| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8] > | Your business is thriving in these awful times: tell us why! Thread poster: Kevin Lossner
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Giles Watson 
Italy
Local time: 13:31
Italian to English
In memoriam
Kevin Lossner wrote:
I value being able to make a good recommendation as much as I value what I am able to do myself, perhaps more in some cases. I know that some of the "usual suspects" will think that this sounds arrogant or boastful or that I think I am somehow superior, but it simply isn't and I do not.
This is not arrogance, Kevin. It's just good business sense.
If you ask for a premium rate, you have to deliver a premium product. And if you have satisfied customers, they may at some stage ask you to quote on jobs outwith your language combinations or sectors of specialisation.
At that point, you can either do the job anyway, and face the consequences when the client rumbles you, or you can pass the work on to someone who is competent, thereby keeping the customer happy and doing a colleague a favour.
It's good to have a longish list of colleagues who are competent in other areas because the best translators don't usually have that much spare capacity.
Giles
| | | | Kevin Lossner
Portugal
Local time: 12:31
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Giles Watson wrote:
It's good to have a longish list of colleagues who are competent in other areas because the best translators don't usually have that much spare capacity.
I wish I had that longish list, Giles. My list is short. Too damned short. The fact that many of my agency clients can't find enough good translators leads me to suspect that either there (1) aren't that many, (2) the competition for the good ones is just too stiff or (3) the level of quality they want comes at a higher price. Very likely some combination of all three. Some of the good people we recommend have prices that make us look like we live in a hut somewhere with squirrel power for electricity, and these people are at least as busy as we are.
But a lot of the reason my list is as short as it is, is that I simply don't make it out of my monkey cage often enough. So I have the ambition of adding another point to my success list or moving it farther up the list: face-to-face networking. When I do get to meet colleagues and clients in person (far too seldom), it is usually a great pleasure.
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This will fall into the networking category, but so far, mentions of networking seem to be oriented towards potential clients. Networking and nurturing relationships with colleagues is useful as well. It's obvious that busy translators often refer clients to colleagues, so there is an additional source of work there. The nice thing about it is that you don't have to try as hard to convince a potential client of your comptences - you were referred by someone they know. The same way, a translator ... See more This will fall into the networking category, but so far, mentions of networking seem to be oriented towards potential clients. Networking and nurturing relationships with colleagues is useful as well. It's obvious that busy translators often refer clients to colleagues, so there is an additional source of work there. The nice thing about it is that you don't have to try as hard to convince a potential client of your comptences - you were referred by someone they know. The same way, a translator can refer a client to another translator instead of just saying s/he is unavailable, so the client doesn't end up feeling let down. For this to work to everybody's advantage, it is necessary that the person that you refer / that refers you be more or less on par with your level of professionalism, quality and rates. Otherwise, you may end up losing the client you referred or unnecessarily damaging your reputation. I find it is useful to mention to the translator I am about to refer to a client how much I charge to that client. This helps the other translator to negotiate with the client and to avoid that they charge a sensibly lower rate than you would charge.
Networking with collagues has advantages that largely surpass that of being referred to once in a while - you can also learn a lot from colleagues, both on translation and on business skills. It also helps to not feel so lonely. If your relationship with a particular colleague is close enough, you can even ask for advice.
I enjoyed reading Kevin's post (the one about social darwinism). The points about risk distribution, dictionaries and branding are especially worth taking. I think that risk distribution in particular is something that is lacking in an overwhelming majority of freelance businesses (mine included, to a certain extent).
I can't really say what I've done to shield myself from the present economic turndown, because the factors that shield me from it are things I've been practicing for years. It is an ongoing aspect of my business. For example, it is not because you are slumped at the moment that you shouldn't still be prospecting. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Quality + reliability + language combination | Feb 15, 2009 |
Great thread, Kevin, thank you!
Though my business does have some slower times and some where I have to refuse lots of work, I can't say that the famous crisis has affected it yet.
I do not translate as much per day as some here (mostly not more than 2000 words, often 1500), so I'm not making a very big income but I do make a decent living - and I try not to work more than 45 hours per week. Quality (i.e. thorough research, impeccable style, deadlines met, good conta... See more Great thread, Kevin, thank you!
Though my business does have some slower times and some where I have to refuse lots of work, I can't say that the famous crisis has affected it yet.
I do not translate as much per day as some here (mostly not more than 2000 words, often 1500), so I'm not making a very big income but I do make a decent living - and I try not to work more than 45 hours per week. Quality (i.e. thorough research, impeccable style, deadlines met, good contact and reactivity) is more important to me than quantity. My customers seem to appreciate it as most of them come back to me regularly. My rate is rather on the higher end for my language combination (French to German and German to French), if I judge by what I see on Proz: on no account less than 10 eurocents per word.
There definitely seems to be a market for quality translations in my language combination, especially in technical marketing documents and corporate communication.
One thing that helped me while building my customer base: offering to do short test translations for free. At least for customers who value quality more than low prices, this is an interesting move (at least it has worked for me).
Best wishes to all.
Andrea ▲ Collapse
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Paul Cohen
Greenland
Local time: 10:31
German to English
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| WILL TRANSLATE FOR FOOD (Fish anyone?) | Feb 15, 2009 |
It's been very stimulating reading the gloom & doom thread and the business intelligence in times of crisis thread (that would be this one, folks). These parallel universes have converged on many points.
I've got plenty of translating to do here in the igloo. In fact, it's very hard to break away from work.
My secret? I have to admit that a certain amount of dumb luck has helped me remain relatively isolated from ... See more It's been very stimulating reading the gloom & doom thread and the business intelligence in times of crisis thread (that would be this one, folks). These parallel universes have converged on many points.
I've got plenty of translating to do here in the igloo. In fact, it's very hard to break away from work.
My secret? I have to admit that a certain amount of dumb luck has helped me remain relatively isolated from the turmoil that has hit many industries. I happen to be fortunate enough to work for a number of "translating projects" that will definitely continue despite the crisis.
However, it certainly wasn't all luck. I've also managed to make myself indispensable to many people who appreciate my professionalism, quirky humor and personal "brand" of translating and taking care of clients.
Quality? Social Darwinism? Clearly, no one should rest on their laurels. As one translator on this site has expressed in his tagline: "You're only as good as your last translation".
I find that sentiment rather uplifting compared to the clearly ironic (pre-crisis) tagline used by yet another member of this site: "WILL TRANSLATE FOR FOOD". (Damn it, why didn't I think of that one?)
Good translators needn't go hungry.
Nonetheless, it's certainly comforting to know that the cod are making a comeback in the Greenlandic fjords just in case we do have to return to a hunting and gathering society by this summer.
Fish anyone? ▲ Collapse
| | | | | We have to talk business in 4 years time! | Feb 15, 2009 |
Paul Cohen wrote:
Nonetheless, it's certainly comforting to know that the cod are making a comeback in the Greenlandic fjords just in case we do have to return to a hunting and gathering society by this summer.
Fish anyone?
Well, just in case I go hungry (I am not really sure I am a good translator) I planted 500 almond trees and expect to plant 400 more next winter. I will gladly accept salted cod for almonds if you wish. Let's talk business! 
| | | | | The brand called you | Feb 15, 2009 |
Oh, Nicole, I love your replies. Always inspiring, very often surprising.
Nicole Schnell wrote:
There is more to our profession than delivering on time and in good order.
reliable, extra mile blah, blah, blah.
We already read it here "gefühlte" 1000 times.
Show some personality behind your work. In writing style as well as how you deal with your clients.
I really didn't get that when I started as a freelancer. When I looked for example at a Proz profile with personal background, like hobbies, I thought:"Is this professional?It's too personal."
But I broadened my mind and I try to see things from a client's perspective.
Working with you should be fun at all times.
Yeah, I'm working very hard on that.
There is a book called
"The brand called you"
Branding gives people irresistible reasons to work with you.
After all how do you think Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey etc. got famous in the first place?They built their Personal brands back when they weren't famous. What they had was a vision of where they wanted to go (..)
| | | | Kevin Lossner
Portugal
Local time: 12:31
German to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Tuliparola wrote:
When I looked for example at a Proz profile with personal background, like hobbies, I thought:"Is this professional?It's too personal."
But I broadened my mind and I try to see things from a client's perspective.
In a job application, I often find the hobbies disturbing, but for translation, it actually makes a lot of sense sometimes. Consider that these hobbies have things written about them, involve products with documentation, etc. Some of this stuff gets translated. My partner is a fanatical hobby cook and book collector. I don't even want to think about how many cookbooks she has in our two languages, but I'm sure the number is at least 500. (I worry about floors settling under the weight of books.) This, however, has translated into a lot of culinary translation over the years. Our passion for Hungarian hunting dogs has led to some interesting prospective projects. You never know where some of this stuff will lead. That's also one of the excuses I've used for being too lazy to prune the CV/profile I use for translation purposes so far. I really doubt that anyone gives a damn about experience going back to graduate school for an old codger like me, but there a lot of helpful keywords in context there.
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| Fishing and Aquaculture | Feb 16, 2009 |
Paul Cohen wrote:
It's been very stimulating reading the gloom & doom thread and the business intelligence in times of crisis thread (that would be this one, folks). These parallel universes have converged on many points.
I've got plenty of translating to do here in the igloo. In fact, it's very hard to break away from work.
Fish anyone?
Paul
About fish:
fin-fish, shell-fish, marine mammals, marine bioactives,
just give me a call ... how can I help...
Lesley
| | | | Rod Walters
Japan
Local time: 20:31
Japanese to English
| Intuitive strategy | Feb 16, 2009 |
OK, let's see if we can get into the spirit of this thing.
Apart from uncompromising quality, a pleasant telephone manner etc. etc. which are givens ("gefühlte" indeed!), I put my success down to a number of factors.
Focus on the Japanese market
I've tended to ignore sources of work outside of Japan due to the risk of not getting paid and due to a personal preference for the way of doing business here.
Generalization
Just as people in Japanese ... See more OK, let's see if we can get into the spirit of this thing.
Apart from uncompromising quality, a pleasant telephone manner etc. etc. which are givens ("gefühlte" indeed!), I put my success down to a number of factors.
Focus on the Japanese market
I've tended to ignore sources of work outside of Japan due to the risk of not getting paid and due to a personal preference for the way of doing business here.
Generalization
Just as people in Japanese companies are often rotated through different departments irrespective of their personal interests and capabilities, there seems to be a belief, sometimes misplaced, that a competent person can do anything. So even if you started out doing networks, you might be asked to do dams as well. It's very tempting to have a go, so I did. Which brings us to the next point.
Research
If you're going to do fruit hybrids in Okinawa for a change, you had better have very highly developed research skills so that you can gain an insight into the topic and nail down the terminology in a very short time. Grim tenacity is often called for here if you're going to be sure that you get it right. It also helps if you have eclectic interests and curiosity.
Minimal costs
I have a largely paperless office, just two computers, a handful of software, and a cheap balancing ball for a chair. I don't subscribe to any services because I don't need to.
Minimal marketing and no networking
Just a few contacts at my former employer, loyal customers from my first marketing push years ago, registration with a few sites, and the occasional letter to a particularly enticing mark.
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This worked very well all through the Japanese 'recession' of the 90s and early 2000. In fact, I was turning down about 1/3 of all requests up to October last year. Then the global economic meltdown hit, and my workload is down to about 1/3 at times. My clients are either not having the work done at all, or they're doing it themselves (I checked).
This suggests that more active marketing and networking are going to be called for to catch more of the crumbs. Downward revision of pricing where necessary will also have to be considered. Specialization might work, but that's a tough path which I don't much feel like walking.
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Darwinism vs. Social Darwinism
There's been some very silly talk of Darwinism on these threads lately.
For those who aren't aware how truly crass this is, you might like to start your research with this very succinct overview; http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/fancher/SocDarw.htm
Of course, for a fuller understanding, especially of true Darwinism, much more research will be required. Stephen Jay Gould covers it in a very accessible way, while debunking the offensive, destructive nonsense of Social Darwinism.
Since Social Darwinism is totally irrelevant to the business of translation, hopefully the moderators will start a little pogrom against it.
[Edited at 2009-02-16 02:34 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 04:31
English to German
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In memoriam | Correction, Rod. | Feb 16, 2009 |
Rod Walters wrote:
Apart from uncompromising quality, a pleasant telephone manner etc. etc. which are givens ("gefühlte" indeed!), I put my success down to a number of factors.
"Gefühlte" has nothing to do with givens. It also has nothing to do with cozy feelings or chumminess. I do realize that you are not a speaker of German.
An explanation:
"Gefühlt" means "perceived", as in "perceived temperature" compared to "actual temperature". As in any weather report: Temperatur 45 degrees Fahrenheit, perceived ("gefühlte") temperature due to wind chills 35 degrees.
Tuliparola meant that it seems that those factors have been mentioned already 1000 times.
Let's stick to the facts without misinterpreting our posts.
Thank you.
| | | | Rod Walters
Japan
Local time: 20:31
Japanese to English
| Guilty as charged Nicole | Feb 16, 2009 |
I took it to mean she had a belly gefühlte which naturally one would after 1,000 repetitions. As for cozy feelings or chumminess, God forbid eh?
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Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 04:31
English to German
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In memoriam | Certainly, Rod. | Feb 16, 2009 |
Building up personality means that you, at a certain point in time, will achieve such a presence that will allow you to even openly disagree with your clients' business practices face to face, and they still won't fire you because they don't want to, PLUS can't afford to lose you.
You are supposed to be a business partner and a service provider, for crying out loud.
If your goals are set anywhere lower than that, ask for an internship instead.
| | | | Rod Walters
Japan
Local time: 20:31
Japanese to English
| Misunderstanding | Feb 16, 2009 |
Nicole, you seem to be labouring under the misapprehension that I'm looking for advice. I'm not.
As for your patronizing and rude comments about what I'm supposed to be, I refer you to the customer feedback page of my website. At least one of the comments is in English, and I understand you also have Japanese clients, so you may be able to read Japanese too.
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 04:31
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
Rod Walters wrote:
Nicole, you seem to be labouring under the misapprehension that I'm looking for advice. I'm not.
As for your patronizing and rude comments about what I'm supposed to be, I refer you to the customer feedback page of my website. At least one of the comments is in English, and I understand you also have Japanese clients, so you may be able to read Japanese too.
I am not laboring under any something. If you need advice, I will send you a price estimate for coaching, tutoring or whatever counseling.
I am also neither patronizing nor rude.
My direct clients in Japan and I get along perfectly. I don't have to speak Japanese.
Why are you attacking me?
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