How to Stop Being a Newbie

8/7/2019 How to Stop Being a Newbie

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How to Stop Being aNewbie

and become a professional freelancer

AUSIT QLD Professional Development presents

presented by


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Wh at is t h is works h op about?

YOU!YOUR CAREER!YOUR FUTURE!

YOUR SUCCESS!I h ave been a newbie.I h ave been a newbie.I h ave managed to build a profitableI h ave managed to build a profitable

business in 3 years.business in 3 years.

Now I am h ere to s h are wit h you h owNow I am h ere to s h are wit h you h owI did it.I did it.YOU CAN DO IT TOOYOU CAN DO IT TOO..


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Do you h ave w h at it takes?

Linguists w h o want to go solo needAn entrepreneurial spiritGutsCommitmentRealismPersistence

PatienceSKILLS


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Is it going to make me money?

Alth oug h it will not make anOnassis from you overnig h t, it

does make enough

money to:Pay your mortgagePay your bills

Take you on an annualoverseas h olidayAllow you to live comfortably .


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Yes but h ow?

Simple - like in any ot h er smallbusiness you need to:

W ork h ard part time business

pays part time moneyCommit yourself to successStay positiveMarket like madKeep up improving on yourperformanceKeep a h ead of c h anges andcompetition


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Translators, Interpreters,Linguists


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Do you h ave w h at it takes?

Interpreters needGood listening skills

Th

e gift of th

e gabGreat inter-personal skills t h atare cross-cultural

Translators needAll of th e above PLUSExcellent writing skills


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In addition, t h ey need

Good reading/compre h ension skills in t h esource languageGood writing skills in t h e target language.

Not necessarily a university degree inlanguages or translation, but if you h aveth em it h elps sell your services.Time spent in anot h er country is equallyvaluable experience.Good general education.


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Wh at makes a good linguist?

W ork in t h eir native language(s) (alsoknown as "mot h er tongue(s)")Have a very good understanding of

th

e source languageHave good knowledge of t h e subjectin questionTh ink about w h at t h ey are doing

instead of switc h ing off and becomingrobots


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Wh at makes a good linguist?

Realize t h ey don't know everyt h ingand ask for h elp w h en t h ey need it.Are careful about w h at t h ey are doing

because th

ey know th

at retainingcustomers for a lifetime is t h e bestlong-term strategyBecome a trusted member of t h e

client's team by good and regularcommunicationKeep t h eir promises regarding qualityand timing and are totally reliable


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A few soul-searc h ingquestions


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How do I perceive myself?


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Is it h elping me grow?

Do I th ink of doing somet h ing else?

How do ot h ers perceive w h at I do?

How do I perceive w h at I do?

Wh at are my strong points?

Do I need to learn more? Wh at? How?Wh ere?


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BusinessW

ise


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Before You Start

You need to figure out w h et h er youwant to do it part time or full time.In my opinion part-time work payspart-time dividendsbut if you can start part-time, it isfinancially safer


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Benefits of starting part time

h elp you build up a reputation and someexperience in t h e industry

you will get to know clients and potential

clientsyou will start to build relations h ips w h ic h will be very valuable to you later on.

you can decide w h et h er or not youenjoy operating as a freelance translator.

you will also earn some money w h ic h you can save for w h en you start out full-time


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Some calculations before yougo full Monty

Find out h ow muc h you need to livefor six mont h with out ANY INCOMEInclude EVERYTHINGTh ink of possible cutbacks oremergenciesSave up money to do it

DO NOT TAKE A LOANONLY THEN go into your business FULLTIME


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Th en

Stop worrying about w h atmig h t go wrong and really get

involved in making a successof your business.


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Starting Up W ith th e BestW ork Place


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Organising t h e workplace

Regardless to h ow you want tostructure your work, you needyour own working space.How do you work now?Do you like your workspace?How could you improve it?


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Do you h ave to move t h ings out of t h eway before you can sit down and work?

Are t h ere so many papers on your desk th at t h eyre spilling onto t h e floor?

Do you need to contact a searc h andrescue team to find w h atever it is yourelooking for?

Th ere are h eaps of good h ome officeonline resources. You can get booksfrom your local library. Tell me if youneed suggestions on w h ere to look.


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Tips on t h e bare necessities

QuietPrivate

Good ligh

ting and ventilationErgonomicOrganised

PleasantConnected (p h one, fax,modem)


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DONT CRAM YOURW ORKSPACE

1)Clear t h e pat h ways.

2)Clear your desktop.

3)Get and use caddies and trays toorganize your desk and your drawers.

4)Realign your office desk for best FengSh ui

5)Upgrade your equipment

6)Set up a recycling centre


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DONT CRAM YOURW ORKSPACE

7) Protect your sensitive office equipment.8) Organise t h ose cords and wires

9) Give your eyes somet h ing attractive torest on.

10) Give your revamped office desk t h ereac h test.

11) C h eck your storage needs


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Essential Tools of Trade


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Get your tools of trade

PC, fax, mobile, p h oneAnswering mac h ine/serviceSoftware (DTP, W ord processing CAT,MT, and ot h er useful gadgets)Dictionaries, glossaries (paper &online)

Join a good library(ies), learn h ow tobenefit from it t h e mostLearn h ow to use online tools


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Must h ave software fortranslators

MS Office (including Outlook)MS Publis h erAdobe Acrobat ProPh otos h opW inZipAnti-Virus

Firewall (Zone Alarm is free)QuickBooks Easy StartBackup software


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Must h ave h ardware fortranslators and interpreters

PCInternet connection (modem/cable)Scanner (and OCR software)Printer (preferably laser)FaxMobile p h oneCall forwarding serviceAnswering mac h ineCD writerExternal h ard-drive or similar backing


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Must h ave linguistic tools fortranslators and interpreters

Electronic dictionariesHard copy dictionariesTh esaurusesGlossaries (create your own)Style Guides

Grammar text-books


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Become a Business Entity


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Wh y a business name?

By law, if you operate a business in QLD youmust register your business under a businessname wit h th e Office of Fair Trading.It is an offence to use an unregisteredbusiness name in QLD.If you are using your own name (ie. yourgiven names and/or initials followed byyour surname wit h out any addition), you donot need to register as a business name.If you decide to add anyt h ing to your ownname (eg. Brown Languages, Savila Spanis h Services), you must register a businessname.


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Fine, Ill use my name t h en

W ell, if your name is Brigit Bardot or UmbertoEco, or Jo h n Paul II t h en go for it.If it is not, t h en t h ink:

W ILL MY CLIENTS REMEMBER IT?Using your name does not make it clearwh at services you provideGeneric, descriptive names doSo you can use your name and a genericname toget h erMake sure it is memorable do you t h ink Google would h ave enjoyed t h e same riseto popularity if it was called 'T h e Searc h Engine Company'?


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Your Business Name S h ould

Instantly tell people w h at you doBegin wit h an alp h abetically h igh rankingletter

Contain keywords th

at prospective clientswill use in t h e searc h enginesNot contain words w h ic h are rude ornegative in ot h er languages

Not infringe anyone else's intellectualproperty rig h tsLeave room for c h angesBe timeless


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Ok, so h ow do I register mybusiness name

Ch oose four different business names.Get t h e Registration Form from t h eDepartment of Fair Trading website.Fill it.Take t h e form to:

Level 21, State Law Building, 50 Ann Street,Brisbane

GPO Box 3111, Brisbane, QLD, 4001Th ere are fees for registrationYou need a 100 points ID document


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Wh at is an ABN?

Th e Australian Business Number (ABN)

is a single identifier for all businessdealings wit h th e tax office and fordealings wit h ot h er governmentdepartments and agencies


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Wh o is eligible for an ABN?

You are entitled to an ABN ifYour activity is carried out in t h e formof a business, nature of trade, or formof a regular or continuous grant of alease, license or interest in property.Your activity is carried out in Australia

or you make supplies t h at areconnected wit h Australia.

You h ave a reasonable expectationth at a profit will be made from youractivity.


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Wh y an ABN t h en?

Th e registration for an ABN is not compulsory . Y ou dont h ave to register for GST if you dont

h ave a turnover of $50K annually . You canvolunteer to do so . Th e moment you make 50K,you MUST register for GST . If you want to open a bank account in your business name, t h e bank will want an ABN .If you want to h ave a P .O. Box in your businessname, Australia Post will want an ABN .Wh en you are working wit h agencies w h o claimGST, or if you yourself claim GST, t h en you needan ABN .


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How do I register for ABN?

You download t h e Sole Trader Form fromh ttp://www.ato.gov.au/content/downloads/nat2938e.pdf

Fill th e application form, preferably wit h your accountant.Keep a copy of t h e filled application form.Mail your application to:

Th

e RegistrarAustralian Business RegisterAustralian Taxation OfficePO Box 3000

Albury NSW

2640


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Wh at Insurance??

Many newly starting linguists areunaware of t h e legal traps t h at canensnare t h em w h ile t h ey work.Professional status is judged today notonly by qualifications, experience, andmembers h ip of dedicated organizationsbut also by t h e willingness ofpractitioners to accept full responsibility

for th

eir work and conduct.In our increasingly litigious world t h is alsoentails t h e possession of professionalindemnity insurance.


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Wh at Insurance??

You need a professionalindemnity insurance as atranslator or interpreter to

protect yourself against claimsfor professional negligence byclients and ot h er parties.


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But wh o would want to sue me?

Eg. 1: An error in a technical brochure resulted in reprinting costs anddamages for the client's loss of

business US$ 20,000


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Eg. 2: A mis-interpretation in court proceedings resulted in the defendant getting an unjust sentence. Winning onappeal, he sued the interpreter for emotional damages: US$ 25,000


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Eg. 3: A mistranslation in the operatingmanual of radiation therapy machineis alleged to have caused the death

of 4 patients case still going on inFrance.


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Marketing Yourself


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Some more myt h s

MARKETING IS THE MOST IMPORTANTASPECT OF YOUR BUSINESS. YOU CANBE A BRILLIANT LINGUIST AND GOHUNGRY BECAUSE YOU DONT KNOW HOW TO MARKET YOURSELF.

MYTH ONE:

MY W ORK W ILL SPEAK FOR ME.RESPONSE:

NOT UNLESS SOMEONE SEES IT FIRST.

MYTH TW

O:THE BEST PRODUCT OR SERVICEW ILLW IN.

RESPONSE:W HATW INS IN MARKETING IS THEPERCEPTION IN THE PROSPECTSMIND. PERCEPTION IS REALITY. MOSTPEOPLE ARE QUITE SURE THEIRPERCEPTIONS ARE CORRECT.

MYTH THREE:ATTACK YOUR COMPETITORSW EAKNESSW ITH YOUR MARKETING

RESPONSE:YOU W ILL LOOK VERY PRO AND ETHICALTHISW AY, RIGHT? LEARN FROM YOURCOMPETITORS STRENGTHS. AFTER ALLTHATSW HY THEIR CLIENTS BUY FROMTHEM.

MYTH FOUR:

I KNOW MY W ORK LIKE THE PALM OF MYHAND. I W ILL SELL LIKE HOT CAKE.RESPONSE:

UHM W HAT IF THE MARKET DOESNT FEELLIKE HOT CAKES? DO YOU KNOW YOURMARKET?

MYTH FIVE:I HAVE A W EBSITE. CLIENTS FROM ALL OVER THEW ORLDW ILL KNOW ME. INTERNET IS AN EASYPLACE TO MAKE MONEY.

RESPONSE:

ACTUALLY, YOULL MAKE MORE MONEY SELLINGSECOND-HAND STUFF AT FLEA MARKETS. UNLESSYOU SELL PORN OR SOFTW ARE, NOT MUCHMONEY IS THERE ONLINE. BUT YOU STILL SHOULDHAVE A PRESENCE, BECAUSE IT IS EXPECTED.


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LINGUIST, KNO W THY

MARKET PLACEWh os out t h ere?

Wh at are t h eir needs?Wh o is my competition?Wh at are t h ey doing rig h t/wrong?Wh at are t h e standard rates?

Can I create alliances?Wh

ich

agencies are worth

my effort?


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Focus on your clientsTry to see everyt h ing t h roug h th e eyes ofyour customersTry to understand t h eir needs, frustrations,and insecurities

you can anticipate t h em and fulfill t h em,in some cases wit h out needing to beaskedyou can make sure you are not t h esource of t h eir frustration, andyou can find ways to make t h em feelmore comfortable dealing wit h you t h anwith anyone else


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Market yourself

Get your business stationaryprofessionally done. Make sure yourbusiness name is registered before you

run to t h e press.Polish your resume, h ave a cover letterprepared.Get yourself into business directories,print broc h ures.


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Market yourself

Make sure you look t h e partGet at least a web page, better if youh ave a websiteW rite and publis h in industry publications.Get seen online (Proz, Aquarius, etc)Present works h ops

Attend conferences (dont just sit t h ere)


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A little jig to remember.

Sam Berners Translationsalt h oug h a correct expression

of my aspirationsis a bad formulation.

It gives t h e impression

th at my operationsh ave t h e limitation


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Wh at goes into t h e resume?

Definitely not t h e name of your pets or t h efact t h at you love cooking, unless youspecialize in vet science or culinaryh

istory.Not your age. Its not an asset in Englis h -speaking countries.Not t h e number of your kids or your maritalstatus. Especially not if you are a woman.Not your previous work experience asrocket pilot or Miss Haiti it h as not h ing to

do with

linguistics.


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Wh at t h en?

Your name (or business name), address,p h one, fax, email, website URL at t h e very topYour spielYour languages

Your accreditations and qualificationsYour experience as a translator/interpreter.THINK! Any job in wh ic h youtranslated/interpreted/taug h t language isexperienceYour tools (work related, not gardening)Related publications, etc.

References


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So w h ats a SPIEL again?

Its th

at little bit of biograph

y th

at youwrite as your covering letter.Have a standard one, but prepare tobe flexible.

You will need to fit t h e spiel to yourclient.It is th e first t h ing t h e client sees, beforeth e resume.

Make sure it does not h ave spellingmistakes.Dont write your national h istory in itTh is is wh ere you indicate your fees.


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Business cards

Noth

ing worse th

an.


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Business cards

awful designh ard to readlow resolutionobviously printed on a h ome ink-jetprinteron c h eap paperIs th is th e image you want to project?


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Broc h ures

A good way of forcing yourself to sitdown and work out w h at you offer wh at sort of services/specialist subjects

you want to concentrate on h ow muc h your standard rates will be h ow negotiable are your prices your average number of words

translated/interpreting h ours per day


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Broc h ures

Wh en a potential customer calls, you'llh ave all t h e information h andy and youdon't h ave to pull a number out of yourh ead.Th e project manager will not be able tobeat you down to a muc h lower price

because you clearly are not wise in t h eways of t h e translation world.


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Broc h ures

Send your broc h ures to potential clients:travel agencies, immigration and familylawyers, city council, agencies, etc

Attac h a broc h ure and a business cardto every translation you do for a privateclient (not agency, t h ey know w h o you

are)

Id like a website but I am


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Id like a website, but I amcomputationally c h allenged

In 2007, a person running a languageservices business w h o says t h ey cantget t h eir h ead around computers and

software are a bit like a universityprofessor saying t h at t h ey cant spell.If you really are and for some reasoncant learn t h en dont broadcast it get someone professional to do it foryou. NOT YOUR YEAR 9W IZZ W HO ISVERY GOOD AT IT


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A good website s h ould h ave

Th e rig h t domain nameA sh ort summary (spiel) about you and yourservices PLUS a downloadable resume

Your contact details no free-emailaddresses, pleaseReferences from h appy clientsYour rates (optional)Clear interfaceSh ort pages no scrolling


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Get seen online

Th ere are tens of translator market-placeson t h e internetSome are wort h spending money onSome s h ould be avoided like fireTh ey provide a c h ance to s h owcase yourtalentsTh e best of t h ese, from my experience, isProz.comRemember, t h ey are s h opping windows, sodress up!


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Ch eapskate?

Do not use free web-based email forcommunicating wit h your clients. It gives anextremely bad impression

D ear sir/madam:I am so serious about becoming a full-time professional translator/interpreter and providing you with excellent service that Ican't even be bothered to get a paid email

provider" Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSNHotmail at h ttp://www. h otmail.com


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Wh ats Proz?

Proz is a global directory of translationservicesIt provides services to bot h agencies and

linguistsAllows you to network wit h ot h er linguists,ask questions and get h elp wit h difficultterms

Allows you to s h owcase yourself to agenciesAllows you to researc h potential clients


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J oin t h e professional worldBecome an AUSIT memberNetwork Subscribe to industry publications (and writein th em)

Read books and articles on yourspecialisation.Consider joining a c h amber of commerceor anot h er trade organization t h at works wit h your languageIf you h ave anot h er profession, join t h eirassociation too.

Join discussion lists


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Look t h e Part


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Setting $$$


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d


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How do I set t h em?In most countries translators c h argeper 100 words and interpreters perh our of time.Some countries will c h arge perstandard page or 1000 keystrokes German agencies c h arge per line oftext.

Some will c h arge for targetlanguage and some of sourcelanguage

d


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How do I set t h em?Rates depend on your place ofresidence, your languagecombination, your specializations,your years of experience, etc.

Rates depend on h ow fast you are todeliver and on t h e type of text (t h emore urgent t h e job, or more

tec h nical t h e matter, t h e h igh er t h erate)

H d I h ?


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How do I set t h em?Larger jobs get discount rates butbe careful not to go too low. Beingdirt c h eap means people will doubtth e quality of your work.

Any additional fiddling, travel, etc.sh ould be factored into your rates.


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Wh at if t h ey say t h ey cant afford


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at if t ey say t ey can t affordme?

Its up to you. You can work for peanuts, or turndown t h e job politely.My experience is t h at agencies w h o want topay peanuts usually:

cause th

e most problems because th

ey are only in it for aq uick profit , and t h ey don't care very muc h about you orth eir customers

are t h e most likely source of customer complaintsbecause t h ese agencies accept t h e kind of work t h atot h er agencies wouldnt touc h .

are t h e most difficult to deal wit h because t h ey cannotbe bot h ered to issue proper written instructions are most likely to pay you late or not at all


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Get t h at W ork

Th W iti P i d


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Th e W aiting PeriodYour aim s h ould be to land h alf a dozen bigtranslation/interpreting agencies and work on becoming t h eir linguist of c h oice.Th is is not going to h appen overnig h t.

Like in any good relations h ip, you will h aveto prove yourself, gain trust and court youragent.Give yourself at least 18 mont h s beforeth ings rev up dont waste any of t h is time:MARKET YOURSELF CONTINUALLY andDEVELOP PROFESSIONALLY

Y Lif D d


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Your Life Depends on

CUSTOMERSYou s h ould AL W AYS, ALW AYSaim to delig h t your clients

S ll i B tif l


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Small is Beautiful

Because you are a small business,you are Flexible Able to focus on clients needs More responsive t h an larger

businesses

M k t h t t k it h YOU!


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Make t h em want to work wit h YOU!

Be contactable professionally andat all times during business h oursNO KIDS ANSW ERING PHONES, it givesth e wrong impression.No background noise was h ing

mac h ine, TV, sound system blasting,dogs barking, etc.

M k t h t t k it h YOU!


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Make t h em want to work wit h YOU!

Have a professional message on youranswering mac h ine.Be clear about w h at you offer givequotes and deadlines over t h e p h oneat initial contact. Have it all in writing,so you dont fumble.Be responsive a client s h ould h earfrom you in an h our maximum. T h eywill go somew h ere else ot h erwise.

Make t h em want to work wit h YOU-


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AGAIN!

Repeat business is t h e best businessTh ere is a basic customer service principle:

Keep t h em h appy, and keep t h em!Give t h em more t h an t h ey expectMake your work look as good as t h e originalDeliver a h ead of sc h eduleBe a great communicatorDo favours for your customersAnswer t h e p h one promptly and wit h a smileNever disappoint a client on deadlines orquality.

RING, RING, wh y dont you gimme a


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, , y y gcall?

Th ere are 8 t h ings t h at you s h ouldNEVER do on t h e p h one: Sound stressed Not return t h e call Call W aiting Letting your kids answer t h e p h one Taking t h e p h one off t h e h ook

Being rude Assume you are t h e only one Assume client knows w h at t h ey are talking

about


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Dealing W ith Agencies

Wh at Do Customers W ant?


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Wh at Do Customers W ant?

a pleasant interactionwith a reliable and competenttranslatorwh o offers good valueand enables t h em to make a profitwith out h aving to waste time managingth e process and formatting documents

Ideal linguist


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Ideal linguist

Everyt h ing you can do to minimize t h eamount of work th e agency must do

will be appreciated .

Th

e more closely your transactions with

th e agency fit t h e ideal, t h en t h e morelikely it is t h at you will be selected by

th is agency next time for your

language combinationAgencies spend lots of time andmoney marketing YOUR skills

Ideal agency


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Ideal agencyA well-establis h ed and trustedcustomer p h ones once wit h clear,simple instructions - confirmed inwritingLarge job electronically deliveredPayment in advance from customer(DOES NOT HAPPEN)Comfortable, realistic deadline

Ideal agency


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Ideal agencyFairly easy/straig h tforward work wit h little or no extra formatting requiredNo queries at allNo amendments

File sent back perfectly translated andformatted before t h e final deadlineA few h ours work for several h undreddollars profit

Th ings agencies h ate


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Th ings agencies h atePoor layout and/or formattingW rong layout or formattingNot following instructions properlyDeadline missed, or t h ere is t h e feeling

th at it is not taken seriously.Unable to read file(s)Anyt h ing going wrong w h ic h causesth em to t h ink t h e customer may not besatisfied

Th ings agencies h ate


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Th ings agencies h ateNot being able to reac h you quicklyCasual attitudeProblems wit h modem/email transfersPeople taking on work w h ic h th ey are

not capable of doing well enoug h Translators/interpretersmisunderstanding w h at is expected ofth em

Poor quality work Last-minute panic for any reasonCustomer complaints


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Handling Complaints


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Handling Complaints

If your client complains about an error:Stay cool forget your prideSh oulder t h e burden apologiseDont get into argumentsPraise t h e agency for finding t h e error andpreventing a disasterFix th e error (not to fast, you dont want to

make anoth

er)Make it politely clear t h at to err is h umanDo not offer discounts!!

Eth ics is t h e word


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Eth ics is t h e word

Th ou s h all not steal t h y agencysclientsTh ou s h all maintain t h y clientsconfidentialityTh ou s h all not argue wit h th y clientsTh ou s h all build sustainable

relations h ips wit h th y clientsTh ou s h alt not discredit t h y colleagues


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Legal Paperwork

Terms and Conditions


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Lack of legal basis for dealing wit h yourclient is

DISASTER IN THEW AITINGIt is a good idea to get a lawyer to draftyour contracts.Send your Contract in after you h avequoted and your quote was accepted butbefore you start working on t h e assignmentMany agencies h ave t h eir own Contracts read t h em carefully before you signanyt h ing.



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Include in your Contract1. General clauses outlining ways of operating2. Payment terms and penalties3. C h arging structure, i.e. way of counting

words.4. Specifically w h at you will and will not do5. Your policy in t h e event of amendments to

work already started/completed

6. Jurisdiction of disputes7. Your position regarding copyrig h t of your

output8. Wh at is and w h at is not included in t h e price



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State your obligations to yourcustomersIf your client object to certain clauses,you h ave t h e option of striking t h em out, or negotiating, or...

not accepting t h e work



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Submit a small initial sample of a fewh undred words from t h e first part ofth e job and obtain written

acceptance of satisfactory qualitybefore proceeding wit h th e rest.Th is insures t h at t h e client cannot

legally back out on quality grounds, ifth e sample and bulk texts are ofcomparable quality.

Purc h ase Order


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Purc h ase Order

PO is a document or form used by acustomer to issue an order forservices.

It specifies, in addition, th

e price,terms, and conditions of t h at order .PO can be electronic, faxed ormailed.DO NOT ACCEPT VERBAL PURCHASEORDERS.

Wh ats in a PO?


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Wh at s in a PO?

Client's full name and postal address(not a PO box number) an emailaddress is usually untrackable. You also

need th

eir oth

er contact details if youdon't know t h em already.Your nameDate of commissioning t h e jobDeadline for deliveryDelivery instructions

Wh ats in a PO?


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W at s in a PO?

Rate per word, line, page, h our orwh atever else you agreedSource and target languages

Source or target word countJob number/reference (usually but notalways)

Indication of job size - word count, pagecount etc.Quality level required (info only,publication, legal etc. )

Wh ats in a PO?


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at s in a PO?

Any specificsoftware/ h ardware/formatting/DTPrequirementsSubject matterPayment sc h eduleAny ot h er special terms you agreedon

Invoices


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Invoices

An invoice must h ave: Your business name, address, logo,

p h one, fax, email, website and t h eABN.

Th e words Tax Invoice Date Invoice Number

Invoices


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Invoices

An invoice must h ave: Customers business name and

address Description of t h e job done Unit price Total price GST (if ch arging) Means of payment (c h eque, bank details, PayPal) Due Date


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I GOT IT NO W W HAT??

First th ings first


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First t ings first

Ch eck t h at you h ave t h e rig h t number of

faxed/emailed pages/details of

assignment you can open all t h e files you h ave

been sent

you h ave all t h e files/documentsth at t h e client h as told you about

First th ings first


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First t ings first

Ch eck t h at you are able to complete t h e job in

th e required time th e word-count/time estimate t h e

client gave you looks rig h t. th e job does not look too difficult for

you

Get Organised, Stay Organised


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Get Organised, Stay Organised

Have a good information managementsystem Keep your accounts in order get

QuickBooks Make sure you h ave a disaster recovery

plan in place love your Save key Backup regularly Protect your information from viruses

Stay professional


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Stay professional

Make all your written contacts wit h th ecustomer a statement of yourprofessionalism and competence: Quotations Estimates Invoices Letters/emails Business cards Broc h ures


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Mot h er tongues???


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g

If you are not a native/bilingual speakerin th e language of t h e country w h ereyou work make sure your written

correspondence is at least of averagenative quality .

Or no tongue at all?


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g

Dear Ms. Sam, Berner

Th ank you for your prompt response.

My Msn account is h andsome_c h ris@h otmail.com

I will send you h ave any translation job of ( Englis h Arabic) immediately

I h ave interested to h ave opportunity collaborationwith you.


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Firing th e

Client

80/20 Rule


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Wh en you first start, you will be verytempted to take on ANY CLIENT. T h is iscalled t h e newbie panic syndrome

80% of your income will come from 20%of your clients and t h e remaining 80% of

your clients will pay you th

e miserlyot h er 20%


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Turn Down W ork Th at Feels W rong


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W rong

You sh

ould definitely refuse work fromanyone if your 'gut-feeling' tells you not totrust t h em

Refuse any assignment w h ic h you t h ink is

likely to cause problemsAvoid (political) situations w h ere t h ereare several different "bosses" andinter-departmental bickering betweendifferent divisions

Do not accept work from clients w h obeat t h e price down to a level you findunacceptable, even if you are not busy.

ALW AYS ASK YOURSELF:


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Do you trust th

em?W ere t h ey nice to deal wit h ?Did it "feel" righ t?Do you h ave a proper job-s h eet inwriting or by fax/email? In Oz an emailis a contract.Have you c h ecked t h em out wit h payment practices?How large is t h e assignment?Do you h ave background info/ styleguides/ glossaries?

Yes, but h ow do I refuse???


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,

PolitelyYour dislike of t h e project vs t h e offeredprice and deadline

Remember:A dissatisfied client can be muc h worse t h anno client at all!

You spend all t h at time doing t h e work t h en t h ey argue about quality andpayment for mont h s


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Get Paid

Tips to get paid promptly


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Ch oose good clients to begin wit hHave a Terms and Conditionscontract ready

Always ensure you h ave a Purc h aseOrderFind out w h at t h e billing cycle is atth eir endSend an invoice as soon as possibleafter completing t h e job anddefinitely wit h in a week



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Send a reminder about a week afterth e payment is dueA week after sending a reminder,

follow it up wit h a telep h one callSet a debt collector on t h em!As a last resort, you can initiate a

court action to collect payment



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Of course t h e GOLDEN MANTRA IS:KEEP THEM HAPPY AND KEEP THEM

Provide excellent service and t h eclient will h ave no 'excuses' fordelaying your paymentBuild relations h ips wit h your clients. It

is difficult to mistreat someone youlike!

Ch asing your payment


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1) Email - easiest to ignore2 ) Faxing3 ) Write a letter 4 ) A phone call is very hard to ignore -but don't go overboard and become

AGRO. D o the guilt trip act, it often

works

REMEMBER!


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Sooner or later, one of your clients willbecome insolvent . Remember, 90% ofbusinesses fail wit h in t h ree years of start-up . So if you are faxing, calling or th reatening court action, you are morelikely to get your money t h an someone

else w h o isn't . Y ou will not lose a customer byreminding h im t h at h e owes you money .


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IT IS MILDLYANNOYING.

BUT ITW ORKS!It is important to try to separate emotion from debt-collecting.

Your goal is to collect your money promptly wit h outmaking t h e customer upset to t h e extent of not wanting

to work wit h you again.


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Enh ancing Your

Productivity

It is easier toget h er


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So, if you h ave a partner, t h ey can h elp youbecome more productive by

answer t h e p h onedeal wit h all t h e administrationtake care of your marketingdo t h e book-keeping, invoicing and credit

controldo all t h e marketing for you

double ch

eck some of your work do some or all of t h e document formattingfor you...leaving you available to earn more money

doing translations?

Good to h ave stuff


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Wh en you start h aving h eaps of work, youmay consider buying

translation memory software (Trados,W ordFast, SDL, etc.)

Voice Recognition SoftwareIf you are going to be working wit h layout:

InDesign, Illustrator or QuarkXpressW ord Counting software

Join


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Some of t h e h undreds of Ya h oo Groups forlinguists

One of t h e many linguist clubs suc h asTranslators Caf and Proz


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Remember

Enjoy t h e trip

Documents

How to Stop Being a Newbie