth; freelance writing guru, author Love - Tons of content, don’t need to buy her books to learn from her Read - “Top 10 Ways to Make More Money” by A. Booth
	FREELANCE COPYWRITERS BLOG Blogger - Sally Ormond; freelance copywriter Love -Focused copywriting tips — almost never off topic Read - “Headlines That Work”by S. Ormond
	FREELANCE WRITERVILLE: Like a B!#?&-Slap in the Morning Bloggers - Yolander Prinzel; writer and creator / Various others Love - The irreverent attitude, the forums, the fun Read - “Who Are You Getting Your … Advice From” by Y. Prinzel
	FREELANCE WRITING: Achieve Freelance Writing Success Blogger – Chris Bibey; freelance writer Love - From-the-trenches insights, his youthful optimism (we’re jealous) Read - “Tips for a Successful … Writing Career” by C. Bibey
	FREELANCE WRITING: Freelance Writing and Freelance Writing Jobs Blogger - Allena Tapia; freelance writer and editor Love - Forum, career advice (like diversifying) Read - “Yes, Interviews Do Get Easier” by A. Tapia
	FREELANCE WRITING: The Writer’s Manifesto Blogger – Monika Mundell; freelance writer / George Angus; contributor Love - Inspiration, freelance lifestyle, creativity tools and tips Read - “Offline vs. Online Author” by M. Mundell
	FREELANCE WRITING JOBS NETWORK: FWJ and Other Stuff Bloggers - Deb Ng; writer, social media consultant / Various Others Love - Freelance lifestyle balance, community, leads and tips Read - “Top 10 Freelance Job Application Mistakes” by D. Ng
	THE FREELANCE ZONE Bloggers - Catherine L. Tully; writer, speaker / Joe Wallace; writer, editor Love - Tech advice, writing job leads, financial wisdom Read - “What You Might Not Know About … Taxes” by J. Wallace
	GET PAID TO WRITE ONLINE: Straight Talk About Your Writing Career Blogger - Sharon Hurley Hall; freelance writer Love - The wisdom of experience Read - “Freelance Writing Questions: Avoiding Scams” by S.H. Hall
	GRAMMARBLOG: Mocking Poor Grammar Since 2007 Bloggers - Various contributors Love - Laughs, epic fails (so it’s not about freelancing — it’s still fun) Read - “An Unfortunate ‘Postition’ ” by Tom
	THE GRAMMARPHOBIA BLOG: Grammar, Usage, Etymology and More Bloggers - Patricia T. O’Conner; journalist / Stewart Kellerman; journalist Love - Learning proper English! Read - “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby” by O’Conner and Kellerman
	IRREVERENT FREELANCER: Daily (or Thereabouts) Diatribes … Blogger - Kathy Kehrli; freelance writer Love - The humor: “The Ultimate Get-a-Clue Freelance Requests” Read - “Freelance Payment Musical Chairs” by K. Kehrli
	MEN WITH PENS Bloggers - James Chartrand; owner, copywriter / Various others Love - Inspiration, community, humor Read - “Are You Using Life As Your Excuse?” by H. McLeod
	ODESK BLOG: Changing How the World Works Bloggers - Various contributors (Did you think we’d leave ourselves off?) Love - We’re fun, we have job boards … enough said Read – “Writing Lessons From Wil Wheaton” by Erica
	POE WAR: Write Well, Live Well Blogger - John Hewitt; writer Love - Job board and sheer number of writing resource articles Read - “Negative Self Talk for Writers: Perfectionism” by J. Hewitt
	THE RENEGADE WRITER BLOG: You Read the Book, Now Read the Blog Bloggers - Linda Formichelli; author / Diana Burrell; author Love - Leads, trade news, career advice, writing tips Read - “How to Slog Your Way Through a Boring Assignment” by D. Burrell
	THURSDAY BRAM: What’s Going on in the World of Freelance Writing? Blogger – Thursday Bram; writer, media consultant Love - Q&A’s, social media advice, trade book reviews Read - “Are You the CTO of Your Freelancing Business?” by T. Bram
	THE “BLOG” OF “UNNECESSARY” QUOTATION MARKS Blogger – Bethany Keeley; hilarious genius Love - Funny pics of terribly punctuated signage Read - “Something Like Quality“ sent in by Brad
	THE URBAN MUSE: Adventures in Reading, Writing and the Creative Life Blogger - Susan Johnston; freelance writer Love -Writer Q&As, Museletter, community and blog advice Read - “5 Tell Tale Signs of Bad Editor” by S. Johnston
	THE WELL-FED WRITER: Income-Boosting Resources … Blogger – Peter Bowerman; author, copywriter Love - Career talk, community interaction, client etiquette, lifestyle Read - “The Joys of Unplugging” by P. Bowerman
	WILL WRITE FOR CHOCOLATE Blogger  - Debbie Ridpath Ohi; writer, illustrator Love -Seeing our (ridiculous) selves in her comic strips Read - “What Would Dumbledore Do?” by D.R. Ohi
	WORDCOUNT: Freelancing in the Digital Age Blogger – Michelle V. Rafter; writer, journalist Love - Blogging and social media tips, straight talk Read - “10 Ways Writers Can Beat the Recession” by M.V. Rafter
	WRITE TO DONE: Unmissable Articles on Writing. Twice Weekly. Blogger - Leo Babauta; writer, zen master / Mary Jaksch; writer, zen master Love - Innovation, variety, guest posts, lifestyle Read - “176 Tips for Writers” by M. Jaksch
	WRITER BEWARE BLOGS! Blogger - A.C. Crispin / Victoria Strauss / Richard White Love - Knowing what not to do (Plus fantastic trade gossip!) Read - “SterlingHouse Pub.’s Cover Gambit … ” by V. Strauss
	THE WRITER’S BLOG BY DANA PRINCE Blogger - Dana Prince; writer Love - Reviews of paying blogging gigs, career advice Read - “… When the Writing Work Well Runs Dry” by D. Prince
	WRITING FORWARD: Writing Tips and Ideas Blogger - Melissa Donovan; writer Love - Creative writing guidance — almost as good as a personal coach Read - “The Difference Between Dashes and Hyphens” by M. Donovan
	WRITING FRUMP: Frumping, Commiserating, Swapping War Stories … Blogger - Anonymous; writer Love - The whining, the drama — it’s to-die-for fun Read - “Does Your Tail Even Know It Has a Dog?” by Frumpie
	THE WRITING JOURNEY: Helping Internet Writers Achieve Their Dreams Blogger - Bob Younce; writer Love - Wise observations, coaching, no nonsense Read - “8 … Internet Writing Mistakes” by B. Younce
	WRITINGTHOUGHTS: Translating Thoughts to Words for 19 Years Blogger - Laura Spencer; copywriter and editor Love - Guest posts, trade book reviews, inspiration Read - “Is Your Freelance Writing Timeless?” by L. Spencer
	WRITING WHITE PAPERS: How to Stand Out … Blogger - Michael Stelzner; author, white paper master Love - Videos, interviews, contests, tips Read - “How to Speed Your Writing” by M. Stelzner

Did we forget any of your favorites? Let us know!

At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT. This Tuesday, we want to encourage you to remember why you started working from home in the first place and what it is you want to accomplish in life. Dreams can get lost in the daily grind, but only if you let them.

Put Your Dreams  Back on Your Priority List. Chances are, you chose this freelance lifestyle as a means to your dream. Maybe the dream was spending more time with family, refurbishing a home, writing the next best seller, building the next must-have technology, or creating the next video game sensation – the point is, somewhere along the line you probably had something you wanted when you became self-employed. To keep a dream alive, it needs to stay a priority. Even a dream as seemingly simple as “being with my kids after school” can get pushed aside by work and other demands if it’s not truly a priority.

Give Your Dream the Best Version of You. Writing the novel of the century is probably not going to happen at 2 a.m. if you’ve been crunching numbers for your new client all night up to that point. Creativity, energy and motivation need to be aligned in order to make magic, and you have the ability to give all of them to your dream. Schedule a time each week or each day when everything is dropped for at least one hour, so you can focus on your dream. For example, are you sharpest at 8 a.m.? Then you need to start building the software of the future every Monday morning at 8 a.m. Maybe (just maybe) every morning at 8 a.m. (It all depends on how bad you want that dream.)

Don’t Give Up Too Easily. Sometimes dreams change. In high school you wanted to be a rock star, now you would be happy to play one night a week at your local coffee shop. It’s a fair change of plans to shoot for the coffee shop — and not entirely different than your original dream. Just don’t let a momentary, short-term failure ever be the basis for abandoning a dream. There’s a very wise saying: If you’ve never failed, you’ve never lived. A lot of people who have made their dreams come true encountered failure along the way.  You don’t want to look back on your life one day and see that you gave up too soon. So don’t.

WFHT Recommended Reading
“Four Ways to Find More Personal Time” from Freelance Folder
“49 Motivational Quotes to …” from Guerrilla Freelancing
“Sideshows: Making Time for Important Things” from Web Worker Daily
“In Search of Dolphin Leather” from Seth Godin’s Blog
“The Ultimate Guide to Motivation: How to Achieve Any Goal” from Zen Habits

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work.

- Tamara

Stature Software started using oDesk in August 2006, only three weeks after it formed. “I realized at the time that the future was with offshore developers,” says partner Gregory Silvano. “My problem was that I didn’t know how to find good offshore developers. … Once I saw oDesk, I realized it was exactly what I was looking for.”

Three years later, Silvano’s partnership with Joseph Patalano has grown, with no capital investment, into a business that earns $2 million a year. Relying almost entirely on remote providers, they’re experts at managing online workteams — they have 20 oDesk providers and a smaller number of outside contractors — so we asked them for a buyer’s perspective on provider relationships.

Q: You really emphasize long-term relationships with your providers, don’t you?
A: “Once we find a provider, we typically keep that provider full-time forever. The second person I ever interviewed was Roman Trotsenko, who now has a dozen developers in his company working for Stature. Originally it was Roman as our developer, and we kept adding more and more to his team.”

Q: Besides the specific technical skills, what do you look for when you’re seeking a good provider?
A: “Creativity, reliability, English skills, responsiveness. I don’t want to give perfect specs every time. I want the developer to understand our clients’ business and really understand the problems they need to solve.”

Q: What’s a fatal mistake that providers commonly make, whether in their profiles or in initial communication with you?
A: “Lack of responsiveness is absolutely No. 1. It is probably the only fatal mistake they can make in my eyes. They can always get better at coding and better at the processes. But if they are unreliable, then they’re gone. I’d rather have an eager and responsive junior developer than an unresponsive expert.”

Q: You’ve got providers all over the world. What are the tricks and advantages to building a widely dispersed workteam?
A: We have nearly 24 hour coverage … it’s good to have the team all over the world. I intentionally found providers from several locations in 2006 because I didn’t want one political situation or one tidal wave to wipe out my entire company. We typically focus on Russia, Ukraine, and Philippines.”

Q: In what ways does using oDesk providers give your business an edge over the competition?
A: “Cost and ability to rapidly expand. I can add new developers quicker than my (competent) competitors can. I can also add developers quicker than my clients can add in-house developers, which means I can ramp up for a new project quicker than they can — so I’ll often get the new business.”

Q: You’ve got multiple projects under way at a time; how do you divide the work among your various workteams?
A: “We’ve found it’s best to not use multiple teams on the same projects. There are different coding styles, time zones, managers, etc. In the end, I’d rather have all of the code written by the same team.”

Read our full story on Stature Software here.

At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT. This Tuesday, we’d like to talk about a sticky subject: when and how to say “No” to a client or buyer. Remember, you work for yourself! You can say no. So, here are a few guidelines we hope will help you out.

Reasons to Stop Taking Projects From a Client. Any reason is a good reason -you’re the boss! However, here are a few you really shouldn’t feel guilty about: (1) Ethical Reasons: The client asks you to do things you really aren’t comfortable doing (even if they are legal). (2) Relational Reasons: You can’t stand working with them. You just can’t seem to see eye-to-eye, no matter how hard you’ve tried.  (3) Productivity Reasons: They are experts at the art of time suckage and you are tired of taking their phone calls at all hours of the day and night. (4) Personal Reasons: You just don’t like the assignments. It’s okay to listen to your gut and move on. (5) Financial Reasons: They don’t pay — or aren’t paying enough.

Wrong Ways to End the Relationship. While we support your need to end the relationship with your buyer, there are a few things we want you to avoid doing on your way out. (1) Venting Frustration: It isn’t in your best interest to burn the bridge, so don’t end it on a bad note – no matter how upset you may be over the circumstances. (2) Using the Wrong Medium: If you typically talk on the phone with the  client, don’t end things via e-mail. Also, no matter what, please — for the love of all things freelance — please, don’t “break up” by voicemail! (3) Ending Mid-Project: Sometimes there is no good place to make a clean break, but try (if you can) to end the relationship with a completed task.

Right Ways to End the Relationship. Always put your best foot forward on your way out the door — just like when you walked in it. (1) Thank the Client: They gave you work. They paid you. (We hope.) Thank them for the opportunity. (2) Recommend a Replacement: You won’t always be able to do this, but it’s a real sign of professionalism if you can. (3) Give Them Notice. on’t stop out of the blue. Tell them it’s over at least a week or two before you really need to walk away (if possible). (4) Don’t Elaborate: They don’t need to know much; just that you are switching your focus to some other clients and won’t be able to help them any longer.

WFHT Recommended Reading
“Why I’m Trying to Become a Quitter” from Stepcase Lifehack
“Guidelines for Turning Down Freelance Work” from Wake Up Later
“How to Craft Your Personal Business Model” from Freelance Switch
“11 Tips on How to End a Client Relationship” from Men With Pens
“How to End the Client Relationship” from Writing White Papers

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work.

- Tamara

I don’t work at oDesk, but I use it all the time. I start a new online business about every six months, and therefore need a lot of talented people to help me pull it off- 90% of the work for my companies is done through outsourcing with oDesk. I’m a buyer, and I want to share with you some tips to make yourself stand out from the crowd and command top-dollar for your skills.

Here are ten tips to make more money off people like me:

Applying for jobs

1 – Hide your (other) skills
When applying for a job, try not to copy/paste the same generic cover letter. A lot of times, I’m asking for something specific – like an ActionScript 3 programmer, and the cover letter I get would say “I’m an expert in HTML/CSS/PHP/FLASH”. That’s great, but I was looking for an AS3 pro, not anything else. Talk about the skills you have for this job specifically and you have a much bigger chance to get booked!

2 – Repeat the job
Almost always I hire the person that repeats back to me exactly what I want – in their own words. It makes me feel they are confident about their understanding of the job and I plan to interview with them right away!

3 – Good English skills don’t matter…
… when I’m not looking for a writer. On those types of jobs, tell me what variables you need me to define for you to come up with for a more accurate quote. I’m more than happy to reply using the interview feature. That hire button just got one step closer!

The interview process

4 – Talk timeline
Every buyer is a little nervous to go over budget. If you have enough information about the job, and can give an accurate timeline that you can commit to keeping, you will stand out from the rest. Follow through by sticking to that timeline? Five star feedback and re-hiring are now guaranteed.

5 – Present related work
I love a good portfolio, but don’t have time to go through a full list of work you did before. If you send me one link of something very similar to what I’m looking for, that’s enough for me. If your previous work isn’t directly related, give me a few items that combine to show the skills I need for this job. Still at a loss? Apply for a different job that is a more direct fit for your talents – this will let you command a higher rate and deliver phenomenal results!

Hourly jobs

6 – Work with a plan from the start
I’ve been a freelancer myself and my hourly rate was 70 EUR ($100 USD) while I was still in college. Not because I was a good programmer (I’m honestly not) but because I started every job with a plan. I used the four C’s (Cloud – Create – Contstruct – Control, which you can read more about in my book) with every client – and all of them were raving about the work, simply because I always started every e-mail with what ‘development phase’ we were in next.

7 – Please document
You’ll be surprised how few people document their work and how much more I’m willing to pay for someone who does. There are plenty of free scripts out there that you can use to quickly generate something that looks good. Explain what you did and the buyer will love you for it and fight to keep you on the team. I know I will!

8 – Say when you’ll work on it
Even if I trust you completely on the job and hired you 10 times before, I’m still a little anxious to know when exactly you will start on my job. If you specify when you’ll start working, I have some peace of mind, even if it’s close to the deadline.

Fixed price jobs

9 – Communicate about progress only
That’s all I want to hear about. Of course, too little communication is bad but too much communication is bad too. Keep in mind, every time you contact the buyer, you need to give a little update on your progress and you will become a keeper!

10 – Be honest
If you missed a deadline or did something wrong, be honest about it and I would still give you a 5-star rating. I love honesty more than anything and I love to give a second chance. (But not every buyer is the same. Get to know your buyer, build trust with them, and they are more likely to value you, your honesty, and your work.)

Don’t go yet: I want to be a better buyer, too! In your comments, please tell me: what makes a good buyer?

Ruven Meulenberg’s company is currently creating a video-game through oDesk. He is the founder of GuiMags, the author of “The Unplugged: Join a new breed of software developers that don’t use computers. Much” and he blogs twice a week on TheWayOfTheUnplugged.com.

At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT. This Tuesday, we want you to think about ways that you can keep growing in your field and expanding your skills. Here are a few words of advice to inspire you.

Subscribe to newsletters or magazines relevant to your field. It’s important that you stay on top of your field and know the latest gadgets, tools, software, books, etc., that can help you in your work. Whether you are a writer, a software developer, a customer service specialist… whatever your line of work, try to stay at the top of your game. It’s important that you know more than your client (and can show that you know more than anyone else they might think about hiring  instead of you), and that’s the bottom line. If you can, get free online newsletters, but if you can’t, invest in a quality trade magazine.

Attend seminars and conferences for your line of work. This will cost you. Sometimes it may cost as much as a mini-vacation, but saving for these experiences can be worth it in the long run. A word of caution before you book a plane ticket, however: do your homework. Research forums online and ask a lot of questions. Find people who have gone to the ones you are considering, and find the conferences or seminars that are worth your hard-earned cash. Remember that for every valuable convention or conference there are probably two worthless money-sucking duds. Spend your time — and money — wisely.

Take on projects that will put you — within reason — outside of your comfort zone. Here is where you need to go forward with caution. Expand your skill set and your portfolio without getting in over your head. Take on projects that require a little bit more than you have done in the past and give yourself enough time to learn as you go. Just don’t lie about your experience. Show confidence in your ability to tackle the new, and your client will appreciate your honesty. Do the job well, and you will have added something new to your portfolio.

WFHT Recommended Reading
“Staying on Top of Your Game” from Freelance Switch
“Why You Should Attend Conferences” from Freelance Writing Jobs
“Group Think: Attending Web Conferences” from Wake Up Later
“Applying the Principles of Kaizen and Bootstrapping to Build Your Freelance Skills” from Freelance Folder
“Survival Tip #5: Expanding Your Skills” from Learning to Be a Champion

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work.

- Tamara

Wil Wheaton is a writer and actor who shares his stories through regular updates on his blog. I find his writing inspiring and valuable, so I’ve decided to share with you some lessons I’ve picked up from him that freelance writers (or freelancers in any field) may find useful.

Let yourself ramble – sometimes.
Wil has been known to occasionally allow himself some rambling space on his blog. I’ve found that some of my best writing comes after giving myself permission to write anything at all – even if it didn’t fit the assignment. That paper on Lake Champlain I got an A on in college? It started as a letter to my professor telling him how much I hated the assignment. It gave me a chance to fill the page, pass the first hurdle, and get started on the work at hand. (Of course, the difference is that Wil’s “rambling” is still readable and wouldn’t get him expelled from school if his professor read it!)

“Read” the works of others.
Many famous authors advise reading as a source of inspiration. Wil does a lot of his reading through audiobooks, proving that you don’t have to sit still and “read” to get the benefits of exposure to others’ works. Wil writes: “One night about three weeks ago, while driving home and listening, one phrase he spoke came out of my speakers, hit me in that part of my brain that makes me want to be a writer, and knocked out a story idea that has refused to let me do anything else until I bring it into the world and make it real.” Very cool, and the resulting story might never have happened without another author’s words to kickstart the idea.

Know when to start over.
Sometimes, the work isn’t going as planned, and the path it takes isn’t interesting or useful to the final result. You are not alone in this, and Wil provides context on the many authors who have written about creative exhaustion. It takes a brave person to be able to look at this thing they’ve been toiling over, set it aside and start anew. And, it takes a smart person to not completely delete the original efforts – because you never know when a phrase or thought may become useful in another context!

Fess up
Wil consistently reminds me that even the best writers are human, and he never fails to admit when he’s made a mistake. Not just admit to it, he genuinely apologizes, and explains his correction. Like in this blog post, where he corrects himself for misquoting fellow author Neil Gaiman. The slip was over one word, but – as Wil explains – that one word makes all the difference in the meaning. The lesson: admit mistakes, be genuine, and explain what you’ve done to correct the problem – even if it seems minor.

Be you.
Wil is an unapologetic geek. In fact, he’s pretty darn proud of his geekdom and shares his experiences from a decidedly geeky point of view. By being himself in his writing, Wil can write about the things that truly interest and engage him – like role playing games, good books, and his family.

Helpful links:
5 Writing Lessons I Wish I’d Learned the Easy Way
Blog vs. Book
And, of course:
WWdN: In Exile

I have never met Wil Wheaton, though I own a signed copy of “Just a Geek” because I have wonderful friends who met him while I was stuck at home with a nasty headcold. Therefore, the commentary made in this entry is mine, unless otherwise noted. My heartfelt thanks to Wil for sharing his experiences through his writing.

- Erica

At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT. This Tuesday, we’re diving into solutions for the myriad of complexities that arise when you are working from home for more than one client or buyer. Confusion, stress, chaos, clashing priorities and deadlines … it can be a nightmare. So, here’s a little advice to get you through.

Keep a detailed calendar or task management record.

In last week’s post, we listed three great task management tools you can find online, but the truth is you can even use the calendar on your wall. Just use it.  Every e-mail should be marked unread until whatever it contains has been added to your to-do list. Tasks should be evaluated every work day and crossed off (or deleted) as you go — we promise, it will feel good. Be sure you are paying close attention to deadlines, and set your reminders to begin days in advance.

Consider dividing your time by days of the week.

If focusing on multiple projects in a day leaves your head spinning, you may need to organize your week according to your clients. For example, make Mondays and Wednesdays the days you focus on projects from a certain company, while Tuesday is reserved for projects from another, etc. This can simplify your life exponentially. If Company A knows you only work for them on Mondays, they can act accordingly. (And you’ll stop worrying about it on Tuesdays.)

Create a wall for project management in your home office.

If you are a visual-type, this could work wonders for you. Get an enormous cork board or white board and put it near your desk. Write client names across the top and set aside space vertically for their individual projects. Keep detailed track of your progress and see the big picture at the same time! (Hint: Keep a daily countdown with post-it notes next to each project’s deadline.)

WFHT Recommended Reading
“A Guide to Simple Project Management” from Freelance Switch
“Setting Your Freelance Project Workload” from Geekpreneur
“How to Deal With Invasive Clients” from the Freelance Folder
“How to Manage Multiple Writing Projects Simultaneously” from Wordpreneur
“Time Management and Efficiency” from Freelancer Magazine

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work.

- Tamara

There are some experiences that are unique to those newest members of the oDesk community. In the second of this 2-part series, a neophyte freelancer shares her early experiences and success, in the hope it may guide and inspire others as they begin their careers as providers on oDesk.

Previously, Verena was getting frustrated, and had very little luck with finding work online. Until she received an invitation to interview for a position after giving up hope:

I responded to the invitation with no expectation that I would be hired. I thanked the buyer for picking me from his many profile searches at oDesk. I took this as an opportunity to prove my worth…..or better yet, to point out my skill set, work experience and other proficiencies. After a day, there was no reply. I merely shrugged my shoulders and considered it as another rejection. I’ve dealt with the same already and I was done with it.

Until the evening of that day, came another email, this time direct from the buyer. His message said in part, “I appreciate your considering working with the number one office in Florida in regards of mortgage services and lending ….” He also included a questionnaire. “I have 20 more people I am interviewing this week and you were the first in the line so I wish you luck Verena” I answered his queries and emailed him back, still without expecting that anything good would come out of it. I no longer had the same enthusiasm as when I first signed up.

In no time, a follow up email from the buyer reached my mail box. It said…”I read all your answers and I like all of them. Congratulations… I think you are the right person for the job. I will forward all the email to correspondence HR and get you on board ASAP…”

Could this be true? Does that mean I am hired? I added his skype address to my list and true enough we had a voice chat and he confirmed that I got the job. Halleluiah! So what they say is also true, “when one door closes on you, another will open.”

When it Rains, it Pours…

Because I was able to regain my enthusiasm that day, I applied for a few job posts. Barely 24 hours after that, an oDesk alert landed in my mailbox. This time the buyer was from Canada. His job post required a “Top Personal Assistant” for administrative support in his computer software industry. His personal requirements were that the candidate be “an excellent communicator, intelligent, independent, motivated, creative, assertive, reliable, responsible, well organized, preferably with above 5 English skills, at least 1 oDesk hours, and feedback score of above 4.5.”

At that time, of all the listed qualifications, I do not meet the last two. Since I had not begun my assignment yet with my first client, I had not logged any oDesk hours. Neither did I have a feedback score yet, since this comes only after an assignment is ended. But I got invited for the interview nonetheless. My self-worth came back!

I responded to the invitation and in no time I was chatting with the buyer. Our discussions covered topics on my experience in designing/creating powerpoint presentations, customer services, handling legal disputes, business correspondence, my availability or schedule, a brief summary of his business and his job requirements. Not long after that, I was hired for the job. I felt great that I had two jobs that I can manage, thanks to my skill at time management and multi-tasking. I felt so good and so grateful.

Currently, I have 6 active assignments, all from very nice buyers. I am very motivated because they all have very positive attitudes about me and my work. Two of them increased my hourly rate without me asking for it – according to them, that is for a job well done and for exceeding their expectations. I feel so blessed and lucky to have been involved with quality buyers like them, and I am happy to be a part of the growth of their businesses. I thank them for entrusting their jobs to me. I always make it a point to do my job well and I make it my commitment to do the best I can for them.

Thank you, oDesk, for serving as a valuable “bridge” between the buyers and providers like me!

Verena De Los Reyes is a stay-at-home mom and just recently a member of the oDesk community of freelance professionals. She is a mother of three beautiful children and the wife of a wonderful husband, Arthur. Verena shares more of her experiences as a freelancer earning an honest living online at her blog.

There are some experiences that are unique to those newest members of the oDesk community. In the first of this two part series, a neophyte freelancer shares her early experiences and success, in the hope it may guide and inspire others as they begin their careers as providers on oDesk.

The Newbie Excitement
My interest in looking for a job online was renewed when we decided to build a new house. Although we had a ready budget to cover the estimates, I learned that in the actual implementation, costs could double (and, yes they did!) This convinced me to work as a freelancer in order to augment the family budget, and the anticipation of more expenses for my son’s college education which starts this school year.

After visiting hundreds of websites offering online jobs, I stumbled upon oDesk. What pretty much convinced me to sign in was the fact that there is no membership fee. To my mind, there is absolutely no risk, no cash outlay, the only cost was my time to sign up!

After signing in, I learned that I have to pass an oDesk certification test in order to be allowed to apply for jobs. Due to my eagerness, I took the oDesk Readiness Test (ORT) at once before even equipping myself with knowledge of the policies. And – like a soldier without battlefield experience and weapon to match the adversary – I failed the test. I deemed it best to come back in full battle gear of knowledge about oDesk. I was jubilant that I passed the test the second time, earning an award among first-place finshers.

The Early Frustrations
When I first joined oDesk, I was hoping to land jobs in accounting, bookkeeping, paralegal and other legal-related matters. However, when I searched the job posts, there only seemed to be a handful of jobs pertaining to these skills. Even when there is one, the next thing I had to consider was my experience on the software required to accomplish the task. This factor again narrowed down even more my chances of landing a job. (Very seldom do I apply for jobs requiring the use of an application that I have no experience using.) This, however, does not discourage me when majority in the job description fits into my expertise. But, I make sure to mention in my cover letter this “handicap” and offer solutions or alternatives. I welcome every learning opportunity with the confidence of a fast and willing learner!

Within the first 2 weeks, I applied to a number of jobs and got rejected a number of times, too. The reasons were varied: “Insufficient oDesk history”…..”Rate bid too high”….. and a lot of “Chose another provider….” I soon realized how hard it can be for a newbie to compete with thousands of providers! I thought it will be very easy, since I have many years of work experience relating to administration, finance and paralegal, and that I have the work ethic and professionalism to match. It seemed I was wrong…..

It was already towards the third week that I received my very first interview invitation. I was notified to contact the buyer, which I did. It took more than a week for his response to come. To cut the story short, I did not make it because the buyer preferred somebody who can communicate well in both English and Spanish, and one who lives near his location. I may have basic knowledge of Spanish, but I am so many miles away… Why? I thought the very essence of freelancing online is telecommuting? (I was a bit furious.) All I could do was to pat my own shoulder and console myself. Well, that’s his decision and I can’t do anything about it. In the next applications, I decided to lower my already low hourly rate but to no avail. I started to feel down. Maybe I am not for freelancing. I stayed away from my computer the next 4 days. It’s been more than a month and countless applications, yet I did not land any of the jobs I applied for. I decided that I better move on. If freelancing is not for me, then so be it. I’m sure there will be other options to come my way.

When I finally decided to check my email, I was surprised to have received notification for an interview. I was amazed, since I had not applied for any jobs after I decided to quit. How can I be invited for interview?

Next, Verena will share the results of that interview, and her experience in trying to create success for herself as a neophyte freelancer on oDesk.

Verena De Los Reyes is a stay-at-home mom and just recently a member of the oDesk community of freelance professionals. She is a mother of three beautiful children and the wife of a wonderful husband, Arthur. Verena shares more of her experiences as a freelancer earning an honest living online at her blog.

At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT. We know that organizing a work load — let alone a freelance work load — at home can be a challenge. In our mobile, tech-savvy world, the old paper calendar might not cut it for you anymore.  Here are three (free!) online programs to help organize your freelance life:

HiTask. This program is fairly user-friendly and just pretty enough for those of us who want a little color and some fancy icons to help us sort our tasks from our events. You can view your organized life from just about any angle: hourly or by the week,  with tags, etc., and  an easy drag-and-drop system helps users organize by project as well. HiTask, like the other two programs listed here, will remind you of your tasks a variety of ways (phone, e-mail, home page widget), and in fact, it stands out in that the e-mail reminders contain the task description in the subject line – a tiny detail that busy people will appreciate. The free version also allows you to share your schedule with several team members. (As with all of these programs, paying a premium offers you more options.)

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Todoist. Nope, that’s not a typo, there really is no L in the name. This program promises a lot. In fact, their ideas for Gmail integration are to die for. The trouble is, it’s easier said than done, and the organization of your tasks on the site itself are tricky and less user-friendly to manage. In other words, potential is right there with Todoist, but for those of us who are perhaps less tech-oriented or just don’t have time to learn their system, it’s a little too out of reach.

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Remember the Milk (beta). This free beta has won the battle of the task management systems at my house. It was, by far, the easiest to figure out (I have very little patience for written instructions); you can e-mail your account new tasks throughout the day and organize them later. It’s colorful, it has built in tabs to separate work from personal from school — if you’re a student. It’s got all the bells and whistles (widgets, feeds, sync), my only hangup is that the reminders sent to my e-mail account have to be opened up for me to see what the task is. HiTask definitely has the upperhand here, with their “at-a-glance” e-mail reminder system.

The bottom line is that there is free help out there. There is no excuse to lose track of your crazy freelance tasks anymore. Go check these out!

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work.

- Tamara

So, you want to use Facebook to promote yourself and your work. Network a little. Get friendly with potential clientele, while finding old friends. Here are some things you might want to avoid doing the next time you log in to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward for a professional image:

PROFILE FAUX PAS

Posting a pretentious profile picture that looks nothing like you. Really? The glossy headshot from your brother’s wedding in 1997? Don’t do it. (Unless it’s just for fun.)

Using a shot of your children for your profile picture. It might be cute, but post it to your wall instead. Your profile pic should be you. Don’t be lame.

Not setting up your profile carefully. A well-set profile is your best friend. Learn  Facebook’s privacy features and use them. Categorize friends. Select privacy settings carefully.

POSTING FAUX PAS

Addressing political hot buttons on your page. Unless you’re willing to lose business opportunities over Proposition Whatever-It-Is, keep it to yourself.

Arguing with a friend’s friend on their wall (or any wall). You may hate that Dawn Whats-Her-Name  just called The Office juvenile on Joe Shmoe’s wall, but don’t get into it with her there. Walk away…

Posting something every 5 minutes. I don’t care if it’s your status, a video, a link or photo, every time you make a move on Facebook, other people know.  Don’t let your constant updates become annoying.

Constantly marketing yourself and your work in your status updates. Facebook is a platform–and maybe networking is the only reason you signed up–but be careful, or people will start clicking “unfriend” to shut you up.

PHOTO FAUX PAS

Posting pictures of yourself in compromising situations. Pics of you half-dressed or drunk will change the way others (who weren’t there) see you. If you can’t delete it, at least un-tag it.

Tagging someone else in such pictures. This is totally uncalled for. Friends don’t tag friends in compromising photos.

SOCIAL FAUX PAS

Constantly sending out games and throwing sheep. A cupcake never hurt anybody, but the quizzes and the games get old. Beware of overkill. Have fun without inviting everyone in on it every time.

Following every Facebook trend. The tagging of friends in your egotistical (albeit fun) sharing of life stories gets really old (i.e. 20 Things You Don’t Know About Me). One or two of these a year, please. No more. Stop the madness!

PRIVATE MESSAGE FAUX PAS

Spamming friends with messages about your work. Limit how often you send out mass ”private” messages meant to drum up potential business. Your friends WILL get tired of them.

Exchanging messages with old flames while currently married. Bad form. Don’t do it. Just don’t.

Accidentally replying to multiple recipients. You get a message sent to several friends. You then respond to the sender, not realizing that everyone else will get it too. It gets you in hot water and/or makes you annoying. So pay better attention.

So there you have it. Any other faux pas or pet peeves to add to the mix?

Update: For more thoughts on maintaining professionalism on Facebook, CNN covered this topic on August 22, 2009.

At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT. So we know how difficult it can be to keep your motivation and momentum going. It’s easy to get sidetracked and become bored with your work. Here are some ideas for turning around the blahs and becoming excited about your work again.

Get outside. Work from your backyard or a park.

Everyone gets a little tired of looking at the same four walls all the time. Try doing your work outdoors. If the daytime is too hot, try the early part of the evening or late afternoon. You might be surprised at what this change of scenery can do for you. You’ll hear birds (we hope), breathe fresh air (again, we can only hope) and you’ll have the chance to look up at the sky when you need an idea. We think it just might work.

Beautify your desk. Point your computer toward something you love.

Clean off the clutter and put two or three things you love on your workspace. It might be flowers or it might be your old Darth Vader action figure, just put something there that makes you smile. Try facing a window while you work, or paint the wall by your desk your favorite color–even if it doesn’t match the others. Sometimes making your workspace more interesting really can change your perspective.

The Big Idea: Go through your weekly work tasks and figure out the one you hate the most. Can it be eliminated?

If working outside and adding interest to your work area aren’t getting you over your work blahs, it may be time for some pretty serious re-thinking. If there is a task or two each week that you can’t stand–or a client you’d rather not answer to–consider breaking free in a professional and polite way. It’s a big freelancing ocean out there, and there are more clients in the sea.

WFHT Recommended Reading
“Getting Bored With Yourself” from The Empowering Mom Blog
“Stuck in a Self-Employment Grind?” from Suite 101: Working Solo
“Is Boredom Hurting Your Freelance Career” from the Freelance Rant
“How to Cure Work-Related Boredom” from Bizzia

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work.

- Tamara

Whew! Do NOT try to say that title aloud ten times fast!

Last week, we had asked everyone to submit their best “Remote Working” or “Remote Management” tips for a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card. We received many wonderful responses, and we managed to narrow down the list to our top 10 tweets.

It’s a good thing we drew the winner randomly, because all of the tips we received were great! We had a hard enough time picking our top 10, let alone a single winner!

Thanks to @chaviebugsey on Twitter (our unofficial random number generator), our winner of the $100 Amazon Gift Certificate drawing is:

@tjlytle (Tim Lytle):Make sure you (and your client) know the difference between an employee and a contractor.Tim Lytle is a Technology Consultant & oDesk Contract Web Developer. Owner of timlytle.net ltd since 2003, his oDesk adventures have been mentioned on the BBC’s Click and in Forbes Magazine.

Congratulations, Tim!

Here are the Top Ten #oTip Tweets (in alphabetical order) and our responses to them:

	@AnneSemana (Anne Semana): That’s simple. Use oDesk!!! – Best tip ever! Our response: Yes, we like shameless self-promotion! Who doesn’t?
	@arronguy (Arron Washington): Don’t friend clients on Facebook. Ever. Our response: Funny, but true. We doubt you’d want your buyers knowing which Twilight character you should marry, or the top 5 people you want to punch in the face.
	@CrystalsQuest (Crystal Woods): Silence ISN’T golden. New clients need reassurance of you checking to clarify anything unclear BEFORE you go ahead and do it Our response: This is a MUST. ALWAYS ensure both you and your buyer know what the expectations are for each assignment BEFORE you start.
	@Deepa7476 (Deepa Govind): Never respond to email in haste, No body expects instant updates. So collect your thoughts, present them well & use spell check. Our response: We couldn’t agree more…especially if you’re upset!
	@EricaFenik (Erica Fenik): Overcommunicate. Clear expectations + execellent results = WIN for freelancers + buyers. Our response: Yes, this was sent in by an oDesk Staff member (so it disqualifies her from the prize), but this is very sound advice.
	@JoannSondy (Joann Sondy): My #oTip based on 15+ yrs of serving clients remotely = email isn’t always the answer. Pick up the phone occasionally! Our response: Absolutely! Even though our teams are staffed by oDesk providers, we have weekly conference calls to make sure everyone is on the same page.
	@likke (Fleire Mae Castro): Network with other oDesk providers. Referrals will be appreciated. Who else is gonna help you but other freelancers, right? Our response: Yes! Even though you’re competing in the same job field, you can still make friends and help out other providers – who knows? They may get too busy to take on work and refer clients to you (or vice versa).
	@michelem (Michele Marcucci): When you submit a proposal double check what the buyer is asking for and if you’re in doubt ask a question within the proposal Our response: There are no such things as stupid questions…okay, maybe there are sometimes – but don’t be afraid to ask questions! It can save you lots of time and money in the long run.
	@mylescxy (Mylene Sereno): Before letting out a loud sigh or scream “Whew! Whatta day!” while talking to a buyer on GoogleTalk, make sure your mic is turned OFF! Our response: I think we’ve all been there before!
	@tjlytle (Tim Lytle): Make sure you (and your client) know the difference between an employee and a contractor. Our response: Absolutely! This is the most important, yet highly misunderstood, aspect of freelancing!

It’s everywhere you look in IT media these days–cloud computing. This constant news and analyst cycle has a downside though–figuring out what the heck is really going on in the cloud space has become complicated. That’s why I went to a premiere event for cloud computing a few weeks back to get the latest directly from the sources: the world top cloud computing companies. I learned a lot, but the number one takeaway from the event was how important cloud development skills will be for developers in the next few years. Today, there is a solid barrier between development and operations, but new platforms such as MS Azure, Amazon’s AWS, Google’s App engine and others make developers the front line of IT operations. Freelance software developers who want to command top dollars a year from now need to be paying attention to these markets and reading their expertise and skill. It may be an amazing opportunity to differentiate yourself from the pack and increase your billable rate. The following are my notes from the conference, and I will be paying close attention to the cloud space and checking in as major developments unfold.

The two biggest web technology players at the event (Facebook, Google) used this term often in referring to their programming discipline. The Register has a nice piece covering a passionate exchange between Microsoft and Google engineers on adherence to consistent primitives. Google said MS would fail at matching its speed because they lacked discipline around programming simplification. Google forces developers into narrow development frameworks driven by GFS, map-reduce and big table. If you want to create a service it must be built on those–end of story, game over.

Facebook then revealed much of the original PHP-MySQL code originally written by Mark Zuckerberg is still in use today. They also emphasized a very disciplined approach to keeping simple primitives as the core. This has allowed them to scale primarily by buying lots of servers without ever having to change much of their core code. Microsoft’s Azure product manager made Twitter #structure09 waves when he suggested very few people know how to scale the LAMP stack. Azure, he promised, would solve this scalability problem as a feature of the platform.

Overall code primitive design was foremost in the mind of the two web leaders, far surpassing infrastructure optimization, or even application features. Primitives are the new infrastructure for world scale web aps; servers/data-centers are now referred to as ‘atoms’: “Data centers are just atoms. Any idiot can build atoms together and then create this vast infrastructure”. —Vijay Gill, Google

Its a trend not a technology:
The conference speakers each offered quips about the definition of clouds. While everyone’s explanations were taken seriously, the biggest reaction was one of relieved laughter at Russ Daniels’ quip “Why are we so excited about the cloud?” Daniels asked, “One answer is everyone can draw a cloud.” It was clear despite the a conference being organized around the term, some healthy debate on nuance remained.

Ultimately speakers agreed on one thing above all, cloud computing is a macro trend not a technology. Trends aren’t easily bottled in a concise definition; they are multifaceted and manifold by nature–they spawn different instantiations, and propagate along a vector of continuous change. So what exactly is that change? I’d point above all to a new set of programming primitives where parallelism and massive scale are built in. At some point these new primitives become the new ‘infrastructure’ of IT.

Legacy vs. Cloud
Legacy vs. the cloud was discussed by every speaker connected to a legacy (so not Wordpress, Joyent, Google, or Facebook). While many journalists and some analysts say things like “will X business application move to the cloud,” this generally has a simple answer “No.” Applications do not like to move, and never have. Why does HP still have a Tandem business? Enough said.

In truth, there have not been many highly stateful, transaction-based cloud apps yet. It will come, but for now many of the process-based IT apps will stay on traditional infrastructure.

Just say no to servers:
Servers were essentially mentioned twice the whole day, other than in passing as a component of the cloud. “The biggest mistake we ever made was buying servers.” Matt Mullenweg, the founder of Wordpress said, which was then followed in the afternoon by Facebook’s cajoling of sytems OEMs.

Storage:
The problem described by almost every panelist operating a cloud infrastructure was storage. Its currently poorly virtualized and hasn’t gotten faster in years. This forces them to do unnatural acts of engineering and spending to grow storage and keep it cheap and fast. Everyone was excited about the coming wave of flash based storage devices–they are hungry for fast cheap storage.

Does this hot problem leave the door open for a hot new set of companies?

Even big companies fall into the trap — pursuing market share and underestimating new customer acquisition costs. American auto makers such as GM fell into this trap, building cars and offering discounts in the pursuit of market-share. Eventually, the cost of acquiring customers was greater than the profit they generated. As a freelancer, it’s also easy to focus on the big numbers: hourly rate and total income. But are you measuring your customer acquisition costs?

The body of marketing theory and research focused on the costs associated with acquiring a customer vs. the benefits of retaining them over time is known as CLV. Every freelancer should have a firm idea on their costs of acquiring new customers versus the costs of going above and beyond to further cement lasting relationships with existing clients.

Do you calculate your time spent prospecting, interviewing, scoping and communicating to land new customers? Does it take you 5 hours to land a 40 hour job? That equals a 12% hit in your overall hourly rate for the week. What if you delighted an existing customer by investing an extra free hour or went above and beyond to deliver something amazing investing only 2 hours to do it? What if that subsequently landed you a 200 hour job? Suddenly you’ve gained a 12% hourly pay increase.

Some good CLV resources on the web:

1. An overview and introduction for small business owners to CLV;
2. Harvard Business Press’ online CLV calculator; and
3. CLV guide for consultants.

Key takeaway:

Giving your top customers occaisional free and delightful extra help can actually pay more in the long run! Keep in mind how much it costs to get a new customer vs. cementing a longer relationship with an existing one. Sometimes, donating a couple of hours in the name of building relationships is actually the fiscally sound choice!

A few months ago, we listed out the Top 100 Freelance Blogs. The blogs on that list are people who have found success through freelancing and are kind enough to share the tips and tricks they’ve learned with the rest of us. Many of the top blogs – Freelance Switch and Freelance Folder, among others – also tap into the expertise of many freelancers in diverse fields for a comprehensive view on the freelance experience. In the spirit of those blogs, we’ve asked freelancers to take part in a panel to discuss the factors contributing to their freelancing success.

Thousands of people try to get started with a freelance career every month, but find that it’s hard to promote themselves, get jobs, and build a strong reputation for securing ongoing work. While many dip their toes in the freelance waters, only some rise to the top. These individuals surveyed below are some of the best from around the world – including freelance software developers, freelance designers, and virtual assistants.

Top providers were surveyed on the following factors to freelancing success and the results compiled for you. Each factor was scored on a scale of 1 – 4 for importance to success and the consensus or standard deviation of answers is displayed alongside each factor.

The freelancers that contributed to this post are from several different countries and include programmers, designers, writers, and virtual assistants. All of them have exceptional feedback scores and have been very successful in their freelance careers. Meet the Panel of Experts.

Profile Factors

Job Selection Factors

Job Application Factors

Freelance Work Factors

Availability

3.40	Yaroslav Zagorui	Before starting job, determine your hours of availability. And be online in these hours
High importance	Tamara Bentzur	Working in different time zones, I never know when a client will need to reach me. I keep my IM clients open at all times.
0.63
Medium consensus

Meet the experts and take their advice if you’d like to succeed in the freelance arena.

Margie Miguel Virtual Assistant Quezon City, Philippines 1,061 hours – 28 clients

Yaroslav Zagorui Designer Lugansk, Ukraine 2,402 hours – 54 clients

Jay Jaro Designer Cavite, Philippines 2,714 hours, 69 clients, 4.96 feedback

Henricus Wendy Data Entry Professional Serpong, Indonesia 1,249 hours, 43 clients, 4.90 feedback

Valerie Martin Graphic Designer Lafayette, LA, USA 1463 hours, 64 clients, 4.94 feedback

Teodolfo L IT Management Professional Paranaque, Philippines 2,135 hours, 25 clients, 5.00 feedback

Atul Arora Website and GUI Designer Patiala, India 5,402 hours, 189 clients, 4.81 feedback

Matt U Freelance Writer Vancouver, Canada 1,501 hours, 21 clients, 4.99 feedback

Krishna Acharya Web Developer Kathmandu, Nepal 1,315 hours, 29 clients, 4.98 feedback

Milan Kaneria WordPress Developer Pune, India 1,087 hours, 17 clients, 4.90 feedback

Victor P PHP / Ajax Developer Tiraspol, Moldova 1,628 hours, 13 clients, 4.99 feedback

Liz Mendiola Online Researcher Quezon City, Philippines 1,560 hours, 35 clients, 4.97 feedback

Tamara Bentzur Transcriptionist Jordan Valley, Israel 2,147 hours, 57 clients, 5.00 feedback

Thanh Nguyen Web Developer HCMC, Vietnam 1,620 hours, 63 clients, 4.91 feedback

Cornel Iakobcsuk SEO Specialist Timisoara, Romania 3,381 hours, 28 clients, 4.98 feedback

Welcome to Work From Home Tuesday. At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT. With summer in full swing, many of you may be traveling and trying desperately to catch your e-mail in box whenever you get the chance. In case you are flying to your destination, here is a list of airports in the world where–rumor has it–you can find free wifi.

AUSTRIA – Vienna International Airport

BRAZIL – Congonhas Airport (Sau Paolo)

CANADA

ISRAEL – Ben Gurion International Airport (Tel Aviv)

KUWAIT – Kuwait International Airport

MEXICO - Cancun International Airport

PAKISTAN – Jinnah International Airport (Karachi)

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Dubai International Airport

UNITED STATES

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work.

- Tamara

Last week I began my series on pricing with some heavyweight current theory. I believe it’s almost always worth the time to become a better pricing and negotiation expert as the actions taken in the few hours of settling on terms can affect the output of countless hours working under those terms. A big part of negotiation is confidence and mental conditioning–how you react and respond will signal how ready you are to do business. People found ZOPA a valuable topic and I’ll find a way to drill deeper into it in future posts – the gist to keep in mind with ZOPA is all about knowing your customer intimately.

This is a topic many bloggers cover and, in that spirit, this week’s post is about exercise for the pricing mind. I’ve collected some of my favorite blogs on the topic of pricing programming and freelance services and extracted the quotes I found most useful.

A web design service’s blog tips on pricing:
“Some potential clients will think your prices are high no matter what you charge. Some clients will understand what’s involved with designing and developing a website and others will not. Because there are people out there willing to design a website for next to nothing, some clients will think that you should be willing to do the same, even if your service is completely different. Try not to worry about turning clients off, and focus more on proving a service that’s worth the price (and being able to explain why it’s worth the price).”

A web design blogger’s top pricing tips:
“Some jobs will present challenges and opportunities for you to improve your skills and your experience. If you are interested in learning a new aspect of design, you may want to seek out projects that will provide those opportunities and price your services to be very competitive. Of course, if the job is a learning experience for you, you should communicate this with the client so they understand the situation and so they do not assume that you are an expert in this area.”

An MBA’s guide to consulting service pricing:
“One reason for so many different rates charged by consultants is that we operate in a world of imperfect knowledge. The first step in achieving better fees is to understand the difference between working as a temp and running a business. When consultants realize that their positions are as valid as those of the clients they serve, they will be able to set fees and estimate time for projects that let both of them achieve your goals.”

Competition: GigaOm on pay trends in the US, the pressure is on:
“Six months ago, more than half of U.S. employees couldn’t fathom taking a pay cut, but now 42 percent are willing receive a lower paycheck if it increases the likelihood that they’ll keep their jobs. Employees are also willing to do more than just take a pay decrease — nearly three-quarters are willing to take on more responsibilities at work and 64 percent would work longer hours to increase their job security.”

Nine freelance pricing factors:
“Signs that demand is high include too much work coming in, other freelancers being overloaded and people telling you they’ve been struggling to find someone to do the job. Signs that demand is low include finding yourself competing to win jobs, a shortage of work and fellow freelancers reentering the workforce.”

How to be a highly paid freelance programmer:
“Contribute to open source projects.”

Think from the buyer’s perspective
“Ask the developer some probing questions about the most important parts of the project. You will likely discover some assumptions that you or the developer are making.”

I’m curious to see what people’s favorite quotes from these selections are. Post your favorite quotes into the comments!

Welcome to Work From Home Tuesday. At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT. Unfortunately, when you work from home, you are usually the one responsible for managing your own technology. When a laptop dies, you are on your own to replace it. We know it’s hard, but we thought this list might help you know when to pull the trigger on getting a new one.

HERE ARE THE TOP TEN SIGNS IT’S TIME TO REPLACE YOUR LAPTOP:

10. Your laptop screen is giving you static worse than the lines on your grandpa’s old black and white bunny-eared television in 1976.

9. It weighs more than your six-month-old nephew named Tank.

8. You had to buy new memory last week, just so you could get the updates for your operating system.

7. You can no longer read the letters on your keyboard.

6. You had to defrag your hard drive five times last month.

5. The fan is so useless, you prop the laptop up on spools so it can “breathe.”

4. It’s held together by duct tape.

3. It melted your vinyl countertop the last time you used it in the kitchen.

2. You can cook a three-course meal while waiting for a photo to download.

AND THE NUMBER ONE SIGN IT’S TIME TO REPLACE YOUR LAPTOP …

1. You had to call the fire department the last time you rebooted.

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work. (And I’m super excited to retire my laptop this week!)

- Tamara

Pricing is the outcome of a negotiation between buyers and sellers on the value of a service to the buyer, versus the value of the service to the seller. It is a dialogue between the two parties with subtle value-cues and signaling, even if they never speak. While we are all innately wired to seek value for ourselves both as buyers and sellers, negotiation theory can be a powerful intellectual back-drop and help you understand what’s really going on in the process.

One of the hottest new trends in negotiation theory is “mutual problem solving” which has – to some extent – replaced the more basic bargaining-based approach. The key to mutual problem solving is looking for hidden benefits or creative possibilities for both parties when working together. The classic example is two parties asked to split a pie 50/50.

At first, it seems only a simple act of cutting the pie directly down the middle will be feasible. But mutual problem solving theory asks the parties to look further into their real needs beyond their primary sense of fairness. What if one person enjoys crust more than the other? What if the pie were to be cut in half but with one person receiving more crust and the other more middle; suddenly a volume not only equal but also more mutually beneficial outcome springs to life from the simple act of splitting a pie.

Great pricing negotiations manage to get to this level. Perhaps one job offers a higher and more appealing pay rate, but the client has a lower volume of work to offer. Do you need maximum income or maxim income per hour. Looking deeper, do you have unique skills fit specifically to the customer? What are the creative ways you can work together for maxim value beyond just a market based ‘fair wage’ settlement? Unique fit can create unique value for both parties in unexpected ways.

BATNA is another key concept in negotiation theory. Also known as the ‘best alternative to a negotiated agreement,’ BATNA drives the willingness of both parties to participate in problem solving together. If either party feels they can immediately walk away from the table to a well understood, solidly better offer, then the negotiation is over. Knowing both parties BATNA is fundamental. Many people start negotiations from a gut sense of what they are worth–but how deeply do you know the market for your offer? It could be both radically higher or lower than you suspect. Doing BATNA research and discovery is a key to taking the emotional part out of the negotiation.

Online labor marketplaces now routinely list hourly rates, skill levels, and feedback that fuels transparency into possible alternatives. Use it to your advantage. Don’t forget what you learned about mutual problem-solving when you do your research; if a competitor has lower pricing but also a far lower number of engagements, comments, and hours worked, they might not represent an alternative to your offer. What if you pursued a more specialized market where alternatives are thinner and walking away becomes more challenging for a buyer?

ZOPA is your intended destination. ZOPA is the ‘zone of potential agreement,’ the overlap between buyers’ and sellers’ agreeable terms. ZOPA theory focuses on wide and narrow zoned approaches to negotiation. Some skill buyers, such as large companies, have very very large ZOPAs and pay their workers vastly different salaries, while others have a very narrow range. Understanding your buyers’ ZOPA can be the key to pulling out additional value.

Before you split your next pie – or price a freelance job – brush up on a contemporary negotiation tactics. Know your BATNA, excel in joint problem solving, and score customers with a wide ZOPA. It never hurts to have powerful ideas behind your plans.

Welcome to Work From Home Tuesday. At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT. With your kids home from school, you might be questioning your sanity right now. So, here’s some advice.

The big kid swap. Trade kids with a friend.

Here’s how this one works. You figure out which of your friends has kids that get along best with yours–or maybe just which of your kids’ friends you can tolerate the best. Then you arrange a swap. Once a week you have all the kids for about 5 hours. Once a week, they have all the kids for about 5 hours. And you know what this means–5 hours of a quiet house. If your kids are old enough and play well together, the five hours all the kids are at your house might be productive as well.

Give in. Change your work schedule.

If you’re used to working during days, this might be a tough switch, but summer only comes once a year. Temporarily, work minimally during the day and seriously at night. Spend time with your kids while they’re young enough to want to be with you. After dinner, put in a great movie and you can get back to work. If your spouse has weekends off, maybe you should start working weekends. It’s not ideal, but it’s short term. Say it together: They are only young once.

Consider day camp or hired help. For their sake and yours.

If playdates, kid swaps, and working nights won’t cut it this summer, think about hiring temporary help. Get a trusted teenager who will babysit the kids right in your backyard  a few hours a day (for much less than the cost of daycare).  Or, if you can , send your kids to day camps and summer camps.  They’ll have fun and you can make money while they are gone. Sometimes you need to make a choice, and sometimes you paying for science camp is a better option than you screaming at them every 20 minutes: “Quiet! I’m on the phone!”

WFHT Recommended Reading

“Productivity vs. Balance During Summer Break” from Freelance Parent
“Planning Your Summer” from The Writer Mama
“How to Have Children and a Freelance Career “ from The Essential Site for Journalists
“One Runny Nose, Little Sticky Fingers and a PC Clinic” from Freelance UK
Ideas to keep your kids busy from Today Is Fun

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work. (Excuse me while I tell my children to be more quiet, so I can work.)

– Tamara

Finding contract work as a web programmer can be a challenge.  You depend on the market and you need the connections.  Plus, people need to find you and gaining that kind of visibility isn’t easy to do if you are on a budget. A lot of programmers don’t even notice a readily available source of free advertising that would not only build their networks, but would also help keep their coding and design skills sharp.

How?

Use those skills to build pro bono websites.  That’s right, I said it: “Build websites for free.”

“If I can find someone who wants me to build them a free website, shouldn’t I try to get them to pay me?”

Sure, if they are a Fortune 500 company.  But if you have connections with big companies that usually pay to hire your type of talent, you’re in better shape than most. I’m not talking about those types of companies – I am talking about building free websites for those who wouldn’t normally hire a web programmer.  Just ask for two things: a link and a referral.

Ask them to put a link to your website in their footer.  (Make sure your site is up-to-date, looks good and has useful contact info!)  Be sure to make it descriptive like “Website Design by Peter Griffin” or “Web Programming by Bonnie Swanson”.

Secondly, ask for them to refer people to your site if they are ever complimented on your work. If you do a good job, then they will be happy to tell others about you.

See?  You just got some great advertising and you didn’t even have to pay for it.  Also, its likely that these websites aren’t going to be updated for a while, so your name could be out there for a long time.
The more sites you build, the more places on the Internet exist that point to your site, Google will start to take notice and… you catch my drift.

But wait… there’s more!

1.) You get a place to practice your skills – whether it be design, programming, coding or all of the above.

2.) Instead of sitting around in your underwear, eating pizza-flavored Pringles® and watching SportsCenter, you can be at your computer, earning money, making connections and honing your talents! (You can even do these things in your underwear and while eating junk food if you’re inclined to do so!)

3.) It’s a great way to get a break on your taxes. If you build websites for charities, then you can write off the value of your time as a donation on your tax return the following year. (Please verify the best way to do this with your local tax professional!)

Challenges

You have to be careful how much you take on.  Be sure to set expectations, time limits, and deadlines clearly with your client and yourself.  You don’t want to get overloaded and not have time to work on any contract jobs that might come your way.

Where Do You Start?

• Charities – Most charities can’t afford to hire a web designer and their sites suffer.  Don’t forget that these sites will need to be ADA compliant; be sure you brush up on your W3C knowledge.
  Bonus:  You’re doing someting good for the world.
• Schools – See if your local schools have a website and if they are in dire need of some tender love and care.  Think of how many students have parents whose business might be looking for a quality web programmer like you…  This could be a gold mine!
  Bonus:  You just might find a new team to root for when football season comes around.
• Sci-Fi Conventions – These sites are notorious for looking terrible and are usually in desperate need of help.  Some like ArmadilloCon, PulpFest and Pi-Con look good, but take a look at some of the others at LocusMag.  Danger, Will Robinson!
  Bonus:  You may meet like-minded people and can forge friendships with a new crowd.
• Just Chillin’ – If these suggestions don’t work, then just sit around in a coffee shop. I met a guy at Starbucks last week who is a photographer and I offered to redo his site. And all it cost me was the price of an iced venti chai.
  Bonus:  Someone might buy you a cup of coffee in return for your expertise.

Open up a browser and get to work. The next programming job you have could start sooner than you think!

Photos credited to Jayel Aheram and scragz

Many of you already know that we love Twitter and love finding and retweeting great tips and stories. But now, we think it’s time for us to take a break from hearing ourselves talk (oops, did I say that out loud?).

We want to hear what YOU have to share!

• Are you on Twitter?
• Do you have a great tip for remote working or managing remote workteams?
• Can you annotate it in 120 characters or less?

If you answered YES to all of those questions, enter our Twiveaway for a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Certificate!

All qualified tweets will receive an entry into our contest. We will hand-pick the top 10 tweets and post them on our blog. A winner will then be randomly drawn from the top 10.

What makes a qualifying tweet, you ask?

It’s simple, just follow these steps:

1. Follow @oDesk on Twitter
2. Send an @ reply to @oDesk with your tip
3. End your tweet with this hashtag: #oTip
4. Make sure your entire tweet (including @oDesk and #oTip) is less than 140 characters

That’s it!

Here’s an example of a qualifying tweet (we sent a similar tweet to @mashable last month):

@odesk When emailing a buyer, ALWAYS spellcheck words like “shift” before hitting send…one letter makes a BIG difference! #oTip

Be insightful. Get creative. Add a dash of humor. Show us what you’ve got!

Deadline for submission is Thursday, July 2nd.

Salesforce.com has helped build a group of certified Force.com developers on oDesk, making our marketplace one of the best resources for buyers looking to use Salesforce.com CRM solutions on the Force.com platform. And we’re hearing from the providers offering Force.com skills that being part of this latest certified group on oDesk is paying off as “cloud computing” reaches new heights.

Rakesh Aggarwal is a salesforce.com-certified developer in India who says demand for Force.com implementations has brought him a steady stream of customers since a buyer brought him onto oDesk last summer.

“I was already developing applications on salesforce.com when one of my clients insisted on working through oDesk,” he says. “After my first successful job through oDesk—now I insist that my clients work through oDesk!”

In its first three weeks, the salesforce.com/Force.com group on oDesk has grown to about 60 programmers. Jobs were already on the rise—a year ago, about 10 jobs involving Salesforce CRM were being posted each month on oDesk. Today it’s between 40 and 50. Rakesh says the technology has a lot of appeal. “I knew this was the future of technology because it’s the fastest, most trusted and most complete platform for building and delivering applications in the cloud.”

The cloud idea is simple—offering the full software platform as a service, so that the applications and data reside on the Internet (conceptualized as a cloud of servers), where a business can access them. This keeps in-house IT costs down and allows more flexibility and faster rollout of new services. Rakesh says a wide range of companies are taking advantage of the concept. “I’ve worked with individual developers who wanted to push their applications to Appexchange, and also with companies with more than 200 licenses, where they wanted to extend their business processes within salesforce.com.”

Rakesh has been working with salesforce.com technology for three years, since before the Force.com offering launched. He says that Force.com and oDesk have been a powerful combination for his business. oDesk lets him focus on his work as a developer, rather than on the hassles of being a one-man small business.

“I can manage my work much easier now,” he says. Which is good, because there’s more of it. “I had to go about searching for work earlier, but after couple of jobs here, I have been constantly getting work through oDesk.”

He says he’s even busier since joining the new salesforce.com certified users group. “It’s a great initiative, and it’s great to be part of this group,” he says. “After joining this group, the number of leads for salesforce.com projects has increased for me.”

While his profile offers other skills besides his salesforce.com expertise, Rakesh sees the Force.com platform as the critical focus, for himself and the buyers he’s serving.

“Cloud computing is a simple idea,” he says, “but it can have a huge impact on your business.”

Click here to see salesforce.com certified providers.
Click here to see all of oDesk’s sponsored groups.

Welcome to Work From Home Tuesday. At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT. With summer vacations planned and kids home from school, working from home can get messy this time of year. Here are some tips to keep your boundaries and work-life balance all year long.

Just because you can work on vacation, doesn’t mean you should work on vacation.

With free WiFi available at hotels and airports (a topic for another day), it’s tempting to make money while you should be relaxing, but everyone needs a break. If you aren’t taking time off, you should be–two days a week and a week or two (or three) each year. Whether your weekend is a Monday and Tuesday, whether your vacation is in March instead of July, whether it’s a “staycation” or a getaway, you should take regular breaks from work. It’s good for your health, mind and creativity. Start a vacation savings account, and a few months from now you’ll be able to put the “I’m on vacation” outgoing message on your cell phone and e-mail and put your laptop away. Make days off and vacations a priority, not an option.

Don’t work long hours, just because you can work long hours.

It’s really tempting to put in 12 to 16 hour days, when your work is right there in front of you 24-7. Granted, if you are only working three or four days a week, a 12-hour day might be just right for you. But if you are putting in 5 or more days a week, you need to know when to call it a day and put your computer out of sight. Everyone has a time of day they are most productive, but after  8 or nine hours of consecutive work, most people will begin to function with diminishing capacity–in other words, they’ll stop working smart and will just be working. Figure out a schedule that works for you and your family, if you have one. Then try to stick to it.

Don’t forget what home is about. Don’t let the place you live become your 24-hour office.

Home should be a place to decompress. Whether you live alone, have a roommate, or have a family, try to work in a space at your house or apartment that you can get away from–a desk that closes up, a room you can ignore, a big closet you can lock up. Sure, it’s convenient, at times, to work around your loved ones. (I mean, how great is it that you can eat dinner and check your work e-mail at the same time?) But these habits take their toll on you and the people you live with–especially if they work outside the home and want to feel like they’ve entered a work-free sanctuary when they walk in the front door. Even if it doesn’t bother you, it may be bothering them. Once again, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

WFHT Recommended Reading

“5 Boundary Setting Tips for the Work Obsessed” from The Four Hour Work Week Blog
“Freelancing and Time Management” from Graphic Design Blog
“Balancing Work and Family” from Freelance Switch
“How to Plan a Freelancer Vacation … “ from Men With Pens
“Is Clocking Out by 5 P.M. Back in Style” from 9 to Thrive

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work. (And I admit I’m terrible at putting my laptop away at the end of the day.)

– Tamara

Well, the estimated date of Twitpocalypse has come and gone. Some of us are left wondering, what would we have done if it wasn’t only certain third-party Twitter clients affected… What would have happened if the entire Twitterverse imploded? What could we accomplish if we were forced to reclaim minutes that are otherwise spent twittering?

Maintain your online reputation

Sure, with Twitter gone you can’t update your followers about that awesome blog you’ve been reading, but you can take a few minutes to make sure those looking for you online are actually finding the real you. Try Googling your name in quotation marks to see what comes up – those with unique names should only find things that directly connect to your real online activities. Got a more common name? Change your online profiles to include a middle initial to help you stand out from the crowd. Finding something that you’d rather not have public? You’ll need to contact the owners of that site to ask that they remove it.

While it may not seem important, potential employers have been known to search the Internet for potential warning flags before hiring. That picture of you dancing on the table at the holiday party last year? Warning flag! This quick search could save your job prospects and your online reputation.

Build your portfolio

You’ve done a lot of excellent work recently, but the last job detailed in your portfolio was from 2005. It’s time to beef it up with some of your more recent fantastic jobs. On the same note, make sure that your portfolio contains plenty of background information about each job and a URL to the work itself (if available) to round out the description and give buyers plenty to reference when considering you for work.

Blog

Unless you’re a professional blogger, blogging always seems to fall to the bottom of the priority list. But your blog can give buyers a better idea of your writing skills, as well as giving a stronger sense of your interests, hobbies, and personality than your resume can ever show on its own. Take a few moments to look back over your past blog posts to make sure you’re staying on topic and showcasing your talents to the best of your abilities. Then, tackle a new blog post and commit to getting it written, edited, and posted by the end of the week!

Don’t have a blog? Look at your industry and decide if one would be a boon to your business. Will having a nicely-written, regularly updated blog benefit your work and highlight your talents? If so, plan out your first few blog posts, set up a schedule that fits your availability, and post regularly!

Link Building
Check all of your online content and make sure that each one links back to your profile. For example, if your blog is updated often with witty, engaging commentary on your industry, make sure you’re linking to it every chance you get – on your resume, in your cover letters, on your oDesk profile, etc. Likewise, make sure your blog has links back to your oDesk profile, your Twitter account, and your online portfolio. Connecting the dots online will showcase your work while making it easier for potential employers to find you!

Update your network

Take a quick peek through your emails and make sure you have complete contact information for everyone you’ve had recent conversations with. Then scroll through your address book and pen a note or two to the folks you haven’t touched base with in a while. You never can tell who might know someone needing your particular skillset, and sometimes a brief email is all it takes to bring you to the top of their list for consideration!

Get Outdoors

Sometimes, a scenery shift is a refreshing change that can reinvigorate your work routine. Don’t just watch the sunshine from your desk, take your work outside for a bit. Tethered to a power cord? A quick walk outdoors can have the same mood-boosting effect, and can give you a fresh perspective on your work when you return!

Play

I’m serious. Certain types of play can boost your brainpower and kickstart the creative juices – just what the doctor ordered for long stretches at the keyboard! Pick a game that will strengthen your mind: word games increase vocabulary skills, sudoku betters problem-solving ability, memory games improve, well, memory!  A personal favorite game to play in just a few minutes is FreeRice.com – a vocabulary word game that donates grains of rice to help end world hunger. I hone my word skills while helping others – a great way to improve myself in just a few minutes!

What do you do when the Fail Whale strikes?

Welcome to Work From Home Tuesday. At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT. So what better way to celebrate remote working than discussing some ways to do it well?

Show your buyers and clients the same respect you would show a prospective employer.

It’s tempting, when you are your own boss, to forget that someone else still signs your paychecks. When a prospective buyer/client  discusses a possible project with you, send a thank you e-mail later–just as you would after a job interview. Remember meetings, take notes when they are talking, and be appreciative of their business. You aren’t the only one out there who can do the job, so it’s up to you to make yourself , your personality, and your work ethic indispensable.

Communicate often, clearly, and quickly.

Return e-mails within 24 hours, sooner if you can, unless you have an outgoing message explaining your absence. If you have a question about the project, don’t let it go unanswered because an e-mail wasn’t returned – pick up the phone! A lot of us who work from home hate the telephone, but it’s a necessary evil. Don’t ever be guilty of avoiding your buyer/client, but don’t take up their time either. (Hint: Follow the e-mail advice Josh gives here.)

Be very aware of your agreements regarding time frames and cost.

If you work on a per-project or fixed-price basis, things can sometimes get sticky. You might agree to a certain price, then discover it is three times as much work as was originally disclosed to you. First of all, if you can afford to finish as planned, do it. Your reputation is on the line. However, let the buyer know that in the future, you’ll need another arrangement. (Also, you’ll know better with that client the next time around.) If you can’t do it, stop and explain yourself politely. Let them decide whether they should pay you more or give the project to someone else. Ditto for the deadline. If it’s impossible, speak up sooner, not later.

[By the way, here at oDesk, most providers of services are paid hourly, with their time and screenshots logged online for clients to see and verify. There is no need to invoice, and you are guaranteed payment for hours worked. Check it out.]

WFHT Recommended Reading

“Freelance Writers Should Watch Their Manners” from Daily Freelance Writing Tips
“Freelance Communication” from Wake Up Later
“An Ounce of Professionalism” from Freelance Switch
“How to Successfully Work With People Long Distance” from Freelance Folder
“How to Build a Strong Relationship With Your Customers” from Freelance Directory

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work.

– Tamara

Lots of companies post uninteresting blogs – but not this crowd! Each of these companies has found a way to be a category killer and stand out. Instead of doing traditional power ranking, I looked for blogs that bring relevant attention to a brand. What can you learn from them?

Most Linked: Google

While it may fall behind the “Stuff white people like” with 37,098 blogs recently posting reactions, Google is the only corporate blog to crack the top 100 blogs as ranked by Technorati’s power rating. When it comes to corporate blogs, Google owns re-blogging relevance by multiples. Controlling the economics of the internet is a pretty big platform to speak from and Google’s blog dominates the conversation.

Most Outlandish: Go Daddy

Go Daddy is semi-famous for their censored Superbowl ad campaigns. Go-daddy CEO Bob Parson’s video blog follows a Hooters-esque approach, with simple advice on internet business mixed with plenty of tank tops and wacky stock footage of grandmothers with automatic rifles to illustrate ‘targeting.’

Cooler Than You: 37 Signals

With estimates of over 100k subscribers despite a modest revenues of under (est) 10$M, the 37 signals blog has an outrageous ratio of readers to revenues. Their corporate blog is so cool it has its own ads. My favorite feature is the frequent use of intellectual quotes.

After you invent Ruby on Rails, bash heavily VC-funded users of that framework, create a 100k-user corporate blog using homemade blogging software, and then sneak quotes like these into your posts – maybe you can be cool, too.

Founders Club: Sun Microsystems

Jonathan Schwartz is the most famous CEO blogger in the world; he was the first Fortune 500 CEO to blog. He appeared in an Internet-themed Letterman “Top 10″ list. He fought the SEC for the right to announce Sun’s earnings first on his blog. Sun now has over 4,500 bloggers hammering out a staggering 110,000 cumulative posts.

Disclaimer: The first blogger CEO didn’t last as a CEO.

Freshest: Zappos

Zappos headquarters was recently visited by the Scobleizer himself. They have 400 twittering employees. Does it get fresher than a video tour of employee Tattoos complete with the stories behind them? Fresh content comes from the core for Zappos, look into their company tour next time you are in Vegas.

Behind the Scenes: BBC Editors, GM

The BBC editors blog, like Google’s, is a great example of telling the story behind the phenomena. When people are already engaged with a brand, letting them peer behind the scenes into the human decisions and perspectives required to create the product can thrill to great effect.

GM’s fastlane blog has also excelled at behind-the-scenes stories.

Humanizing: Delta, Southwest

How can Delta and Southwest, two brands with few very consistent product offerings and little to announce, have blogs consistently ranked in the top twenty? Simple, they humanize otherwise mechanical experience of flying and tout the little things they are both doing to help customers enjoy the flight. Its nice to know someone cares about your snacks while your logging another 6 hour coast-to-coast trip.

Best Office Humor: Clearspring Technologies

Hooman Radfar’s, CEO of the successful web start-up Clearspring Technologies (Add This, etc) popular Wigify blog recently diverged into a seemingly inane sub-plot between two desktop action figures. What developers love is the symbolic interplay between the coder and the executive side of this CEO expressed in the stories.

Takeaways:

1) Great blogs should reveal. Sounds so simple, but its not. One thing all of these blogs have in common is they tell you something interesting about the companies who write them: Bo-Dog’s CEO is just as tacky as his ads–Hooman Radfar is dark and hilarious–Delta puts way too much thought into tiny snacks–Jonathan Schwartz really really wants you to think he is smart–the designers at 37 signals work hard for their Zen through contemplative reading.

Blogs differ from marketing in that they tell you part of the story of a company more than just position and sell its offerings. What interesting facet of your company, product, and staff can your blog revel?

We recently completed a study the analyzed the impact of worker tenure, training, and country of origin on hourly wages. Our initial hypotheses were that there are positive returns to tenure (length of employment) and training (number of tests taken, scoring of tests taken), and that the worker’s country of origin affects wages.

TENURE:
Based on the results of several regressions to test our hypotheses, we concluded that there are positive returns to tenure for certain job types, particularly those that require technical expertise.

Overall, it appears that managers have been willing to pay a premium for tenure but they do so selectively. For example, a manager may be willing to pay higher for a developer with a longer tenure on oDesk, but may not be willing pay more for a data entry worker for a longer tenure.

TRAINING:
Though oDesk does not provide formal training to workers, we defined “training” based on oDesk’s skill-specific tests.

We concluded that wages increase with the number of exams taken, higher exam scores yield higher wage returns, and some exams affect wages more than others.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

Our analysis on country of origin led us to conclude that workers living outside North America earn wages higher than the mean in their home markets. The analysis also showed that North American workers earn higher wages than workers in other countries at a statistically significant level.

At a high level, it is clear that workers from the United States and Canada are earning wages that are higher than their counterparts from Eastern Europe and Asia. Upon closer inspection, however, the story is more subtle and complex than it first appears.

Much of the apparent country effect can be explained by observable differences in the labor forces. There may be something structural about the environment in each of these countries that prompts the differences in the makeup of the labor force, but it cannot be ignored that workers with similar characteristics around the world selling their services through oDesk are earning wages that are more similar than a simple analysis would imply. When the data is reweighted to take into account similarities in tenure and training, the mean wages in each country adjust to a more common level.

WHAT DOES THE DATA IMPLY?

Coming back to our initial hypotheses, the data reinforces that there are positive returns to tenure (length of employment) and training (number of tests taken, scoring of tests taken). Additionally, while a worker’s country of origin affects their potential wages, similiarly-skilled providers on oDesk command wages that are statistically more alike than not.

Our results were based on a study of providers over a three-year period. Are you seeing these results played out in the marketplace? Has your experience been different?

Special thanks to Ashley Carroll, Ruth Bryson, Jeremiah Dillon and Brandon Paulson – MBA 2010 candidates at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business – for their research efforts and contributing this guest blog post!

Since the start of 2009, technical writing has enjoyed an upswing in interest from buyers – a review of technical writing jobs posted on oDesk in May 2009 shows a rapid climb to reach nearly three times what they were a year ago! In honor of this tremendous growth, here are some of the top technical writing blogs we’ve found  – raising the bar in educational value, tech-savviness and even humor!

Tom Johnson’s blog, I’d Rather Be Writing: claims to be a blog about the latest trends in technical communication. And, while it doesn’t claim to be funny, personable, and surprising readable for all skill levels – it should. His blog is also the source of original podcasts interviewing tech writing luminaries.

To say Ivan Walsh has been around the technical communications block would be a vast understatement. As he puts it: “When I started out, it was Lotus 123 not Excel, WordPerfect not Word, and Windows actually had windows. Aldus developed PageMaker, which was bought by Adobe and became a sensation on the Mac platform.” His blog posts are short, informative, and heavy on the product reviews – great for finding the latest tools and tips to use them!

Janet Swisher’s blog bills itself as “Musings on technical communication, open source software, and related topics,” but the blog seems to come alive with “reflections” on various conferences and industry events she attends. Its similar to receiving postcards from a close friend, making candid remarks on everything – from the keynote speaker to the design of the menu in an Amsterdam coffee chain.

The Content Wrangler seems to make the “most referenced” list in technical writing blogrolls. It’s easy to see why – Scott Abel’s blog touches wide range of topics, and uses product reviews, book references, conference insights, and expert interviews to support his tagline argument of content being a business asset worthy of management.

Anne Gentle’s just write click blog covers her many and varied interests, but its clear that her focus in on tech writing and tech writing pubs (with up-to-the-minute commentary on social media).

“Examining documentation and help systems since 2002,” Usable Help provides brief snippets linking to current news and thoughts on documentation. Explores timely items such as: “Are games the last bastion of documentation?”

Blogger Gordon McLean states, “I consider myself a jack of most trades, master of few and I’m happy to keep learning.” His One Man Writes blog always has short, informative blog posts on the menu, with a dash of British humor for flavor!

Did we miss one of your favorites? Comment on this post to let us know!

One of the best things about working from home is the ability to not work from home at all! Having a portable office means you can work when you are supposed to be on vacation (another topic for another day) or when you are waiting to have lunch with a friend. Here, in alphabetical order, are 20 US (and beyond) hotspots for free WiFi on the go.  Just try not to spill on your laptop.

Get free WiFi at …

• Bailey’s Pub & Grille — They offer free WiFi at many locations, so check this list.
• Big Boy — This chain has free WiFi in several states. If you’ve got one, check it out.
• Bruegger’s — Many of these locations have free WiFi, but you’ll have to check each one to be sure.
• Chick-Fil-A — If you’ve got one near you, check for a free WiFi sign. Many now have it!
• Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf — Most have free WiFi. Check yours and enjoy the coffee!
• Corner Bakery — These are popping up everywhere, and most have your free WiFi waiting for you!
• Daily Grind Unwind — If you have one, it may have free WiFi and really good coffee.
• First Watch — If your state has a few–many do–take advantage of the free WiFi.
• Fox & Hound — Check out this list, to see if your local Fox & Hound has the free WiFi.
• Hooters — No joke, many have free WiFi. Now just try to get anything done there.
• It’s A Grind — These coffee shops have free WiFi, just find the one nearest you.
• Krystal — A lot of these burger joints have free WiFi, so check the one nearest you.
• McDonald’s – Chances are you have one, but not all have free WiFi yet.
• Panera Bread – More than 1,000 of these have free WiFi, just check the list.
• Peter Piper Pizza — Want pizza with work? Get it here. Check your location for WiFi (Mexico too!).
• Schlotzsky’s – These are popping up all over. Check your local one for free WiFi.
• Shari’s — More and more of these Northwest restaurants have free WiFi. Check yours.
• Starbucks — Get a Starbuck Rewards Card and free WiFi is included.
• Subway – Not all have free WiFi. However, the one nearest you might, so check it out.
• Whole Foods Market — Shop and work? Check out your local Whole Foods (Canada and UK also).

Recommended Websites:
WiFiFreeSpot — Here, you’ll find a directory that includes hotels and airports.
ILoveFreeWiFi — Get big city directories and user reviews as well at this helpful site.
GWiFi — Use Google Maps to find your free WiFi hotspot.
JWire Global WiFi — Just beware, as not all of these international listings are really free.

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work. – Tamara

If you were a freelancer 10 years ago, how you presented yourself in person often determined whether or not you landed a gig. As a virtual freelancer, what you do and how well you do it takes center stage. An online portfolio can spotlight your talent, and can audition for new work while you make what you’re working a hit.

Portfolios aren’t just for artists and photographers. Software and web developers, network programmers and database designers, writers and translators, sales and marketing, business services providers—any one here at oDesk—can all benefit from an attractive portfolio. Surprisingly, several recent surveys revealed that the majority of freelancers don’t have web site portfolios. And that’s just silly when oDesk makes it easy for you to create one by adding them to your profile.

A good portfolio will convince clients of your talent, skills, and professionalism. In our recently published book, Undress For Success: The Naked Truth About Making Money At Home (Wiley, 2009) we include everything you need to know to make a living at home including these twenty tips specifically about portfolios:

1. Treat your portfolio as an advertisement, and remember you’ll only have about seven seconds to catch someone’s attention, so position your best work at center stage. Portfolios are a teaser for your skills. Overdoing it will appear amateurish. Give them the sizzle, not the steak.
2. If you include a downloadable portfolio—and you should if you’re an artist so they can print your material and take it to meetings—keep it simple. Samples of your work are the most important element.
3. Your contact information should be in black type with a conventional typeface—nothing elaborate. Artists tend to use too much eye candy.
4. Make your printed portfolio either 8.5 x 11 or 8.5 x 14 so pages can be easily printed and photocopied.
5. Make sure that your work looks decent when it’s copied in black and white–yes, even website designs. Some people don’t have color printers or copiers.
6. Some employers will want to see process, how you arrived at the final artwork—sketches on a napkin or notepaper, a snapshot of a building, plus intermediate sketches, and the finished product. For computer-based projects, they may want to know what programs you used.
7. Unless you’re a writer, don’t make you’re portfolio a blog. Employers don’t want to dig through your bah, blah, blah to find out what you can really do.
8. We repeat—make your work the centerpiece of the site. That’s what your customers want to see. Don’t make them dig for it.
9. If a client owns the copyright to your work, be sure to secure the right to display their project in your portfolio.
10. If you’re new to the business, consider doing some volunteer projects or discounted work to build your portfolio.
11. Make sure your pages load quickly. Avoid Flash, JavaScript (unless they’re your specialty), and HTML frames.
12. If you’re selling search engine optimization, public relations, or marketing services, be sure your web site is high in the rankings. This sounds obvious, but you’d be amazed at how many self-proclaimed experts don’t make the grade. The same goes for ugly web designer sites, poorly written writer sites, malfunctioning e-commerce sites, and the like.
13. Another ‘‘duh’’: avoid broken page links, spelling and grammar mistakes, political or religious commentary, or anything you wouldn’t want your grandmother to see.
14. Do not run ads on your portfolio pages—they’re supposed to sell you, not printer ink, cell phones, or books (unless you wrote them, of course).
15. Make sure your web page and keyword tags include all the terms that someone seeking your talents might use in their search.
16. Include—feature!—testimonials from satisfied customers. Remember to ask for them as you complete projects.
17. List your credentials including education, work history, skills, talents, specialties, expertise, and any certifications you’ve received.
18. If you’ve won any awards, accolades, or (positive) news mentions, this is the place to blow your horn.
19. Ask for the business, and make sure it’s easy for prospective clients to reach you.
20. Think twice before you post that picture of you wearing a thong (especially you guys). Employers will search online to see what you’ve been, um, up to.

Kate Lister and Tom Harnish are the authors of the Undress for Success: The Naked Truth About Making Money At Home. They also run the Undress for Success blog.

With the current recession in a constant state of flux, today we are going to look at the various skills that have remained robust through these challenging economic times – and those that look to have an strong future. These statistics are based upon oDesk’s own trends pages. When viewing these trends, keep in mind, we are experiencing some overall growth ourselves – so the up-trending graphs will show more growth than average for the skill and the down-trending (or flat) graphs will exhibit more decline than we show.

Computerweekly has some telling statistics that would seem to back us up with respect to PHP and Dotnet (we did notice a drop in Dotnet developer demand in the early year but it has since picked up).

Anyway, on to the numbers!

iPhone Development

As you can see, iPhone development maintained strong growth through the whole of last year, with only a slight decline in the most recent months.

Twitter Application Development

Meteoric would be the only way to describe the growth of demand for those with skills to develop for this latest social networking craze, much like the growth of the service itself.

Writing

While not a development or design skill, writing has continued a steady strong growth through the last year.

.NET

.NET continues its growth and shows continuous steady increasing demand, after pulling out of its end of 2008 slump.

PHP

While not much growth, the quantity of demand shows PHP will be around for a long while – and the developers who provide it will remain employed for the foreseeable future.

Javascript

Showing decent range and stable upward trend, Javascript skills are reliably in-demand.

Photoshop

Photoshop skills also continue to grow nicely and maintain a nice range.

Wordpress

Ability to develop for Wordpress is a very nice expanding market and any PHP freelancer would do well to have it on his resume.

Facebook

Another specialist platform that a freelance developer would do well to have on his or her resume. Not a great range, but a healthy trend.

Interested in trends on oDesk? Visit www.odesk.com/trends to learn more!

Welcome to Work From Home Tuesday. At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT.   So what better way to celebrate remote working than discussing some ways to do it well?

Please stop fiddling around with your computer themes when you’re supposed to be working.

So you think a pink camouflage home page theme will be “an improvement in your work environment” resulting in higher productivity for the day? We both know what’s really going on here: procrastination. What’s worse, if your boss is watching your screen shots and sees your wallpaper change suddenly from Frodo Baggins to Angelina Jolie … he knows it too.

Checking your Facebook account before starting your work day? Blatant procrastination, I say.

For those who actually work on Facebook, this may not apply. For the rest of us–who joined FB solely for the jollies of seeing how much weight our college roommate has gained and what our cousin’s girlfriend had for dinner last night–going to Facebook immediately prior to working is a terrible idea. It has led to needless IQ Tests, uncalled-for FB stalking, really lame status updates and senseless political arguments on other people’s walls. Trust me on this one:  FB will still be there when you have finished work for the day.

When possible, do the projects you dread first, then reward yourself with the fun ones.

Some projects are almost effortless. Others, feel physically painful to work on, they are so unappealing. “So, I’ll just get the easy stuff out of the way first,” we tell ourselves.  But do yourself a big favor and get to the hard stuff first. Putting things off will not only put you behind schedule, it will increase your dread as the project will seem more insurmountable with every passing day that you don’t work on it. Don’t use the great projects as excuses, use them as motivation!

WFHT Recommended Reading
“How to Stop Procrastinating” from Pace Productivity
“6 Reasons You Are Procrastinating” from  Stepcase Lifehack
“Stop Procrastinating Right Now!” from  GH Work/Life Balance
“How to Avoid Procrastination as a Freelancer” from Freelance Folder
“Beat Procrastination and Meet Your Deadlines” from Freelance Write at About.com

Much like a divorced marriage counselor, my ability to dish out advice is not an indicator of my ability to implement it. However, having worked from home for over a decade, I’ve learned what works and what just creates more work. – Tamara

Graphic design and the web were made for each other. With broadband access as ubiquitous as it is today, designers can really show off their skills and attitude like never before. Collected here are some of the most useful blogs on graphic design for graphic designers. They cover topics as diverse as how to use the latest in digital tools to managing your expenses as a freelance designer.

Welcome to a new weekly feature we like to call Work from Home Tuesday (WFHT, for short). At oDesk headquarters in Menlo Park, California, every Tuesday is a WFHT.  So what better way to celebrate remote working than discussing some ways to do it well?

First, however, you should know that–much like a divorced marriage counselor–my ability to dish out advice is not necessarily an indicator of my ability to implement it.  (Let’s just get that clear from the start.) Still, I’ve been in the work-at-home business for a decade, so I feel compelled to say on this beautiful Tuesday …

• Watching your favorite television shows when you’re working is never a good idea.

Sure, you did homework in front of the TV as a child, but you’re on the clock now. The five minute lulls in productivity every time Sawyer gets punched during Lost are going to catch up with you. Try working one hour in front of the TV and and another without any distractions. You’ll see the difference. If I’m wrong, toss my advice. If I’m right, stop it already. (Besides, your roommate will appreciate not having to pause the DVR to explain “what just happened” six times per episode.)

• Do you honestly think you can do quality work while simultaneously entertaining your toddler?
  

Now, sometimes this distraction cannot be helped.  I know, because I have lived it. But I was getting half as much done, taking twice the time and going nearly psycho on my babies. You’ll have a more satisfied buyer (and toddler) if you reserve work for when your little ones are sleeping or not under your supervision–provided you have these options.  (Please. No tears or calls to Child Protective Services.  Just burn the midnight oil and drink loads of coffee until they’re in kindergarten.)

• Try to resist the urge to open e-mails from friends when you are handling work-related e-mails.

If your work and personal e-mail in boxes are one, don’t be tempted by e-mails from friends and family when trying to get things done. It will distract you from corresponding with your clients promptly. I don’t care if it’s a link to some juicy Jon and Kate Gosselin gossip or a photo of your new nephew. If it’s not from a work associate, don’t open it during your work hours. (I promise the “Don’t Ever Call This Area Code” forward will still be there when you are done. And it will still be a total lie.)

WFHT Recommended Reading:
“8 Simple Online Time Management Tools for Freelancers” of Leo Babauta at Freelance Switch
“Setting Up the Web Working Day” by Eric Berlin of Web Worker Daily
“6 Steps to Eliminating Distractions” by Anastasia Pryanikova of Lawsagna

P.S. Ms. Jenkins, I–of course–have never worked for you while watching television.
Except that one time. Last week.

Everyone knows that great communication is essential in any distributed team. I’ve put together my list of Do’s and Don’ts based on the last few years of working in and managing distributed teams. Add your do’s, don’ts or pet peeves about email communication.

Do:

1. Address the email carefully. People that are going to need to act on the email should be in the To: addresses. People that you’re just keeping in the loop should be in the CC: addresses. When in doubt, include people on the CC list.
2. Suggest a call to action. If you need action on the email, state it clearly. Tell me what you want me to do with the email. eg, “Josh – please provide feedback.”
3. Bullet point items. If you have a lot of things to say, try to make a nice bulleted list. Nobody likes reading long paragraphs in emails.
4. Use highlights or bold type. If you’re sending an email to a team and need several people to do different things, call that out. Eg, “Elizabeth - please provide a final draft. Brian - please publish on the blog.
5. Confirm action. You’d be amazed how far a simple email reply of “Done” can go. If a client asks you to do something, and you respond with “Done” shortly after, there will be a big smile on their face.
6. Reply immediately. If you can’t immediately address the issues, you should still reply as soon as you can and confirm that you’re working on it and ideally a provide an estimated completion time / date.
7. Send weekly status reports. Even if your client hasn’t asked you to, she will be impressed if you send a nice bulleted list of actions completed over the past week as well as actions planned for the next week.
8. Include links and screenshots. oDesk provides screensnap tools, so does Jing and Skitch for Mac. Use them, they’re useful and pretty.
9. Use FYI labels. If you’re just sending me an FYI – let me know. Include it in the subject or first line so I know that I don’t really need to read it.

Do Not:

1. Mark an email as Urgent. This is such a flagrantly annoying tag. It should never be used. Period.
2. Put URGENT in all CAPS. This is just as bad. An annoying replacement for the urgent tag. Look, if it’s really urgent and you really know me, give me a call or ping me on chat.
3. Remove people from the CC list. If I sent the email to a group of people, I probably thought carefully about who should be on the CC list and who needs to stay informed. Replying directly to me probably means I need to do more work to coordinate everything.
4. Write a novel. Emails should be short, everyone gets a ton of email.
5. Have a bunch of typos. Some typos ok, a ton of typos is unacceptable.
6. Send an email with no subject. I hope everyone already knows this.
7. Send an email with just a link to an article. I am not a mind-reader. Tell me why you’re sending me this link. Do you want me to read, bookmark, forward, link?

We’re turning the oDesk Provider Manifesto into a video showing off the heart and soul of oDesk: our providers

Send us a video of yourself reciting all or part of the oDesk Provider Manifesto in your own way. Get creative, show us your culture, speak in your own language. Your video will be used in our oDesk Provider Manifesto Video!

You can view more information and submission guidelines on our oDesk Video Upload Site.

There are three ways to submit a video. You can use our private submission form, post a video to our Facebook Wall, or submit a video response on YouTube.

Video submissions will be accepted from Wednesday, May 20 – Monday June 15

So you want to master Microsoft Excel, but don’t know where to start? Do terms like Array Formula, VLOOKUP, User Defined Functions, ODBC, VBA and PivotCharts make you cringe? Is the transition from Excel 2003 to Excel 2007 giving you a double migraine headache? Have no fear! There is a vibrant community of Excel Experts online, who are willing to take you under their wing…you just have to know where to look! We’ve compiled the top 10 places online to find help and get trained for free.

1. Mr. Excel Message Boards

The mother of all Excel Help Forums, Mr. Excel has gathered quite a following over the years. With most of the top Excel “power users” from around the world hanging out in these forums, you’re bound to get your questions answered directly, or find that they have already been answered in their vast archives of previous threads. Just be mindful of posting your questions in the proper format (read the posting rules); Message Board types don’t take too kindly to newbies not following the rules. Also check out their fantastic archive of Excel Video Tutorials

2. Ozgrid.com Forums

Ozgrid.com’s Forums have a lively community of Excel Experts ready to answer your questions. If you see an ozgrid.com post while searching google for excel information, you can usually be assured that it is a quality thread. Ozgrid is exceptionally good at VBA programming-related questions.

3. Experts-Exchange

Experts-Exchange is the cream of the crop. The site is set up in a question/answer format. Users can post questions, and Experts can post answers. The user then selects the best answer (much like Yahoo! Answers, but Tech-focused). All previously answered questions are searchable. Experts Exchange is unmatched in their quality of content, and is the go-to place for obscure questions that can’t normally be answered anywhere else. We would have ranked Experts-Exchange #1 if it wasn’t for one thing, you have to register for the site and either pay a monthly fee, or contribute “answers” on a regular basis to keep your account active. Many a frustrated Excel novice will tell you that Experts-Exchange is no good, but that is because only the questions are viewable to the public, not the answers. Suck it up and register for the site, answer a few questions for people that are more of a novice than you, and save yourself the monthly fee.

4. Microsoft’s Official Excel 2003 Training Site / Microsoft’s Official Excel 2007 Training Site

Yes, that’s right…Microsoft actually provides some things for free. The online training modules offered on Microsoft’s websites are top notch. With hundreds of videos, podcasts and tutorials, there’s bound to be something for everyone. Many of the tutorials are a little on the easy side, but the quality is fantastic.

5. Jon Peltier’s Site

Jon Peltier is a Certified Microsoft MVP for Excel. He probably knows more than anyone on the planet about Excel, and fortunately he’s willing to share his knowledge with us. Currently, there are only 90 people ever granted the title of Excel MVP by Microsoft, so you can see how important of a designation it is. Check out the chart tutorials; they’re a little more advanced, but some pretty amazing stuff, especially if you design corporate dashboards.

6. AllExperts.com Forums

AllExperts is a simple, mostly text-based site that follows the question & answer format. They have hundreds of users waiting to answer your questions.

7. PCreview.co.uk Forums

Based in the United Kingdom, PCreview offers a sleek, traditional Message Board interface and an unusually high volume of posts which translates into faster response times to your questions.

8. Microsoft Developers Network (MSDN) Excel Blog

Keep abreast of the latest MS Excel news straight from the horse’s mouth. Another valuable, free service offered by Microsoft.

9. YouTube

Believe it or not, YouTube has many high quality tutorials. If you’re a visual learner, this is an indispensable tool.

10. Google

When in doubt, google it! Learn how to do advanced google queries to help you find what you need faster.

Need number crunching, but don’t have time to do it yourself? oDesk has 21,718 excel professionals that can help you out. The number of excel jobs per month has been steadily rising over the past 12 months.

Did we miss one of your favorite Excel resources? Let us know in the comments below!

We’ve said it before: Twitter is the wave of the social media future! With Ashton Kutcher reaching over 1.5 million followers, and Oprah gaining over 700,000 followers since her Twitter debut on her show two weeks ago, Twitter growth is increasing exponentially! New users are signing up by the boatloads every day.

Because the second most frequently asked question by Twitter newcomers is, “who should I follow?” we decided to put together a list of the writers we follow on Twitter…and why you should probably follow them, too!

	@problogger (Darren Rowse): Full time Blogger, Author, Social Media Participant. Sharing Blogging and Twitter Tips (and a little life). Why we follow him: If you haven’t read his blog, Problogger, check it out. He offers excellent tips for writers and people aspiring to be professional bloggers.
	@skinnyjeans (Stephanie Quilao): Deliciously creative blogger of Everyday Tweet. Founder. I share stuff I think is awesome and helpful. Healthy living, Work, Food, Design, Photography, Twitter. Why we follow her: Her documented journey to becoming a professional blogger on her website, The Everyday Blogger.
	@daivrawks (Daiv Russell): Super-caffeinated Ninja-Nerd, Foodie, SEO/Copywriter, Husband, Project Mangler, Vegetarian, Software Process junkie, and Org Psych, Marketing & Statistics Why we follow him: With a blog named Ninja Nerd, how could we not? Plus, he’s got great SEO writing tips on his blog.
	@copyblogger (Brian Clark): I create new media content for fun and profit. Why we follow him: He offers great writing tips on his blog, Copyblogger, from how to write catchy titles to how to overcome writer’s block.
	@thedomesticdiva (Heather): Freelance Writer. Professional Mommy Blogger. Graphic Designer. Photographer. I’ve participated in the Sony Mommy Blogger Event and Walmart’s ElevenMoms. Why we follow her: Her blog, Domestic Diva, is fun…but we love her videos even more.
	@paulabrett (Paula Brett): Marketer, Web Host, Writer, Blogger, Actor, Singer, Footy mum, Voddie Glugger, Legend in My Own Lunchtime Why we follow her: Her tweets range from professional to, “People who say they never let little things bother them have never slept in a room with a mosquito!” and she shares tips for bloggers on her own blog.
	@writingspirit (Julie Isaac): Tips to unleash your writing genius and rock your world with twitter. Host of #WriteChat Sundays 12-3pm PST. Soon to unveil Twitter Made Easy. Why we follow her: Writers can get lots of great tips and chat with other writers on #WriteChat (on Twitter).
	@sarahprout (Sarah Prout): Author, entrepreneur, online socialite, publisher, passionate advocate of the Law of Attraction and mother of 2 little darlings. Why we follow her: She’s the founder of Sprout Publishing and helps aspiring authors get their works published in compilation books along with celebrity contributors.
	@thedailyblonde (Cheryl): Blogger,Writer,Commentator on Bullcrap, Funny Girl, Single Mom to 5 Awesome Kiddos. I’m A Left Handed Polish Chick & I’m NEVER Growing Up! Why we follow her: Because she “lives without a filter on her mouth” and she’s just plain funny.
	@conniegreen (Connie Green): I teach new entrepreneurs how to use online writing and technology to build a profitable business. Why we follow her: She has great tips on her blog, Ebook Writing and Marketing Secrets, for business bloggers and marketing yourself as a business.
	@hakicoma (Hans): Blogger, Blogging tips, Social Media lover and Internet Marketer. I really enjoy meeting new people… contact me! Why we follow him: He has tons of great writing tips for bloggers at his blog, Catch The Posts.
	@linnetwoods (Linnet Woods): I live aboard a schooner with my man and a cat… I’m a freelance writer and web mangler… Why we follow her: She’s very active on Twitter and her daily “Twitterhood” trivia quizzes are fun.
	@redhotcopy (Lorrie Ferrero): Copywriter, speaker, internet marketer, mother, wife Why we follow her: She’s fun on Twitter and her blog, Red Hot Blog, often has useful tips like this video for book authors on how to get celebrity endorsements.
	@mike_stelzner (Mike Stelzner): Author of book, ‘Writing White Papers,’ organizer of large summits and a dad Why we follow him: He has lots of useful information on writing white papers on his blog, Writing White Papers, along with great videos like this one on how to prevent the “feast or famine” cycle we’ve all run into at one point or another as freelancers.
	@jonfmerz (Jon F Merz): Novelist (the Lawson Vampire books, Rogue Angel), screenwriter, non-fic author, TV dude (THE FIXER), partner at New Ronin Productions, Bujinkan Ninjutsu 5th dan Why we follow him: Because there aren’t enough fiction novelists on Twitter, let alone ones who are as active as he is! You can also check out his blog, Boston Nocturne, for direct ebook downloads.
	@remarkablogger (Michael Martine): Blog consultant and coach Why we follow him: He has great writing tips on his site, Remarkablogger, as well as catchy titles like: How to Write an Ebook that Doesn’t Suck
	@thecreativepenn (Joanna Penn): Author, speaker and coach – writing, self-publishing, print-on-demand, internet sales and promotion for your book Why we follow her: She has great tips for self-published authors at her blog, The Creative Penn.
	@joefinder (Joe Finder): NYT bestselling thriller writer, Dad, Red Sox fan Why we follow him: Not only is he a New York Times best-selling author who’s active on Twitter, but he also has occasional writing tips on his blog, Joseph Finder’s Blog.
	@jennipps (Jen Nipps): Freelance writer/editor specializing in creativity, writing, fashion, health, & general interest. Update frequently. I’m sorry, but I can’t follow everyone Why we follow her: She always has great tips for writers (and freelancers in general) at her blog, TutorialBlog.
	@menwithpens (James C): A Canadian freelance writer with a pen mightier than a sword Why we follow him: His blog, Men With Pens, is another excellent resource for freelance writers.
	@kathleenfuller (Kathleen Fuller): Novelist, freelance writer, author of upcoming Amish novel series Hearts of Middlefield Why we follow her: She tweets and re-tweets a lot of useful articles for freelance writers.
	@angee (Angela Booth): Want to write, have fun and make money? Join me in this incredible new media journey to make good old-fashioned cash. I’m a copywriter and author. Why we follow her: Great tips for writers on her blog, Angela Booth’s Writing Blog.
	@joner (Linda Jones): Director of Passionate Media, journalist and author. Mum of twins, blogging at www.gotyourhandsfull.com Why we follow her: Her blog, Freelance Writing Tips, contains lots of great writing tips and book reviews.
	@chafkin (Max Chafkin): I write for Inc. magazine. I live in Brooklyn. Why we follow him: We like when he says things like this, “Beg for followers? Ewww. Twitter needs less of that. More conversation please.”
	@kathrynvercillo (Kathryn Vercillo): Blogger/Writer. Always pushing the boundaries of my creative experience. Why we follow her: Aside from the fact that we think more people should follow her, she publishes some great articles on her blog, Real Words, like Being Productive When Working from Home.

And, if you’re still not following @odesk on Twitter, what are you waiting for?

I can do that. No, really, I can! And I can do the job as cheaply as everyone else. I’m an every-man. Whatever you need, I can provide it. Whatever you want, I can do it. Whatever you say, I’ll jump to it. You and everyone else.

But hey, wait before you run away from me. I’m special! Different! Much more different than all the other different people, and more special than the most specialist. I specialize, you see?

Take a long, long, long look at what I specialize in. Can’t see what you want? Wait, I’ll add it to the list. Can’t you see how versatile I am? I’ll work exclusively on your project, and everyone else’s.

I’ll be available night and day, as long as I’m not doing my other job. I’ll answer your every query, as long as I’m not off learning other skills. I’ll deliver my work speedily, just as soon as I’ve read a tutorial on how to do it.

Does the above sound familiar to you?

It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of the fat kid in the free candy store, grabbing everything, and having no time to enjoy anything.

The internet has allowed us not only to reach a geographically greater audience, but also to be all things to all men. In seconds we can change our profile, or add something to our portfolio. We can be who we want to be today, and someone else tomorrow. And this might seem great, empowering even, but it’s not. If you say you can do everything, you will appear to be just anyone. A nobody.

I saw a sign written white van on the way to work today. It said: J. Bloggs, building foundations

I thought, “If I ever need to lay foundations for a house extension, I’ll go to them.”

So what did they do right that I’ve been doing so wrong?

By specializing they differentiated themselves from the rest. And that’s what we freelancers have to do on oDesk. The more we focus our profile and portfolio to just one thing, the more outstanding we appear to be in that area.

You may ask, “But won’t I lose out on lots of other work?”

The answer is this: How can I lose out on work I’m not getting anyway?

Narrow your focus and become outstanding!

Rob de Jongh is a freelance architectural visualization consultant based in the UK. He specializes in SketchUp and writes a blog about it at www.provelo.co.uk. He’s fairly new to oDesk, and like you, he has trouble focusing his portfolio to get most buyer interest. Check out his profile and leave some helpful comments below.

We’ve scoured the internet for the 100 best blogs for freelancers, and we think you’ll appreciate the results. There’s something here for every remote worker, whether you specialize in animation, software development, or anything in between. We divided the blogs into categories. (When in doubt, we deferred to the categories covered in each blog’s archives.) Enjoy!

TOP FREELANCING BLOGS:

1. Freelance Switch This extremely popular blog–over 35,000 subscribers and multiple writers–includes advice, news and opinions for freelance workers, such as this insightful post on nurturing relationships with clients you’d like to keep. Also on Freelance Switch: forums and podcasts.
2. Freelance Folder This site has a much-loved blog (almost 12,000 subscribers) in addition to its forums. The blog has over 20 contributors and contains useful posts like this one: “Why a Blog Is Important to Your Freelance Business.”
3. Guerilla Freelancing Someone “from the trenches”–aka Mike Smith–offers up great resources and helps for freelancers, even as he tells it like it is with this post: “15 Drawbacks to Working Freelance.”
4. Escape from Corporate America Career coach Pamela Skillings dishes work-at-home advice for freelancers, and even the occasional rant, like this one: “I Miss Sick Days.”
5. Web Worker Daily Blog of wisdom from multiple writers for those who utilize the internet for work from home. A must-read: “Office Space? Mind Space!”
6. Freelancing Blog This blog contains tips on working freelance (from proofreading to web design) from a team of writers. Among the best posts: “The Ethical Freelancer.”
7. Artic Llama Blog The goal of this blog is to build bridges between freelance workers and those who hire them, but some of the best posts are those like this one, advocating working on your laptop at a coffee shop.
8. Seth Godin’s Blog This one–with great stuff for freelancers, like this post about your profile picture–seems to make every blog list on the net. As for who he is? The only thing certain is that he’s the author of a lot of books, like The Purple Cow.
9. Roberto Alamos Freelance and business (on the internet) advice from Roberto Alamos, including “10 Tips for Effective Freelancing.”
10. Podcast for Freelancers Despite the name … it’s also an advice-heavy blog, with posts like “Procrastination: You Can Overcome It.”
11. The Berkun Blog This Scott Berkun is a real hot shot hero to the technically inclinced, but check out the archived blog entries–there’s stuff here for nearly every creatives freelancer, especially this lesson from a Dr. Seuss book.
12. Essential Keystrokes Though it’s written by a web designer, there is something on this blog for every freelancer, such as “13 Ways to Move Big Files on the Web.”
13. Anywired Self-employment advice from Skellie (of #10 in our Top Freelance Blogging Blogs) with plenty to offer freelancers–like this entire archived category of posts.
14. Self Employed Blog Blogger Eartha shares the things she’s learned in her own journey working through the internet, such as when to answer phone calls and e-mails.
15. oDesk blog We’re not gonna lie to you, we think our blog is pretty great. Just click on our “Freelancing Tips” archive, and you’ll know why too.

TOP BLOGS FOR FREELANCE DESIGNERS:

1. Fuel Your Creativity This incredible and fast-growing blog from multiple contributors has built a readership of almost 10,000 in just barely more than one year, has special tips for freelance designers and tons of freebies.
2. CMD+Shift Design Blog On this blog you’ll find plenty of design talk and freelance advice from Liz Andrade, including her post “15 Must-Have Books for … Freelancers” (hint: a lot of these books’ authors have their own blogs right here on our list!).
3. The Design Cubicle Hints, free stuff and wisdom can all be found at Brian Hoff’s graphic design blog, including a whole archived section of freelance wisdom.
4. Outlaw Design Blog This site is packed with freelance advice from graphic designer Danny Outlaw–like archived tutorials and a discussion of contract design and the economy.
5. Fudge Graphics Freelancers can find plenty of graphic design resources, freebies and inspiration from Franz Jeitz’s blog.

TOP BLOGS FOR FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGN PLUS … BLOGS

1. David Airey This blog highlights David Airey’s work and methods for logo design and, thus, marketing is also heavily covered in this very popular graphic design blog with over 10,000 subscribers. His November 2008 take on the economy and contract design work encourages and inspires.
2. You the Designer With nearly 10,000 readers and plenty of freebies, this blog by Gino Orlandi even has its own forums. Of the best posts: “5 Ways to Optimize Your Portfolio for Local Traffic”
3. Designers Who Blog As the name suggests, multiple designers share guidance and ideas, but also simply review other designers’ blogs in posts. In other words, this blog is a portal to a hundred other useful blogs and some cover more than just design.
4. My Ink Blog This helpful graphic and web design advice blog, created by freelancer Andrew Houle in 2008, includes the post “5 Things Every Freelance Designer Should Do.”
5. Brian Yerkes This site covers a lot of territory including design, blogging, marketing and freelancing, all with posts from the blogger himself, Brian Yerkes. The must-read is a post offering the 50 characteristics of freelancers who won’t succeed.
6. Graphic Design Blog Freelancer Tara’s blog gives tip on contract graphic design, illustrating and web design–and is growing in readership. Don’t miss her regularly scheduled and insightful interviews with other freelance designers.
7. All About Freelance This very helpful blog covers tools and tips for freelance graphic designers and web designers, and was written by one of their own.
8. I’mJustCreative In this blog, Graham Smith offers his readers logo inspiration and creation tips, marketing savvy and social media discussion.
9. CrazyLeaf Design Blog Here, multiple authors share concepts and tools for both graphic design and web design, with many tutorials archived.
10. Method to the Mayhem Calvin Lee of Mayhem Studios gives his thoughts on design, marketing and promotion through this blog, especially in his recent post about branding yourself through Twitter.
11. Design O’Blog Here you’ll find tools from Niki Brown, plus 216 posts about graphic design. Her tips for success and inspiration are worth your time, but she also happens to cover web 2.0, design ethics and more.
12. Design for Users Blogger Kristi Colvin speaks to design, marketing, social media and more. However, her message to designers (which is “get a mobile web site“) really shows her freelance savvy.

TOP FREELANCE ILLUSTRATION & ANIMATION BLOGS:

1. Animation Tips & Tricks The senior animator of Industrial Light and Magic, Shawn Kelly, hosts this beautiful blog that guides animators (even while selling AnimationMentor.com) through topics like how to proceed after you’ve been given the storyboard (by Nick Bruno).
2. Chewing Pencils Freelance cartoonist and illustrator Matt Glover doles out great advice for others, such as “The Isolation of the Freelancer.” He should know, Matt is one of many contract animators who works alone.
3. Coghillustration Cartoon illustrator George Coghill offers advice, not just his work. Freelancers can enjoy this entry which answers the looming question “Can a Solo Freelance Artist Make a Real Living?”
4. Illustration Castle This is a great blog of advice for illustrators from talented Canadian artist Heather Castles. One of many topics is how to use iPhoto to catalog your illustrations.
5. Character Design This artist interview and gallery blog is a must for animators, complete with the Character Design Forum where members can share ideas, critique each others’ work, etc.

TOP BLOGS FOR FREELANCE SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS:

1. Joel on Software Developer Joel Spolsky has blogged over a 1,000 times on the topic of software management, including “The Absolute Minimum Every Developer … Must Know About Unicode and Character Sets.” This blog has a discussion group and many articles have been translated into other languages.
2. Computer Zen Learn software development news–along with nearly 40,000 other subscribers–and “programming life” from Scott Hanselman. His blog includes 168 entries on bugs, as well as his HanselMinutes podcasts.
3. Code Better Brendan Tompkins and Darrell Norton founded this very popular blog (with nearly 30,000 subscribers), which has multiple contributors. All are in the business of teaching developers how to (what else?) code better and there’s a little freelance advice as well, in Jeff Lynch’s entry “Finding Freelance Work.”
4. Code Monkeyism With 1500 loyal readers, Stephan Schmidt’s regularly writes his programming blog, which is all tech and very little fluff. While he has a hefty focus on Java, he also has a lot of entries on general software development.
5. Warren Seen Australian software developer Warren Seen has been dishing out how-to’s on his blog since 2006. Besides his how-to’s for programming, he has a great post from 2007 for every freelance developer called “Why I’m Assertive With My Clients.”
6. Eric.Weblog On this blog you’ll find software engineering advice from Eric Sink of SourceGear, who even throws in an entry perfect for freelancers about becoming your own boss.

TOP BLOGS FOR FREELANCE WEB DESIGNERS:

1. Smashing Magazine This blog of web designer innovations and issues is based out of Germany–but don’t worry, it’s all in English–and has almost 99,000 subscribers, a forum, and tons of advice posts like “75 (really) Useful JavaScript Techniques.”
2. Noupe News and helpful information for web designers from the best of the best, and they have nearly 22,000 subscribers. A sample of the blog’s advice? “10 Ways to Automatically and Manually Backup MySQL Database.”
3. Vandelay Design Almost 13,000 web designers subscribe to this blog, perfect for freelancers, especially with posts like “77 Resources to Simplify Your Life as a Web Designer.”
4. Wake Up Later You can’t go two links in the work-at-home web-design blogosphere without someone mentioning Samuel Ryan’s blog, which features free resources and tips for freelance web designers, like where not to use Flash.
5. DevSnippets This blog is a brainchild of Noupe, where members submit web design and development codes as posts, like this one about navigation menu techniques.
6. Six Revisions This blog offers information and helps for web designers and developers, from Jacob Gube and others, and it’s full of archived freebies, like these 20 denim textures.
7. Full Frontal Freelance This unique, short-form blog (tumblelog) gives advice for freelance web designers by pulling links from all over the blogosphere. It’s like a million blogs in one. Intrigued by a post title, like “How Not to Write Like a Designer”? Click on the link and wake up in a whole new freelance or web design blog.
8. CSS-Tricks Blogger Chris Coyier leads this blog, a popular community for web designers, with a forum of 1500 members. It should be no surprise the site gains popularity every day, with great posts like “So Your Client Has a This Idea … and You Think It’s a Bad One.”
9. SitePoint At least ten different bloggers have had their work spun into one here, with topics like web design and development issues for freelancers, like “5 Rarely Used CSS Properties.”
10. I Design Studios Web designer Selene Bowlby blogs her tip for freelance web designers here, like her post on the essential web development tools.
11. StylizedWeb This web design trends and tutorials blog from Ross Johnson gives away a lot of freebies, and discusses the future of blog design in this post.
12. Bokardo Blogger Joshua Porter’s tips for website design and development, along with posts like this: “Who Cares How Pretty Web Sites Are?”
13. Best Practices This freelance advice blog, written for web site designers, features great posts like “Stripping HTML Tags From User Inputs.” It also includes a lot about how to handle your clientel.
14. Woork This new-in-2009 blog offers good advice for web developers, like useful scripts for platting charts and graphs on a site, and is run by Antionio Lupetti.
15. Regular Geek Internet design with a healthy dose of social media tips thrown in by the blogger himself. Thinking of learning a new programming language? Read this first.

TOP FREELANCE BLOGGING BLOGS:

1. Pro Blogger Advice for successful blogging–including freelance bloggers–from Darren Rowse. Subscribed to by over 75,000 readers, it was a clear choice for the top blog, even if it didn’t already have insightful posts like this one on better SEO.
2. CopyBlogger This blog–with almost 55,000 subscribers–teaches copywriting, marketing and social media along with blogging best-practices, and was created by Brian Clark. (Check out the tricks to writing a post in 20 minutes by contributor Jim Estill.)
3. Daily Blog Tips This blog is written by Daniel Scocco, and won “Best Web Development Blog” category in the 2007 Weblog Awards. Over 17,000 subscribers love it for posts like: “Create a Functional Footer for Your Blog.”
4. Men With Pens These four writers–one does happen to be a woman–offer freelancing tips, including tips specific to blogging, and even have a forum. Freelancers will appreciate this deadline discussion.
5. Blog Design Blog Just like the title says, Vinh Le gives web design advice specifically for blogs, and it’s always excellent–as in his post “37 Ways to Design the Comments Form.”
6. Remarkablogger How-to’s for those who blog, from Michael Martine, including this post on video blogging and five free Wordpress themes.
7. Lorelle on WordPress This blog–daily guidance from Lorelle VanFossen on WordPress blogging–took third place in the “Blogs on Blogging” category in the 2007 Blogger Choice Awards.
8. Blogging Basics 101 Blogger Melanie Nelson gives tips on SEO, making money and blog maintenance, including a whole archive of content writing advice, such as the key to writing a successful post.
9. Inkwell Editorial Though Yuwanda Black won’t blog again until Fall 2009, hundreds of helpful old blog entries will do, like “9 Useful Tips for Bloggers.”
10. Skelliewag A source of blogging advice from one who knows. Skellie has two of them (see #13 Anywired in our Freelancing Blog list above).

TOP BLOGS FOR FREELANCE WRITERS:

1. Bizzia As it was once The Golden Pencil, Bizzia has an entire archive for freelancers, as well as how-to’s like this gem: “How to Find Photos for Your Writing.”
2. The Renegade Writer A blog of freelance best-practices from the authors of the book by the same name. The must read post? “The Freelance Writer’s Bill of Rights.”
3. Freelance Zone Editors Joe Wallace and Catherine Tilly share freelance writing advice on this blog, such as “The 5 Freelance Writing Mistakes That Will Make You Look Like a Noob.”
4. The Urban Muse Freelance writing tidbits from Susan Johnston have been on this blog since 2006. One of the latest nuggest is one of the best. It’s about how to be frugal as you freelance. (Writing White Papers named it one of the Top 10 Blogs for Writers last year.)
5. Get Paid to Write Online Freelance writer Sharon Hurley Hall’s blog shares how she built her successful career, with a few necessary rants along the way, like this one.
6. The Writing Journey Freelance internet writing advice from Bob Younce, whose April 6, 2009 post explains why internet writers need to have a specialty.
7. Ink Thinker Writer and editor Kristen King’s blog is a must-read for freelancers like her, but one of the best posts was written by a guest. This post tells all writers how to be nicer to their clients.
8. Bad Language Blog author Matthew Stibbe offers PR, interviewing and freelance advice to writers, such as “How to Make Money Writing for the Web.”
9. The Writer’s Blog Blogger Dana Prince dishes on her freelance writing journey, even her experience using Copyscape.
10. Freelance Writerville Though her home was once Adventures in Freelancing, freelancer Yolander Prinzel’s took her writing savvy to this new blog where contract workers will find wisdom in posts like this one.
11. The Writer’s Manifesto This resource is Monika Mundell’s blog, full of tips for freelance writing, such as “The Dangers of Multitasking” while you write.
12. Fab Freelance Writing Blog Australian blogger Angela Booth teaches freelancers how to make money, and even has a great podcast.
13. Allena’s Freelance Writing Blog This is About.com’s writing blog from Allena Tapia, and she even has a forum. Don’t let the fact that it’s from About.com scare you, it’s a great resource.
14. Chris Blogging Blogger Chris Bibey shares the keys to his freelance writing success and deals with related topics, like deadlines.
15. Freelance Tips A blog with freelance writing wisdom and leads, this post teaches freelancers to write a business plan for themselves.
16. Daily Freelance Writing Tips This blog contains practical advice for freelance writers from Chesley Moldonado–such as how to build up confidence.

TOP FREELANCE COPYWRITING & MARKETING BLOGS:

1. Micro Persuasion This is a blog of marketing talk–with over 50,000 daily readers–from Steve Rubel. Marketers, especially the freelance variety, will appreciate posts like “5 Digital Trends to Watch for 2009.”
2. Writing White Papers If you are a freelance copywriter/marketer, you should know Michael Stelzner’s blog is as popular as his book by the same name. In fact 20,000 get his newsletter and you can tell by the comments that his posts–like this one about dealing with unresponsive clients–are all the buzz.
3. Copywrite Underground Freelancer Tom Chandler explains the ins and outs of the marketing business and–in this post–freelancing in this economy.
4. Freelance Copywriters Blog Freelance copywriter Sally Ormond’s tips for freelancing, such as these “10 Tips for Dynamite Copy,” are exceptionally helpful for contract writers and marketers alike.

TOP FREELANCE LIFESTYLE BLOGS:

1. Zen Habits Uber-popular blogger Leo Babauta–over 100,000 people follow his blog feed–offers advice freelancers can live by, like the posts “Purpose Your Day” and “How to Accept Criticism.”
2. Experiments in Lifestyle Design Author of the bestselling book The Four Hour Work Week, Tim Ferriss blogs his smart thoughts on what you need in an office chair and how to save your weekends.
3. Dumb Little Man Tips for Life Not geared for freelancers alone, this blog–created by ordinary guy Jay White–contains nuggets of wisdom to increase your productivity, like “13 Effective Time Management Tips for Web Workers.”
4. Rock Your Day Get your life in order and freelance better with Dave Navarro (not that Dave Navarro) as you live purposefully The can’t-miss inspirational post? “Why You Should Always, Always Keep Planting Seeds.”
5. Freelance Parent Two freelance writers–Tamara Berry and Lorna Doone Brewer–discuss the ins and outs of raising kids while working from home.
6. Just Loving Life This blog has many things, but most importantly, it has an archive of advice for getting the most out of working from home. (The blog is written by friends Wanda and Paula.)

TOP FREELANCE SOCIAL MEDIA BLOGS:

1. Mashable If you have yet to master social media to further your freelancing career, this blog is for you–and their other 205,000 subscribers will tell you the same thing. The contributors to the blog keep readers updated with the latest advances and advice regarding all forms of social media, such as the post “The 7 Ways to Approach Twitter.”
2. Social Media Explorer It’s no Mashable, but over 4,000 subscribers look to blogger Jason Falls for social media best-practices and strategies through his blog. Posts like “Persistence: The Key to Social Media Stretegy” are why he has built a fan-base in less than a year and a half.

TOP SPECIALIZED FREELANCE BLOGS:

Note: These last five blogs are not ranked, merely numbered. Pitting these particular blogs against each other would be like comparing apples to oranges.

1. 1001 Freelance Travel Writer Tips This blog is full of specific advice for travel writers (David of Bizzare Places is only on #92 to date), such as #61, which tells readers to avoid overusing I and me.
2. Anti 9 to 5 Guide Author of the book by the same name, Michelle Goodman, gives freelance advice targeted to women on her blog. (Check out this interview, comparing the differences between the sexes when it comes to freelancing.)
3. Freelancers Union This union resource blog deals with the ethical and labor issues of contract work–including these thoughts on whether or not freelancers should lower their rates just because their clients are struggling.
4. June Walker She’s been advising the self-employed on their taxes since 1979, and answering their questions through her blog since 2006. Of particular interest: “Bloggers, Designers … : Three Ways to Expand Business Deductions.”
5. The Ace Your Interview Blog Certified career development practitioner Fiona MacKay Young gives expert advice for interviews, including dealing with illegal questions even contract workers shouldn’t answer.
6. Undress For Success Advice and resources for working from home.

In Closing …

Did we miss one of your favorite freelancer blogs? Tell us about it in your comments!

Albert Einstein once quipped that “education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.” I can recall few of the specifics that I was taught when I earned my business degree in the early 1990s, but some important concepts made a lasting impression on me. At the time, studying Japanese management techniques was all the rage, and one of the most intriguing claims I remember was that Western companies—and their managers—frequently fell into the trap of focusing on the solution instead of the problem.

What does this mean? Simply that most of us in the U.S. and other Western countries tend to be in such a hurry to resolve issues that we rush into fixing a problem before we have completely analyzed it. We naturally want to deal with difficult situations as quickly as possible; it seems like a waste of time to pause to spend time reviewing the problem. But without taking that step, we can easily choose a suboptimal solution—or even worse, a solution that only addresses a symptom instead of the problem’s root cause.

This danger is exacerbated when there is a discrepancy between the skill sets of the individual with the problem and the individual with the solution. Employers often turn to hiring freelancers because they need an expert to solve a particular problem, but rather than spelling out the problem and letting freelancers suggest the best solution, they put forth a proposed solution themselves. It is understandable why this happens; in most cases, the employer is (wisely) trying to be clear and specific about job requirements. But the end result this can still constrain potential proposals, and cause the employer to miss out on potentially superior ideas.

One of my main lines of work is automated data extraction and processing, and I encounter this dilemma on a daily basis. Using my custom data extraction engine, I am able to “scrape” data from websites and perform menial data entry tasks in a way that is often more accurate, faster and cheaper than using data entry clerks. Yet I often find my service a tough sell, because employers have decided what they think is the best solution, rather than focusing on the problem and seeing what solutions are available. They will say they “need a data entry person” (a solution) rather than saying they have “data they need to be entered” (a problem). I’ve even completed automated projects that were specifically labeled as “manual data entry jobs”—in some cases, I had to send several messages to convince the employer that yes, I really could do it automatically!

Of course, there are many freelancing disciplines where an employer can easily and correctly ascertain the specific service or product that he or she requires. But it is still worthwhile to concentrate on what the problem is that needs to be fixed, not on potential individual solutions. So ask yourself: Do you need a coder to install a particular package of software for your website, or would you be better off describing what you want your website to do, and seeing what software packages are recommended? Is it specifically a typist you require, or is the real objective to get that data from your hard-copy manuscript into Word format, in whatever is the most efficient way? Does that script have to be written in Perl, or could another language get the job done just as well?

Avoiding the temptation to jump to the solution ensures that you stay focused on the most important goal: solving your business’s problem. It allows you to keep an open mind to alternatives that you may not have considered. You may end up spending a little more time sorting through proposals than you would have if you were specific up front, but you could just find yourself very pleasantly surprised by a superior solution you didn’t even know existed.

Charles Kozierok obtained master’s degrees in Management and Engineering from MIT in 1993. He is a freelance programmer who specializes in automated data entry and processing, as well as an author, editor and photographer.

I have been working with freelancers throughout my career and recently, thanks to services like oDesk, I find myself doing it more often.  So you might think that I am happy with what I get, at least in general.  Well, one of the reasons I continue to stay engaged is my high tolerance for pain – I am prepared to go through piles of hay to find that needle.  And I have to tell you, looking for freelancers is very much like digging for gold – you literally have to go through tons of dirt to find it.

Interestingly enough many freelancers who have skills, knowledge and maybe even talent often torpedo themselves, aggressively sabotage their chances of getting customers right in the begging of the process.  They make simple yet lethal mistakes that turn off clients before they got the chance to learn about freelancer’s ingenuity.  Below are some of those mistakes:

• Not reading my post before you reply to it.  Your three page long template proposal will get you in a recycle been faster than anything else.  At least adjust your opening statement, show me that you read the post…
• Not using proper grammar and spelling.  English is my second language and still work in progress; I still straggle with grammar myself, yet many responses I see push that envelope way too far.  Grammatically poor introduction screams in my face “Communicating with this freelancer will be a real pain!” Spelling mistakes are even worse – how can I entrust my project to someone who doesn’t even make an effort to turn on a spellchecker?
• Talking with me like I am a teenager.  Your slang (especially when combined with ESL marvels) comes across as complete lack of intelligence and class.  By the way, spellchecker is not likely to recognize your “gonna”, “wanna”, “gimme”, take a hint.
• Being excessively polite.  Your culture and language might require twenty minutes of praise and compliments before you get to business but I am an American, cut to the chase guy.  More so, being overly polite and using somewhat unusual forms will telegraph a wrong image, your mentioning my “ultimate wisdom” only makes me think of a snake oil salesman.
• Not being punctual / prepared for your interview.  I think of proposal / interview stage as a “honeymoon” in a relationship with a freelancer, it all goes downhill from there.  Late for your Skype call? Having troubles finding your headset? Can’t introduce yourself? Chances are that’s the last time you’ll hear from me.

Don’t think I’m done here: I am only getting warmed up; it’s just my 500 word limit coming up.  I guess will continue in my blog.

Nick Krym is a technology professional with over 25 years in the IT industry, and the author of the Pragmatic Outsourcing blog.

A new feature coming in the next few weeks inspires us to discuss a key technique for project management. It’s relevant to any kind of remote work, but at oDesk the ideas grew out of managing software development workteams. Our co-founder and CTO Odysseas Tsatalos is a firm believer in breaking the development process down to the smallest tasks, and our new task code feature will let buyers and project managers who adopt the technique to more accurately track the time and costs dedicated to each task. So for those inspired by the new feature, we offer eight tips that can make you a better manager:

1. Think small: Break a larger assignment down to manageable tasks. Each takes a few hours—sometimes, a few days, but the larger the task, the harder it is to manage and track, so break things down as far as logic allows. Examples from an engineering environment: “Add landing page to production trunk,” “update the What’s New section on homepage,” or “add fields to database.”
    
2. Go high level: Keep your task description (or codes) to a high-level concept. This way, your reports will be more meaningful. Example: “Write a newsletter article,” “Edit the newsletter” and “Format and email the newsletter” may be tasks for three different providers, but they form a “Newsletter” component owned by your marketing manager. When reviewing the communication efforts at the end of the month, your reports will immediately show how much effort was spent on the newsletter.
    
3. Automate: Tasks should be automatically queued to their correct owners. There are many project management tools available to do that; these days we’re using Bugzilla, which is available in every team room. What system you use isn’t as important as finding one that works for you.
    
4. One thing at a time: Tell providers to devote 100 percent of their time to completing one given task at a time; don’t let them shift among three tasks you’ve assigned them. We find that if a provider focuses on one task at a time, each item gets done faster and better.
    
5. From the top: A provider should do the task at the front of her queue, move to the next, then to any recurring back-burner task once all priority tasks are completed.
    
6. Keep it moving: We have project architects pushing tasks, while development managers are responsible for keeping everybody’s queue full. However you do it, make sure that tasks are being generated and distributed correctly.
    
7. Pay attention: With oDesk’s new Task Code feature, create a set of codes for each task and instruct your providers to select the correct code when they sign in with their work memo. This will let you generate reports that can show you, among other things, how much of your resources go to each kind of task.
    
8. Evolve: With that data, refine the process to perfection.
    

There are a lot of ways to efficiently manage your workteams and to organize the tasks you assign them. We’re hoping that the upcoming Task Code tool will be one more way you (and your team) get the job done.

We’ve got this new feature coming in the next few weeks: Task codes. Buyers break jobs down by small tasks, and a provider logging in selects a code indicating the kind of task she’s working on. That way, the buyer can plan and budget better. We haven’t come up with a version just for the provider’s personal recordkeeping (yet!), but it occurs to us that this is a great way for a provider to approach a job even if the buyer hasn’t embraced the feature.

A buyer might hire you to “build an online store,” but approaching the job in that giant-sized chunk is a recipe for failure. You know you have to approach it one step at a time, and making this process visible to the buyer is a way to ensure solid communication and a smooth workflow. Go back to your buyer with a list of the specific tasks — “build database,” “populate database with product info,” “implement Yahoo shopping cart” — and time estimates for each. If your buyer creates applicable task codes, use them when you sign in. If not, just specify the task at hand on your work memo.

Why go through all this nitty-gritty detail work? Here are four reasons:

1. Manage expectations. Showing each step can make sure the buyer understands why the job will take the time and money you estimate it will take. It prevents misunderstandings or disappointment down the line.
    
2. Involve other team members. If your breakdown includes functions other team members will perform, this helps the buyer organize the team, and raises your stature as a key member. For example, your time may be best spent on building the database but not keying-in the information. Have a data-entry specialist do that while you are focusing on your core work.
    
3. Establish transparency. You’re creating an easy way for the buyer to follow your progress. For some jobs, you may want to ask the buyer to sign off on each step — a simple email will do. Other times, you might be satisfied knowing you’re providing the right information, and tackling the job one task at a time.
    
4. Increase your long-term value. Task codes, or just an understanding of the breakdown, creates a way of looking at the job, a language your buyer knows you speak. In the long term, she’ll want providers who are already on the same page — so start writing that page now.
    

Task codes roll out in the next few weeks — keep an eye on our What’s New page. But in the meantime, if you’re not already geared toward thinking about the small pieces that create the big picture, there’s no better time to start.

Whether you are new to the world of freelancing or are a seasoned veteran, there are a number of things to be considered when bidding on an assignment.

I have conducted many interviews through oDesk, and have seen some rather appalling behavior from potential providers that have cost them their chance to ever work on an assignment for me, while others don’t even make it to the interview process.

I will briefly review the proper etiquette for providers to adhere to when applying for positions through oDesk.

Cover Letters. This is the first impression you will have on a prospective employer.  Bidding on an assignment through oDesk is no different than applying for a job.  Your cover letter should highlight requirements or duties mentioned in the job posting.  One of the quickest ways to get your application rejected is to send a generic cover letter that does not focus on any of the posted job requirements.  I will not consider a provider for an assignment if they do not take the time to mention what qualifications they possess that pertain to the project I am hiring for, or why the position interests them.

If you have questions regarding the assignment, it is OK to ask as long as it is done respectfully and tastefully.  I have seen questions in cover letters that read more like  insults or police interrogations rather than a simple inquiry.

Qualifications.  If there are tests available for your skills, take them, and apply only for positions that you are qualified for.  If a project requires that you are proficient with Linux, but all you know is Windows, do not apply.  You will be wasting the Buyer’s time and they will remember you for doing just that.  This could cause you to be immediately rejected for future assignments they have available and could harm your reputation on oDesk via feedback.

Availability.  If you are backlogged on assignments or are not available during the Buyer’s requested hours, then do not apply unless you state your availability for the project in your cover letter.  This may or may not be something the Buyer can work around.

If you land an interview with a prospective client, you will need to give them a reason to hire you over other potential providers.  If you initiate contact with them, be professional and courteous.  If they have stated specific hours of availability in the job posting, contact them within those hours.  A client will most likely frown upon a request to chat at 2:00 a.m. if they are available from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Do not repeatedly message or nag them.  Simply state that you are responding to their interview request and politely ask them to contact you at their convenience.

Kristen Laws is a freelance project manager on oDesk.  She is the owner/operator of Runelady.com