The New York Times published this article today: In Hard Times, Freelancers Turn to the Web The main thrust of the article is exploring websites for finding contract work (and workers) on the web: specifically, eLance, oDesk and Guru. But the opening paragraph also touches on why a group like ICA is important:

People who have lost full-time jobs are seeking work on their own, and businesses that once hired full-timers and paid them benefits are turning to more affordable freelancers.

The article has a positive spin, unlike some I've seen that emphasize lack of insurance, unpredictable cash flow and the hard-hearted companies that turn their employees out into the cold winds of self-employment. By contrast, this article discusses the benefits of independence: flexible scheduling, working at home, and yes, money: they cite one writer whose rate doubled from $50 to $100 as her business grew. One point about being independent that the author missed is that it can actually be more secure than full-time employment: you can never be laid off. Add to that the possibility of making more money than in a staff position, and of defining how I want to develop my own expertise and service offerings, and the possibilities for advancement can also be as good, if not greater, than a staff position. I'm not beholden to the organizational chart for my advancement possibilities, nor is my job description defined by anyone but myself (OK, and the realities of the market, too. But it's a big market). The emphasis on guru.com and similar websites misses an important point about the market: people still like to know who they're hiring. A rating system and a couple of emails still doesn't compare with sitting down over a cup of coffee and learning about the person to whom you're trusting an important part of your business communications. Although I do have some colleagues and clients around the country that I've never met, most clients locally want to meet in person...even if it's only once at the start of a project. I haven't used any of the sites mentioned in the article, although I did sign up at guru.com at one point. Discussions among designers on LinkedIn have portrayed Guru as a shopping mart for the lowest bidder...and since you're in the same pool with people from around the world, some of whom are charging $10 an hour for their services, I haven't felt compelled to give it a lot of my energy. I'm interested to know what other ICA members' experiences have been. I'm cross-posting the link to the NY Times article in the forum, and am interested in hearing your responses to the article, and your experiences with these services.