ProZ.com Translation Forums

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Security & comfort

Yves Antoine — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 07:12:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Yves Antoine
Post title: Security & comfort

I would buy a new chair and a professionnal, powerful, redundant, fail safe,RAID5, external HDD.

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Training, hardware, advertising

Anastasia Giagopoulou — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:40:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Anastasia Giagopoulou
Post title: Training, hardware, advertising

I would definitely use the money for new hardware and training. Let's not forget advertising.

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Hire time...

Martin Bruckmann — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 11:34:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Martin Bruckmann
Post title: Hire time...

In terms of equipment, the last investment I did was a 2nd monitor which is extremely useful to expand the working area onto an enlarged desktop.

But the most scarce asset is actually time.
- time to work
- time to organize things, plan, manage, dream about future projects
- time to take time off
- time to sleep
- time to spend with family and friends
- time to do other things that have to be done too...

... but since we cannot buy time, I started hiring someone else's time, part time, to help me sort things out and get all that accounting and DTP stuff done while I translate.
And in a few weeks only, this has already proven to be an excellent investment, as I finally start seeing the clouds clear up behind the huge amount of work to do.

When some time is getting freed up, the next step will be to invest in more training and conferences, to learn things, to get updated about the latest trends in the industry, to meet people, colleagues and clients, etc... and also to change airs from time to time, which is extremely important to get us off our desk and show us there is more than just hard work in life...

- I would have loved to to to the last TAUS Conference : did not make it, due to lack of time (and money) because of too much work.
- I would love to go to the upcoming GALA conference in Lisbon, but that event is just too &%%$ expensive ! (I wonder which target audience able to afford it do they want there)
- But I definitely will go to the MemoQFest Conference and trainings this year, to be held in April in Budapest. The 2009 was great! I didn't make it last year, unfortunately... I won't miss it this year again!

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Hire help

Clara Duarte — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:36:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Clara Duarte
Post title: Hire help

At the moment I am investing a lot of my time finishing my second degree, so I find little or no time to do non-productive tasks that would in the short-term accelerate my work and study, so I'd hire someone to do these tasks for me:

1) catalogue my physical library (which is so huge I don't really have a home office, but just a library), and digital documents/references. I have a lot of documents and books in digital form scattered all over the place.
2) align bilingual documents and build TMs (I am doing this when I find the time, but some help would be welcome).
3) setup an integrated custom-made accounting/CRM solution.
4) build my webpage, create templates for email, mailing list (MailChimp to the rescue!), invoices, etc., and logo.

I'd also invest in training, and books, like many of you mentioned.

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | On the first day of Christmas I used my money on---

Galina Nielsen — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:04:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Galina Nielsen
Post title: On the first day of Christmas I used my money on---

a nice office chair

newer/better software

some still missing hardware

an employee just parttime

some conference and travel,

means of voice recognition

a new, bigger office

a big, real big SCREEN!

one come in and file,

a parttime bookkeeper

training, advertising

AND a couple of reference books!

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | yes

Anthony Baldwin — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:25:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Anthony Baldwin
Post title: yes

[quote]Muriel Vasconcellos wrote:

I would hire someone to come in and file, handle some of my papers, etc., a couple of days a month--more at first, to get things organized. [/quote]

This IS a good choice, and, in fact, back in 2007, which was a very good year in terms of income, I had a freelance bookkeeper come in to my office once a week and tidy up the books.
Then, at the end of the year, I had a file to hand over to the accountant.

Now, I'm doing the bookkeeping and accounting for myself, and I hate it.

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Training, including translator events and client events

chris durban — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 12:11:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: chris durban
Post title: Training, including translator events and client events

I’d invest in more training, hands down.

But there’s training and training.

My experience is that lots of interesting and very high-paying jobs come via networking with colleagues and clients in person, so I already make a point of attending events where they will be. (Events that collapse into low-paid translators complaining about mean, nasty, penny-pinching clients and how unfair life is in general: no thanks ☺).

So which events do I give priority to?

Ones organized by professional associations (ATA, ITI, SFT, BDÜ, etc.). That includes the specialized and often somewhat more expensive ones. One example is the SFT’s Université d’été de la traduction financière, held on alternate years with that organized by ASTTI in Switzerland.
Benefits: you learn an incredible amount about hot topics that are almost certain to come up in the texts you translate over the next few months, so you translate better (like Steven C., I’m intent on remaining a translator, not becoming an administrator). Thus, at the univ d'été, you rub shoulders with the bankers and financiers who write these texts and devise the strategies; you can ask them questions, get a better grip on the big picture but also the details and technical stuff; they become useful contacts when you have questions on texts in the field. (They also end up contacting you with translations that need doing. Win/win. :-))

“Translate in the Catskills 2” is not an official association event, but I count it in that group since the people involved are all assoc folks. At Catskills 1 in Aug. 2009, the focus was writing skills (another whole issue; that’s where the money is in translation, IMO), but I was also impressed at how much business was being done on the sidelines (hadn’t expected that).

Another incredibly good place to invest time and money is in specialized conferences and events organized by clients and potential clients. Non-translation events. Translators often don’t think of this.

I’m based in a very central place (Paris), but over the past few years have made a point of attending trade shows and industry-specific round tables and such in other parts of France and Europe. Cost: train/plane ticket, occasionally hotel & meals, but above all time absent from my desk. Yet even with those costs, it is absolutely fascinating to have direct access to key movers & shakers among clients, and get their insights into the issues (including vocab) in their field.

I figure each investment of €600-1000 in attending a *client event* generates an average €2000-5000 in business in the following year, and sometimes much much more. (OK, you have to get used to working the room, but that's not all that difficult ☺)

I would add that my aim is not simply getting more-more-more-more words to translate, but getting more very highly-paid words to translate in areas that are of interest to me, and then moving my existing clients up the ladder...

Chris

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Other: an office assistant

Muriel Vasconcellos (X) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 05:16:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Muriel Vasconcellos (X)
Post title: Other: an office assistant

I would hire someone to come in and file, handle some of my papers, etc., a couple of days a month--more at first, to get things organized.

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | VRS

Mark Thompson — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 20:39:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Mark Thompson
Post title: VRS

Voice recognition software - my wrists, arms and shoulders are killing me!!

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | who pays for software?

Anthony Baldwin — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:22:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Anthony Baldwin
Post title: who pays for software?

I just bought new hardware.
I rarely use physical books as a resource any more, sadly, although I have plenty on hand.

Software is free, duh.
Almost 7 years in this industry, and I haven't spent a dime on software, because I use free/open source tools. ( [url removed] )

But, you can never learn too much.
I'd LOVE to go back to school and learn some more stuff, in fact.

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | conference and networking

Evans (X) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:20:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Evans (X)
Post title: conference and networking

I've just invested loads of dosh in booking the ITI conference in Birmingham in May, so I guess I've already spent it.

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Other - Not Much

Henry Hinds — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:07:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Henry Hinds
Post title: Other - Not Much

Fortunately our business is such that we need not invest much money in it. Practically all the investment is in ourselves, which can cost some money (education), but not a huge amount. Plus, if we are already in the business then presumably that investment has already been made for the most part.

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Reference materials (books or CD-ROMs)

Steven Capsuto — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:45:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Steven Capsuto
Post title: Reference materials (books or CD-ROMs)

I'm already fairly happy with my computer hardware and software and with my training. I've thought about advertising but if I had more work I'd have to hire staff, which I'd rather not do. (I want to be a translator, not a manager.) But in two of my language pairs I'd love to have some more specialized dictionaries (legal, medical, etc.).

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Other - Conferences and Travel

Jenn Mercer — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:26:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Jenn Mercer
Post title: Other - Conferences and Travel

I would set aside money to go to more translation conferences - particularly those in French speaking countries. This would combine a bit of training, a bit of software (as I am sure I would find demos and discounts), a bit of networking, and a bit of language practice (if I went to France, etc.).

As it is, I am setting aside extra money this year for the regional and national ATA conferences. Translate in the Catskills, and I am considering attending a straight writing conference for my own creative interests.

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Other = All of the above

Thayenga — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:56:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Thayenga
Post title: Other = All of the above

Is I had that little extra cash, I'd get me...

a nice office chair

newer/better software,

some still missing hardware item e. g. a combined mic/speaker set for my desk top

a couple of field-related books English to Spanish,

some more training

and advertising.

If there's still a little money left, a nice vacation to the USA would come in quite handy at this moment to promote my other career. :D

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Right now

Gudrun Wolfrath — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:15:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Gudrun Wolfrath
Post title: Right now

I would fancy a swopper (healthy and expensive office chair).

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Training

Christine Andersen — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:05:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Christine Andersen
Post title: Training

I thought of books, but then I am so lucky that my target language is English, and books are - well, at least comparatively - cheap.

I buy plenty already - as a former librarian, I cannot keep away from them!
I often find them going for a song in secondhand bookshops, also in Danish, my source language. They are usually excellent for terminology purposes, even if they are not quite up to date enough for practising lawyers, medics and other professionals.

I would spend the money on training, because that often involves travel as well as course fees, and may mean losing a couple of earning days as well.

Quite apart from what actually goes on in the lecture room or wherever, training provides contact with colleagues and new impulses. Chances to exchange ideas and perhaps even jobs. It is amazing how one person's idea of a job from h*ll is someone else's pet specialisation in this business!

Apart from that, as an ex-pat with memories going back several decades, I have to make sure my education and training are not out of date! Or at least check on which parts are back in fashion as the latest new discoveries !!!

:-)

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Employee

Emmanuelle Hingant — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:01:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Emmanuelle Hingant
Post title: Employee

I think I would try to mentor a translation student who just finished his/her studies in order for him/her to work for me. I would increase my workload and take more projects that come my way instead of rejecting them.

Emma

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Office

Michael Harris — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:40:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Michael Harris
Post title: Office

equipment in general. New desk, chair, hardware, etc.....

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Investing to organic farming...

Adnan Özdemir — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:24:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Adnan Özdemir
Post title: Investing to organic farming...

Then,
I have a small farm in Taurus mountains. I will be invest it for organic farming. I think organic farming products will be demanded much more in the near future. ;)

Saludos desde Anatolia
Anadolu'dan selamlar

[Edited at 2011-02-18 19:12 GMT]

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | if it is to be invested in my business

Gianluca Marras — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:57:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Gianluca Marras
Post title: if it is to be invested in my business

software+ training in order to save time and have more free time.

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Depends how much money ...

Mary Worby — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:56:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Mary Worby
Post title: Depends how much money ...

Honestly, I don't really need to invest in anything. All my hardware and software is up-to-date, I don't really use paper-based reference. But give me enough money and I could build a dedicated office in the garden!

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | I would rather not

Alexander Kondorsky — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:40:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Alexander Kondorsky
Post title: I would rather not

Why "I would rather not" is missing from the list?

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | specialized books

Tim Drayton (X) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:35:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Tim Drayton (X)
Post title: specialized books

I have found the best work-related investment I have made in recent years has been the purchase of university law textbooks in my source language. There is also a need for time to study them, of course!

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Hardware

John Cutler — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:19:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: John Cutler
Post title: Hardware

I'd get the best quality screen possible.

Actually, I'm sure I'll get a better screen at some point, but for now the "certain amount of money" I have available is going into remodelling the kitchen and balcony of my flat and, after that, the bathroom. First things first!

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Other

neilmac — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:50:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: neilmac
Post title: Other

I'd get myself the new motorbike I've been wanting for a year now, since my "business" is running as smoothly as I want it to.
In fact, my only business improvements would be in terms of clients finally waking up to the fact that translation should be included in their budgets and time planning, to avoid the "urgency" prevalent in 9 out of ten cases, at least in the Spanish market; or getting them to send texts with no mysterious time-wasting undefined acronyms or similarly impenetrable jargon. However, I suppose these are things that no amount of "investment" is likely to achieve.

[Edited at 2011-02-18 10:51 GMT]

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it? | Reference books!

Mami Yamaguchi — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:49:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: Mami Yamaguchi
Post title: Reference books!

Specialized books of my expertise are relatively expensive. So I usually check out books at my local university library. I recently purchased many work-related books which are helpful for me at work ,although I really want a new jacket :(

[Edited at 2011-02-18 12:09 GMT]

Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?

ProZ.com Staff — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:22:28 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?
Poster: ProZ.com Staff

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "If you had a certain amount of money to invest in your business, how would you do it?".

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