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Turn your knowledge into another way to earn

MichaelJ
Community Manager

[Updated April 7, 2022] Consultations are now available for purchase! Clients, you can now book one-on-one consultations with a freelancer to talk through your project, ask questions, and get expert advice. Whether you’re just getting started, or you’re ready to take your business to the next level, booking a consultation is a great way to define your scope, create a project plan or simply receive guidance.

 

For now, consultations can be found in Freelancer Search as well as on freelancer profiles.

 

When searching for talent, you can filter the results to only include those who offer consultations.

 

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Once you’ve selected a consultation from the search results, depending on the freelancer’s preferences and availability, you may have the option to choose between a 30 or 60-minute consultation.

 

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 You will then be able to select a time for your consultation.


Refer to the original announcement below for information about cancellation policies.

 

 

We’re introducing a new feature to help you make the most of your time and expertise on Upwork so you can increase earnings, build a network of clients, and boost your reputation. With the new consultations offering within Project Catalog™, clients can book time with you for your subject-matter expertise. The meeting scheduler is integrated into consultations, streamlining the process. 

 

We will roll this feature out gradually. Starting December 13th, it’ll be available to certain talent within Web, Mobile, and Software Development; Digital Marketing; Legal; and Accounting categories. Over the next couple of months, we plan to expand this to be available to all talent and skills -- stay tuned for more information.

 

Why offer consultations?

 

Your knowledge is valuable. It took years of dedicated work in your field to gain the insight and experience clients value. By adding consultations to your services, you can share your knowledge and get paid for it based on your rate and availability.

 

Your time is valuable. For freelancers, looking for projects and clients on Upwork can be time-consuming. When you offer consultations on Project Catalog the clients come to you, so you can spend less time on lead generation and more time having the conversations that showcase your expertise and move clients into your pipeline! With consultations, clients can come to you for advice and leave with a trusted advisor. This allows you to create a pipeline of potential clients by providing expertise and building trust. 

 

Clients are looking for expert guidance to take their business to the next level. For Clients who want to get started right away and meet the right talent to bring their ideas to life, consultations offers a way for clients to connect with highly skilled Freelancers for 1:1 consultations to either begin a larger project or simply get advice. 

 

When will consultations be available?

Starting now, selected freelancers within WMSD, Digital Marketing, Legal, and Accounting categories will see the option to create a consultation project inside their Project Catalog Dashboard. For now, these consultations will not be publicly visible or available for purchase by clients to give talent a head start to create quality consultations. In January, these projects will be made available to some clients and we’ll later announce the feature more widely and make consultations available to more clients for purchase.

 

If you work in the WMSD, Digital Marketing, Legal, or Accounting skill categories and would like your consultation project to be available to clients on your profile beginning as early as January 2022, please fill out this form.

 

How do I create a consultation?

Once the feature is available to you, you’ll be able to create a consultation project by going to your Project Catalog dashboard and clicking “Set up a consultation”.

 

Policies

Canceling a booked consultation

You can cancel any time before the consultation. If you cancel more than 24 hours before the consultation, the client will get their money back and they won’t be able to leave you feedback.

 

If you cancel within 24 hours of the consultation, the client can leave you feedback.

 

If the client cancels more than 24 hours before the consultation, they’ll get a full refund. If they cancel within 24 hours, they won’t get a refund and you’ll get paid for the booked consultation. 

 

Late policy

While we encourage you to be on time, we understand things come up. You or the client can be up to 5 minutes late for your scheduled consultation without penalty. 

 

No-show policy

If you don’t show up or are more than 5 minutes late, the client can file a dispute and ask for their money back. 

 

If the client doesn't show up without canceling more than 24 hours in advance, you’ll still get paid. 

 

If something happened or you had an emergency, we’re happy to talk with you about your options. Please reach out to customer support. 

 

Payment Protection

We provide Payment Protection for consultations if your consultation meets both of the following eligibility requirements: 

  • You send the client the documents that you agreed to provide when creating your consultation, within your set delivery timeline. These documents might include a project plan, time and cost estimate, or a meeting summary.
  • You are on time or no more than 5 minutes late for the consultation.

For more information, visit our Help article and join the Community discussion.