In a world where market trends change by the millisecond, it's difficult to stay on top of what technologies, services, and other external forces are affecting business trends today. Rich Sloan, co-founder of StartupNation and its "Home-Based 100" contest, gives us a quick peek in to his latest findings in the StartupNation Q3 Marketing Trends e-Report.

One of the hallmark trends we’ve highlighted in the just-released StartupNation Q3 Marketing Trends e-Report is the value and effectiveness of “authenticity.” People are tired of being “marketed to.” Instead, they want to connect with real people and real companies that care about the world and care about people.

Part of this may be driven by the plummeting economy, providing people an opportunity to reflect on what really matters in their lives. With an economic downturn, it’s natural to hunker down, spend less and look for real meaning in what we do.

And with the proliferation of social media and social networking platforms, the online conversation is growing louder and louder. In such an environment, it’s difficult for any company to hide behind its walls and present a faceless voice.

Instead, you would be wise to adapt to the trends of openness and authenticity and to show your customers the real you.

This trend is evidenced in the way that company leaders are getting involved in the online discussion through Facebook, Twitter and other similar online vehicles. As examples, look at the success of Tim Berry, President of Palo Alto Software, or of Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, both of whom blog and Tweet regularly.

Similarly, look at the success of StartupNation member Heather Nolte, founder of the baby clothing company Glamajama. Heather is the face of the company, appearing in numerous YouTube videos, maintaining a Twitter feed and Facebook page, and blogging for StartupNation and Mom’s Can Launch.

Web architects, Web development teams, and Web designers, lend me your ears. Today, Microsoft brings WebsiteSpark to Elance, a new program designed to provide the latest Microsoft software development and support solutions for those who need it most: you.

As a WebsiteSpark member, you’ll have access to a software package worth thousands of dollars that includes the latest Microsoft Web development tools available on the market, like Visual Studio 2008, Windows Web Server 2008, and more. Also included in the WebsiteSpark program is access to a robust support program, which provides both live and online support for technical and non-technical issues.

There are a number of great reasons to join the WebsiteSpark program, but the best one is that it’s free to participate. Yes, free. If you and your web development business qualify, you’ll have access to everything mentioned above and a whole lot more at no cost to you.

Are you interested yet? Visit the WebsiteSpark program page for more information.

This is a continuation of the Hands-On With The Elance Work System by Matt Katsaros. To read the previous part, follow this link here: Hands-On With The Elance Work System: Part 4.

One of the best parts about doing a job with Elance is using the Workroom, a virtual workspace that you can use to collaborate with others to get your work done. Think of it like this: It is a way of taking the 20, 200, or 2,000 miles between you and your provider and putting them in the workspace next door.

Using the Workroom, you can do a number of things like post messages, share a large number of files, and even chat in real time. Now, not all jobs are going to require all of the features available in the Workroom, so you are free to pick and choose whichever you see fit. I suggest using each feature at least once to see how it could help you for your job.

The feature used most often is the Workroom Messages system. This is where you can message your provider directly with information or instructions and also upload relevant attachments from your computer along with the messages. Any messages received from providers (depending on your settings) are forwarded to your email address on file where you can respond from your email client directly to the Workroom. This is a very nice feature as you can respond to Workroom messages through whatever you're most comfortable with, like Outlook, Hotmail, or even through your BlackBerry.



Last night, amstudio did his first take at a full mockup of the site and sent it to me via a Workroom message. He had a few questions and wanted to get my input on it before moving forward on developing the site. I looked at it and thought it was pretty good, but I felt like it wasn't going the direction I was looking for. There were a couple things that didn’t come out the way I had imagined, so I messaged him back with my comments to make my according changes.

The file share area lets you upload files that you can put in a private folder (for you to see) or a shared folder (for you and your provider to see). You can also view the files from the original proposal and terms here. In addition to this, anytime you send a file to the Workroom, it is automatically placed in the public folder of the file share area. You are given 500 MB of free storage place per project to store all of your necessary files, which should be more than enough space for any job.

If you haven’t heard already, we’ve kicked off celebrating The New Way To Work in a big, big way. Throughout the next several months, we’ll be following and highlighting awesome stories sent to us for our "The New Way To Work" contest (via Facebook and #new_way_to_work on Twitter) by posting them to our blog.

One entry that really caught our attention here at Elance HQ comes from a young mobile phone-based marketing company out of beautiful Aspen, Colorado. Casey McConnell, CEO of Qittle, takes us through his journey of founding the company back in 2008 by utilizing skilled, online professionals through Elance to create the Qittle logo, to design the company's website, and to help him turn his idea into real, fully-functioning business.

Casey's entry demonstrates The New Way To Work in two ways. Not only did he find success using Elance to find the skilled professionals he needed to complete his work online but how he truly embraces the concept of remote work with his employees. Let's hope for a blizzard of powder days in Aspen this winter!

Here’s Qittle’s take on The New Way To Work:

All skilled providers on Elance will have one thing in common – they wouldn’t mind having a little more knowledge on what makes a client tick. What do potential employers look for when choosing a provider? How important is feedback, Skill Tests, or portfolio items? How do they end up making their final choice?

While no one may have know all of the answers, what we do have some really great clues. We’ve recently polled over 300 active employers on Elance and asked them what influences their decision when hiring on Elance.

Skill Tests are a big factor to potential employers on Elance. When asked “What are the most important criteria you consider in hiring an online professional,” half of the those polled responded that having tested skills was “Very Important” or “Extremely Important.

Additionally, over 76 percent of the respondents are more likely to hire a contractor professional with tested skills that are relevant to their job. That’s nearly 4 out of every 5 clients!

If you’re ready to add some tested skills to your profile, you can view all of our available Skill Tests in one easy location, otherwise known as the Elance Skill Tests page. We are always working hard to keep our tests fresh and up to date, so be sure to add that page to your bookmarks.