Originally Posted by FreelancerUSA I'm not sure I can compete on those sites - what do you think?

That of course depends on your trade. If you are a coder, then you might have more competition landing a job than if you were a designer. If you are a graphic artist, I, as a client, look at someone's portfolio, and then it doesn't matter where the person is located. If he/she is producing phenomenal work, I will hire him/her.