How to Know When Enough Is Enough

Anyone running their own business will tell you there’s that certain task they’re required to do to ensure the efficient running of their business that they keep putting off because they simply dislike the task or they’re not very good at doing it. And of course, this is where outsourcing comes in. Sometimes it simply makes good business sense to outsource a task while you carry on doing what you’re really good at.

Making Smart Business Decisions

Some freelance translators are quite capable of doing their own accounting, and some are not! And then there are others who are very capable of handling their own accounting but choose not to because it’s a time-consuming task and they feel their time is better spent doing what they excel at, and that’s translating documents. If you really love running your own freelance translation business and everything is going exceptionally well for you in terms of work coming in, accounts being paid, and so on; however, there’s that one task that really bugs you, like proofreading, editing, accounting, or whatever that task may be, then it might be time to consider outsourcing that task.

It’s Not Easy Letting Go

Understandably, it can be very hard to let go of the control reigns and allow what is literally an outsider into your business life but, once you’ve found the ideal person to handle that specific task, you’ll look back and wonder why it took you so long to make this decision. And it may be that the first person you choose is not a good fit for you, so continue looking until you find the right person. Just because you run your own business it doesn’t mean you’re an expert at absolutely everything, and perhaps your expertise lies in your translation skills but not in proofreading or editing. And that’s okay! Find someone whose expertise does lie in that area and together you’ll boost your business’s profit; in addition to the fact that you’ve now excused yourself from the task you don’t enjoy doing, allowing you to continue to enjoy running your own business.

Accounting for any business, whether large or small, can be quite complicated and there are rules and regulations that must be adhered to. If all of this sounds daunting to you, then look for someone who is qualified to handle this important task for you. Outsourcing an important aspect of any business, such as accounting, is simply a smart business decision.

Helping Each Other in the Translation Industry

Again, outsourcing any task should pass the two main outsourcing qualification tests: Is this a task you don’t enjoy doing, and will the outsourcing pay for itself?

If you have any suggestions for translators out there on other tasks that perhaps you outsource, or are considering outsourcing or looking for one hour translation reviews, we’d love to from you. We’re all in this translation industry together, and it’s our opinion that we should do whatever we can to help each other successfully run our freelance translation businesses. The translation industry is a relatively small one, so let’s work together and make it a great one!

Your Freelance Translation Business and Coping with Email Overload

If you’re struggling with email overload and wondering why on earth it takes so long to get through what should be a relatively simple task, then you’re certainly not alone. Checking emails and responding to them (even if it simply means deleting them) takes time; valuable time out of your busy schedule.

Today, it seems that most of us suffer from email overload, so here are some tips on how to reconfigure your email set-up. The sources of our email are almost too many to count – there’s email from our family and friends of course, but we also receive emails from professional groups we belong to, our social media sites, not to mention accounts requiring payment, travel sites, one hour translation reviews, and others too numerous to mention.

So, let’s get started!  To begin with we need to create a better method for dealing with our email; plus we must have the right mindset about an email that lands in our Inbox. If checking our email means that we delete the majority of emails at first glance, then it means we need to start by filtering and unsubscribing from unwanted emails. This is something we should do on a regular basis because our need for emails we subscribe to is always changing, so we must adjust to these changes. For example: if we’re planning a cruise then we may subscribe to various travel emails which are pertinent to our up-coming trip; however, once the trip is over these emails may no longer be required, so it’s time to go through your Inbox again and work out what’s wanted and what’s not. Do this by checking each email and assigning it to one of the following categories –

·         This is important email: I need to read it the moment it arrives. This will usually be messages from either colleagues or clients;

·         This email is not so urgent: I’ll read it later, but it’s not important. Maybe an email newsletter or a group you belong to; or

·         This should be deleted: I’m not interested!

The emails that fit into the second category can be filtered to bypass your Inbox. If you use Gmail you can create labels, which means that you can bypass the Inbox when you label something: you don’t need to see that message until the time comes when you choose to. If an email fits into the third category you should unsubscribe from it – it’s the only way to reduce your email volume. Following these three points will cut your inbox volume down by around 60%.

The second part of the email equation is the concept of emails. The only way to really reduce the amount of time spent on emails is to answer messages straight away. This may not work if an email requires specific research or thought before replying; however, it will work with the majority of emails. Generally, emails should be processed instead of simply being read. An effective method of dealing with emails is the ‘one touch method’, meaning that you only touch an email once – you deal with it or you delete it – but either way it’s taken care of once and for all. It’s a great concept!

We would love to hear your thoughts on how you cope with email overload. If you have any specific strategies that work and would like to share these with your fellow translators, then we’d certainly love to hear from you.

Translators: Tips for Rate Negotiations

Rate negotiations for translation can sometimes become an uncomfortable part of your chosen freelance translation career; it’s very much like bargaining when traveling in different countries! However, in order to achieve an acceptable rate for your work, you must accept that negotiation is a reality in the translation business and that there are negotiation tactics to be learned.

The purpose of this article is to assist people who are new to the translation industry in gaining the upper hand. There are strategic methods for approaching the subject of translation rates, and it will definitely be to your advantage once you’ve become comfortable with these strategies.

The First Strategy Is to Base Your Rate and Negotiations on Your Client’s Perception of Value

Freelance translators often make the mistake of pricing their work based on their own perceptions of what they believe their services are worth. This is not the right approach: you must do exactly the opposite! You should price your services according to your client’s perceived value. When it comes to rate negotiation, yours is not the most important opinion – it’s what your client thinks that’s important. Therefore, with your next request for rate negotiation, stop and analyze the nature of the project and the client’s situation. The value of the project to your client should determine the rate you charge, perhaps more so than any other factor. You’ll be in the driver’s seat when determining your translation rate when you understand how your services will benefit your client and ultimately affect their bottom line.

Does this translation fall into any of the following scenarios?

·         An urgent project: If you receive a translation request at 4pm on a Friday afternoon with a delivery deadline of the following Monday afternoon, it’s expected that there’ll be a surcharge of between 30% and 70% for weekend work.

·         Projects that directly affect the bottom line: Some translation projects can make or break a company’s bottom line, and these might include contracts and bid proposals for potentially lucrative deals. For such important projects, you’ll find that clients will accept higher rates.

·         Disruption: If the client’s usual translator is unavailable, on holiday, or sick, this may be your opportunity to negotiate a higher rate for your translation services. However, you need to be aware that your client has been placed in this situation.

The Second Strategy Is to Start High, then Negotiate Lower

Perhaps you’re already aware of your client’s price limits so you may want to employ the ‘start high, then go lower’ tactic; meaning that you make your first offer as high as possible, hopefully without completely alienating the client! Unless you’re well and truly out of the ballpark, it’s highly unlikely that your client will reject your rate outright. Who knows, the client may accept your bid believing that it appears reasonable, which means that you’ll receive a higher price for your services. In any case, using the ‘split the difference’ method is a great tactic for achieving a reasonable rate. Generally, the client will bring you down to a number that you would have been happy to accept anyway, which means that the client is happy with their negotiation skills and you’re happy with the agreed-upon rate.

Of course, these rate negotiations won’t always work in your favor. As a freelance translator, it’s ultimately up to you to decide how to price your services, and what methods to use in achieving your desired income. Remember that if you bargain too aggressively it could result in the loss of good one hour translation reviews; however, if you’re too soft in your negotiations it could cost you a lot of money. Our feeling is that if you lose a client who doesn’t honor the value of your work it could well be a blessing in disguise: by refusing difficult and low-paying projects you’re leaving the door wide open for projects that are worthy of your time and effort.

Life as a Translator - What you need to know

Life as a Translator - What You Need to Know

In part 1 of 2 of this this post Mike looks into the realities of working as a translator 

If you are thinking about entering the translation industry, this is an exciting time to do so. The benefits of working as a translator are varied, and it can be a rewarding, challenging and fun job. People who are natural linguists, have lived in different countries or perhaps studied languages at university could pass the first test of being a translator - that's the technical ability side. The other side that you must consider is the nature of the working life, which is equally important. 

Are New Budget Players Changing the Translation Industry?

I was doing some online research for my next blog piece the other day, when I noticed an interesting trend. I kept typing various 'keyword phrases' associated with the translation industry and the same Google ads kept appearing for a certain budget-end provider. This prompted me to scrap my old idea and write this. Is the translation services industry due for a shake-up and are budget-end providers going to do just that?

Translation Vs Interpretation: How to Choose Your Profession

The translation services industry is a broad space that has evolved a great deal in recent years. New technology and in-house software have created efficiency gains for companies that are passed down to customers. One of the constants though has been the reliance on human translation methods and human interpretation for the best results. This post outlines the unique skills required to be successful at each for anyone considering joining the industry.

Is Translation Really Art or Maths?

I am often asked this question in my travels and line of work. The answer appears obvious to the traditionalists, it’s art, but for others translation is a line of code and an algorithm on a screen and that’s pure maths, not art. So why should we even concern ourselves with this debate, why does it matter? Well, the answer to this question provides an insight into the industry that we work in. The purists may not be happy with the answer.

The Tools of the Translation Industry Trade | Tech Insight

There are an ever increasing array of sophisticated tools that online translation companies have at their disposal these days. Technology is now paired with human translation to provide more efficient processes, greater accuracy and consistency across projects.There is some confusion among the public about some of these tools and people are unsure about what the impact is on the end result for their translations. Today we are going to clear up the difference between machine translation and translation memory in an effort to shed more light on the translation technology used in the market.

Fast Translation Services Are Expected and Not Asked For

The online translation services industry is constantly progressing. In the past, offering general translation and interpreting services was perfectly acceptable, but nowadays customers expect an expert service delivered at great speed. The latter has become an increasingly important factor for companies wanting to keep up with the competition and meet the demands of an increasingly globalized corporate customer base.

How to Become a Better Translator

Whether you are just starting your career as a translator or have 10 years of experience, it's important to continue to develop yourself professionally in order to progress in the industry. There are two ways of approaching this: you can develop your translation skills and/or you can refine your approach to work. Both are equally important, so let's take a look at each.