Freelancer FAQ

OzLance doesn't condone the $1 an hour culture of other freelance sites because we know better than anyone that you get what you pay for. At OzLance we expect freelancers to charge a happy medium. As freelancers generally have minimal business overheads like advertising and staff costs, rates tend to be lower than mainstream consulting firms but should also reflect your skills and qualifications. See our Freelance Rates Table for more information.

None. We appreciate the high quality work, the loyalty and service you provide for our clients so we don't charge you any commission. We charge the client just $7 to submit their job listing. That's it.

OzLance is focused on providing a high quality alternative, for both clients and freelancers. Being part of the OzLance Freelancer family means providing high quality work, meeting deadlines and being an all round great professional.

We encourage you to ONLY apply for jobs you are confident that you can complete well and in the time allotted. As suitable jobs are booked into the OzLance system, you will receive an email notification inviting you to review the job and apply if suitable.

Currently we provide freelancers in eight primary occupations but the list is always growing.

• Freelance Writers
• Freelance Translators
• Mobile Application Developers
• Computer Programmers
• Network Administrators
• Freelance Website Developers
• Freelance Web Designers
• Freelance Graphic Designers

Quoting per job encourages the quickest, most honest and cost effective deal for the client and the freelancer. The key to getting a fair rate for the job is to accurately estimate how long the entire job will take to finish. If it seems impossible to estimate, you may ask the client to break the job into several parts and list them separately on OzLance for you.

At OzLance we aim to deliver best fit applicants, meaning fewer time wasters for clients and fewer competitors for you. OzLance uses specific job categories so that only those with relevant experience can apply. This cuts out the 100 time wasters you would otherwise compete with.

Chances are it will be soon. We're in the process of expanding our list of occupations to include online marketing professionals, more information technology roles and virtual administrator roles. Keep in touch by signing up for our newsletter now.

You'll work from home but on some jobs, you may be asked to attend a meeting or training session on site. This is rare and should be disclosed before you are engaged, and a suitable fee should be negotiated.

You'll be paid directly by the client, usually via Direct Deposit, Paypal, Cheque or Money Order. We recommend using Paypal as a secure method of online payment. You are encouraged to request a deposit before commencing a job and progress payments if the job is going to continue on for a long period. All financial arrangements should be negotiated and put in place before you commence work. You should do your very best to adhere to all timelines and benchmarks set at the beginning of the job to ensure payment is made without dispute.

OzLance is all about improving working conditions for freelancers and standards for clients, we welcome only those who share this philosophy.

We have a loyal and happy community of freelance workers, who we don't attempt to gouge with unreasonable commissions or force into very low wages. If a client requests you work outside of OzLance (that is, never agree to the engagement on the OzLance system), you should consider three things.

• First, the client may be dishonest and you will put yourself at risk of not being paid.
• Second, that client may be cheap, as OzLance fees are minimal. Cheap clients will expect you to work unreasonable hours for less money. This is the exact culture we are trying to change.
• Third, when discovered, your membership to OzLance will be permanently revoked, so you are taking all of the risk with no benefits.

While the terms of a Non-Disclosure Agreement differ from job to job, generally, by signing the form you are legally agreeing to keep any and all details of the freelance job to yourself. There are real penalties for breaking the agreement as it is a legally binding document.

We cannot recommend strongly enough that you negotiate all details of the job before commencement. This should include milestone and time schedules, deposits, progress payments and final payments all before commencing work. You should then do your best to adhere to these work schedules.

Upon request, you should provide the client with work samples, references and qualifications (you may wish to remove personal information from your resume before providing it to clients) so that the client is satisfied that you are the right person for the job.

Always provide a work sample for approval at each stage of the job so that there is an agreed standard of work. Update the client and inform them of any delays as soon as possible and wait for progress payments before moving to new job stages.

Ensure all payments are made through a third party payment system such as PayPal so that dispute resolution services are available if a mutually satisfying solution cannot be reached.

OzLance exists to give both clients and freelances a fairer alternative so we will do everything possible to ensure the reviews on our site are accurate. If you feel you've been unfairly reviewed, please email our head honcho Sam with all your supporting evidence and he'll see what he can do.