ODesk

ODesk

oDesk is a global job marketplace with a series of tools targeted at businesses that intend to hire and manage remote workers. Based in Redwood City, CA, oDesk was founded in 2005[2] by Greek entrepreneurs Odysseas Tsatalos and Stratis Karamanlakis.[3]

Background

 oDesk was founded due to the desire of two childhood friends (Odysseas Tsatalos and Stratis Karamanlakis) to work together, despite one being in Silicon Valley and the other in Greece. The two friends created a new technology platform (an online workplace) to allow distributed teams to work together and help instill trust in work happening via the Internet. Though they created the platform for their own work, they quickly realized that the barriers of traditional location-based staffing approaches were ripe for disruption and that businesses everywhere had a similar need to access the best workers possible, regardless of where they happened to be located. oDesk, along with its network of freelancers (spanning any type of work that can be done via the Internet) launched in 2005.[4]

As of 2012, oDesk is the largest online marketplace in which independent professionals and their clients can establish and fulfill work arrangements.[5] The company’s business strategy, including new pricing, is credited with helping it surpass competition to establish market dominance.[6]

Online Work Industry

Staffing Industry Analysts puts oDesk into a category of fast-growing staffing businesses that it refers to as "online staffing" platforms:

"Online Staffing — A type of Talent Exchange consisting of an online platform where contingent workers, contractors, freelancers can offer their skills and services for limited projects or even on-going assignments and where organizations and individuals can post their requirements or put tasks/projects out to bid." [7]

Staffing Industry Analysts estimated that the total global market for "online staffing" was approximately $1B:

'Fifteen years ago, this industry segment did not exist. But today (after an acceleration starting around 2007) it generates about $1B+ in global revenues, consists of over 50 firms, and is growing at high double-digit growth rates. Six major players account for about half of the total industry segment revenues in 2012, but it can be expected that future market/industry expansion will also be based on now-smaller or not-yet-formed players." [8]

While there is awareness of the largest players in this segment (oDesk, Elance, Freelancer.com), other players are developing often along evolutionary paths (e.g. Work Market, Workana, Onforce, NextCrew, et al).

In March 2013, Staffing Industry Analysts, projected that the "online staffing" segment would grow to $5B by 2018.[9]

Online marketplaces often manage the payments and make money by charging membership fees and/or "marking up" on the billings of the contractors/freelancers. The mark-ups can range from 5 percent to 15 percent. In general, these mark-ups are significantly less than the mark-ups of traditional staffing firms, which usually—technically—enter into an employment relationship with their workers.[10 

Description

oDesk allows clients to create online workteams coordinated and paid through the company's proprietary software and website.[11] The name is a short version of "online desk"[12] in reference to the company's intent to enable anyone to work anywhere, anytime. Prospective clients[13] can post jobs for free, and freelance workers (“contractors”) may create profiles and bid on jobs, also for free.[14] The company collects 10 percent of the payment.[15] Payments are made through oDesk, which handles many bookkeeping tasks for the transaction. In addition to the marketplace aspect and the payment/bookkeeping services, the company uses collaborative software, “oDesk Team,” that allows clients to see a provider's progress while he or she is billing time. The transactions are transferred into the contractors' accounts only after a 6-day safety period. The company's site is entirely in English, and all transactions are made in U.S. dollars.[16]

The company describes itself as an online workplace. As of December 2012, oDesk had 2.7 million freelancers and 540,000 clients worldwide.[17] In January 29, 2012, the company reported that its top 5 countries (in terms of dollars spent for oDesk contractor services) were (in rank order): (1) US, (2) Australia, (3) Canada, (4) UK, and (5) United Arab Emirates.[18] oDesk reported that services paid by clients hiring through the site for the year totaled $360 million in 2012.[18]

The specific areas of expertise supported by the site include web development and a wide variety of programming/software development skills, graphic design, writing and administrative support. The company provides voluntary skills tests in various disciplines from English aptitude to specific programming skills, and profiles include a feedback mechanism.

Financing
oDesk has raised four rounds of financing. The first was by Globespan Capital and Sigma Partners.[19] The second round was raised in September 2006, led by Benchmark Capital and included the previous two investors.[20][21] The third round was raised in May 2008, led by DAG Ventures and included the previous three investors.[22]

The most recent round was announced in March 2012. Certain investment strategies managed by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. led the round, with participation from Benchmark Capital, Globespan Capital Partners and Sigma Partners.[23]

The venture investors on oDesk's board include Greg Gretsch and Kevin Harvey.

Innovation

The company's oDesk team software increases transparency and allows a client to have confidence in the billing done by a contractor whom the buyer may never have met and who may be half a world away. In an October 2008 interview with website Web Worker Daily, CEO Gary Swart said the work diaries “give buyers unprecedented visibility into work performed,” and that the Team software's “hassle-free tracking guarantees convenient, safe, and accurate billing for all work performed.”[24]

Ten Steps in Creating an oDesk Account
Do you need to own work while not effort the comforts of your home? Then oDesk is that the best web site to browse on to seek out skill-based works and comes on-line.

oDesk is an internet outsourcing marketplace that gives shoppers with a pool of contractors. shoppers posts jobs and comes during this web site within the hope of finding the correct contractor to accomplish the project

oDesk isn’t the net outsourcing web site on the net. However, it provides each its shoppers and contractors the most effective services and charges not like the opposite staffing agencies. Hence, shoppers and contractors across the world area unit happy with oDesk. No surprise that within the 2012 statistics, there have been one.5 million jobs denote and regarding three.1 million contractors have already registered on this web site. The numbers area unit still increasing by the instant.

If you wish to be a part of the oDesk team and luxuriate in the perks and services it provides, follow these 10 straightforward steps in making Associate in Nursing oDesk Account.

    To open an account, type in the oDesk url (www.oDesk.com) on your web browser and hit enter.
    You will be directed to oDesk’s main page. On the upper right corner of the page, click the Sign up button. You may also click the green button that says, “Want a job? Sign up!” It is located at below the page.
    odesk-signup
    Notice that there are two categories to choose from, “I need a contractor” and “I need a job.” In this case, since you are aiming to land on an online job, click the sign up button below the “I need a job” category.
    After clicking the sign up button, the Create a Free Contractor Account page will appear. You have two options on how you may sign up. If you wish to sign up using your Facebook account, just click the sign up using Facebook button. If ever you do not wish to use your Facebook account, you may fill out the necessary information needed for creating an account. Make sure that your email address is valid since all oDesk notifications will reflect there.
    Once you hit the get started button, a verification email will directly be sent to your email address. Open the message and click on the email verification link. Notice that you will be directed to your oDesk dashboard.
        Your profile is not complete. To start the process of completing your account, click the create your profile button.
        You will be directed to your profile summary page. you’ll be asked to produce your portrait or image, personal data, hourly rate, English level, job classes of interest, profile visibility, and placement data. you ought to specify your hourly rate and English level since most of the shoppers use these as basis for hiring contractors. once filling the specified fields, click save profile and continue.
        Your profile is not yet 100% complete. To continue with the process of completing your profile, add your skills. Remember that you must add all your skills and abilities in order to qualify for jobs.
        Next, add your employment history, education, portfolio, certification, and other experiences.
        After you’ve got finished piece of writing your profile, you wish to require your talent tests. in contrast to alternative freelancing sites, the oDesk talent tests area unit free. you’ll be able to choose between numerous take a look at classes.But the foremost necessary take a look at you ought to take is that the oDesk Readiness take a look at for freelance Contractors and Staffing Managers. talent tests area unit essential since it will assist you increase your job quota per month.
    Your profile are going to be 100% complete when you have got taken the oDesk Readiness take a look at and a few talent tests. However, the method of finishing your account data doesn’t finish there. keep in mind that you simply still got to verify your identity by providing further details. don’t forget that you simply conjointly ought to add a verified payment technique to make sure that you simply will certainly withdraw and luxuriate in what you have got attained.Ten Steps in making AN oDesk Account can guide anybody to finish the odesk account 100%.
    In just 10 steps, you’ll already be a part of the oDesk team and luxuriate in the advantages it provides to its lasting contractors and freelancers.

   Soure: Wikipedia
    thank u all..