The basics of safe cooperation

First of all, the advantages of freelancing are obvious. More flexibility in your job allows you to tailor your work-life integration to your own needs. You can steadily evolve at your own pace in a direction that is closest to your idea of self-actualization and self-determination. Whether you find this in a very specific activity or in variety, prefer a fixed workplace or prefer to be mobile - a lot of personal responsibility also goes hand in hand with a lot of freedom. On the other hand, clients also benefit from being able to compensate for a lack of qualifications in the short term and take advantage of external neutrality: A fresh perspective from an expert in a very specific field can offer fresh input. Also, the short-term working relationship allows you to benefit from diverse talent exactly when you need it most. This is exactly where KnowS comes in, providing a safe and easy way to network Switzerland's diverse skills. But even under ideal conditions, both parties are still responsible for ensuring that the collaboration is successful - time and time again. In the following, you will learn how you can best succeed, because knowledge is the greatest power in freelancing.

Trust is good, a short check is better.

It's a short thing at a time, but it's all the more relevant for it: Research your counterpart. You don't need much time for this. You can get an overview of the public profiles of your provider or the client in a short time. A few clicks on knows.com will take you to the neutral reviews that this person has received so far. This gives you an idea of whether the person you're dealing with meets your expectations. Don't be afraid to ask for experience ratings. It will make you feel good to hear what kind of jobs this person has been involved in and if there are any photos of previous collaborations. You can easily clarify this in the chat function. And if something should still go wrong, Zurich's liability insurance kicks in, regardless of the value of the job, so you can book your job without worry.

What's it all about again?

Another tip that requires little effort, but is very effective for successful cooperation, is to summarize the most important key data at the end of the conversation. Let your counterpart know one last time when, where, with what equipment and for what value you expect him or her. Should you have misunderstood each other in the process, which of course can happen every now and then even with many years of freelance experience, you will realize at the latest there what still needs to be set right.

The day before the assignment.

You put it in your calendar, your counterpart also has the appointment in his/her calendar - and yet it would give you a good feeling to know that the other person is also 100% prepared for it. A short "Hello, I'm looking forward to our collaboration tomorrow!" helps both of you to approach the upcoming assignment in a relaxed manner. The certainty that organizationally everything will go as planned also allows both of you to prepare more calmly and intensively for the content of the matter. If you already know that other people have already had positive experiences with your provider or client, nothing can stand in the way of a successful collaboration.

Last but not least...

It is actually a matter of course, but it can hardly be surpassed in importance: NEVER, under any circumstances, give out secret payment information in any form. With KnowS you have the possibility to make the payment in a secure way: The deposit is made as soon as an offer is accepted. The money is kept in an escrow account with us. Only when the order has been successfully completed and the payment has been released, the money will be definitively debited and transferred. If your order does not take place as planned, you will be refunded the agreed amount. So there is no financial risk for either side at any time. Security on the internet is an important issue for KnowS and we want to offer you the best possible conditions for it. Do you have any questions or doubts? Our customer service is there for your concerns.

Ownership by all participants offers exciting possibilities, which can be discovered in many ways in the KnowS community. With a few helpful tips and a bit of sensitivity, we can move a community forward that exudes a sense of mutual trust. Of course, our live chat is always available for you as well. Let us know in the comments which tip gives you a particularly good feeling.

Your KnowS Team

Would you as a customer like to learn more about how to find the most suitable provider in a short time? All the information you need is contained in this fact sheet.

And here you can find out which tips you can use as a provider to achieve a 5-star rating and win every order.