O! My. God. oDesk Rocks: Tip-of-the-Day #249

Have you heard of oDesk? Launched in '06, oDesk is a virtual environment for contract workers and employers to connect to get a job done; designers, marketers, coders, etc. all come together using collaboration tools, a time clock, and monitoring features.

I have used oDesk for things as complicated as building a back end engine for sending "anonymous" emails on an amusing website I developed called freecorrection.com. And, I most recently used oDesk to surprise my bf with a brand new logo for his website.

Now I'm using oDesk to explore giving my own blog a brow lift; with a customized and creative header for the homepage. ;)

What I'm saying is that you can use oDesk for ANYTHING. And, if you're the one with the talent, you can make your services available to people like me who constantly need help to get stuff done.

For the one doing the hiring: people's rates vary wildly. In some remote parts of the world labor comes very inexpensively but I would strongly encourage you to review portfolios and certifications to ensure you're getting someone capable of performing your assignment. It's great to have access to affordable talent, but don't forget the old adage: you get what you pay for. It may seem overwhelming at first when you're sorting through thousands of contractors, but I like to use the filters to sort by skill set, region, price range, etc. Before you know it you have a manageable list to look through.

For the contractors looking for work: this is an awesome way to make extra cash or even work full time if you create a steady flow of clients. I recently turned an artist friend of mine on to this site to make up the gap between his current salary and the cash he needs to cover his SF rent.

Save money. Make money. Get your sh&% done. That's what it's all about! (Foot stomp!)