Small-business owners are increasingly finding help for their high-tech needs in online markets where free-lance tech specialists compete to provide their services.
Darren Gates, a Los Angeles entrepreneur who sells software programs and widgets for business Web sites, says he first used RentACoder in 2002 when he realized he couldn''t finish some projects on time and on budget by himself. Using code writers in Los Angeles was too costly for him, he says, because they generally ran about $100 to $150 an hour. RentACoder was the less expensive option. Workers he hires through the site cost him about 80% to 90% less than what he would spend locally, he says.