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 … [Read more...] about Are pandemic discounts a good idea?
translation rates
Should you post your translation rates on your website?
A reader asks: Should I post my translation rates on my website? I feel like this could discourage some of the low-balling clients I don't want to work with, but I'm not sure it's the right thing to do. Let's take a look! Why might you WANT to post your rates? Posting your rates has a few … [Read more...] about Should you post your translation rates on your website?
To break out of the low-rate market, change these three things
Stop me if this sounds familiar: I really needed work, so I decided to take whatever came through the door. I decided that applying to mega-agencies/advertising on Fiverr/racing to the bottom on translation job boards was the fastest way to get full-time freelance work. But now I'm stuck; I have to … [Read more...] about To break out of the low-rate market, change these three things
When a client asks for a discount
When a client asks, "can you lower your rate?," you can respond in various ways. You could get defensive and belligerent ("For your information, I'm a serious professional whose work is worth real money"). You could offer some snarky feedback on the rate the client is proposing ("No serious … [Read more...] about When a client asks for a discount
Time management strategy: look at your rates
Here's a time management strategy that, at first glance, doesn't seem like a time management strategy. Make sure that you set your translation rates so that you have enough time for non-billable work. If you're looking for the sound-bite version of this concept, you can stop reading! … [Read more...] about Time management strategy: look at your rates