MANILA, THE PHILIPPINES -- (Marketwire) -- 02/24/13 -- Elance, the world's leading online work platform, has just announced that Mark Lloyd Binar of Muntinlupa, Philippines won First Place in its global "Work Differently Contest." The contest invited freelancers to submit a brief description of how they Work Differently, including photographs of themselves at work.

Momentum builds as the world Works Differently

Online work sites like Elance are changing the way people think about work. With an abundance of good paying jobs available online, anyone with talent can now earn a living wherever they live. The Working Differently contest asked freelancers around the world to share how online freelancing had changed their life. Mark Lloyd Binar, a skilled graphic artist, was chosen by popular vote among visitors to the Elance Facebook page -- beating out contestants from over 70 countries. The winning photographs and contest details can be found on the Elance Blog, and below you will find Mark's contest entry:

Family time while working is possible, especially if you are working online at your own home. I'm now spending more quality time with my wife and kids.

I gave up my normal job last January 15 to become a full time freelancer online. Before, I worked 10 hours a day, and most of the time when I went to work, my kids were still sleeping and when I came back from work, they were already sleep. New opportunity and lack of family time pushed me to give up my job and become a full time freelancer. With Elance, I can earn enough to support my family.

Elance changed my life because now that I have more time with my family, I can say that "Family Time while Working is Possible." Working online on Elance while spending more time with my Family; it makes my life more beautiful.

Mark earned $500 US for his First Place finish, and will also be featured soon on Elance's Inspiration Center -- a page devoted to testimonials from successful Elance freelancers and clients.

Elance growing at record pace in the Philippines

"Mark's story has inspired us all," said Elance CEO Fabio Rosati. "We're proud of him and excited to have so many talented and successful freelancers working in the Philippines."

Elance continues to be the driving force in the online work revolution, growing at record pace as the demand for skilled professionals increases dramatically from month to month. Freelancer earnings in the Philippines grew 92% in 2012 with over 40,000 new freelancers joining the service. Growth in the Philippines was mirrored around the world as businesses on Elance are now posting 90,000+ jobs each month, resulting in over $200 million (US) earned by providers on Elance in 2012.

About Elance

Elance is where people work differently. A pioneer in today's freelance revolution, Elance is the world's leading platform for online work.

Today over 500,000 businesses and 2 million freelancers use Elance in 170+ countries. Innovative global enterprises, small businesses and start-ups tap into the Elance talent pool, building teams from software engineers, application developers and web and graphic designers to copywriters, market researchers, data scientists, social media markets, customer service agents and other business professionals. More than 1 million freelance jobs are completed through Elance annually.

Headquartered in Mountain View, California and Oslo, Norway, Elance is a privately-held company. For more information, visit www.elance.com.