Become a freelancer on Unicorn Factory

If you are thinking about starting freelancing or you are looking for new ways to connect with other freelancers to collaborate and grow your business than this community is made for you.

Promote your freelance services to local businesses

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    Get customer enquiries through your personal profile page

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    Showcase your work by adding your portfolio to your profile page

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    Set your own rates, availability and services

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Get access to New Zealand's largest freelancer job board

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    Get personalised introductions to clients who post job on our job board

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    Budget ranges, timelines and requirements specified

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    Up-to-date and pre-vetted clients

Connect with a community of Kiwi freelancers

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    Knowledge base to help you become a better freelancer

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    Monthly online workshops to help you take your biz to the next level

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    Networking opportunities

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From our community

Find your next freelance job in New Zealand

Find a preview of our most recently listed freelance jobs on Unicorn Factory
Open
Photography & Videography

Video Editor/Animator for commercial

Videography project for Mid-sized business (11- 100 employees) in Auckland.

money
$1k - $5k
handshake
1
Intros made
tribunal
Mid-sized business (11- 100 employees)
male-user
🚀 Newbie, 😎 Side Hustler, ⭐️ Pro, 🤝 Consultant, ⚡️ Studio
September 27, 2023
Open
Marketing

Email/Social Media Marketing Campaign

Social Media Marketing project for Coach/Consultant in Te Anau.

money
$1k - $5k
handshake
0
Intros made
tribunal
Coach/Consultant
male-user
😎 Side Hustler, ⭐️ Pro, 🤝 Consultant, ⚡️ Studio
September 27, 2023
Open
Design

App developer for healthy meals

App Design project for Small business (less than 10 employees) in Christchurch.

money
$1k - $5k
handshake
0
Intros made
tribunal
Small business (less than 10 employees)
male-user
🚀 Newbie, 😎 Side Hustler, ⭐️ Pro
September 26, 2023
Open
Photography & Videography

Looking for a freelance animator

Videography project for Small business (less than 10 employees) in Dunedin.

money
$1k - $5k
handshake
0
Intros made
tribunal
Small business (less than 10 employees)
male-user
🚀 Newbie, 😎 Side Hustler, ⭐️ Pro, 🤝 Consultant, ⚡️ Studio
September 25, 2023
Open
Web Development

Leadpages Site and Landing Pages

Web Design project for Coach/Consultant in Havelock North.

money
$1k - $5k
handshake
1
Intros made
tribunal
Coach/Consultant
male-user
😎 Side Hustler, ⭐️ Pro
September 25, 2023
Open
Marketing

Analytics Researcher for Agency

Marketing Strategy project for Design/Marketing Agency in Wellington.

money
Under $1k
handshake
0
Intros made
tribunal
Design/Marketing Agency
male-user
⭐️ Pro, 🤝 Consultant, ⚡️ Studio
September 24, 2023

Who should sign up to Unicorn Factory?

Unicorn Factory is best suited for people who are serious about turning their craft into paid work. We are looking for people who are creative, but most importantly, people who are willing to invest in themselves and their freelance business.

🚀 Newbies

  • You are passionate about your craft and you see freelancing as an amazing opportunity to get paid to do what you love.
  • You haven't had your first paying client yet. Maybe you have been held by the fear of finding clients, failure or being judged.
  • You are willing to take freelancing seriously from day one, and want to invest time and money up-front to set yourself up for success.
  • Who hires Newbies on Unicorn Factory? Small local businesses, like yoga studios or cafes, often hire our Newbies because they are the most cost effective option, while still getting quality work.  
  • Newbies usually charge our an hourly rate between $35 - $45 per hour.

😎 Side Hustlers

  • You are currently in a full-time job but love the idea of using your skills and knowledge to help local businesses grow.
  • You might be working on your own startup and want to freelance on the side to keep cash coming in while you are building your business. (That's how I started)
  • You also love the idea of having one or two freelance clients to make a bit of extra money on the side.
  • Even though you freelance on the side, professionalism and delivering value is important to you.
  • Who hires Side Hustlers on Unicorn Factory? Early-stage startups and small local businesses are the most common clients for our side hustlers. These are often one-off projects with a fixed project rate.
  • Our most popular services for Side Hustlers are copywriting, branding and strategy.

💵 Pros

  • You have a well established freelancing business and have been self-employed for a while now.
  • You consider yourself a full-time freelancer, consultant or coach.
  • You specialise in a specific area of design, development or marketing. You may work with a specific niche, but are open to working with businesses who are looking for your expertise.
  • You currently have no employees or business partners, but you sometimes hire subcontractors to help with bigger projects.
  • Who hires Pro Freelancers on Unicorn Factory? Pros are our most hired group of freelancers. They work with all types of businesses from small local businesses to government agencies and large corporations.

⚡️Studios

  • You run your own agency or studio, and have between 1 - 5 FTEs. You also frequently hire freelancer for their specialised skills to help out on projects.
  • You see Unicorn Factory as a way to connect to more local businesses who may need your services.
  • Who hires Studios on Unicorn Factory? Often larger Kiwi businesses, government agencies or funded startups hire studios because they can take on larger projects and deliver a wider range of services.

Membership plans

Flexible pricing, no hidden costs, cancel anytime.

😎 Side Hustler Plan
$20/mo
Perfect for freelancers who are just getting started.
Access to apply for jobs on our job board
Personal profile page on Unicorn Factory
Access to our community forum
"😎 Side Hustler" Tag on profile
Maximum of 2 intros to jobs listed on the job board per month
Display 1 portfolio item
⭐️ Pro Plan
$42/mo
Ideal for full-time freelancers looking for more visibility and opportunities.
All Side Hustler Plan benefits, plus:
"⭐️ Pro" Tag on profile
Increased visibility on our listing pages
Maximum of 4 intros to jobs listed on the job board per month
Display 2 portfolio items
🤩 Pro+ Plan
Talk to our team
For seasoned freelancers seeking to offer premium services.
All benefits of the Pro Plan, plus:
"🤩 Pro+" Tag on profile
Exclusive invitation to offer packaged services*
Priority ranking on our listing pages
Maximum of 6 intros to jobs listed on the job board per month
Display 6 portfolio items

FAQ

If you have any other questions please feel free to reach out to us through our contact page

Contact Us

How long does the approval process take?

We review all applications on the 20th of each month. Depending on your application and availability of spots we will either approve, reject or waitlist you. We will explain what the next steps are via email. If you haven't heard from us, please reach out via our contact page.

Am I guaranteed leads if I sign up to a membership?

No. Unfortunately, we cannot control whether or not clients decide to reach out to you. Our job is to get as many potential clients in front of you. It is your job to make sure that your profile is presented well and that you have case studies added to your profile, the two biggest factors in getting clients to reach out.

Is there a trial? Why is this website not free?

We don't do trials anymore. We trialed it for a while and unfortunately it attracted too many people who didn't take it seriously. We try to keep our membership as low as possible. We do however refund you if you complete your profile and don't get any leads.

The reason why it's not free to sign up as a freelancer is because I would lose heaps of money trying to keep the site online.

How many leads will I receive under each membership?

Again, it depends on the type of membership type you select, as well as what services you offer. In terms of service category the breakdown of enquiries is as follow: 40% are for design related projects, 33% are marketing related projects and 27% are software related projects.

In terms of freelancer type: - 50% of our enquiries go to ⭐️ Pros, 37% to 😎 Side Hustlers, 8% to ⚡️Studios and 5% to 🚀 Newbies.

We currently receive between 250 - 350 direct enquiries every single month, with the average client reaching out to three freelancers at a time.

How much money can I make as a freelancer?

The average deal a freelancer closes on Unicorn Factory is NZD3.5k (in 2020). The biggest contract that two different freelancers closed last year was for NZD 50k.

How much you charge will again depend on what you do and how much you charge.

I have never worked as a freelancer... can I still join?

Luckily, there is a community of us that have all been in that situation before and we have a forum where you can ask whatever questions you have about freelancing.

Our goal is to not just help you get more leads, we want you to succeed as a freelancer long-term which is why we have our forum for you to ask questions, and to connect with other freelancers.

What is your refund policy?

If you sign up and it just doesn't work out for you and you feel like it was a waste of money, I am happy to refund you for your last month under the following conditions:

1) You have added at least one case study to your profile.
2) You have bcc'd me in responses to leads (if you received any)
3) You put effort into creating a great bio.