| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Taking your freelance business to the next level Thread poster: Chiara Foppa Pedretti
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Chiara Foppa Pedretti wrote:
Hi everyone,
I'm writing here since I feel the need to discuss this issue with someone like you fellow translators, who can understand my objectives and concerns.
I've been running a pretty well established freelance business for a few years now, but I'm currently starting to entertain the idea of a "next level".
Good!
As freelancers, the only way in which we can increase our income is by raising our per hour rate or by increasing our working hours. And, of course, there is a limit to both things, whatever it is.
In other words, there is no way to release ourselves from this pattern. Or there is?
That is my question to you.
Few situations are really hopeless.
You can increase your speed, to some extent. For example you could optimize your research patterns or your terminological decision-making. For example by streamlining your standard terminology and standard style (e.g. having your own inhouse styleguide as opposed to making decisions ad hoc). However, I would recommend against overdoing it — as you could easily lose a bit of your artistic soul in the process.
To some extent productivity can be enhanced by defining custom shortcuts, macros, autocorrect settings and such like. For example, I use a non-standard key bind for segment confirmation in Trados, due to avoid slowing me down (Alt Gr + 0 as opposed to Ctrl + Enter; where Alt Gr + 9 copies the source over as opposed to Ctrl + Ins).
Next, you could actually consider taking a solid touch-typing course (ten fingers and no looking). That's not something you want to mention in your CV (in fact, you'd rather your clients didn't know, as they could start thinking that they deserve a discount because of it), not even when advertising your rush translation services, as it's too secretarial, but it can help you avoid getting bottlenecked by your translation speed and thus free up your resources — both physical and mental — for something else. This means not only typing faster but, for example, being able to think while typing as you don't need to focus on the typing.
Finally, some translators report productivity increase with speech recognition tools such as Dragon. I'm not convinced, because I think I can type faster than I can dictate (this accounts for both proper speed and the lack of need to go back and correct things so much, resolve problems with mistaken recognition etc.). It probably depends on the person. I heartily recommend trying this for a different reason — to save your fingers. You're going to need them for a couple of decades yet ahead.
How can freelancers take their business to the next level?
This and more. Marta also runs courses for more advanced folks.
I have considered a few ideas, but no one suits my personality and/or my goals in life:
That's too bad. 
• becoming an entrepreneur by starting a translation agency (I don't like this one because I want to translate and not to become a project manager)
Please don't.
Helpful reading: intensive vs extensive agriculture
Increase your rates and go up rather than stopping on your current rates level and hoarding excess workload to farm it out for other translators. Go up and allow other translators to go up as well. Old translators controlling the capacity/load prevent both themselves and new translators from raising everybody's rates.
This is unless you actually can put together a proper TEP process (translation + editing + proofreading) and charge the client for the added value of your management of the whole thing — as opposed to discounting every single part of it and throwing in free project management to tempt the client with the price.
• generating some "passive income" by creating courses, e-books and so on (but you need to have something to say and you must be good at it - and there are already so many bad/useless courses and e-books on the internet!)
If you have nothing better to do, yeah. But get serious about it; for example get legal advice about the consequences of selling e-books and such like transnationally, especially within the European Union, as you could become liable in foreign jurisdictions.
• starting a second activity, e.g. a blog or something crafty (but in these cases, you will fall again within the same pattern: you get paid proportionally to your work and effort)
Some of it, to destress, to enhance your profile, to contribute to the community. Don't spread yourself too thin.
Also: consider getting an inhouse job if it's paid well enough. Inhouse jobs include not only salaried jobs but also independent contractor positions, which is similar to being a freelancer with only one big client. Everybody should at least consider this.
To summarise: I'm really happy with my business right now, but I also believe that you always have to reach for the sky, so… Why stop dreaming? 
You sound like a good fit for this.
What are your thoughts? Any comment will be much appreciated!
Yeah, a couple:
1. Remove typing services from your website, ASAP. They're giving you a bit of a secretarial profile. You want to be a writer, not a secretary. As a sworn translator you're already too high-profile to offer typing services, and advertising your availability for transcription services can be tricky too. Consult a proper career advisor on this if you can, preferably one with intimate knowledge of the markets you operate in.
2. Deemphasize the deadlines (I'm referring to 'always professional whatever the deadline' in your profile). Rush translation services can be profitable — largely because of rush rates. You don't want to make a USP of the absence of surcharges for urgency for pretty much the same reason you don't want to compete on the price. You also want to project more of a premium feel rather than bulk feel (Google premium translation vs bulk translation; take it with a pinch of salt but reflect on what you read, as those people are themselves quite successful in their business, so it works at least for them). Hence you can't emphasize quantity, volume, speed etc. too much. Unless perhaps you can dress rush or high-volume translation in the trappings of an exclusive premium service.
3. Get a killer website. Consider Websites for Translators. The owner is a smart person, and the whole outfit was initially Marta Stelmaszak's brainchild (among two or three other people perhaps). Don't forget to get a nicely designed CV and business cards — appearances matter. They are not completely conclusive, but they give your clients an initial idea, an anchor (look up 'heuristics', 'anchor' etc. to find out more about how this works if you're interested). Your CV and your business cards are primary tools of your professional work, at least on the business side of it, so make them really professional and don't spare the expense. Professionals tend to use more expensive tools than amateurs.
This includes the text. Don't get a native English translator from Italian — get a proper native copywriter and ask him to work from a brief. Preferably do this after reflecting on your professional and business goals, completing Marta's school or some courses on Coursera etc. if you're planning on taking any such courses in the future. Get a copywriter who is not just a writer but knows marketing; however, as a writer yourself you need someone who actually is a writer, not just a marketer. Afterwards still get that copy proofread — unlike normal business clients, translators can't really get away with bad punctuation or lousy syntax, so you'll need a heavy-duty proofreader to do some cleaning-up after your marketing genius.
4. Get Marta and/or some other trainers to teach you how to go after direct clients. There still exist good agencies, but their market is harsh and unreliable, you don't want to depend too much on it.
5. Think about combined services with added value on which you can charge some markup. This means, in your case, for example:
– teaming up with an engineer for engineer-revised technical translations
– teaming up with a lawyer for lawyer-revised technical translations
For construction procurement documentations (terms of reference etc.) you could, in theory, have your translations revised by all of the following people (parts of or all as appropriate)
— translation proofreader/editor/reviser (second pair of eyes)
— monolingual (possibly industry-specific) technical writer/editor (for added quality, which means not just removed errors and flaws but positively optimized writing, and you should bill it as such)
— industry-specific qualified engineer(s) (to make sure the linguists don't misrepresent anything and to provide insight on how real experts talk about this stuff in real life, as opposed to how linguists would have them)
— qualified lawyer (same reason)
— copywriter/marketer where relevant
— occupational medic where relevant (more advanced OSH etc.)
How much of it all you can sell depends on your persuasion skills, i.e. whether you can convince the client of the value and usefulness — which includes not only abstract value but relevance to that particular client's specific case (which is often difficult to remember).
6. If you can afford it, consider hiring an assistant or manager to reduce your admin load. Consider outsourcing your marketing to real marketers so that you don't have to DIY it.
Also, having an assistant increases your perceived importance, and its easier for an assistant to play hardball about your rates than it would be for you yourself. This is similar to how lawyers have it easier in court than unrepresented parties.
The assistant's salary might actually pay back if it frees you up to focus on actual translation more and if it gives you an opportunity to raise your rates a bit.
You could unofficially share your assistant with another translator if you need full-time availability but can't generate enough work to keep the assistant busy (as opposed to paying for standby).
7. Since you translate into Italian from several foreign languages, it could be a good idea to leverage the synergy by polishing your target language and getting some credentials for it, notably as a writer, if you can, not just translator. Thus, consider getting certified or otherwise credentialled as a writer, copywriter, proofreader, editor etc. Especially proofreader/editor, especially if you work alone, without a second pair of eyes to assist you and cover your back.
8. Try to land some high-profile projects or projects that leave a visible and tangible trail, e.g. in a paper book format.
9. If you translate games, chances are you aren't a bad storyteller. So use storytelling marketing (Google it if you need to). Consider using excerpts from your gaming translations (you'll need the clients' consent) to liven up your website and portfolio and give it some spice. But be careful not to alienate tech/legal clients with the levity.
| | | | | Thank you Łukasz! | Jun 26, 2015 |
Wow, this is much more than I expected!
Thank you very much for taking the time to give me such an extensive and interesting answer...
I definitely give a try to a couple of suggestions. I had never heard about the Blue Ocean strategy, but I'll take a further look. As for my ProZ profile, I have to admit I've never paid much attention to it since I appreciate this site only for its community sice, but I see what you mean, of course. ... See more Wow, this is much more than I expected!
Thank you very much for taking the time to give me such an extensive and interesting answer...
I definitely give a try to a couple of suggestions. I had never heard about the Blue Ocean strategy, but I'll take a further look. As for my ProZ profile, I have to admit I've never paid much attention to it since I appreciate this site only for its community sice, but I see what you mean, of course. ▲ Collapse
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