Hi all, an overseas company is keen to hire me as a freelancer.
I was wondering how they can go about doing so? Can they hire me directly or do they need to go via an agency with an Australian presence? I have an ABN which I have used for Australian clients.
Google hasn't been much helpful here as most advice is for US or Europe based freelancers.
Thanks for your time.
Open to both. Whichever is easiest to get started with.
its probably a scam
as most advise is for US
Stay classy ozbargain
If they're hiring you directly, depending on the remuneration, you may need a legal contract signed by both parties to ensure full transparency and ensure you get paid correctly.
Otherwise, depending on the work, you can go through a third-party like Freelancer, Upwork etc.
I can't help but get scammer vibes from whoever you're referring to OP, do they not have someone in their own country that they can hire? or is the work you're performing so niche that only a select few people such as yourself are capable of performing said work? Seems a bit odd to me. Please do your due diligence regarding whoever this is and ensure it's all legit.
You likely don't know them from a bar of soap, for all you know they could be anyone, so ensure you don't get screwed!
Thanks for the real advise. We're actually on Upwork but they're increasing the fees so we're looking to setup our own direct agreement with the least hassle and costs for both parties.
Least hassle for them, you have no recourse if they change their mind. You going to sue an American company from Australia over a few thousand dollars?
Is UpWork like UpDog?
They're definitely not scammers haha. They've paid me on time (through Upwork) for the last year and they have a fantastic team.
Then if you want to take it offline from upwork to save a few bucks, then draw up your own contract as it seems they still want to hire you as a contractor/freelancer. If you're getting hired on their payroll then they need to draw up a contract.
I guess the real risk is not getting paid even if you did get paid through upwork as I assume upwork has their own protections for workers getting paid.
Just keep working until the cheques start bouncing.
It sounds overkill, but I would engage a lawyer to put together the contract (or review the contract provided). There are things like which country's legal system would apply (if required), currency of payment, method of payment, application of taxes, etc., etc.
Are they hiring you? Or are you selling your services to them?