oDesk Newsletter: Budget Salvation! 10 Ways That Less Does More

THE oDESK PERSPECTIVE:
Budget Salvation: 10 Ways That Less Does More

The economy is a wreck and business leaders around the world are wringing their hands, but no one's got it worse than the small business owner -- you've got the same concerns as everyone else, plus a business that's already on thin margins. While you might be tempted to cut all expenditures and hide, that only handicaps your business now and in the future. We've got 10 ways to keep building your business while getting the most out of every dollar you spend. For instance:

• Customer service? Go rural or overseas.
• Don't pay for online ads. Let search engine optimization bring you the hits.
• Technology? Trade expensive stuff for free stuff.
• Check out the full list!

SUCCESS STORIES:
6th Sense Analytics

We talk to Todd Olson, cofounder and president of software maker 6th Sense Analytics. He came to oDesk looking for a provider with skills so rare he didn't think he'd ever find 'em -- but he did, and he continues to turn to oDesk providers for the programming skills no small company can keep in-house.

Q:  What recommendations do you have for buyers moving forward in this downturn?
A:  First, evaluate your technology needs and see what people you currently have who are absolutely critical and cannot be replaced. For all else, evaluate whether outsourcing makes sense. In the past, I had good people who simply weren't fully utilized. This is a great opportunity to use something like oDesk. Having a full-time employee and paying benefits for 10 hours a week of work isn't wise.

Q:  What's the most important lesson you've learned as a buyer, in how attract or select the best applicants?
A:  Be specific in your requests. Conduct a detailed interview and ask how the applicant will solve the problem. Make sure there's a plan in place and that the individual understands what they are getting in to.

Read what Todd calls "the number one cause of failure," plus his thoughts on the economy and the technology of remote work, in the full interview.

New Features

We've rolled out a few great new features this month. Here's two of them:

Message Center Preferences

No need to flood your email inbox with messages you want in your message center; you can opt to have most notifications sent exclusively to your oDesk Message Center! Customize your Message Center Preferences now!

New Candidates Queue

We've made it easier for buyers to manage the candidates in each active opening. Specifically, the more interactive view will allow buyers to filter and scan candidates' key qualifications and cover letters. We would very much like to solicit your feedback on the new functionalities as well as suggestions for improvements. Please post your comments here.

Provider Spotlight

	Andrew N Web developer (PHP/mySQL, Javascript, AJAX, Smarty, streaming media) Provider Company: ASM Group Total oDesk Hours: 60 Feedback: 5.0 Comments: "A Pleasure to work with. Really knows his stuff!!! The project was done fast and exactly how I needed it."
	Megan O Great Secretary Total oDesk Hours: 112 Feedback: 4.7 Comments: "Megan is great -- -competent and professional all the way. I highly recommend her when you need to dig in and find out information about something."
	Raeed R Joomla expert, Web Designer, Email Designer (HTML\CSS\XML) Total oDesk Hours: 0 Feedback: 5.0 Comments: "Raeed did an excellent job. Very skilled and patient with me. Very cooperative and always available when I was"
	Ruth S Experienced Writer - Editor - Researcher Total oDesk Hours: 383 Feedback: 4.7 Comments: "Ruth was a great asset. I would recommend her for any technical writing requirements."

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