The Blog

New to hiring freelancers? Learn how to manage freelance costs effectively with this beginner’s guide. Get actionable tips on setting budgets, negotiating rates, and avoiding common pitfalls to ensure your project stays on track and within budget.

Interested in freelancing on Unicorn Factory? This guide covers everything you need to know about joining the platform, how to apply, how to get work, and what to expect as a freelancer on Unicorn Factory.

Learn how to get started on Unicorn Factory, the platform that connects New Zealand businesses with vetted local freelancers. This guide covers how the platform works, tips for connecting with freelancers, and best practices for managing projects.

Learn how to effectively use the Unicorn Factory job board to hire top freelancers. This guide covers everything from creating a standout job listing to managing applications and finalizing your hire.

Discover why Unicorn Factory takes a hands-off approach to contracts and payments, giving you the control to manage your freelance projects directly. Learn how our unique model benefits both clients and freelancers.

Learn how to effectively conduct sales calls as a freelancer using Gap Selling principles. Discover how to identify client needs, present your solution, and close deals with confidence.

Avoid costly mistakes when hiring your first freelancer. Learn how to define your project scope, vet candidates, communicate effectively, and more to ensure a successful partnership.

Learn proven strategies to optimize your profile, handle inquiries like a pro, and follow up effectively to close more deals on Unicorn Factory. Boost your freelancing success with these actionable tips.

Learn how to navigate our freelancer job board, from receiving job alerts to applying, connecting with clients, and managing your projects effectively. Maximize your opportunities with our simple, streamlined process.

Discover how Unicorn Factory's credit system offers freelancers flexibility and fairness by only charging for client introductions when they happen. Learn how it works and why it's better than subscriptions.

Discover how to use SEO to boost your New Zealand business's online presence. Learn easy, step-by-step strategies to improve search engine rankings, attract more visitors, and drive sales. Find local SEO experts on Unicorn Factory to help you succeed!

Learn how to hire your first freelance designer for your New Zealand business with this comprehensive guide from Unicorn Factory. Discover strategies to define your design needs, find and evaluate designers, and set clear expectations to ensure a successful collaboration. Start finding the perfect Kiwi designer today!

Discover the top 10 YouTube channels for aspiring entrepreneurs in this comprehensive blog post. Ideal for beginners and seasoned business owners alike, our guide showcases channels offering practical advice on web design, no-code business building, motivational insights, and real-life entrepreneurial experiences. Learn from experts in various fields, including marketing, sales, and digital nomad lifestyles. Elevate your entrepreneurial journey with valuable tips, strategies, and inspiration from the best in the business. Perfect for anyone eager to turn their business dreams into reality.

Struggling with time management? Our latest guide is here to help you create your ideal workday. Packed with practical tips and strategies, it's perfect for anyone looking to get more done and enjoy the freelance lifestyle to the fullest. Let's dive in and make every day a productive one!

Struggling with freelance chaos? Our blog post introduces essential software tools for every freelancer. Discover how apps like Hnry, Cal.com, and ClickUp can simplify your workflow, enhance productivity, and transform your freelance experience. Get ready to take your freelancing to the next level!

Discover how to secure your first freelance clients with ease. Our blog post offers practical advice for new freelancers, including networking tips, platform choices, and collaboration strategies. Get ready to land gigs and grow your freelancing business with Unicorn Factory NZ.

Looking to hire freelancers? Learn how to write great job posts with Unicorn Factory's AI tool. Get the best out of our freelancer job board with this simple guide!

Creating a beautiful email signature is important for freelancers, as it reflects your personal brand and can make a lasting impression on potential clients. In this blog post, we share three tips for designing an effective email signature.

Life can get busy when you have a business. From managing day-to-day operations to looking for new clients and partnerships, your to-do list is never-ending. At a certain point, you might find that you need some extra help to get things done. This is where a personal assistant or virtual assistant comes in. But which one is the right fit for you and your business? Let's take a look at the key differences between personal assistants and virtual assistants to help you make the best decision for your needs.

As a freelancer, one of the most important things you can do is design a professional logo. Your logo is a visual representation of your brand, and it should be unique and memorable. The good news is that you don't need to be a graphic designer to create a great logo. With a little creativity and effort, you can design a logo that will make your freelance business look more polished and professional. Here are some tips for designing a freelancer logo that will make your brand shine.

I’ve been curious about art and technology since childhood, and learned how to make websites back in the 90s around the time of Netscape Navigator. In 2013 I completed diplomas in both Graphic Design and Digital Media at Media Design School, bringing together both skill sets allows me to act as a full-service one man studio. I cut my teeth in a boutique studio with big clients, Latch Digital, producing work for names like Britomart and Chancery Square, with a heavy focus on branding, web design, and front-end development. Since then I’ve worked for a variety of agencies and brands, both local and international.

Every small business owner knows that marketing is key to success. But with so many options out there, it can be hard to know which tools are the best ones to invest in. In this post, we'll take a look at what we think are the top five marketing tools for small business owners. Whether you're looking to increase your online presence or drive more traffic to your store, these tools will help you do just that! So keep reading to find out more and start marketing your small business like a pro.

As a freelancer, you are your own boss. This can be both a good and a bad thing. On the one hand, you have the freedom to set your own hours and work from anywhere in the world. On the other hand, you also have to worry about finding new clients and managing your own finances. One way to set yourself up for success as a freelancer is to invest in yourself. By putting your best foot forward, you signal to potential clients that you are serious about your work and committed to providing high-quality services. 

Hi, I’m Brent Dickens and I run a boutique brand and web design studio named Pola Design. The name comes from my kids Paxton and Lola plus it’s a UX design term ‘Principle of Least Astonishment’ which is handy. I’ve been working in the design industry for over 15 years mostly in the web and UX design space. 

Lee is a Web Designer and Photographer based in Auckland. We had a chat about his background, his diverse talents and how he likes to combine them within his career as a freelancer.

In this article, you will find tips and tricks to optimize your freelancer portfolio. By putting together an attractive portfolio, you can make a positive impression on your clients and get more leads.

I’m based in the beautiful Mount Maunganui in the Bay of Plenty, which is a great spot for inspiration and adventure! I’m a designer and illustrator as Calico Studio.

Making a podcast is an excellent way to market your business. Podcasting can be something you have fun doing that also brings customers to your small business. The benefits of starting a podcast include both increasing awareness of your brand and increasing your organic reach. In simple terms, you will be able to attract people who are interested in what you talk about. They will get to know you as a business owner, and learn about you and what you do. It is important to get more personal with your customers because that will increase their trust in your brand. People tend to trust a brand more when they get to know the people associated with it. Being able to listen to your podcast will give them a better understanding of you as a person. If you decide to hire someone else to record podcasts, they will associate that person with your brand too. The tone of your podcast will determine your brand personality. Why is it important that you position yourself as a particular brand? Because that will determine whether you are attracting your ideal customers.

I studied Fine Arts back in 2009 but ended up moving into a completely different career in Education. I continued to dabble in all things creative in my spare time and found a love of graphic design and digital illustration. In 2020 I was made redundant due to the pandemic and took it as an opportunity to chase my passion for design. I took the plunge into full-time freelancing as a graphic designer at the end of 2020 and haven’t looked back since!

I'm based in the beautiful sunny Nelson/ Whakatū. I was a creative kid and loved art, listening to music and dancing. Throughout high school, I became increasingly interested in business. Taking part in the Young Enterprise Scheme, where we got to run a company for the year. I fell into a more creative role of preparing the marketing, presentations and designing the website! 

When a client decides between two freelancers, what will influence their final choice? There can be many factors, but today we will discuss some of the best quick fixes that you can start working on today to make yourself stand out.

Kia ora! I’m Nicole, a Designer based in Wellington, New Zealand. I create branding, websites and marketing material for businesses looking to establish themselves and level up.I’ve been working as a Freelance Designer and running my own design business, Studio True for almost 3 years now and I absolutely love it. It’s so fulfilling to work with people and help bring their visions to life. I’ve had experience in designing for a wide range of brands from in-house, the private and public sector, product design, food, retail, hospitality, real estate, education, events, fashion and creative areas.

‍‍I’ve worked in marketing for over 5 years now, in all different capacities. I worked publisher side at NZME, then moved across to agency side for FCB and then I worked client side at NZTE (a whole BUNCH of acronyms haha) all three roles ultimately helped me to be a better freelancer as they gave me insight into every side of the digital marketing world. 

Every freelancer will have a different way of marketing themselves. Depending on your industry, you may be torn between different marketing channels. ‍The easiest way to start off in marketing your freelance business is to see what other successful freelancers are doing in your industry. How are they getting clients and converting them? ‍Once you get a good idea of what they do, you can start developing similar processes and adapting them to fit your business. You should add your personal touches to the way you market and position yourself to the clients. ‍If there are similarities between you and someone else’s marketing strategies, don’t stress it - this is normal. It goes without saying that you shouldn’t copy someone else’s work, but this article will help you understand those overlapping principles of marketing for all freelancers, so you can start marketing your business today.

Do you want to take your business to the next level? There are freelancers you can hire for almost any part of your business: from marketers to web developers. If you know what you are looking for, you will find it.‍That being said, there are many things to keep in mind when hiring a freelancer for the first time. Check out this article to learn how to find someone that is a great fit for your business!‍

Have you been introduced to a client but never heard back from them? You feel like you wrote the perfect pitch email that could land you the gig, but you don’t get a response? Well, It is something that happens to a lot of freelancers so you are not the only one! With that being said, there are ways to improve your introduction email response ratio. This article will explain some simple tips and tricks to help you write emails that get more responses. We also provide you with a sample email that you can use to write the first email to your freelance clients.

I specialize in branding. I studied at both Youbee and Massey after taking a gap year before I officially entered the industry. I’m based in Wellington and have worked in two (I would call very small/boutique) design studios in the city before I went out on my own. I’m from Wellington and have firm roots here, so while many of my peers jumped the ditch and chased opportunities at larger cities and abroad, I’ve stuck to the area where I’m from. I think this is something that makes my story a little unique. 

Since graduating from uni, I have always been a ‘freelancer’. The economic climate at the time meant employment contracts were not easy to come by for videographers, and they are just not common in the film industry in general. I have an appetite for roaming the globe and seeking new experiences, so short contracts and remote work have been my go-to.

Kia ora, I'm Josh, a 23 year old illustrator based in Tāmaki Makaurau, New Zealand — I freelance part-time in addition to a regular illustration day job that keeps the rent paid but am looking to make the jump over to full-time freelance or an in-house role in animation as soon as I get the guts to! My first real freelance project was actually one I got passed on by my illustration tutor at Wintec (shoutout to Loryn Engelsman, one of the sickest illustrators out there!). It was a series of horoscope icons for the Waikato Uni student mag Nexus — the rate was pretty low and they didn't have the time so it worked out perfectly to be my intro to illustration as a job.

Are you ready to make more money with your freelancing business? Go through this 5 step-by-step guide to expanding your business and start building your business today today.

How do you get a steady flow of clients when you are just starting out as a freelancer? A lot of different factors contribute to the success of your business. If you are serious about freelancing and willing to put the effort into marketing yourself, this article is going to answer your question. Here are the best ways to land your first clients.

In this post, we will look at the top 7 must-have tools that any freelancer should have in their arsenal. Being a freelancer implies tackling many aspects of the business yourself, from time management to handling finances. Freelancers often juggle multiple clients and projects. Saving time and energy on several aspects of your freelancing business means that you will have more time actually working on projects and building relationships with your clients. That’s where these tools come in to save the day.

There are many benefits to listing your project through Unicorn Factory, including connecting with the best fit freelancer for your project faster. Your will only be shown to freelancers who are currently available, therefore, listing a project on Unicorn Factory is a great and efficient way of finding someone who is perfect for your project.

I studied copywriting at university but wasn’t able to take an unpaid internship—which was the only thing going in 2008. After that I meandered through a few different careers: teacher, bartender, bank teller, appliance salesman, barista, cheese chef. None of them stuck, but I think they gave me a nice smorgasbord of experience to draw on.

I’ve been practicing as a graphic designer for the last 10 years, working for small-to-medium sized design-led agencies. Soon after I completed my Bachelor of Design at Auckland University of Technology in 2012, my passion for design was cemented during my 6.5 year-long stay in Sydney, Australia. During that time, I was fortunate to work across many areas within the design sphere, including brand identity design, web design and event and installation design. Being exposed to such a unique range of working experiences, enabled me to grow into a multi-disciplinary designer, wearing many hats, not only as a designer, but also as a project manager. It’s this versatility that has greatly influenced the success of my freelancing business today.

I’m not really one for small talk, so I’m diving right on in with a macro answer to this question! I often feel like a Jack-or-Gill of all trades, and I suppose that could be because I’m perfectly average at everything I try, but I’d like to think it’s actually because my favourite space to be in is learner mode – the older I get, the more passionate and curious I’m becoming. There’s so much to do in this life, but not enough time, which explains why I’m an amateur gardener, surfer, dancer, fisherwoman, pianist, forager, macrame-attempter, wannabe-sourdough-queen and language-obsessed (but fluent in only one…). 

Get to know Stephen, a freelance no-code developer and founder of Chive. Find out about his freelancing journey and the projects he's most proud of.

Didn’t we all have grand life plans that got turned on their head before Covid hit? Mine was to see through 2020 growing my full time career, working towards becoming a freelancer and travelling the world with laptop in hand.