vWorker has recently conducted case studies of successful employers and workers on the site. During the next few weeks, we’ll be releasing a new story each week; describing the story of how an employer was able to use vWorker to develop/enhance their business or how a worker is able to financially support themselves through the work earned on vWorker.
Mariano Iglesias and Claudia Mansilla (Co-founders of cricava):
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| Claudia Mansilla and Mariano Iglesias |
Mariano Iglesias and Claudia Mansilla (screen name: cricava) began actively working on vWorker in 2005. They started by bidding on smaller projects in order to build a reputation. However, no matter the size of the project, they always tried to give their employers the VIP treatment they felt they deserved. This strategy paid off and they eventually started winning larger projects. With time, word of mouth recommendations and repeat business became their main source of income.
In May of 2010, five years later, Cricava reached the # spot in the vWorker "All Worker Competition", and ranked higher than the hundreds of thousands of other workers on the site. They have remained there ever since.
Mariano and Claudia shared the following with us about their experiences working on vWorker.
1. Why did you start working on vWorker? How did you find vWorker?
We found vWorker almost by accident by the end of 2003. Right after signing up, we found a local opportunity to start a venture, so our vWorker experience was put on hold. After two years of a great learning (and stressing) experience, we decided to remain a software boutique by moving away we from the larger company co-founded.
That was how, by early 2005, vWorker came into our horizon again. We realized it presented some great opportunities for us, so we started dedicating more and more time to bidding, until deciding to take the chance to make vWorker our only source of work. Each time we won a bid, we got new ones. Profitability came after some months, since the first few projects were relatively small in size, not so greatly paid, and required a lot of effort. However, we always went the extra mile, making sure not only the full scope of the project was met within the deadline, but also that each client felt our VIP treatment…a software boutique treatment.
The excellent feedback our clients left for us helped us find new bids, larger in size. Word of mouth recommendations started becoming our main source of income, with new clients joining vWorker just to work with us. By the end of 2005 we were already within the top 250 workers in the site. Exciting times were ahead of us.
With the increased exposure, and a considerable number of returning customers, the second year (2006) of our active participation in the site came to show us that not only we were able to become profitable, but also that within 12 months of continuous, non-stopping work, we kept climbing the charts. We finally reached the #1 spot by May, 2010.
The continuous flow of projects, invitations, and recommendations, presented us with a dilemma: should we grow as a company, or should we remain a small boutique? We decided to keep true to ourselves. The boutique service was and is what defines us.
2. What advice do you have for others who are starting the same way you did?
First and foremost, be patient. It is understandable that one may feel disappointed if the flow of projects is not what you would expect. But if you stay positive, deliver good work, stay within the deadlines, and most importantly maintain permanent communication with your customers, the workflow will increase. Be nice to the customer.
When bidding, make sure you read carefully the project specifications, and ask any questions if information is scarce. It is better to spend several messages by further defining the scope of the project, than risking your reputation. Assumptions lead to failure. Furthermore, several employers welcome questions, and get thrown off when copy-paste bids are placed in their projects. Show the employer you care about their project.
This is one advice you may not hear often: choose your employers. Even when you may feel compelled to accept any work that lies in front of you, particularly at the beginning of your vWorker career, beware of employers that may want to take advantage (by requesting free work, or a lot of work for a very low pay), or employers that may make you stay on endless projects because they can't determine the scope. Choosing your employers carefully may prove to be the most difficult, and rewarding task. Use your gut feeling; it is there for a reason.
3. What is your favorite feature on vWorker?
Arbitration. Hands down. There are so many things that could go wrong on a project (for either side) that having the proper protection in place, and one that is not automated, but carefully orchestrated, is definitely a safety net. Without arbitration, we would've probably never joined vWorker.
4. What has been your experience in mediation/arbitration?
We’ve had a handful of self mediations and arbitrations. We never lost one because we were careful to follow all of vWorker rules. By keeping communication logged in the site, we were able to prove all of our statements.
If there is one piece of advice we can give when a worker goes through these stressful proceedings, it is to stay nice. Not only to your arbitrator, but to your employer. Many workers lost arbitrations because they couldn't keep their temper. Good manners show professionalism, and professionalism goes a long way.
5. Do you have any tips/tricks/secrets about vWorker that you’ve learned that you’d like to share?
Keep a portfolio of projects, and keep it updated. You don't have to show every single project you ever worked on, but rather select your very best. If you don't have enough projects to showcase, consider building open source software, or doing pro-bono work for charities. That will not only help you build your portfolio, but will also expose you to potential customers.
6. Do you have interesting stories about employers or projects you’ve completed that you’d like share?
Plenty. Since we keep such a close relationship with our customers, our whole vWorker experience is an interesting story. We get to know most of our clients on a personal level, keeping in touch long after the completion of a project. Some of our clients even traveled thousands of kilometers just to meet us.
Every now and then a client will go the extra mile in return. As a result, we have been surprised by original gifts that were sent to our doorstep: boxes of Hawaiian chocolates (tasty); mugs with our names inscribed; invitations to jungle resorts, you name it!
Clearly, being nice pays off.
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