We are always asked a number of core questions when speaking with clients. So we thought we’d take the opportunity to share these with you:
1. How do we know the quality of the freelancers on &FRIENDS?
We vet all our freelancers through the platform and mark them as ‘recommend’ when they meet our quality standards. After signing up we schedule a call with them to understand their skill levels and previous history and help them build out their &FRIENDS profile.
We also get companies to carry out a freelancer review once a &FRIENDS gig is completed. Giving the opportunity for both areas of improvement and areas of strength.
Freelancers are also able to gain referrals from previous roles and have them display against their profile for gigs they have completed previously.
2. What does it cost me to use &FRIENDS?
Starting at 15% fees, we’re half the standard industry costs and we only charge you if we successfully book a freelancer through &FRIENDS
We offer multiple payment options on how you want to pay your freelancers. You can choose to have the freelancer invoice you directly or alternatively you can look to employ the freelancer through PAYG for the duration of the project. We also offer a full payroll solution through our partner Entity where you are looking to outsource payroll and insurances.
For more information on our &FRIENDS payment options please click here:
https://cavalry-freelancing.helpscoutdocs.com/article/64-cavalry-payment-options
3. What happens if a freelancer goes full time after a freelance engagement?
We understand that we are dealing with people within the &FRIENDS community and even thou many of our members our seasoned freelancers, some are always open to full time opportunities. So if a 2 month gig for example goes really well and both the freelancer and the company build a strong and positive relationship they may choose to take that freelancer on full time.
&FRIENDS does not want to loose members from its community but understands that these things will and have happened. If it does we look to charge a 15% commission based on the full time contract that is agreed – any time which the freelancer has already been engaged. Which we feel is more than fair and reasonable.
4. Can I manage my own freelancers within &FRIENDS?
The &FRIENDS service allows you to add your own freelancers to your &FRIENDS Freelance Management Sydney (FMS). Allowing you to manage both your existing freelance relationships and extend them by building out your team using candidates sourced through &FRIENDS .
5. What happens if I don’t use the freelancer for the full duration of their agreed booking?
If you book a freelancer through &FRIENDS Cavalry for a 4 week engagement and the work ends up being completed in 3 weeks. You are only charged for the time that the freelancer has been engaged. We just ask that you keep the freelancer informed on upcoming bookings and keep them actively informed on gig time frames so they can plan other work. You can also look to extend a booking if a project gets extended or you want to engage the freelancer on a longer engagement.
6. How do I know how much each freelancer will cost?
&FRIENDS is transparent from start to finish. We do not show a freelancers rate but give a guide to indicate their price level showing a ‘$’ symbol form 1-3 to show how they compare to others in your search. As soon as you engage a freelancer through a gig they have to confirm a day rate price when they apply and express interest. It also gives the freelancer the opportunity to read the gig brief and put a price forward that they feel is appropriate for the work requested.
For example an Art Director may wish to apply for a Graphic Design role and in this case they would not charge their Art Director day rate. Instead they may put a day rate offer which reflects the work required as they may have a two week gap between work and prefer to be employed during this period. It’s also worth considering more experienced freelancers for gigs, as often they will get the work done in a faster time.
7. What companies are using &FRIENDS?
&FRIENDS looks to help companies access a large and diverse community of local freelance specialists in the advertising, digital and communications space. We have now built a company base of more than 350 companies across both digital agencies and brands.
We work with companies big and small, as all companies can benefit from using &FRIENDS as every company can benefit from using a flexible freelance model to extend your full time team when things get busy.
We are working with the likes of Dentsu, Skynews and M&C Saatchi on the agency side and with brands like Aperol and Body shop.
8. What specialisms does &FRIENDS have on its platform?
Our marketplace gives you easy access to a large and diverse community of local freelance specialists from Design, Creative, Technology, Client Service, Media, Film and Content, and Strategy. Click here to see a full list of specialisms we can help you with &FRIENDS
