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Help needed on getting established
Thread poster: Luke Mersh
Luke Mersh
Luke Mersh  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:28
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
Help needed on getting established Nov 20, 2014

Sheila Wilson wrote:

A lot depends on whether you can accept jobs during the week, Luke. Can you check your emails regularly and maybe send off a quote during the week? If you can do that, then you'll be more likely to fill your weekend calendar. Just let them know what time you will be replying, if there's going to be a delay - if they know that they won't get a reply for a couple of hours that may be fine, whereas if they're just left wondering if you're ever going to bother to reply they may give up on you.

Personally, I would advise you to come clean abut the fact that you aren't available full-time. They need to have the idea that you're doing your best to help them, not that you just keep saying "no" because you're lazy or whatever. Emphasise the fact that you're studying exactly what you're doing (i.e. you're committed to this job) and that you'll be available for full-time work very soon - put a positive spin on things, as always. In general, try to avoid negatives, so rather than saying you can't do 3000 words, tell them you have capacity for 2000 if they're willing to split the job.

Wf Anywhere would be a good place to start, though I'm not sure whether it's entirely suitable for highly confidential work. For that, you'd be better off using Wf Classic (if the file's from Word, Excel or Powerpoint) or WF Pro. I believe both can be used for free for an unlimited period - the restriction is only in the size of TM you can build up. Once your TMs are big then you're probably earning enough to convert your licence to a full one.


Hi Sheila-
I always get my emails, I have a smartphone for that.
as stated, I would be prepared to work from Friday to Sunday, as stated on my calendar here on the website.

I do not understand what you exactly mean by come clean that I am unable to work full time...surely thats clear on my status and calendar.

I am not lazy... I never say just "no"...I am a business person.... as stated I work from Monday to Thursday.

As to software....like you have said work with free software and then when I have enough money and work purchase the licence.


 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 15:28
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
clarification Nov 20, 2014

luke mersh wrote:
I do not understand what you exactly mean by come clean that I am unable to work full time...surely thats clear on my status and calendar.

I was really referring to advice given by another poster to hide your part-time status from clients

I am not lazy... I never say just "no"...I am a business person.... as stated I work from Monday to Thursday.

I certainly never said you were. But it sounds as though I've probably misread something: I thought you were a student. Anyway, it doesn't alter anything.


 
Luke Mersh
Luke Mersh  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:28
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
Help needed on getting established Nov 20, 2014

Sheila Wilson wrote:

luke mersh wrote:
I do not understand what you exactly mean by come clean that I am unable to work full time...surely thats clear on my status and calendar.

I was really referring to advice given by another poster to hide your part-time status from clients

I am not lazy... I never say just "no"...I am a business person.... as stated I work from Monday to Thursday.

I certainly never said you were. But it sounds as though I've probably misread something: I thought you were a student. Anyway, it doesn't alter anything.


My misunderstanding too...

I am a mature student....(DPSI- Healthcare interpreter)
I work full time Monday to Thursday and have Friday to Sunday free..
I was recently was contacted by a client to translate some general medical claims, but I had told the client that I was unable to accept the work as I had a lot of other work and I kindly declined the work.


 
Diana Coada (X)
Diana Coada (X)  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:28
Portuguese to English
+ ...
Disagree Nov 20, 2014

Sheila Wilson wrote:

Personally, I would advise you to come clean abut the fact that you aren't available full-time.


We are freelancers and so we are free to take on whatever projects we feel like taking on. That's the whole point. If we're busy, we're busy, that's it.


 
Luke Mersh
Luke Mersh  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:28
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
Help needed on getting established Nov 20, 2014

So my check list so far for starting out:
1.-Advertise for short projects for the weekend
2.- Check emails during the week.
3.- notify clients (or not) about availability
4.-Let them know how many WPD you accept


please let me know if I have missed anything.


 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 15:28
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Just courtesy really Nov 20, 2014

Diana Coada, PGDip DPSI NRPSI wrote:
If we're busy, we're busy, that's it.

Absolutely. We need have no problem refusing work, nor do we need to give a reason for refusing a particular job. We aren't obliged in advance to do any work at all.

However, there's another side to the same coin. Put yourself in the place of the client/outsourcer. Why encourage them to think that now you've done such a good job on a weekend job, you'll probably be able to do a follow-up job next Tuesday? If you know perfectly well you'll never be available for jobs during the week, why not inform the client in advance? I just think that it's a common courtesy to inform the client of the position regarding known (un)availability.

If that client gets in touch on a Friday evening for an urgent job, and you don't want to do it, then you just refuse; no problem.


 
Luke Mersh
Luke Mersh  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:28
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
Help needed on getting established Nov 20, 2014

Is my check list correct at the moment? (please see my last post)

 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 15:28
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Combine 3 and 4? Nov 20, 2014

luke mersh wrote:
3.- notify clients (or not) about availability
4.-Let them know how many WPD you accept

Your maximum volume for any one day depends on many things, not least on how much other work you've already accepted. I've never personally seen much value in reporting that statistic: for me personally, it's of the utmost importance, but not for my clients. What's important for the client to know is this:
can you deliver nnn words by hh:mm on dd/mm/yy - yes or no?


 
Luke Mersh
Luke Mersh  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:28
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
Help needed on getting established Nov 20, 2014

Thank you Sheila..

Its really just want to save the client time, rather than contacting me, if they find me on here they would see what my limits are, etc..

[Edited at 2014-11-20 17:01 GMT]


 
Jennifer Levey
Jennifer Levey  Identity Verified
Chile
Local time: 12:28
Spanish to English
+ ...
Where there's no dialogue, there can be no worthwhile result Nov 20, 2014

luke mersh wrote:
... Its really just want to save the client time, rather than contacting me, ...


That's not a good strategy IMHO.

If you put potential clients off from even contacting you, you'll never get the opportunity to negotiate anything at all with them. If you make it easy for them (paraphrasing your words) to 'waste their time' in contacting you even though you are not going to be available anyway, you will at least have the opportunity to say 'Hello', to make a 'first impression', to get an idea of what their requirements were (and how much they were prepared to pay) - perhaps even to negotiate a longer deadline allowing you to spread the job over several weekends.


 
Luke Mersh
Luke Mersh  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:28
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
Help needed on getting established Nov 21, 2014

Robin Levey wrote:

luke mersh wrote:
... Its really just want to save the client time, rather than contacting me, ...


That's not a good strategy IMHO.

If you put potential clients off from even contacting you, you'll never get the opportunity to negotiate anything at all with them. If you make it easy for them (paraphrasing your words) to 'waste their time' in contacting you even though you are not going to be available anyway, you will at least have the opportunity to say 'Hello', to make a 'first impression', to get an idea of what their requirements were (and how much they were prepared to pay) - perhaps even to negotiate a longer deadline allowing you to spread the job over several weekends.





you have misread my message...
Of course they can contact me as they will still need to discuss details.
But they will have an idea of my work load and working days, so that would give them a better idea of if I am a suitable person for their job.


 
Luke Mersh
Luke Mersh  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:28
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
Help needed on getting established Nov 21, 2014

Apart from what has already been mentioned is there anything else I should know.?

I have read on an other thread about invoices and VAT...

As a freelancer I am able to send invoices through Paypal, but I do not have a VAT number, is this an issue?


 
Maria S. Loose, LL.M.
Maria S. Loose, LL.M.  Identity Verified
Belgium
Local time: 16:28
German to English
+ ...
VAT number Nov 21, 2014

I am almost sure you need one, but to find out more you have to contact the tax authorities of your country of residence. In Belgium you definitely need one, especially if your client is a company located outside of Belgium. If you do not have a VAT number you cannot send out invoices. All EU member countries have to apply the EU VAT Directives, so I would think that your country of residence has very similar legislation to Belgium.

 
Luke Mersh
Luke Mersh  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:28
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
Help needed on getting established Nov 21, 2014

thank you...
I am a mature student accepting small jobs and not charging much for the work.


 
Maria S. Loose, LL.M.
Maria S. Loose, LL.M.  Identity Verified
Belgium
Local time: 16:28
German to English
+ ...
You still need a VAT number Nov 21, 2014

Even students need a VAT number to be able to invoice legally.

 
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