Poll: Do you have a plan to increase your income in 2011? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you have a plan to increase your income in 2011?".
This poll was originally submitted by Sonja Marks. View the poll results »
| | | | Adnan Özdemir 
Türkiye
Local time: 09:14
Member (2007)
German to Turkish
+ ...
| yes tambien... | Jan 3, 2011 |
For 2011 i am planning more advertising. Visiting customers in its own country (big companies, büyük tercüme işletmeleri)...
If I complete my new novel maybe I will be more rich
....
Saludos desde Anatolia
Anadolu'dan selamlar
[Edited at 2011-01-03 10:16 GMT]
| | | | | Reserving time for better-paying clients | Jan 3, 2011 |
In the past I have had to turn down jobs from well-paying clients because I was stuck with a lower-paying assignment. I plan to avoid the low payers and promote awareness of my availability to the high payers.
| | | | | Gave up for good on some agencies | Jan 3, 2011 |
Now and then I saw job offers that were interesting. Considering the prestige of the end-client, the agency could become a good client. Yet to my dismay their rates were too low and/or their payment terms were abusively long (over 30 days). I thought that it might be fair to assume that they had no grounds to imagine that my work could be worth more. So, when my workload was lighter than average, and their low rates were at most 30-40% below mine, I'd do ONE small to medium-sized job for them, t... See more Now and then I saw job offers that were interesting. Considering the prestige of the end-client, the agency could become a good client. Yet to my dismay their rates were too low and/or their payment terms were abusively long (over 30 days). I thought that it might be fair to assume that they had no grounds to imagine that my work could be worth more. So, when my workload was lighter than average, and their low rates were at most 30-40% below mine, I'd do ONE small to medium-sized job for them, to show my delivery. I always made it clear that it was a once-in-a-lifetime promo for each client. Any future jobs would be at my standard rate (which BTW is pretty standard, marketwise).
After one year, having done maybe 10-12 such jobs overall, I have now scientific evidence that bottom feeders will always be bottom feeders. No chance of a translation agency daring to offer different levels of service to their clients; no chance of a low or long-paying agency improving their standards.
I thought this could have been be a good marketing gimmick, having adapted the idea from car dealers offering test-drives. They practically give away the 'newness' of one car, fuel, and maintenance to show their wares. It seems that increasing my availability to decent clients - by never taking such rather despicable jobs - is a better investment, which will yield more return. ▲ Collapse
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inkweaver
Germany
Local time: 08:14
French to German
+ ...
I will concentrate on well and timely paying customers (I already do that but there's still room for improvement), increase productivity and improve time-management (I have to make a conscious effort not to get distracted by interesting articles when doing research).
| | | | | Agree with Jose Enrique | Jan 3, 2011 |
Since things were, in fact, slower for me at times, in 2010, I also sumbitted some promotional, low-rate, one-project estimates to new agencies. It seemed to be indicated for me, especially since a couple of my (previously) continuous agency-clients with ongoing and satisfied user-corporations had apparently taken 'bottom-feeder' management classes last January, and were dragging for other offers on each new assignment instead of simply calling on me for a delivery date.
In the cas... See more Since things were, in fact, slower for me at times, in 2010, I also sumbitted some promotional, low-rate, one-project estimates to new agencies. It seemed to be indicated for me, especially since a couple of my (previously) continuous agency-clients with ongoing and satisfied user-corporations had apparently taken 'bottom-feeder' management classes last January, and were dragging for other offers on each new assignment instead of simply calling on me for a delivery date.
In the cases of both the prior client agencies and the ones that were new to me but advertising on ProZ, etc., I also found that a key factor in 'bottom-feeder' management is lack of appreciation or loyalty to effective translators; add the factors of adolescent 'retaliation' for perceived slights to their 'authority' like insisting on payment-as-agreed, increased disregard for quality and the ever dominant cut-rate pricing, and you have the management recipe for that 'school' in our industry. Though I would do a project at a low price and received (sometimes florid) approval of my work, the next time I saw anything from that 'agency' was when it advertised a new assignment proposal to everyone, trolling for the lowest and the least capable.
So this year, in general, I will concentrate on higher-quality intermediary agencies and direct clients. This generality, however, doesn't constitute a 'plan' in the terms of the forum question; I may need to invest time in a marketing strategy later, depending on just how many of the former agencies have recently attended Bottom-Feeder School. I should note, for the record, that some previous cut-rate agencies have doubled their rates to the translator in the past year, though the ones I know of in this category are so complicated to work with that the profit is often lost in doing assignments for them.
It's just doing business, in the long run. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Anthony Baldwin
United States
Local time: 02:14
Portuguese to English
+ ...
My plan involves offering new services.
I already translate 3 languages to English, and provide interpreting for one language pair, but, the truth is, over the last two years, rates have fallen, and work has been sporadic, even with all of those services.
So, considering that I've been building my own websites for a decade now, I am also offering webdesign/development/mastering services.
I already have two clients.
In the local area, a bilingual site can be advanta... See more My plan involves offering new services.
I already translate 3 languages to English, and provide interpreting for one language pair, but, the truth is, over the last two years, rates have fallen, and work has been sporadic, even with all of those services.
So, considering that I've been building my own websites for a decade now, I am also offering webdesign/development/mastering services.
I already have two clients.
In the local area, a bilingual site can be advantageous, so, translation can still be part of what I offer (when desired) in this respect.
For instance, local merchants and organizations want to attract or communicate with the local Latino population. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Agency? What agency? | Jan 4, 2011 |
Now there is an idea worth pursuing, I think.
I am sure there are many clients out there who would have their documentation and advertising made in more than one language, if it wasn't so 'complicated'.
There are two possibilities for making multi-lingual advertising a one-stop-call for the client.
1) You offer additional designer services. If you have the ability and the nerve, then by all means. You could outsource the design work, too.
2) ... See more Now there is an idea worth pursuing, I think.
I am sure there are many clients out there who would have their documentation and advertising made in more than one language, if it wasn't so 'complicated'.
There are two possibilities for making multi-lingual advertising a one-stop-call for the client.
1) You offer additional designer services. If you have the ability and the nerve, then by all means. You could outsource the design work, too.
2) You search out the designers, publishers and printers in you area and offer your services via them. It's a win-win, because the designer can widen his portfolio and you may get a steady stream of nearly-direct-client jobs because printers and designers are the first to be approached. Also it gets you out of the house a little bit. Side effect: you'll be asked to provide other languages than you can personally supply, but ProZ is just the place to find a partner for that.
I'm definitely going to try the second option this year. What do I need an agency for, if I can be one myself?
All the best on your plans for 2011!
Anthony Baldwin wrote:
So, considering that I've been building my own websites for a decade now, I am also offering webdesign/development/mastering services.
I already have two clients.
In the local area, a bilingual site can be advantageous, so, translation can still be part of what I offer (when desired) in this respect.
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