Featured as Case Study: Unconventional Entrepreneurs (Upcoming Book)

I have contributed as a case study in an upcoming book by Chris Guillebeau, the author of "The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World." I was shortlisted from a list of 1,500 submissions to be used as case study in the book and online resources. In this book, I share my story of freelancing with oDesk, and reveal some of the techniques that set me apart from other freelancers, that make my individual business a success.

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Chris is also the author of "The Unconventional Guide to Freelancing" and "The Unconventional Guide to Working for Yourself." The upcoming book's title is "The $100 Startup: How to Fire Your Boss and Create a New Future" (Crown / Random House, May 8, 2012).

In the strange new world of micro-entrepreneurship, roaming, independent publishers operate from Buenos Aires and Bangkok. Indian bloggers make $200,000 a year. Product launches from one-man or one-woman businesses bring in $100,000 in a single day, causing nervous bank managers to shut down the accounts when they don't understand what's happening. Oddly enough, many of these unusual businesses thrive by giving things away, recruiting a legion of fans and followers who support their paid work whenever it is finally offered. How is this possible? And how is this model different from all other Internet businesses?

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Interview for oDesk SMB Report

February 15, 2011 -- I was recently interviewed by oDesk Corporation for their monthly SMB Trend Report with the title "Businesses Grow Using Contractors". The report is a survey of data from more than 1 million contractors and employers found on oDesk. Here's a short excerpt:

Not every path to success is this clear-cut. The contractors who are most successful competing in a borderless economy — against talent from around the world — are those who either embrace a specialty or niche skill that is in high demand, or they are simply good at what they do and build a reputation as an expert in their field. In the case of Bernard, he’s done both.

To read the full interview and the 3-page report please click here. You may need to register to access the report.

Featured in oDesk Provider Spotlight

June 25, 2009 - I was featured in the July issue of the oDesk newsletter under section "Provider Spotlight".

Bernard Vukas aka MrSpreadsheet (Affiliated with Officeworks)
Microsoft Office Developer (VBA, C#, VB.NET, Excel DNA, XLA)
Total oDesk Hours: 769
Overall Feedback: 4.95 (Based on 20 feedbacks)
Comments: Bernard was an awesome asset to our programming project. When tweaks were required along the way, Bernard was responsive and accurate with his work. His knowledge base of Excel and his ability to communicate and provide solutions is superb.

To view the full newsletter click here.