Elance provider and graphic artist Jon Tucker (link to: bear_myth.elance.com) discovered Elance in June of this year, and despite the current state of the economy, he successfully launched his design company – Alabama Design Studios (A.D.S.).  
 

What’s his secret? It’s simple, Jon provides his clients with a combination of high quality work and frequent communication.    
 

Frustrated with his full-time office job, Jon decided he needed a change. “Between childcare, gas, car expenses and other miscellaneous costs - I was spending about $25,000 dollars a year to keep my full-time office job,” Jon said. “I knew that if I could find a way to work for myself from home, I would eliminate a large amount of my expenses – and as a plus – get to spend more time at home with my children.”  
 

Jon spent five months researching ways to market his graphic design and photo editing skills online. “I came across Elance during my research and it was clear that of all of the competition, Elance was the most user-friendly, and had the largest number of projects,” Jon said. “So, I signed up with Elance and I haven't been disappointed yet.”  
 

Today, Jon and his business partner work hard to bring in business and keep their company growing. Jon works online primarily through Elance, from Houston, while his partner focuses on local business in Alabama. 
 

“My primary goal is to build relationships with clients who want work done on a regular basis.  Every day, I look at all of the design projects listed and focus my attention on the photo editing jobs from strong potential clients who seem to want to build a relationship.”   
 

Using Elance, Jon has completed 22 projects in the last six months, keeping a 100% feedback score.  He keeps his clients satisfied by giving them a combination of frequent communication and high quality service.  
 

“I compete on customer service and quality – not on price, as my bids are rarely the cheapest,” Jon explained. “After the first few pieces of communication, my clients are confident that I will successfully complete their projects in the required time frame.  That is one of the reasons my clients keep coming back to me.”  
 

“Thanks to Elance, I have the opportunity to connect with people from all over the world who need my skills.  My dream of self-employment has come true.  And because of the breadth and depth of the companies who come to Elance with their projects, I have so many opportunities to market myself. Elance has made A.D.S. a global company.”  
 

“Though the economy may be unstable, Elance has helped me connect with individuals and company’s out there who are hiring, and need a photo edited by a professional like me.”