Poll: Your business so far during the 4th quarter of 2019 seems to be:
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Oct 23, 2019

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Your business so far during the 4th quarter of 2019 seems to be:".

This poll was originally submitted by LIZ LI. View the poll results »



 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 11:31
Spanish to English
+ ...
Average Oct 23, 2019

The previous couple of quarters were quieter than in previous years, which isn't always a bad thing. However, the dog I adopted earlier this year ran out in front of a car chasing a rabbit and broke its leg in August, and the subsequent veterinary expenses were rather high (over 2000 € so far) which has dented my wallet somewhat.

I have the option of taking on a new direct client with the likelihood of reasonable volumes of work, but they are based in France and I don't have the r
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The previous couple of quarters were quieter than in previous years, which isn't always a bad thing. However, the dog I adopted earlier this year ran out in front of a car chasing a rabbit and broke its leg in August, and the subsequent veterinary expenses were rather high (over 2000 € so far) which has dented my wallet somewhat.

I have the option of taking on a new direct client with the likelihood of reasonable volumes of work, but they are based in France and I don't have the required EU VAT number yet, as all the rest of my clients are based in Spain, like me. I need to go to the tax office to see about that, but life and work keep getting in the way…

[Edited at 2019-10-23 09:16 GMT]
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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 10:31
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other: too soon to tell Oct 23, 2019

Though this month has been quite good, October is just the first month of the last quarter of the year and things can change as ups and downs are an integral part of a translator’s life…

Tom in London
Angus Stewart
 
Elizabeth Tamblin
Elizabeth Tamblin  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:31
French to English
Too early to say Oct 23, 2019

I have had a few jobs this month after a few months of virtually no work. No doubt things will get busy around the end of December, and I'll be there like Bob Cratchit at my desk on Christmas Day.

Angus Stewart
 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 11:31
French to English
. Oct 23, 2019

neilmac wrote:

The previous couple of quarters were quieter than in previous years, which isn't always a bad thing. However, the dog I adopted earlier this year ran out in front of a car chasing a rabbit and broke its leg in August, and the subsequent veterinary expenses were rather high (over 2000 € so far) which has dented my wallet somewhat.

I have the option of taking on a new direct client with the likelihood of reasonable volumes of work, but they are based in France and I don't have the required EU VAT number yet, as all the rest of my clients are based in Spain, like me. I need to go to the tax office to see about that, but life and work keep getting in the way…

[Edited at 2019-10-23 09:16 GMT]


Best wishes for your dog.
I remember as PM in a French agency, having to ask translators for their VAT number. Those in the UK always told me they didn't earn enough. So then they'd give me their NI number or some set of figures that could prove that they were working legally and paying tax on their translation income, which is why French agencies ask for that. It's just in case they have inspectors come round.

Otherwise, since things have been quite quiet so far this month (just like last year), I would gladly help that client out ^^!


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:31
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Too early Oct 23, 2019

It's only 23 October. We're only halfway through the 4th quarter of 2019.

Ask me again in January 2020.

[Edited at 2019-10-23 14:57 GMT]


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
DZiW (X)
Sumaiya Nishat
Philip Lees
 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
I mostly work as an interpreter Oct 23, 2019

My average rate for translation makes some $0.30-$0.35/word, looking pretty good--as usually.

 
Angus Stewart
Angus Stewart  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:31
Member (2011)
French to English
+ ...
Things are starting to pick up. Oct 23, 2019

Elizabeth Tamblin wrote:

I have had a few jobs this month after a few months of virtually no work. No doubt things will get busy around the end of December, and I'll be there like Bob Cratchit at my desk on Christmas Day.


Overall things have been much quieter than normal in 2019 and like Elizabeth I had a few weak months over the summer with virtually no work. However, things have started to pick up this month and the past two weeks have been crazy busy. Normally the fourth quarter is a busy time for me and hopefully it will continue in the run up to Christmas.


Elizabeth Tamblin
Sumaiya Nishat
 
Kevin Patrick Johnson
Kevin Patrick Johnson
Japan
Local time: 19:31
Japanese to English
+ ...
Least in 6 years Oct 24, 2019

Very quiet. I have been relying on a single client for much of my work over the past 6 years, but they seem to be having problems on their end in the last 6 months (lots of people quitting, etc.).

Not sure if it's the industry or just me, but my income has dropped by 33% or so.


Elizabeth Tamblin
 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 07:31
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
I'm not sure yet Oct 28, 2019

My best client is sending less work than usual, so it seems to be declining. But one client only cannot be used as a meter.

 


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Poll: Your business so far during the 4th quarter of 2019 seems to be:






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