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So as you can see, hiring a programmer is not a major expense. At least not for simple software. Complex software can cost you thousands. But if you're not experienced at doing this, then I *strongly* recommend you start with a simple software idea. I often find that automating tedious tasks can be done with fairly simple software.
Why do these people work so cheap? The quality of
work certainly isn't cheap. I think there are three major factors.
1. Real programmers just enjoy programming. If they can actually get paid for doing what they love, then they're happy. And more often than not, they aren't business people.
2. Many of freelance workers on these sites live in countries with a low cost of living. You'll see a lot of people from India and Romania, for example. In these cases, a good wage to them may be trivial to you (unless you also live in one of those countries).
3. Competition. When you post a project on one of these sites, you get a *lot* of people looking at it. So they're competing with one another for your money.
One more point before I wrap this up. You can get work done *fast* when you hire someone through these freelance sites too. With example above, I had a first draft to look at in less than 24 hours. And I believe I had a fully functional version within a week.
If you didn't feel you were in a position to create software, then I hope I've changed your mind.
It's not difficult to find a good programmer. And it can be very affordable to pay them.
Some freelance sites: http://www.rentacoder.com (my 1st choice) http://www.scriptlance.com (mostly scripts) http://www.elance.com (more expensive, but more variety) http://www.webdesignlance.com http://www.creativemoonlighter.com (lots of variety)
Dave Brown is a self-taught marketer and software developer. He also publishes the uncommon and uniquely original newsletter on making the most of your life - A Fresh Perspective. You can learn more at http://www.dave-brown.com
