The Global Work Marketplace - The Revolution Of How Work Gets Done

Will cubicles be a distant memory for today's workforce? Will the expense of office space and the tremendous burden of employee benefits be a thing of the past for modern day businesses?

The reality is, for thousands of people, this change has already occurred. Internet based 'Service Auctions' now abound where businesses can post their ongoing jobs or one-time projects to a global market of freelance professionals, a.k.a. - 'Service Providers'.

The service providers then bid on the work, adorn the bid with their 'pitch' and online portfolio and voila! What commonly takes weeks to accomplish and thousands of dollars in payroll and advertising revenue... can take a business as little as a day with no overhead costs at all.

Another advantage to this reverse auction model is the feedback system. Providers are rated by previous buyers who have used their service. Generally a buyer can review a providers resume, portfolio, job history, references AND their feedback reviews with a click of a mouse.

It can be a challenge for new service providers to jump in on these job sites without any previous feedback to grace their bids with the coveted five star rating. But once that first project or two is under their belt, it is absolutely possible to make a successful freelance career via these types of job sites.

Many freelancers have found their best long-term clients from these boards and only utilize the system for a short time. Others use them continually and some work with a team of professionals to juggle the work that they are awarded.

There is no doubt that the Global Work Marketplace is here to stay and is every day expanding. It is a win-win for businesses and workers.

Businesses get the advantage of a global array of workers to choose from. The benefit from harvesting the talent of workers in different states that often isn't available locally. There are tremendous savings from office space, benefits, and HR staff costs etcetera. Often times there are time zone advantages, particularly for internet based businesses that have online chats available to their customers and want those 'manned' 24 hours a day. Or software companies who want to provide technical support 24 hours a day.

For the workers, the number one advantage is working from their home office. Eliminating costs of commuting, wardrobes, lunches, childcare services and more from their budgets is a terrific economic relief. The work arrangement often times has very flexible hours. And being your own boss is the best advantage of all.

People working for themselves on their own terms, in their own homes tend to demand more of their work and deliverables. They hone skills for the sheer pleasure of building their portfolio of skill to potential clients and they tend to think of their client's businesses on a much more professional level. Because their work for the client reflects on their own business, not just the client's they work harder and with more care then the all too typical unhappy cubicle worker will.

About The Author

Lori Redfield is such an online entrepreneur. Intrigued businesses owners can contact her for more information at her business website, http://www.OutsourcingIdeas.com.

Professionals interested in taking their careers online can learn more about how to do so at her website, http://www.FreelanceMom.com.

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

President-elect Barack Obama listens to a question at a news conference in Chicago, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AP - Democrats are growing impatient with President-elect Barack Obama's refusal to inject himself in the major economic crises confronting the country. Obama has sidestepped some policy questions by saying there is only one president at a time. But the dodge is wearing thin. "He's going to have to be more assertive than he's been," House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., told consumer advocates Thursday.



Indian paramilitary soldiers stand guard during heightened security checks at Chennai International airport in Chennai, India, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008. Indian airports were put on high alert after the government received warnings of possible airborne attacks. (AP Photo)AP - A Pakistani militant group apparently used an Indian operative as far back as 2007 to scout targets for the elaborate plot against India's financial capital, authorities said Thursday, a blow to Indian officials who have blamed the deadly attacks entirely on Pakistani extremists.



Auto executives, from left, General Motors Chief Executive Officer Richard Wagoner, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger,  Ford Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally, and Chrysler Chief Executive Officer Robert Nardelli testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008, before a Senate Banking Committee hearing on the auto industry bailout.  (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)AP - Desperate U.S. automakers ran into fresh obstacles from skeptical lawmakers Thursday as they appealed with rising urgency — and a new dose of humility — for a $34 billion bailout. Without help, said one senator, "we're looking at a death sentence."



In this March 31, 2004 file photo, the entrance to the Blackwater Security Consulting Firearms Training Center is seen in Moyock, N.C. Blackwater Worldwide guards involved in the deadly 2007 Baghdad shooting of Iraqi civilians could face mandatory 30-year prison sentences under an aggressive anti-drug law being considered as the Justice Department readies indictments, people close to the case said Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008.  (AP Photo/Yoon S. Byun, File)AP - Blackwater Worldwide guards involved in the deadly 2007 Baghdad shooting of Iraqi civilians could face mandatory 30-year prison sentences under an aggressive anti-drug law being considered as the Justice Department readies indictments, people close to the case said.



In this Monday, Dec. 1, 2008 fiel photo Secretary of State-designate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference with President-elect Barack Obama, not pictured, in Chicago. With just over six weeks to go before Obama is sworn in as president, Clinton is scrambling to pay down some $7 million in campaign debt before federal ethics rules prohibit her from taking contributions to do so. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)AP - With just weeks before President-elect Barack Obama is sworn in, his choice for secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, is scrambling to reduce massive campaign debt before federal ethics rules prohibit her from doing so.



AP - A romantic marriage proposal on the Oregon coast turned deadly for the bride-to-be when a wave swept her out to sea. Scott Napper had taken 22-year-old Leafil Alforque to Proposal Rock near Neskowin Beach to pop the question at a place that got its name from couples ready to marry. Napper and Alforque had been dating since they met on the Internet in 2005.

AP - When you're smiling, the whole world really does smile with you. A paper being published Friday in a British medical journal concludes that happiness is contagious — and that people pass on their good cheer even to total strangers. American researchers who tracked more than 4,700 people in Framingham, Mass., as part of a 20-year heart study also found the transferred happiness is good for up to a year.

In this April 19, 2007 file photo, Erik Estrada poses on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Nick Ut, file)AP - Erik Estrada has returned to Muncie to take part in overnight police patrols in the city where he starred in the short-lived reality series "Armed & Famous." The former star of the 1970s motorcycle cop drama "CHiPs" is a reserve officer on the Muncie Police Department.



AP - A Vero Beach man faces a domestic violence charge after authorities said he assaulted his girlfriend with a cheeseburger. An Indian River County Sheriff's Office arrest report said a 22-year-old man and his girlfriend got into an argument as they sat in a car in front of their home.

New York Giants' Plaxico Burress, right, arrives at Manhattan Supreme Court for arraignment with an unidentified man Monday, Dec. 1, 2008, in New York. Burress accidentally shot himself at a Manhattan nightclub Friday evening and was treated at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He was released Saturday. (AP Photo/David Karp)AP - Antonio Pierce and the doctor who treated his New York Giants teammate Plaxico Burress after he accidentally shot himself at a Manhattan nightclub will talk to investigators Friday.



Automobile leaders testify during the Senate Banking Committee hearing on the financial assistance package for the big Detroit automakers on Capitol Hill, December 4, 2008. (Larry Downing/Reuters)Reuters - The CEOs of General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC said they would consider restarting talks about a merger during a nearly six-hour congressional grilling on the industry's pleas for $34 billion in government aid.



The AT and T logo in an undated photo. AT and T said on Thursday it would eliminate 12,000 jobs, about 4 percent of its workforce, as it joins a raft of corporations trying to slash costs in the face of the economic downturn. (Handout/Reuters)Reuters - Top U.S. phone company AT&T Inc said it will eliminate 12,000 jobs, or about 4 percent of its workforce, in a fresh wave of cuts to cope with an economic downturn that has exacerbated a decline in traditional phone sales.



European Central Bank (ECB) President Jean-Claude Trichet (L) and Belgium's National Bank Governor Guy Quaden arrive for a news conference at the end of an ECB Governors Council meeting in Brussels, December 4, 2008. (Eric Vidal/Reuters)Reuters - Central banks in Europe slashed their benchmark interest rates by record amounts on Thursday to fight the global economic crisis, while U.S. automakers pleaded for a bailout to avoid collapse.



Two members of the Indian security force (R), one armed and one unarmed, take cover behind a wall and return fire at gunmen (top) at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai November 26, 2008. (ANI via REUTERS TV/Reuters)Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday Pakistan had given assurances of its commitment to root out terrorism and round up anyone connected to last week's attack in the Indian city of Mumbai.



U.S. soldiers of 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division stands guard outside a mosque in the Hurriya district northwest of Baghdad December 3, 2008. (Erik de Castro/Reuters)Reuters - Iraq's Presidency Council has approved a security pact with the United States that paves the way for a complete U.S. troop pullout by the end of 2011, a spokesman for the council said on Thursday.



A shopkeeper is seen at an electronics shop in Moscow during Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's annual question-and-answer session with the Russian people, December 4, 2008. (Denis Sinyakov/Reuters)Reuters - The United States will quickly feel a change in attitude from Moscow if President-elect Barack Obama transforms Washington's policies toward Russia, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.



Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej attends the annual Trooping of the Colour, an annual military parade, in Bangkok's Royal Plaza, December 2, 2008. (Adrees Latif/Reuters)Reuters - Thailand's revered and influential king missed his traditional birthday eve address due to illness on Thursday, a speech many Thais had hoped would provide short-term relief to the country's intractable political crisis.



A still from a 2002 advertising campaign launched by the U.S. government to persuade Muslims around the world that U.S. Muslims are free to live and worship as they wish. (Handout/Reuters)Reuters - Hate crimes against Arab Americans have decreased steadily since the September 11 attacks but are still more common than they were before the hijackings, a civil rights group said on Thursday.



European Central Bank (ECB) President Jean-Claude Trichet gives a press conference after a meeting of ECB governors in Brussels. Leading European central banks took historic action Thursday to ward off spreading recessions, slashing their key lending rates to boost businesses and consumers.(AFP/BELGA/Dirk Waem)AFP - Leading European central banks took historic action Thursday to ward off spreading recessions, slashing their key lending rates to boost businesses and consumers.



A map locating the western Iraqi city of Fallujah. Car bombers killed at least 15 people in a former rebel bastion on Thursday as Iraq's security pact with Washington won final approval before its launch at the end of the month.(AFP/Graphic)AFP - Car bombers killed at least 15 people in a former rebel bastion on Thursday as Iraq's security pact with Washington won final approval before its launch at the end of the month.




Tips for Handling On the Job Setbacks

If you've chosen a business career, you will inevitably experience some type... Read More

Students Searching for a Job

Searching for a job has become easier than ever for those who... Read More

Is it a Scam?

I wanted to quit my job. So I decided to make my... Read More

How To Effectively Present All Of Your IT Skills

Effectively present all of your IT skills with the IT Technical Skills... Read More

Passing The Police Test Just Became Easier

You've taken the police officer selection test or law enforcement entrance exam,... Read More

How to Become a Real Estate Agent

If you're wondering how to become a real estate agent, the basic... Read More

How To Stay Calm in Tryng Times

That's not you? Great! Bad habits are hard to break once the... Read More

10 Keys to Getting Paid What You?re Worth!

Asking for money is so taboo in our culture that most of... Read More

Professional Moms: How to Get Ready to Re-Enter the Workforce

Finally! Your youngest is in school and you are ready to hit... Read More

Recovering From a Career Crisis

If you have ever experienced any of the following, you have had... Read More

Self Describing Skills - Key Strengths

You need to be the best you can at describing your best... Read More

War Time Hiring: 5 Steps to Attract Top Talent

A recent report, titled "The War for Talent" stated that over the... Read More

How to Write a Simple Job Description

1.0 A timely reminderIn a recent decision in a New South Wales... Read More

Oil, Lube and Filter Employee Pay

We have been studying the labor rates of Oil, Lube and Filter... Read More

Career in the Toilet?

Individuals not within their target career field may feel insecure, doubtful, or... Read More

Ten Courses Of Study If You Want To Be Your Own Boss

For many Americans, an important component of the American Dream is the... Read More

9 Tips on Creating a Professional Emailed Job Application

With the advent of the Internet, many of us have the opportunity... Read More

Those Little Things

Moving to another state meant finding a new dentist. I tried one... Read More

Avoid Mistakes and Gaffes in Your Job Resume

Having mistakes and gaffes in your job resume spell disaster for your... Read More

What Me? Lie On My Resume? Who Will Know?

The temptation to lie on a resume is great! How can it... Read More

Rethink Your Career Transition

Are you going nowhere in your career? If you've decided it's time... Read More

Top Career Advice ... More Choices and A Better Way of Life

Why Career Advice Is So ImportantChoosing a career presents a nerve-racking decision,... Read More

Words. Words. Words.

They're only words. Some believe the school-yard taunt: "Sticks and stones can... Read More

Hiring the OverQualified Employee or Mining for Gold

I am having a hard time understanding why a valuable resource such... Read More

How to Evaluate Job Offers and Zoom In On the Right Opportunity for You

You've been successful in your job hunt and have received a job... Read More

Free Resume Examples: Use Them, But Dont

There are lots of free resume examples (or free resume samples) on... Read More

Making Yourself More Relevant To The New Workplace

Being a current job seeker can be quite a challenging prospect as... Read More

How To Take The Pain Out Of Performance Reviews

The Painful ApproachFor many years, "performance management" was of an annual event... Read More

No Degree, No Problem

According to a recent survey, 52% of job candidates polled lied on... Read More

5 Ways to Profit From No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (No Child Left Behind)... Read More

Retiring in Paradise

I have to admit that I'm starting to slow down a bit.... Read More

What Do Accountants And Doctors Have In Common?

Freshly qualified accounting graduates when asked by the interviewer "Are there any... Read More

Resume Writing - Tips and Advice

Job-hunting is not the most exciting thing in the world but you... Read More

Just a Series of Choices

Steve's a pretty regular guy ? wife, 4 kids in their blended... Read More

Medical Billing And Coding Profession

Medical billers and coders are in high demand among the allied health... Read More

Planning To Work Abroad

Working abroad can be an exciting, rewarding and horizon broadening experience; and... Read More

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone in the Job Search

Most everyone these days knows what a comfort zone is. My definition... Read More

Finding Success In Todays Job Market

This year we are experiencing the most dynamic and rapidly changing economy... Read More

Get That Job: Mastering Job Interviews

I've heard it said?in fact, it might well have been me that... Read More

Rejection Got You Down in the Job Search?

REJECTION IN THE JOB SEARCHGOT YOU DOWN?It's true, no one wants to... Read More

Resurrecting the Perfect Resume, Part Two

Are you in denial about the lifelessness of your resume? If you... Read More

Dont Get Caught In The Security Trap

The day you begin to think of your job in terms of... Read More

An Unexpected Career Direction

My starting point was how to draw on 25 years of experience... Read More

Recruiting Excellent Job Candidates

An independent recruiter, recruiting agency or executive search firm is charged with... Read More

Targeting Your Resume is So Important For Your Career

Targeting your portfolio, (resume and cover letter) can get you any job... Read More

Job Layoff: Confronting Why Me?

Perhaps you saw it coming. The fall in company stock prices. The... Read More

Find Passion for Your Work

Most people spend approximately 25% to over 67% of their waking hours... Read More