| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Starting a translation agency - what are the pros and cons? Thread poster: Marius Feilberg Jacobsen
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| It's really tough task | Jan 6, 2009 |
I wouldn't like to sound discouraging, but it's not as easy as it looks.
There are thousands of translation agencies in the world and they all sell the same If you don't add value (everybody sells high quality translation), why choose your agency? Don't create another 'envelope-swapping' office, have mercy
And one more, slightly off-topic no... See more I wouldn't like to sound discouraging, but it's not as easy as it looks.
There are thousands of translation agencies in the world and they all sell the same If you don't add value (everybody sells high quality translation), why choose your agency? Don't create another 'envelope-swapping' office, have mercy
And one more, slightly off-topic note - I know a case of 5 years long sale, from the first contact to the first completed project. It's extreme, but I guess you cannot expect sales results in less than 18 months. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Milos Prudek 
Czech Republic
Local time: 12:40
English to Czech
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| Consider training newbie translators | Jan 12, 2009 |
MariusJacobsen, running a translation agency will not leverage many of your translation skills. It is a clerical job, writing emails, answering phone calls, communicating and juggling many balls in the air.
An excellent translator may or may not be a good translation agency operator. An excellent general manager will most likely be an excellent translation agency operator, headhunting agency operator, tourist agency operator etc.
Teaching beginner translators to find w... See more MariusJacobsen, running a translation agency will not leverage many of your translation skills. It is a clerical job, writing emails, answering phone calls, communicating and juggling many balls in the air.
An excellent translator may or may not be a good translation agency operator. An excellent general manager will most likely be an excellent translation agency operator, headhunting agency operator, tourist agency operator etc.
Teaching beginner translators to find work, and teaching luddites to use CAT tools and other software tools (TM management, search and replace in MS Word, the list goes on) could be a rewarding experience for a translator, both mentally and financially.
Your milleage may vary. Just a suggestion.
[Edited at 2009-01-12 14:36 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Tax perspective | Jan 13, 2009 |
Astrid Elke Johnson wrote:
The reason why I am not an agency is mainly due to the fact that, in Germany at least, it is much more advantageous, from a tax perspective, to be a freelancer rather than an agency.
Would you be able to elaborate on that? Or could you recommend an article or site out there that explains the situation in Germany. I've done a forum search and not been very successful.
Anu
| | | | Martin Stranak
Czech Republic
Local time: 12:40
English to Czech
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| It would be nice to select a "key" client for the start | Jan 26, 2009 |
Try and work on the links you might have had from the past. Kind of vague advice at the time of economic crisis but still a strong client helps launch the company and obtain the revolving loan you´d definitely need to cover your back.
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Ivan Tobias
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:40
Slovak to English
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| Getting the terms right | Jun 2, 2011 |
I think that a lot of you guys make one fundamental mistake in understanding the legal side of things when you talk about agency vs outsourcing etc. When it comes to translation, interpreting or linguist services there are generally two types of legal forms of business activities/entities. One is a company (enterprise registered at the Companies House) and second one is an agency (agent or an outsourcer may be any self-employed person/sole trader/sole proprietor). People use the word "agent/agen... See more I think that a lot of you guys make one fundamental mistake in understanding the legal side of things when you talk about agency vs outsourcing etc. When it comes to translation, interpreting or linguist services there are generally two types of legal forms of business activities/entities. One is a company (enterprise registered at the Companies House) and second one is an agency (agent or an outsourcer may be any self-employed person/sole trader/sole proprietor). People use the word "agent/agency" way too commonly to realise the true legal form or entity behind the term. So if you wanna test the waters and start of as cheaply as possible, with virtually no initial expenses (obvious expenses such as website creation, web hosting/server, SEO, phone bill can also be minimised if you do most of the things yourself), then start as an agent/agency - basically just an outsourcer. However, do not forget that when it comes to the contracts law you are just as liable as any other legal or natural entity ;P
Good Luck
[Edited at 2011-06-02 08:51 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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