How to use SMART goals for your freelance translation business

In the last blog posts I discussed the importance of having a marketing plan for your freelance translation business. But in order to create a successful marketing plan, we need to have some solid goals. In the business strategy and marketing world there is a great concept for creating good goals, called SMART goals. You have probably heard about them before, but just in case, the smart goals are: Specific – Measurable – Attainable – Realistic –Time bound. These criteria have been created to help you, and in this post I will try to show examples from a freelance translator’s point of view. Use them to define your goals and break them down into smaller goals, leading toward the bigger goal. By doing this it will become much easier to work towards your goals and actually attain them.

How to create a marketing plan for your freelance translation business in one hour

I have been a freelance translator for over 10 years. I started out slowly since my children were small, and continually focused on growing my business. I considered myself a freelancer and not really a business and did not have a marketing plan. I still dislike spending time writing long business or marketing plans that usually end up forgotten in a drawer.

PR Tips for Freelance Translators

Why does a translator need PR?

Public Relations

When we hear ‘public relations’, or ‘PR’, we usually think of celebrities or large corporations and don’t typically associate it with freelance professionals. Freelancers might think PR would be over the top for us one-man bands. These days, there are a myriad of courses on business and marketing for translators, but none on translator PR. Marketing is of course essential, but we need to bear in mind that while marketing is all about the brand, PR is about the story behind the brand.

Upcoming webinars and presentations: Rewarding relationships with translation agencies and pricing strategies for translators

Training – consulting

I wanted to share the upcoming webinars that I will be giving this year, since the marketing for them has already started and I have received questions for more information. Pricing strategies and working with agencies seem to be what most freelance translators struggle with the most and I look forward to talking about these subjects and give some great tips. I would love to hear your input or feedback on these subjects.

Six tips for choosing a specialization for your freelance translation career

Is it important to specialize if you are a new translator without much experience? The answer is yes. Online competition can be steep and by specializing you can stand out from the crowd. But that is not the only reason.  Certain subjects simply demand a specialized translator in order to be able to produce a good translation. A highly specialized medical journal simply cannot be translated by someone without any experience in the specific medical field. A manual for a blow torch cannot be translated by someone who barely knows what a blow torch is. I should know, since I attempted to do it when I first started out. I quickly realized that it was not a good idea.

Resume/CV writing tips for freelance translators – when to use a resume/CV or what we can use instead

CV/resume for translators

I am not sure that resumes for freelance translators will be important in the future, but they are still used and asked for. Traditionally, resumes have been the most important marketing tool, and they still are quite important, but with the development of online databases such as LinkedIn, directories, websites, etc. more and more people are looking up the information they need online. Direct clients (end clients) in particular look up your information online, or find you through networking or direct marketing. They often do not want a resume, but rather look at a website or get a brochure.

8 Skills You Must Have to Succeed as a Freelance Translator—And How to Get Them

Having been a freelance translator for over 10 years, I can definitely say it is my dream job. I love what I do. However, when I started researching a career as a freelance translator in 2002, I did not know much about the profession or the business, let alone what was required to be successful. I would highly recommend a career as a freelance translator, but not everyone can become a good freelance translator. So if you are looking to become a freelance translator, or if you are one and want to improve your skills, read on. I assume that you are already bilingual, or nearly bilingual in at least one language pair.