Elance

If you follow me on Twitter, I mentioned before that I tried Elance. I will be writing an article about my experience, listing the pros and cons and what have yous. Though I thought it was a good idea to let you all know that any job that requires a status report gives the client your full name and address.

That’s right. Some stranger receives your full name and address. And if you click the wrong box, they get your social security number too (I used an EIN, which is free to get from irs.gov) if that’s what you’re using for tax purposes on the site. You have to agree to have it added to the invoice, but you’re basically one-click away from giving someone your whole life.

I don’t know why Elance gives out that information and is so reluctant to admit it, but there you are. So if you want to use Elance — which is a great tool for some freelancers and a horror story and a half for others — you might want to get a PO box and an EIN.

Anyways, from there I followed the advice of one of my pro-blog link guys (I’ll include his link in my article, but I’m too lazy to look it up right now) and joined Fiverr. He said it was a good way to test the waters and get some experience, and honestly it looks like a lot of fun. Plus, my Peerblock doesn’t go crazy with the site like it used to do, so I take that as a good sign.

I haven’t gotten any gigs yet, but I’ve only got two posted. I have a 0 rating, which means my account is basic. Once I attain a level, I’ll be able to add gig extras, which some people have used to turn out some good money. Basically, for $5 you get whatever base gig they’re offering, but if you choose an extra it’s the $5 plus however much the extra is, which can add up to a nice chunk of change.

I’ve been having fun looking around at all the things people are willing to do for $5 (or rather, $4 after Fiverr takes their cut) and I have to wonder What am I willing to do for $5? Anyone got any suggestions?