hidden creativity

Living in a small town, I am quickly getting to know most of the other "webhead" people who have interests in things like web design, web marketing, and SEO. Many businesses use whomever they can find to design their websites and media campaigns, with limited success. Although I am a 100% believer in utilizing local resources when at all possible, I *don't* believe in using them if they are going to harm your ad campaigns or image due to inexperience or incompetence. So, many local businesses often look to the internet to fill their creative needs.

There are many sites on the net that offer freelance classified listings, but few offer advice or assistance in coming to terms with freelancers. As a result, many deals turn ugly due to the non-techie's ability to discern true and viable "geek speak" from hollow promises. Fortunately, there are services being launched that have recognized this problem and are now implementing quality reviews of the listed freelancers.

One such service, that I found via PPP, is called Hiebe. In a nutshell, they offer services that assist with project outsourcing. What this means for the average business owner is that you'll finally find the creative talent you need, and be able to pick and choose based on specific details like ratings and awards. Business owners can post their projects, and creative types can post their portfolio. They offer creative professionals the opportunity to post their services in several different mediums, from web design and animation to videos and photography, and more.

Check it out. You may not end up "supporting your local scene", but you'll at least know what you're getting into and have more than one or two choices to pick from.