ProZ.com Translation Forums

Poll: How many regular clients do you have? | strange?

Erzsébet Ráczné Czopyk — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:23:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How many regular clients do you have?
Poster: Erzsébet Ráczné Czopyk
Post title: strange?

[quote]i Translate wrote:
to publish the number of my regulars :)
Clients will always remain one of my best hidden secrets. [/quote

I like the poll discussions, but do not like questions regarding all kinds of numbers.
Who and how much earned/earns/will earn, who and how many clients he/she/they has/had/have/will have - none of my/your business.

Last week one of my regular clients decided to give an assignment with crazy deadline for an another translator for a HALF price as we agreed to cooperate 3 (!!!) years ago. Today he asked for proofreading it - after seeing the file, I answered I am very busy on the weekend ;-((

Poll: How many regular clients do you have? | As a novel merchandising method, please send your client lists!

Roberto Rey — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:41:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How many regular clients do you have?
Poster: Roberto Rey
Post title: As a novel merchandising method, please send your client lists!

We are currently managing a VIP listing with clients, please send me you client lists with all the details.

Thank you!

So..no lists here? What happened? My inbox isn't clogged with emails.

Just think for a moment how many people seem to fall into these "outrages" emails every day. I say this because of the myriads of spoof emails we all receive every day: Most from African countries "donating" funds or the UK lottery, we keep on winning, etc.

If these people weren't having so much success they wouldn't be so adamant sending hundreds of emails every day!

Just a reminder..why? because every once in a while I get a proz mail with these kind offers! Be aware!

Poll: How many regular clients do you have? | regular clients....

Xanthippe — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:41:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How many regular clients do you have?
Poster: Xanthippe
Post title: regular clients....

for me a regular client is a client who gives me at least 10 translations in a year.

I agree with Catherine (who gives an example of Pareto's law ....) : we have to avoid to have 1 client who represents more than 20 % of our incoming.

(as usually, sorry for my broken english .....)

Poll: How many regular clients do you have? | Eggs in baskets

Deborah do Carmo (X) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:11:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How many regular clients do you have?
Poster: Deborah do Carmo (X)
Post title: Eggs in baskets

[quote]Catherine GUILLIAUMET wrote:

Good morning everybody !
I'm sincerely dumbfounded when I see the large proportion of you who have so few "regular" clients. I was like you some years ago : I had been working with one client for more than 13 years. This client represented approx. 65 % of my annual income.
When one of the 2 associates died suddenly, the survivor decided to stop every activity, in less than 2 weeks. So, I had to pay the very heavy French taxes and mandatory expenses (the latter been calcuated on the basis of your annual income of 2 years behind) while having lost more than the half of my normal income.
Believe me : it took me more 3 years to restore my situation !
Now, I have decided that I won't be any longer in such a situation, never! never!
So, I manage my business in order to work with several good clients (around 15).
Be careful, protect yourself against the backfiring effects of a too limited circle of clients.
Catherine [/quote]

You're quite right Catherine, although I personally wouldn't be able to keep 15 different clients happy. It simply wouldn't work with my business model as the key to keeping the work flowing from lawyers (whose work is always urgent) is really trying not to turn down 'inner circle' clients twice in a row. Obviously it happens, but it's the exception to the rule.

In any case, we all have different situations, but it's important - as you highlight - not to have all your eggs in one basket. In my case, I spread the risk with the 'two-circle system'. If one stopped trading, I could easily take on more work from the remaining four members of the inner circle and then move an outer circle client in to gradually take their place.

Poll: How many regular clients do you have? | The dangers of a too narrow circle of clients

Catherine GUILLIAUMET — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:59:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How many regular clients do you have?
Poster: Catherine GUILLIAUMET
Post title: The dangers of a too narrow circle of clients

Good morning everybody !
I'm sincerely dumbfounded when I see the large proportion of you who have so few "regular" clients. I was like you some years ago : I had been working with one client for more than 13 years. This client represented approx. 65 % of my annual income.
When one of the 2 associates died suddenly, the survivor decided to stop every activity, in less than 2 weeks. So, I had to pay the very heavy French taxes and mandatory expenses (the latter been calcuated on the basis of your annual income of 2 years behind) while having lost more than the half of my normal income.
Believe me : it took me more 3 years to restore my situation !
Now, I have decided that I won't be any longer in such a situation, never! never!
So, I manage my business in order to work with several good clients (around 15).
Be careful, protect yourself against the backfiring effects of a too limited circle of clients.
Catherine

Poll: How many regular clients do you have? | No need too much regular clients

Ikram Mahyuddin — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:08:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How many regular clients do you have?
Poster: Ikram Mahyuddin
Post title: No need too much regular clients

At present, I have 2-3 regular clients. Actually, that will be enough if they give me significant amount of jobs

Poll: How many regular clients do you have? | I find myself thinking

Parrot — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How many regular clients do you have?
Poster: Parrot
Post title: I find myself thinking

my idea of regular wouldn't agree with the tax man's. Those take a long view of things...

Poll: How many regular clients do you have? | Keep them happy and profit from it

Textklick — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:17:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How many regular clients do you have?
Poster: Textklick
Post title: Keep them happy and profit from it

[quote]Lawyer-Linguist wrote:

I deliberately have 5 in the 'inner circle', collectively making up around 75-80% of my monthly income, in more or less equal proportions over the year. I've been working with each of these for quite a few years now and they normally pay within two weeks of invoicing, but in any event well within 30 days.

Requests are normally daily, but at least weekly. Obviously I can't take all the requests, but generally manage to take every second request at least by keeping them aware of my schedule.
[/quote]

Same here. Weekly people, mostly. Some almost daily.

So if I understand the stats correctly (given the vague aspect of the question) very many work with a large but generally non-recurring client base?

Not the best way for a business plan. Marketing called for? If you have a client that you like working with, then be nice to them, give of your best, generate a sound working relationship. Maybe even turn other work down so that you can be on standby.

When you have time, think about ways of approaching profitable clients and go for it.

Maybe a bit of a risk, but think of it as an investment in the future. I did.

Cheers
Chris

Poll: How many regular clients do you have? | Regular clients

Elisabete Cunha — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:59:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How many regular clients do you have?
Poster: Elisabete Cunha
Post title: Regular clients

Hi there

My intention was not to disclose the number of regular clients that each of us has, but just to have an idea.
Of course the concept "regular" may have different interpretations according to each translator. For me a client is regular when he sends me at least one assignment each 1-2 months. That said, I have 10-20 who fulfill this criteria.

[Edited at 2008-07-15 18:01]

[Edited at 2008-07-15 18:21]

Poll: How many regular clients do you have? | 5-10

Deborah do Carmo (X) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:04:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How many regular clients do you have?
Poster: Deborah do Carmo (X)
Post title: 5-10

I deliberately have 5 in the 'inner circle', collectively making up around 75-80% of my monthly income, in more or less equal proportions over the year. I've been working with each of these for quite a few years now and they normally pay within two weeks of invoicing, but in any event well within 30 days.

Requests are normally daily, but at least weekly. Obviously I can't take all the requests, but generally manage to take every second request at least by keeping them aware of my schedule.

The other 4-5 are in the outer circle. All pay strictly within 30 days and make up 20-25% of my monthly income. Requests are at least weekly. I have to turn them down more often, but make a point of taking at least one or two jobs a month to keep them active.

These are ready to be moved into the 'inner circle' if an inner circle client defaults, misbehaves, etc. Touch wood it hasn't been necessary since implementing this system.

I'm not interested in one-off jobs or working with clients who don't have a constant demand for my language pairs. Nearly all of these clients also specialise in legal/financial translations or are lawyers themselves, so it's a system that suits both sides.

Poll: How many regular clients do you have? | 10-20

Marie-Hélène Hayles — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:52:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How many regular clients do you have?
Poster: Marie-Hélène Hayles
Post title: 10-20

Only 2 or 3 whom I work for every month (or almost), but another dozen or so who contact me several times a year and have done so for several years. Both of these caegories include direct clients and agencies.

Poll: How many regular clients do you have? | I have 5 to 10

neilmac — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:34:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How many regular clients do you have?
Poster: neilmac
Post title: I have 5 to 10

..who fit into the category of regular (definition: even; occurring at fixed intervals).
Some on a weekly basis, some more monthly, some maybe even only one or twice a year, depending on their needs, but they are all regular in the sense that they always come back, regardless of the frequency.

PS:) anyone still not regular could try some all bran...

Poll: How many regular clients do you have? | What does "regular" mean?

Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:16:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How many regular clients do you have?
Poster: Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Post title: What does "regular" mean?

What was it meant with "regular"? How often is "regular"?

[Edited at 2008-07-15 14:17]

Poll: How many regular clients do you have? | Depends

Sonja Allen — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:52:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How many regular clients do you have?
Poster: Sonja Allen
Post title: Depends

on what you define by regular. Some agencies you hear from only once or twice a year. Others you hear from 3 times in a month and then you hear nothing the next two months or more until they come again with one or several jobs. And yet there are those (my favourite) from which you get some job nearly every week.
I have many agencies I get repeatedly jobs from but when it comes to those that actually provide me with a nearly steady work flow there are just a few.

Poll: How many regular clients do you have? | Don't think this is the right place

Αlban SHPΑTΑ — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:32:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How many regular clients do you have?
Poster: Αlban SHPΑTΑ
Post title: Don't think this is the right place

to publish the number of my regulars :) I am sure people will vote but I am not sure how many will participate in discussions. Clients will always remain one of my best hidden secrets.

Poll: How many regular clients do you have?

ProZ.com Staff — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:37:35 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How many regular clients do you have?
Poster: ProZ.com Staff

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How many regular clients do you have?".

This poll was originally submitted by Elisabete Cunha

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: [url removed]