The pandemic is doing odd things to people’s freelance businesses: something I’ve discussed in a pandemic roundtable podcast, and a blog post. About all that can be said is that some things are up and others are down. I’ve heard from multiple freelancers (translators and interpreters) who’ve never been busier, and from others who are […]
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What’s the best way to have clients pay you?
Here’s a question from a reader: What’s the best way to have clients in my own country or in other countries pay me? I’m in the US, and checks seem slow but electronic payments seem expensive? How can I handle this? What’s the best way to receive money from clients, especially if you live in […]
Continue ReadingA recession may be coming: how can you prepare?
Watch your back for a recession I’m not an economist (far from it!), but it’s hard to miss the rumblings in the financial press that the US (or even the world) economy may be headed for a recession. After a 10-year bull market, we’re in a bit of a “what goes up must come down” […]
Continue ReadingShould you allow clients to pay by credit card?
I often say that the worst reason to turn down a translation job is because you can’t figure out how to take the client’s money. However clients want to pay you, you want to make it happen. In 16 years of freelancing, I think I’ve probably been paid in nearly every imaginable way, including cash […]
Continue ReadingBilling by the word, by the hour, or by the project…what to do?
If you want to inspire fierce emotions in a group of translators, ask this question: is it better to bill by the word, by the hour, or by the project, and is the per-word pricing model on its way out? Per-word pricing has historically been the norm in our profession. Per-word pricing has a few […]
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