Overview
The Hive is a professional directory for discovering contractors, freelancers, and businesses. Browse verified profiles, view skills and experience, and connect with professionals directly.
Key features include:
- Browse profiles of people and businesses
- Filter by skills, location, availability, and rates
- View portfolio work samples and case studies
- Connect with professionals and add them to your contacts
- Save favourites for quick access later
Joining the Hive
You do not need a Beeswax account to be listed on the Hive. There are two ways to get your profile on the directory:
As a Freelancer (no account needed)
When you sign up for Beeswax, you can choose Create a Profile instead of creating a business account. This sets you up as a freelancer with your own personal Hive profile. You can:
- Create and manage your public profile
- List your skills, rates, and availability
- Showcase your work with portfolio items
- Receive messages from people who find you on the Hive
This is ideal if you are an individual freelancer, sole trader, or contractor who wants to be discoverable without needing project management or invoicing tools.
As a Business (with a Beeswax account)
If you have a Beeswax account, your business can also be listed on the Hive. Your business profile is managed from Account Settings > Hive Profile and shows your company details, services, and team contact.
Note: You can always upgrade from a freelancer profile to a full business account later if your needs change. Your personal profile data can be migrated to a business profile.
Switching Between Paths
If your situation changes, Beeswax makes it easy to adjust:
- Freelancer to Business: If you start as a freelancer and later want project management, invoicing, and team features, you can create a business account. Your personal profile data is migrated to your new business profile.
- Business member who loses access: If you were part of a business account that has been cancelled or its subscription has expired, you are not locked out of Beeswax. You will be offered the option to create your own Hive profile, browse the directory, or create a new business account.
Searching & Filtering
Use the sidebar filters to narrow results:
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Category & Skills | Filter by professional skills and service categories |
| Location | Find professionals in a specific area |
| Profile Type | Toggle between People/Sole Traders and Businesses |
| Experience Level | Filter by experience (people only) |
| Availability | Show only currently available professionals (people only) |
| Hourly Rate | Set a rate range using the slider (0-500) |
| Day Rate | Set a day rate range using the slider (0-5,000) |
Connecting with Professionals
When you find someone you want to work with, you can:
- Contact — Send them a message directly through The Hive
- Add to Contacts — Add them as a person or link them to an existing business in your account
- Favourite — Save their profile for quick access later
Note: To list your own profile on The Hive, set up your Showcase profile from your personal settings.
Permissions
- Owners, Super Admins, and Admins can browse The Hive and connect with professionals
- General Users, Contractors, and Clients do not have access to The Hive
- Freelancer users (no business account) can browse the Hive and manage their own profile