Questions
The things people ask before they post a project or send a quote. For the money in detail, see how payments work.
Getting started
What is Mosaira?
A place for fine artists to find the people who help make the work: fabricators, welders, art handlers, studio assistants, grant writers and more. Artists post projects and makers send quotes. Makers also list the services they offer, so artists can find them directly.
Who is it for?
Artists, galleries and studios who need help on a project, and the skilled people who do that work. We’re starting in Los Angeles. To get paid through Mosaira, a maker needs a US bank account.
Can I hire and make from one account?
Yes. Plenty of artists do both. Pick the side you need first when you sign up, and add the other later. The menu lets you switch between hiring and making.
What does it cost?
Browsing, posting a project, messaging and sending quotes are free. When a client accepts a quote, they pay the maker's price plus our 10% fee. Makers pay nothing to Mosaira: the price they quote is what they receive.
Hiring
How do quotes work?
Post a project with what you need, a rough budget and a timeline. Makers send quotes: one flat price, what’s included, and when they can do it. Accept the one you want. The other quotes on that project are declined for you.
Can I talk to a maker before hiring them?
Yes. You can message any maker from their service page, and any client from their project page, without committing to anything.
When am I charged?
When you accept a quote. The money is held, not paid to the maker, until you both mark the project complete. See how payments work for the whole sequence.
Do I pay sales tax?
Only on work that makes a physical object, like fabrication, crating, ceramics or printing. California requires us to collect it on those jobs. It’s worked out from your billing ZIP and shown before you pay. Services like writing, photography files or art handling have no sales tax.
Making
Who sets the price?
You do. Quote whatever the work is worth to you. We don’t suggest prices, change them, or take anything out of them.
Do I need a business licence?
If your city or state requires a business registration or a licence for the work you offer, you need one. We ask you to confirm that once, on your Billing page. We don’t check it, and it doesn’t affect your listings. In Los Angeles, most people doing business need a Business Tax Registration Certificate from the city.
Why does Stripe ask for my Social Security number?
Stripe handles payouts, and US law requires it to confirm who you are and report what you’re paid. Your number goes to Stripe, not to us. The same goes for your bank details.
Do I pay tax on what I earn?
Yes. You’re responsible for your own income tax, the same as any freelance work. Stripe may send you a tax form for payments you receive through Mosaira. A tax professional can tell you what applies to you.
When do I get paid?
When you and the client both mark the project complete. Your full price goes to your Stripe account, and Stripe sends it to your bank, usually within a couple of business days. Your Billing page shows what’s been paid and what’s still held.
When things go wrong
What if a project can’t be finished?
Either of you can propose ending it and how to split the maker’s price, for example paying for the part that was done and refunding the rest. The other person can accept, counter or decline. Nothing moves until you both agree. Our fee isn’t part of the split.
What if we can’t agree?
Get in touch. We look at the project, your messages and what was delivered, then decide the split ourselves. The client’s sales tax on anything refunded goes back to them either way.
Can I back out before the work starts?
If the maker hasn’t finished setting up payouts, nothing has been charged yet. The client can switch to a different maker or cancel the project, and the maker can back out, with no money involved. Once the payment is taken, ending the project goes through the split above.
How do I reach you?
Email hello@joinmosaira.com. A person reads it.