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New to Socialance? We're a professional network that connects employers and freelancers worldwide.

General

  • What is Socialance?

    Socialance is a professional network that connects freelancers and employers worldwide to carry out projects from start to finish.

  • Who is Socialance for?

    Socialance is for anyone who is looking to outsource a certain task or project to a remote worker, as well as for professional freelancers worldwide who are looking for freelance work.

  • How do I create an account?

    You need to sign up with your Facebook or LinkedIn account. Creating an account is easy and completely free. You just need to select whether you "Want to Hire" or "Want to Work", so that we can create you a Freelancer or Employer account accordingly.

  • Can I be a Freelancer and an Employer?

    For the moment you need to be either a Freelancer or an Employer, you cannot be both. However, if you think it would be a useful feature for you, let us know and we will consider it when designing new features.

  • How does it work?

    Socialance connects Employers and Freelancers in a professional network where they can interact and work together. Employers post projects they need done and Freelancers place bids quoting their price and the amount of time required. The Employer then accepts one of the bids and the Freelancer gets working on the project. See the sections for Employers, Freelancers and Projects for more details.

  • Do I need to pay to use Socialance?

    Socialance is free to join, create your profile and build your network. The only time we'll ask for a fee is when you hire someone, feature your project or if you are a freelancer, when you get hired and carry out a project.
    The platform fee varies from user to user and project to project and is paid by by both parties on completion of each milestone.

  • Is it safe to use Socialance?

    Yes, hiring or freelancing through Socialance is much safer than on your own. We give you access to a wide set of tools to track and manage your project and allow you to divide the project into milestones and fund them progressively. This ensures freelancers get paid and employers get what they need.
    All payments are handled through SSL connection by third parties and sensitive data is encrypted.

  • What are recommendations?

    The recommendations system allows others to leave recommendations on your profile. You always get to review the recommendations and decide if you want to display them. Recommendations increase the trust between users, as they allow you to see who has recommended a particular user, and if the person is willing to give a private reference. To recommend someone, go to their profile and type your recommendation in the provided field.

  • What does “Following” others mean?

    When you choose to follow someone, you will start receiving information about their activities on your Activity Feed. You can start following people by going to their profile and clicking on "Follow". When you sign up, you will automatically start following the users with whom you are friends on Facebook, but you can choose to stop following them if you wish.

  • What are endorsements?

    Endorsements are a way for your friends and colleagues to vouch for you and your skills. They have nothing to do with LinkedIn endorsements and are especially important to new users, since they have no feedback. You can request endorsements by going to your profile and clicking on "Get Endorsed".

  • Why can't I endorse a user?

    You can only endorse people who you are friends with on Facebook or connected on LinkedIn. Otherwise everyone could endorse everyone else and the endorsements would lose their value. If you really know someone and want to endorse them, you need to first connect with them on Facebook or LinkedIn.

  • Why should I get endorsed?

    The number of endorsements you have is shown right next to your name throughout the site and used by employers and freelancers alike to gauge how reliable someone is. Having many endorsements typically leads to more bids accepted & received.

  • Who are my first and second degree contacts?

    Your first degree contacts are those users who you are connected to on Facebook or LinkedIn.
    Your second degree contacts are friends-of-friends.
    (i.e. a friend connects you both).

  • Who makes up My Network?

    Your network is made up of your first degree contacts and anyone you follow on Socialance.
    Adding people to your network makes it easy to stay on top of those projects and people you care about.

  • What are the the minimum system requirements?

    In order to use Socialance you will need a modern browser with JavaScript and Cookies enabled.
    We recommend Google Chrome, but a recent version of Firefox, Safari or Internet Explorer will do.

  • Can I share my profile with others?

    Absolutely! Every user has an easy to remember url made specially for sharing.

Employers

  • How do I sign up as an employer?

    When signing up, you are asked whether you "Want to Hire" or "Want to Work". Select the "Want to Hire" option and we will create you an Employer account.

  • Do I need to complete my profile before posting a project?

    No, it is not a requirement, but we encourage you to do so. That way freelancers will see information about you and are more likely to bid on your project.

  • How do I post a project?

    Log into your Socialance account and go to Projects > Post a project at the top of the page. Fill in all the required fields in as much detail as possible. After submitting the project, the Socialance team will review it and approve it straight away or ask you to make some changes before approving it.

  • Does it cost to post a project?

    It is free to post a basic project. This allows you to select up to 3 categories and offers a good amount of targeting options to make sure you find the freelancer you are looking for. Another option is to post a featured project which will make your project highlighted and stand out among the others. There is a small non-refundable fee for featured projects.

  • How can I modify my project details?

    By going to the project page and clicking on "Project Management" in the top bar, you can make changes to the project. These include changes to project description, attachments, restrictions or the final deadline. You can always Contact us for more help!

  • What payment methods are accepted?

    You will have to use PayPal to fund projects. PayPal accepts major credit and debit cards worldwide and does not require you to have an account with them. More payment methods will be made available in the future.

  • Will I start receiving bids immediately?

    Once you post your project it needs to be reviewed and approved by the Socialance team. If everything is correct, you can expect your project to go live within 24 hours of posting. After that you may start receiving bids immediately.

  • Can I extend the bidding period?

    Yes. By going to the project page and clicking on "Project Management" in the top bar, you can extend the bidding period, as well as making other changes to the project.

  • How many bids will my project get?

    We can't tell you a specific number, because it depends upon many factors such as timing, deadlines, budget and description. If you feel that you are not receiving enough bids you can extend the bidding period to give freelancers more time to bid. In addition you can promote the project on your social networks.

  • Can I select a freelancer before the bidding period ends?

    Yes. If you have found the perfect freelancer and want them to start working as soon as possible, you can accept their bid at any time. The other freelancers will be notified that they have not been selected.

  • How do I choose a freelancer?

    On your Candidates page you see all the freelancers who have bid on your project. The bid shows the amount of money and time the freelancer requires to complete your project. You should visit the freelancers’ profiles in order to learn more about them and choose the best one. Finally click on “Accept bid” to select your chosen freelancer.

  • Is there a penalty for cancelling a project?

    No. If you do not find a suitable Freelancer to carry out your project, or if for any reason you no longer need the project done, you may cancel it without penalties. If you have already hired a Freelancer and they have started working on your project, you need to agree with them on the terms of the cancellation.

Freelancers

  • How do I sign up as a freelancer?

    When signing up, you are asked whether you "Want to Hire" or "Want to Work". Select the "Want to Work" option and we will create you a Freelancer user profile.

  • How do I bid on projects?

    Click on “Bid” on any project page. You are then asked to enter the amount of money and the amount of time that you require to complete the project. If you need more information, you can communicate with the Employer prior to bidding. The employer will look at all the bids and select a freelancer to work on the project.

  • How many different projects can I bid on?

    At this time there is no set limit to the number of bids a freelancer can post. However, posting spammy bids will be penalised and may lead to the deletion of the user account.

  • If my bid is chosen, can I decline?

    Yes. We know that you may be bidding on several projects at a time, and may be selected to work on more than one of those. That is why you always have the option to decline, and the Employer will be asked to select another Freelancer.

  • How/when will I get paid?

    Go to your Account preferences and set your “Payment email address” to your PayPal email address. You will receive the payment for each project milestone after the Employer has marked the milestone as completed.

  • Do I need a portfolio?

    No, but we highly recommended you add one.
    Portfolios are the best way to showcase your past work to potential Employers and get hired! It could be your blog, Dribbble, Github or personal website.

Projects

  • What types of projects are there?

    Socialance is meant for any kind of project that can be done online, without the Employer and Freelancer physically meeting each other. Examples of project categories include:

    • Web development
    • Mobile apps
    • Software development
    • Marketing & Sales
    • Writing & Journalism
    • Graphic design
    • Administrative support

  • A project from start to finish


    1. An Employer posts a project
    2. Freelancers bid on the project
    3. The Employer chooses one of the Freelancers, then divides the project into milestones
    4. The Freelancer approves the milestones
    5. The Employer funds the first milestone
    6. The Freelancer starts working on the first milestone
    7. Once complete, the Employer releases the funds to the Freelancer and funds the next milestone.
    8. When the project is finished, the Employer and Freelancer rate each other.

  • What are status reports?

    Weekly status reports are an easy way for a freelancer to keep an employer up to date on the work progress. In the status report, the freelancer selects one of two options “The Project is on Schedule” or “There's a Problem or Potential Delay” and writes a short summary of the week’s work. Status reports are enabled by default, but can easily be disabled by the employer.

  • What are project milestones?

    Before starting work on a project, the employer and freelancer will agree on how to divide the project into milestones. The purpose of the milestones is to bring security to both parties and help in organisation. If the project is small, one milestone may be enough, but big projects are best divided into several small tasks.

  • What are project advisors?

    If you have a specific questions regarding your project, a member of the Socialance team will be assigned to your case and become your project advisor. However, if you have general questions about Socialance, you should direct you enquiry to the appropriate team on the Contact Us page.

  • How does arbitration work?

    We offer a free arbitration service in case an Employer and a Freelancer involved in a project run into unresolved differences. An impartial moderator from Socialance will be assigned to the case. The moderator will gather the necessary evidence from both parties and return a verdict.

Other

  • Help, I can't log in

    Try clearing your browser cache & cookies or opening an 'incognito' window (a.k.a. 'private mode').
    If this doesn't work, please contact us and we'll do our best to help you.

  • No Facebook / LinkedIn account?

    If you don't have or don't feel like connecting your Facebook or LinkedIn account with Socialance, please fill out this form and we'll let you know when we open up the site to anyone with an email address.

  • How can I contact you directly?

    If you want to reach us directly please head over to the Contact us page, and compose an email to the appropriate team.

  • I run a co-working space / accelerator

    Socialance is exclusively open to members of accelerators, co-working spaces and select individuals.
    If you are in charge of a community which might be interested in using Socialance, please get in touch.