| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Fulltime freelancing translator/mum - worth the trouble? Thread poster: Nesrin
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Claire Titchmarsh (X) 
Local time: 05:50
Italian to English
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| Raise your rates | Jun 21, 2007 |
Hi Nesrin
I found your post very interesting because it is the exact opposite of my experience. I really hope you find the right solution because there is no way in the world I would consider taking a paid job after having worked for myself. (I am a mother of 2 small children).
You said "I can't just go on raising my rates whenever I feel I should be earning more".
Yes, you can. According to your profile you have twice the experience I have yet my rates are... See more Hi Nesrin
I found your post very interesting because it is the exact opposite of my experience. I really hope you find the right solution because there is no way in the world I would consider taking a paid job after having worked for myself. (I am a mother of 2 small children).
You said "I can't just go on raising my rates whenever I feel I should be earning more".
Yes, you can. According to your profile you have twice the experience I have yet my rates are very similar to yours. I think that to make a success of your business you have to climb an imaginary corporate ladder. You are a "senior" translator and from your posts I imagine your clients are happy with your work and that you are very conscientious, so charge them accordingly.
Also, I charge twice the amount per hour that you do (result: I get very few requests for time-consuming editing jobs etc.).
Other things you might want to think about:
- send out your CV to new agencies with a 20% rate increase. Any new enquiries you get, apply this new higher rate.
- specialise, specialise, specialise. Ask yourself what you enjoy translating most, what you can translate quickest and most effectively, and only accept those jobs for the next few weeks.
- pull out your internet connection when doing the first draft of your text. I usually go through the whole text once then go and do something else. Then, the next day, I come back to it and fill in all the gaps, do my research etc. I find that overnight, things will have mentally slotted into place, it takes me far less time to do my research, and I don't get sidetracked reading a company's entire website (or playing around on proz) when I only need the financials for example. Works for me anyway.
- do a touch typing course. It was the single best £250 I have ever spent.
Good luck ▲ Collapse
| | | | Laura Gentili
Italy
Local time: 05:50
Member (2003)
English to Italian
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| I really feel for you | Jun 21, 2007 |
Hi Nesrin,
As a mother of triplets aged 8, I know exactly what you mean. PP's gave you very valuable advice, I would only like to add that - unless you have family to help - giving up freelance work for a full-time job is just not worthwhile.
I find freelancing the best option for a mother. I could never work full-time anywhere, being away from home 10-12 hours a day. And I also think it would not be financially worthwhile.
At least in Italy, where I live, freelancing i... See more Hi Nesrin,
As a mother of triplets aged 8, I know exactly what you mean. PP's gave you very valuable advice, I would only like to add that - unless you have family to help - giving up freelance work for a full-time job is just not worthwhile.
I find freelancing the best option for a mother. I could never work full-time anywhere, being away from home 10-12 hours a day. And I also think it would not be financially worthwhile.
At least in Italy, where I live, freelancing is the only option to manage work, school holidays, sick children, school activities, etc.
I try to say no to all jobs which already look stressful from the beginning. I try to accept only jobs which are low-stress. Of course sometimes a low-stress job can turn into a high stress job, but I find this really helps.
I also set myself small, per-day goals. Let's say I have a 10,000 word job. I divide it into 4-5 chunks and keep a record of how much I do every day. Sometimes I even monitor my productivity by the hour.
What works for me best are medium-sized jobs (10,000-15,000 words) with a reasonable deadlines, so that I can squeeze in some urgent, small jobs. I dislike big jobs: I get bored, I have to say no to other valuable customers, etc.
I hope this helps a bit.
Laura ▲ Collapse
| | | | Nesrin
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:50
English to Arabic
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TOPIC STARTER | More replies! | Jun 21, 2007 |
Claire C, Rad, Marijke, Irene: Thanks for the encouragement and ideas definitely worth considering! I do believe that freelancing as a mother is the best option, and more than ever I am convinced that I have to make it work. That's why I'm glad I made this posting because I'm getting the encouraging replies and good ideas which I hoped I'd get!
Marijke, Juliana: Ironing? What's that? Agree that cleaner is a good idea,... See more Claire C, Rad, Marijke, Irene: Thanks for the encouragement and ideas definitely worth considering! I do believe that freelancing as a mother is the best option, and more than ever I am convinced that I have to make it work. That's why I'm glad I made this posting because I'm getting the encouraging replies and good ideas which I hoped I'd get!
Marijke, Juliana: Ironing? What's that? Agree that cleaner is a good idea, will have to see how affordable they are though.
Anne: EXCELLENT idea with the stopwatch! I'll go out and get me one today. I think the source of all my trouble is the fact that I THINK I work more hours than I actually do. This would be an eye-opener and help me be more realistic about the amount of work I do.
Victor: For the reason mentioned above (bad time management and a lot of time wasted on non-work stuff), I am not going to raise my rates - for now. I don't want to punish my clients for a lack of efficiency on my part. I'll try to work on myself instead.
Claire T and Laura: Very good ideas. You are absolutely right about translating stuff that I ENJOY, and that I can translate quicker and more effectively. I can't believe how many jobs I've done over the past years that I hated, and which as a result left me very stressed and took up too much of my time (and brain cells)! I also find, Claire, that when my internet connection is down I work much faster - of course having the internet for research is essential, but it can be left for the final stage as you say.
A BIG thank you again, everybody. Proz, I love you! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Angela Dickson (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:50
French to English
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| Internet tips | Jun 21, 2007 |
Hi Nesrin,
I remember your time-management post and can't remember if I made suggestions then - but anyway, if you use Firefox as your browser, there are a couple of add-ons you can use which I find really helpful.
Link to download Firefox: http://en-us.www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/pgbffx/index.html
You need to install the Greasemonkey utility... See more Hi Nesrin,
I remember your time-management post and can't remember if I made suggestions then - but anyway, if you use Firefox as your browser, there are a couple of add-ons you can use which I find really helpful.
Link to download Firefox: http://en-us.www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/pgbffx/index.html
You need to install the Greasemonkey utility, available here:
http://www.greasespot.net/
(no idea why it's called Greasemonkey!)
then the scripts you need are called 'Invisibility Cloak':
http://lifehacker.com/software/greasemonkey/invisibility-cloak-update-149252.php
This enables you to block access to certain websites (I have a set of websites that I would spend hours on each day if I didn't have this!) and will give you a nagging message if you try to visit them.
Another is called 'Webolodeon':
http://www.oblomovka.com/code/webolodeon.php3
which makes you justify your surfing every 5 minutes.
Good luck! I don't have children (yet) but know what it's like to spend far more hours at the computer than are strictly necessary to get the work done. ▲ Collapse
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Nesrin,
When discussing this with your husband, don't forget to calculate the "true wage" you would earn at an outside job - that is, deduct any expenses associated with working outside the home from what you would earn: day care, clothing/drycleaning, eating lunch out, commuting costs, etc. That coupled with a higher tax bracket might mean it's not worth it to take a job outside the home.
PS to Katerina -
We are living the "house husband" arrangement (he's... See more Nesrin,
When discussing this with your husband, don't forget to calculate the "true wage" you would earn at an outside job - that is, deduct any expenses associated with working outside the home from what you would earn: day care, clothing/drycleaning, eating lunch out, commuting costs, etc. That coupled with a higher tax bracket might mean it's not worth it to take a job outside the home.
PS to Katerina -
We are living the "house husband" arrangement (he's in school now, so it's more hectic, but still great!) Hope that comes to your country soon! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Hang in there, Nesrin - the children will grow up | Jun 21, 2007 |
Nesrin wrote: A while ago I wrote on this forum to ask for some time management tips for freelancers who also happen to be mums ( http://www.proz.com/topic/63290). Sadly, after a few attempts at being better organised, my life is back to its normal schedule (often hectic, with work often taking priority over needs of house & family). The issue was discussed with my other half. Having recently completed my tax return, we could again plainly see that my annual income is just not proportionate to the amount of time I spend on the computer, morning, noon and night. It just doesn't seem to be worth the trouble. My husband asked me to consider two options: either to considerably raise my rates (I explained to him that my rates are already normal for the UK, and quite high for most of the rest of the world, and I can't just go on raising my rates whenever I feel I should be earning more), or find an office job with a fixed salary, which would give me peace of mind (not having to chase clients and meet deadlines), as well as free evenings and weekends, and annual holidays. Right now, this latter option seems most likely. It would really break my heart to have to give up what I consider my vocation, esp. after having proven myself on several levels, but I also don't want to go on doing something that is just not worth it (both financially and for the general benefit of my family, and ultimately for myself). Does anyone else feel the same? Is there something wrong with the way I run my business if my income is less than an average office job? Any feedback welcome!  ------ Just corrected a silly typo: "either to considerably raise my RATES" of course [Bearbeitet am 2007-06-20 19:49]
Dear Nesrin,
It is indeed tough working and bringing up small children - but don't despair. When you're in the "thick of it" you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, but your children will gradually (or quite quickly, actually) grow up and even, one day, won't want you around all the time, or will leave home and live lives of their own. Don't give up the work if you can possibly manage it - keep your hand in - you're obviously very good at it. One of these days you'll be glad you did. Life goes on being interesting, stimulating, funny and amazing far longer than one thinks when one is young. Both my parents went on translating into their 80s (part time) and my son (once a baby) is now also a full-time translator.
This isn't helpful with the current practicalities of your situation, but it might cheer you up. Look ahead!
Best regards,
Jenny.
[Edited at 2007-06-21 16:04]
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You don't need to spend money on a stopwatch if you download a free time tracking program such as Time Stamp
More options here. Here's one that's designed just to be a simple stopwatch.
| | | | Claire Cox
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:50
French to English
+ ...
| Employed vs. self-employed | Jun 21, 2007 |
[quote]Daina Jauntirans wrote:
When discussing this with your husband, don't forget to calculate the "true wage" you would earn at an outside job - that is, deduct any expenses associated with working outside the home from what you would earn: day care, clothing/drycleaning, eating lunch out, commuting costs, etc. That coupled with a higher tax bracket might mean it's not worth it to take a job outside the home.
Hi Nesrin,
Just to carry on from what Daina said about calculating the true cost of working away from home: I actually carried out a comparison for the purposes of my divorce a few years ago, when my ex-husband was desperate for me to go out and get myself a "proper job". I was, admittedly, only working part-time at home then as we lived in a huge house miles from anywhere, so I spent half my life ferrying the children from one activity to another, However, on the assumption that I would need to be in London to earn the £30-40,000 that he thought I should be earning, and allowing for season tickets, station parking, lunches, dogwalking and house cleaning - as you obviously can't do that and work as well - leaving childcare out of the equation, I worked out that I would need to earn £11,500 gross merely to pay for those "extras" which working entailed - quite horrific! If you factor in childcare as well and think of those long school holidays, I don't know how people afford to go out to work! And that's quite apart from the loss of quality of life for you and the children.
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| Great topic - similar decision to make | Jul 2, 2007 |
Thanks Nesrin for posting this topic. It's a really useful one for a lot of us who want combine work with having quality in our personal life. I'm particularly interested in the topic because I'm on maternity leave from a teaching job, and should really go back to my job, part-time, in a few months.
However, it has only been because I had a bit of time at home that I have been able to focus more on the translation side of things. Even though I've been translating for years, when yo... See more Thanks Nesrin for posting this topic. It's a really useful one for a lot of us who want combine work with having quality in our personal life. I'm particularly interested in the topic because I'm on maternity leave from a teaching job, and should really go back to my job, part-time, in a few months.
However, it has only been because I had a bit of time at home that I have been able to focus more on the translation side of things. Even though I've been translating for years, when you work outside the home (for that much appreciated regular income) you have little time left over to nurture your own business. I find working outside, even part-time, takes up more time than you think, and on your days off you often play catch up with everything else.
Since having a bit of time at home, I've had to opportunity to develop some more translation clients and assess the situation. I suppose there's no guarantee, but it seems to me there is plenty of work out there for quality translators. I'm based in Australia, where the market is smaller, but since having this time at home, I've found more clients overseas ... right now I have too much work!
For me, translation pays more than teaching, and if I go back to teaching I'd have to put my baby into childcare (which would take about one-third of my daily pay and is also something I'm not comfortable with). I'm thinking that maybe a nanny at home for a few hours might work. And cleaners should be essential for all working mothers - enlightened governments should make it tax deductible!
Also, some of these posts suggest that it seems that the cost-effectiveness of returning to outside work is less than with freelancing, when taking in childcare, transport etc ... not to mention early morning stress and peak hour tiredness.
So I guess it's a risk, but if it's what you love to do, then surely translation it the way to go. That's how I feel about it for myself, anyway. And of course, how many other jobs allow for flexibility with school holidays, concerts, sports days, sick kids etc ...
Good luck with your decision - wish me luck with mine!
Alison ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jenny Duthie
France
Local time: 05:50
Member (2006)
French to English
| support for Nesrin | Jul 2, 2007 |
Hello Nesrin
like the others say I agree that you should hang on in there because it will be very souldestroying if you have to give up translating and going back to work! Yes I think you could rate your rates to justify the high cost of living in the UK & you provide a good service so there's no reason why not. Get as many references/WWA's on your Proz profile as you can they're very helpful and valuable; I do find Proz an excellent source of work. I worked in the UK for 10 years... See more Hello Nesrin
like the others say I agree that you should hang on in there because it will be very souldestroying if you have to give up translating and going back to work! Yes I think you could rate your rates to justify the high cost of living in the UK & you provide a good service so there's no reason why not. Get as many references/WWA's on your Proz profile as you can they're very helpful and valuable; I do find Proz an excellent source of work. I worked in the UK for 10 years in a very soul destroying jobs because the money was good, and gave it all up and moved to France and am full-time freelance - it's very difficult when you're starting up but unlike France in the UK you should get quite a lot of useful free advice on being self-employed from the banks etc. And you must be entitled to some tax breaks as well. And UK childcare costs are so high (I used to pay £600 for my daughter's full time place at a private nursery!) you must be saving money even though it doesn't look like it! Use the Proz forums as much as possible, they're very helpful and stop you feeling isolated, and yes the internet is very distracting I'd suggest you close it down when you're working on a job unless you need it for research. Don't give up you're far from being alone, I too am sometimes saying why do this with all the stress I could go and work in a shop and have a regular income but I know I'd hate it!!
good luck and hang on in there you're in good company
Jenny
[Edited at 2007-07-02 10:01] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Nesrin
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:50
English to Arabic
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Thanks all for your great comments and support! | Jul 2, 2007 |
This has been a very heartwarming discussion, and you're right, JennyD, I don't feel alone when I'm on the Proz forum.
I'm more determined than ever to hang on to my career. When money gets tight, a fixed job with a regular income does seem appealing, but I do agree with you that it comes at a high price.
I have a couple translation projects lined up until September anyway, so discussions with my husband on that topic have been suspended until further notice. Thankfully, I'm now wel... See more
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