| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5] > | Worldwide crisis = higher demand for translation services? Thread poster: Viktoria Gimbe
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Giles Watson 
Italy
Local time: 08:09
Italian to English
In memoriam | We're going to have to rethink the wine | Feb 26, 2009 |
Kevin Lossner wrote:
I have just been informed that the dog is off limits, but we can roast the cat.
Cat kebabs were a popular street snack in 18th-century London and even today, people from Vicenza are jocularly referred to as "vincentini magnagatti".
With Kevin's kitty, we could try a youngish Valpolicella, or even a light Oregon Pinot Noir.
Cheers,
Giles
[Edited at 2009-02-26 21:19 GMT]
| | | | | Also more work | Feb 26, 2009 |
I notice also more work. It´s like you. Old clients returns with many works and new clients contact me also with a lot of work. I hope the trend will stay for a long time.
| | | | Juliana Brown
Israel
Local time: 02:09
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Things are going well, with quite a few new agencies contacting me and from what I can see, work will result. I have noticed however, that my request/demand for more than adequate rates has been very well received!
Giles and Kevin,
I can kick in some squirrels from the back garden, mostly black with the occasional grey! They are already plump...
Giles Watson wrote: Kevin Lossner wrote:
I have just been informed that the dog is off limits, but we can roast the cat.
Cat kebabs were a popular street snack in 18th-century London and even today, people from Vicenza are jocularly referred to as "vincentini magnagatti". With Kevin's kitty, we could try a youngish Valpolicella, or even a light Oregon Pinot Noir. Cheers, Giles [Edited at 2009-02-26 21:19 GMT]
| | | | Ivan Patti
Italy
Local time: 08:09
English to Italian
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| More work here as well | Feb 26, 2009 |
As I've already said in another thread, everything's fine here. I'm gettin more requests and I'm even strengthening my client base: I won some new customers who are very happy with my work, accept my fees and provide me with all the help I need should I come across particularly tough terminology (the lack of good and comprehensive ENIT medical/pharmaceutical dictionaries leaves its mark).
Like Viktoria I've noticed that quality is becoming the main concern of agencies. A client of mine rec... See more As I've already said in another thread, everything's fine here. I'm gettin more requests and I'm even strengthening my client base: I won some new customers who are very happy with my work, accept my fees and provide me with all the help I need should I come across particularly tough terminology (the lack of good and comprehensive ENIT medical/pharmaceutical dictionaries leaves its mark).
Like Viktoria I've noticed that quality is becoming the main concern of agencies. A client of mine recently told me they had to clean up their translators' database once for all: they were just tired of dealing with people who disappeared without delivering the projects they had been assigned (or delivering them 48 hours late without a warning or replying to phone calls and emails), or who declared to be proficient in a certain field although their translations proved the contrary.
Natural selection applied to translation? Yes, Viktoria: it can be an explanation! ▲ Collapse
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Taylor Kirk
United States
Local time: 01:09
Portuguese to English
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| Reason for your fortune? | Feb 26, 2009 |
Hi Victoria,
I think that your location actually has a lot to do with your upswing in business. Though I don't know your client list, I can tell you that business has been flocking to Canada since the credit and banking crisis. Canada's banks are the most stable in the world right now with solid regulations in place. This has led to an increase in business in general, helping Canada weather the recession better than most.
Taylor
| | | | | Going back to the topic - Busy as per usual | Feb 26, 2009 |
Hello all,
well, yes, I am actually quite busy. Though not due to "regular clients", but to new ones rather, which make up quite a big chunk of my translations recently.
Some of it has been interpreting, too, which not everyone here seems to do though.
I really wonder whether that is the trend, and more outsourcing is taking place, given my language pair. Or simply, a shift in market trends is taking place instead.
So far, so good.
So... See more Hello all,
well, yes, I am actually quite busy. Though not due to "regular clients", but to new ones rather, which make up quite a big chunk of my translations recently.
Some of it has been interpreting, too, which not everyone here seems to do though.
I really wonder whether that is the trend, and more outsourcing is taking place, given my language pair. Or simply, a shift in market trends is taking place instead.
So far, so good.
So much so, I just had to take a break for Carnival!
Alfredo
Formerly working sleepless and wineless in Barcelona
[Edited at 2009-02-27 01:50 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Elías Sauza
Mexico
Local time: 00:09
Member (2002)
English to Spanish
+ ...
| I blame it on February | Feb 26, 2009 |
For the first time in some months I had to reject 2 large jobs, both from good regular clients. I blame it on February. It came with just 29 days again. I noticed also that all days had only 24 hours. I couldn't stretch time any more. A time crisis.
| | | | nruddy
Mexico
Local time: 00:09
German to English
| Elías, do you have a different calendar? | Feb 26, 2009 |
Mine only gives me 28 days for this month!
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Textklick
Local time: 07:09
German to English
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In memoriam
When the Geneva Motor Show is over, it's time for a glass (and time for Venice).
This year has been quite interesting so far.
I'll pass on the Oregon grape, but count me in on a decent Chianti Classico
Cin cin!
Chris
| | | | | Give the guy a break! | Feb 26, 2009 |
Niamh Ruddy wrote: Mine only gives me 28 days for this month!
He's working so hard he just can't keep track of the days. I know the feeling
Edited to add:
Hm. I just realized it IS still February. I could have sworn this was March already. That's what I get for trying to compress the calendar to keep up with things.
[Edited at 2009-02-26 23:21 GMT]
| | | | Viktoria Gimbe
Canada
Local time: 02:09
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | From the looks of it... | Feb 26, 2009 |
I feel good. Some of you have confirmed that I am not dreaming. Others have expressed preoccupation, which makes me wonder.
I think that those among us who offer top notch translations with good customer service and who have done their marketing homework are at an advantage at the moment (unless they are in highly fragmented markets, in which case they will have to make extra efforts to show off that they are the cream of that market). Mind you, they always have been at an advantage... See more I feel good. Some of you have confirmed that I am not dreaming. Others have expressed preoccupation, which makes me wonder.
I think that those among us who offer top notch translations with good customer service and who have done their marketing homework are at an advantage at the moment (unless they are in highly fragmented markets, in which case they will have to make extra efforts to show off that they are the cream of that market). Mind you, they always have been at an advantage compared to the rest, but they are becoming more attractive with the global financial troubles. I think that most companies who are affected by the crisis are looking at rationalization right now. This means, among other things, layoffs. But the fact that companies lay off some of their staff doesn't mean that their production and sales are also decreasing. Many of them are trying to have the same production and sales, but with fewer means. That doesn't mean they will get cheaper services - just services with a better return on investment. A practical example of this is a company getting rid of two salesmen who are not that awesome and instead hiring one awesome salesman who will make more sales than the other two. It will cost them as much, but the ROI will be better.
The same way, if a translator offers hassle-free services of high quality, there is no time wasted on checking and checking again, there is no realizing only too late that the translation is mediocre and that all that money was wasted on printing documentation that will go directly to the shredder, there is no need to review AND proofread the translation separately, etc.
I think that those among us who are good, professional translators and yet have trouble being booked full time are in moderate trouble at the moment - but they now have the opportunity to rise above the general translating crowd. In some countries, the demand may be drying up, but like I said in another thread, that doesn't mean that everybody will have a slower year. It simply means that the best will remain busy and the rest will soon be out of business. It's time for the smartest among us to secure a seat among the best.
Taylor, what you say makes sense - it may be that more business is being exported to Canada. In my case, however, most of the increase seems to be due to Canadian companies trying to improve what they have already been doing, and to companies all over the world realizing that there is money to be made here. One thing I noticed, for example, is that larger companies have been realizing that their manuals need to be translated in Quebec, and not in France, for French Canadians to prefer their products over those of the competition. This is not to say that Quebec French is better, just that people prefer to read documentation in their flavour of French. Another thing I have noticed is that, since quality seems to have recently become a major factor, those among us who have always produced high quality translations have all of a sudden become more popular. This also means we are busier, which in turn means we can demand higher rates. We now can also afford to spring clean our client lists. It would seem that the cream of the crop is getting the bigger end of the stick. One client told me that they factored CAT tool rebates into the PO, but that if I do not agree with CAT tool rebates, I only need advise her and she will remove the rebates from the PO. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mónica Algazi
Uruguay
Local time: 03:09
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
| So far, so good. | Feb 26, 2009 |
Natural selection? Who knows? I do notice a stronger focus on quality, though.
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Elías Sauza
Mexico
Local time: 00:09
Member (2002)
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Time crisis hits me hard | Feb 27, 2009 |
Niamh Ruddy wrote: Mine only gives me 28 days for this month!
I believe it is just wishful thinking. Today is the 26th and I'm a long way from home with work.
| | | | | From ATA's Newsbriefs | Feb 27, 2009 |
I think this could be interesting reading. It follows the same line of thought some of us share here.
From the ATA Newsbriefs - February 2009
Save Money/Face: Hire a Professional Translator
Hiring professional translators cannot only reduce costs for companies, but lower the likelihood of embarrassment and a loss of credibility, according to American Translators Association (ATA) President Jiri Stejskal. Professional translators can make sure that the company's ads and information are culturally relevant and deliver the same message across different cultures without being insulting or confusing to the target audience. Errors and mistranslations can also have serious consequences—financial and otherwise—in health care and other areas. Stejskal notes ATA circulates a brochure, both online and in print, designed to help people hire translation services. The guide's suggestions include eliminating unnecessary information before translation; using pictures rather than text whenever possible; avoiding cultural clichés, literary references, and sports metaphors that make no sense in other countries; ensuring that the translators understand the type of publication and the intended audience; differentiating between translation for information only and translation for publication; and refraining from "correcting" translated text to follow English conventions.
Return to Headlines
| | | | | Diversification is a must! | Feb 27, 2009 |
From some replies I see that some people are in a challenging situation as they relied too much on one customer or one market. I think diversification is a good long-term goal to achieve.
I can understand that if one agency is keeping you really busy and you are happy with them, in good times it is hard to force yourself to try to get and accept jobs from more customers, forcing you to stretch, lose some of your quality time with family, friends and hobbies... But making an effort t... See more From some replies I see that some people are in a challenging situation as they relied too much on one customer or one market. I think diversification is a good long-term goal to achieve.
I can understand that if one agency is keeping you really busy and you are happy with them, in good times it is hard to force yourself to try to get and accept jobs from more customers, forcing you to stretch, lose some of your quality time with family, friends and hobbies... But making an effort towards diversification of the customer base really pays when uncertain economic times come... and they come in a cyclical fashion. I sincerely encourage everyone to find and try to serve (or at least keep a live relationship with) more customers.
Over here in our team we evaluate diversification numerically every year, based on a simple measurement: the amount of our income attributed to customers whose individual business with us is less than 20% of our total income. If that figure rises, we are on the good track; if it goes down, we feel it's bad. Last year half of our income came from these ▲ Collapse
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