Yes, I admit it, even now, I am sitting here in my cloud pj’s writing this post…and at the same time, I am bidding on ework… I love that we can now add “e” to the front of everything internet related…it is everywhere… edating, ecommerce, ehouse cleaning…ok, maybe that’s just fantasy… But the reality is, more and more of us are using our virtual office (ie comfy living room chair) to earn a living.

There are a variety of ways to find ework; message boards like www.craigslist.com, niche related websites like www.freelancewritinggigs.com and online newspaper classifieds (www.oregonlive.com). One of my latest finds is eLance…catchy, huh? It is a great concept…and makes a lot of sense in some ways…maybe not as much in others.

eLance is a website where people in need of services in find qualified professionals. Here’s what they have to say for themselves…

“Elance is a place where businesses connect with professionals to get work done now.

With the largest network of rated and certified business professionals, Elance facilitates the entire work process from hiring to collaboration to payment.

Businesses use Elance to achieve more by finding great people and getting work done in a new way, and talented professionals find meaningful work that fits their lifestyle.

Corporate Information
Founded in 1999, Elance was established to help small businesses easily and efficiently hire freelance talent. Today, Elance is the leading online workplace. Elance is privately-held and headquartered in Mountain View, California.”

And there you have it…The site has thousands of listings. A good resource for contract work…very thorough in its collection of information from service providers. They also have a well-thought out system that allows for funds to be held in escrow, after a bid has been made and accepted, which protects both parties. They also have built in project management software and mediation services, should that be necessary.

On the downside, the site is not necessarily intuitive in its use…it takes a bit of finagling to find information. The provider information is very thorough, but it does take quite a long time to fill out all of the necessary information. Do not plan to skip right through this…it is a process…go get another cup of coffee…

Still, it is free…and in my book, that makes it a no brainer…give it a try and let me know what you think…

Listen, this StartUp Nation site is unbelievable…It has to be one of my favorite resources. I don’t know if you are a podcast addict, like I am, but they have a million casts, all about issues that are relevant to business owners…A couple of my favorite…one with Tim Ferriss and this one about eCommerce.

These guys really know how to sell their product. They have identified their niche, providing support for start ups and entrepreneurs, and their whole site is dedicated to just that…so many resources, they have essentially become my “go to” business site. Now, that is an accomplishment when there is such a glut of information out there that I spend most of our time screening it out…

And they are such smooth sellers…they have plenty of free information on their site, but they also offer products and services at a cost…usually, they have a great deal, a certain percentage off, extra benefits, etc…which makes these offers very appealing to businesswomen on a shoestring budget. And here’s the deal…I can be very cynical when it comes to being “sold”…been there, done that, don’t want to do it again. But, this format is so genuine, transparent, and helpful, that I don’t mind it. I think, “Yeah, that is a great deal and I DO need someone to help me with X”. Do yourself a favor and check them out.

One of my other favorite sites is Microsoft Office Live. I know, I know, Microsoft Office is an expensive, but necessary software for business owners everywhere…but here’s the deal…most of what is offered on Office Live is FREE…yes, you can choose to upgrade and/or buy additional services, but it is really designed to function very effectively for small businesses who can’t afford all of the bells and whistles…

For example, I host my gardening business (Gardener to Farmer) website there…I created a site off of a template and they gave me the domain free…yes, FREE! None of that cost me a dime. I also have an email account that is forwarded to one of my MSN accounts for free.

I recently discovered that forwarding of email accounts, something I thought to be an essential component of all email accounts, is not always free. A fact I am none too happy about…

In any case, Office Live has a contact manager that links your accounts with Outlook, as well as multiple business applications. All of the services are so user friendly my 8 year old could do it…note to self: train Nathan to use Office Live, STAT…

Which brings me to the ultimate value of both of these sites…as an Entrepreneur, I am already working long days, scrabbling around to piece together information, funding, contracts, etc. The last thing I need is difficult to manage technology…if I am going somewhere for help, it has to be easy to find what I need and simple to use.

In a business, saving time equals saving money…and saving money equals cash in your pocket…