Do You Ever Use Sites Like Pph, Fiverr And Odesk Etc - What's Your Thoughts?

[Scottish Business Owner]

Have you even used any of these outsourcing sites either as a buyer or seller?

I'm a massive fan of People Per Hour and use it regularly but I sometimes feel a little guilty that I'm not working with maybe local people and doing my bit for small businesses near to me.

Here's a scenario I found myself recently when I commissioned a logo for another project I'm involved in.

I got two local designers to quote for the job. Both came in at around £200 each. I then had a look on PPH and managed to find someone to do it for £30 with as manay changes as required to make me happy. The two designers only offered two rounds of amends.

So as you can see a huge difference in price. Is it right for me as a small business for price to be a big factor or should I have bit the bullet and given it to someoen local.

Would love to hear your views on all of the above

 

[Gemma Rowlands]

I think people who use the likes of People Per Hour are great people to help - because it can be very hard to get work as a freelancer, so I'm sure they appreciate it! Sure, supporting local workers is a great thing as well, but supporting anyone trying to make a career for themselves is a good thing to do. Freelancers can often afford to quote much less as they have no overheads, so the saving in cost can then be passed onto the buyer, which is a great thing.

 

[Scottish Business Owner]

Thanks Gemma - appreciate your input

I've actually just received a really nasty email from one of the designers after I told him I'd went with PPH

Apparently I dont appreciate all the time he's spent developing his skills!

I have to be honest it's not the first time this has happened to me hence why I asked the question. I don't feel as bad now seeing as other people seem to share the same view.

 

[Lauren Turner]

I haven't used any of the sites you mention, but I have hired a freelancer once to do a bit of design work for me. It didn't really work out because the freelancer obviously wasn't all that bothered about what they were meant to be hired for, but the good news is that there are some awesome and reliable freelancers out there, it's just a question of actually being able to find them.

 

[Stephen Sherry]

Ive just joined PPH. Never heard of it before! There are a lot of talented people on there!

 

[Lauren Turner]

Ive just joined PPH. Never heard of it before! There are a lot of talented people on there!

Yeah that's right, but you just have to make sure that you are finding talented people, so always check reviews etc before actually hiring someone. There are lots of genuine people on sites like that who want to make an honest living, but there are also plenty others who want to earn money for doing very little and providing a substandard service, so of course you have to watch out for those, too.

 

[Gemma Rowlands]

Yeah that's right, but you just have to make sure that you are finding talented people, so always check reviews etc before actually hiring someone. There are lots of genuine people on sites like that who want to make an honest living, but there are also plenty others who want to earn money for doing very little and providing a substandard service, so of course you have to watch out for those, too.

I would agree with this, and unfortunately because of the way that some people behave on there, lots of people like me have problems trying to prove that they're genuine. For example, if I'm applying for a proofreading job on there, I will often be asked to complete a free sample to show my skills, but I prefer not to do that and for them to simply have a look at my profile and reviews, but lots of people aren't happy with that. The problem lies when I am needed to complete an hour's worth of free work, and then they decide to go with somebody else at the end of it anyway.

 

[Lauren Turner]

I would agree with this, and unfortunately because of the way that some people behave on there, lots of people like me have problems trying to prove that they're genuine. For example, if I'm applying for a proofreading job on there, I will often be asked to complete a free sample to show my skills, but I prefer not to do that and for them to simply have a look at my profile and reviews, but lots of people aren't happy with that. The problem lies when I am needed to complete an hour's worth of free work, and then they decide to go with somebody else at the end of it anyway.

I don't believe that you should ever be asked for a free sample. Fair enough you could perhaps show them something that you've done before, but you should never have to complete any part of a project before being paid for it. You should maybe be given a small payment for a bit of the job and then the option of completing the full thing if they liked what you'd done with it in the first place.

 

[Gemma Rowlands]

I don't believe that you should ever be asked for a free sample. Fair enough you could perhaps show them something that you've done before, but you should never have to complete any part of a project before being paid for it. You should maybe be given a small payment for a bit of the job and then the option of completing the full thing if they liked what you'd done with it in the first place.

That's what I think too. Sometimes it isn't so bad, for example one I spent just over an hour on a free sample but it genuinely did then lead onto more work that lasted for a couple of months, so when it works out like that it's great. The problem occurs when it takes me ages, I don't get the job, and then other people want me to do more free samples, that I also don't get the jobs from! That can be a bit of a pain, and can take up far too much free time for my liking.

 

[Mike Turner]

That's what I think too. Sometimes it isn't so bad, for example one I spent just over an hour on a free sample but it genuinely did then lead onto more work that lasted for a couple of months, so when it works out like that it's great. The problem occurs when it takes me ages, I don't get the job, and then other people want me to do more free samples, that I also don't get the jobs from! That can be a bit of a pain, and can take up far too much free time for my liking.

You should have a rule where you don't work for free. You should say that you're happy to work closely with the client to give them exactly what they need, but there's only so much that you can do because you have your own bills to pay. Provide them with examples of work you've done, and if they like it they can go for you. I know of people who have asked for free samples from several freelancers, and then just used those and never bothered to buy anything, they just used the free ones.

 

[Stephen Sherry]

I've had a few people looking for my time to be free for consulting work to prove my worth to them and that's after the initial meet up - which I don't charge for.. I tell them that my cat wouldn't be happy, nor would Mrs Sherry and the Bank.

 

[Gemma Rowlands]

You should have a rule where you don't work for free. You should say that you're happy to work closely with the client to give them exactly what they need, but there's only so much that you can do because you have your own bills to pay. Provide them with examples of work you've done, and if they like it they can go for you. I know of people who have asked for free samples from several freelancers, and then just used those and never bothered to buy anything, they just used the free ones.

I do sort of have that rule, but then there are some people who come to me with huge projects and I think it might be worth doing a short free sample for them if it means that I'd get the full job. Sometimes they're worth hundreds of pounds, if not more, so it would seem silly to turn it down just because I don't want to spend an hour working for free.

 

[Pete Brindle]

I used a website to find the person who designed our iPad app, and he was excellent. I understand that this might not always be the case, but certainly for us it worked out really well, and it is definitely something that we would try again.

 

[Mike Turner]

I used a website to find the person who designed our iPad app, and he was excellent. I understand that this might not always be the case, but certainly for us it worked out really well, and it is definitely something that we would try again.

What is the after service like? Do you find that you can get back in touch with the people you used, or do you notice any difference with regards to them perhaps disappearing etc?

 

[Allegrif]

I use PeoplePerHour as both a buyer and a seller, and I found it to be extremely useful. I don't rely on it for everything (wouldn't want to put all my eggs in one basket),but it's definitely a good chunk of my income (and outgoings!)

The sellers I use have generally all been very good, some of the clients I've gotten on there come back as return, regular clients.

 

[Zarostulus]

I used Fiverr before, but found it pretty poor in all honesty. It seemed to be full of hidden costs, when you purchased a gig for what you assumed was the price, the seller would always say 'oh, actually you need to buy all of these add-ons', and you'd end up spending £50 on what you could pay someone £30 on another site.

 

[St Rhenium]

I've never really seen the appeal in all honesty. All of these sites take a chunk of commission, so I'd rather skip the middleman and just Google he service I require.

 

[cruzo]

I think fiverr and odesk got thwir orwn issues, odesk got so many rules and they charge big fees. Fiverr take 1 dollar fee from each 5 dollar order and people can cancel order within 3 days, so you done job for somebody but order was canceled so you got nothing so this is donwside about fiverr at least odesk got better privacy rules.

 

[Nick Arthur]

I've used a number of these sites over the years and have managed to build up a nice virtual team. PPH is the one I use most these days and it's quite easy to do due diligence and avoid any issues.
I tend not to use them for critical tasks and projects for clients. This is where I would pay extra for local talent. Not least because they are more accountable and easier to reach for a face to face if necessary.

 

[selfemployed]

There are some gems on those sites but there is also a lot of rubbish - remember, the concept that you get what you pay for is not lost on these sites. The cheapest option is unlikely to be the best one in my experience.