What are the most important considerations when transitioning to a freelance career?

Specialize in areas aligning with your expertise and passion. This focused approach enhances marketability, positions you as an authority, and attracts clients seeking specific skills. Stay abreast of industry trends to maintain relevance and deliver exceptional value within your chosen niche. ????

Choose a couple of specializations. They should be areas that you are knowledgeable in and that are interesting to you. That way, the transition will be easier, since you will have more project opportunities; while still focusing on specific niches.

A portfolio should showcase your experience, ideally include clients and be well-arranged. However, due to the very nature of freelancing, translators are bound to NDAs preventing them to mention their clients. As a workaround, translators could chose to work pro bono for NGOs, allowing them to be mentioned and as such building a valuable part of their portfolio. Unfortunately, these projects mostly cover just a part of the services offered, e.g. translating and proofreading within a certain subject area, and only a limited number of words. Therefore, freelance translators should resort to a simple Excel spreadsheet, containing date, language pair, a description of the project, industry of the client, service offered and the wordcount.

When transitioning to freelance translation, craft a compelling online presence. Showcase a diverse portfolio highlighting expertise in various domains. Leverage social media and professional networks for visibility. Prioritize client testimonials for credibility. Invest in continuous skill development, and emphasize reliability in meeting deadlines. A professional website adds polish to your brand. Lastly, personalize communication to resonate with potential clients, showcasing not just your linguistic prowess but the personality behind the translations. ????

To manage freelance projects efficiently, set realistic deadlines and adhere to them. Use project management tools to organize tasks and track progress. Communicate clearly and regularly with clients, updating them on milestones. Prioritize quality in your deliverables, ensuring they meet client expectations. Balance time and resources effectively to maintain profitability and client satisfaction.

If you are transitioning to a freelance career from being staff, it's paramount to set your freelance rates correctly. It's totally wrong to use your previous full-time salary divided by the number of working days as a baseline. You will be doing so many more things, in addition to the actual translation! You will be marketing your services, doing admin, accounts, chasing payments... All this takes time no one will pay you for, so you have to take it into consideration when you set your freelance translation fees.

To develop your skills, actively pursue learning opportunities. Enroll in online courses from platforms like Coursera, Udemy, or LinkedIn Learning. Seek certifications in your field to enhance credibility. Attend workshops and webinars for hands-on experience. Regularly read industry-related books and articles. Join professional networks and forums to exchange knowledge. Embrace continuous learning to stay updated with the latest trends and technologies in your industry.

Ask clients for feedback to keep up the quality and respond adequately to negative feedback. Usually, freelance translators only receive feedback when something went wrong. The client had complaints, and mostly negative feedback is received weeks after delivery. This could lead to uncertainty for you as a translator. Suddenly you are not so sure whether you meet client requirements. Was the briefing really clear? Did you use all reference material? To avoid this, it is advisable to proactively ask clients for feedback when sending a partial delivery to ensure you are on the right track. Also, respond to negative feedback professionally. Ask for client comments to see what the client expected to avoid this pitfall in the future.

If you want to freelance, it's unrealistic and unreasonable to expect a 9-to-5 schedule and clear distinction between your work and private life. You will (have to) work evenings, nights, weekends and holidays if you want to become a professional people rely on, choose to work with and come to time and time again. You can expect to make many sacrifices in the first years after you start but all of these will pay off in valuable connections, life-long relationships with clients and peers who value you as a professional and an individual. And all of this is well worth the time and efforts you put in.

Freelancing doesn’t mean you have to work 24/7 or nights and weekends. Just make sure to set boundaries. For example, I don’t answer emails past 5pm and on the weekends because I refuse to sacrifice my time with my kids. My clients are made aware of my “schedule” even before we start working together. Also, remember to take breaks during your working hours. You’re a freelancer, so you get to decide when and where you work. You can take days off and vacations. I’ve never lost a client because of this. If you do, they simply aren’t the clients for you.

Surprisingly there is very little to no mention of considering your technological setup (e.g. CAT systems, computers etc) your business plan and also your tax planning. The final of these three items can make a big difference, especially knowing what and how much you can offset, depreciation curves, and the like. There may be preferential rates of taxation for new businesses, and it is well worth getting a good tax accountant - cheap is not best, you may pay your tax accountant a bit, but the outgoing might help to get you money back. Never forget to run your business like a business - there is no time for "mates rates", least of all when you are trying to establish yourself.

Think like an entrepreneur, including having a strategy to give you direction. Most freelancers specialise and thus, employ a focus strategy. While staying ahead of developments within the specialisations is one key element of success, staying ahead of developments in the translation industry is evenly important due to shifts. Such a shift has been the Pandemic with the tourism & travel sector going silent. Translators experienced a decrease of volume and thus income, and had to resort to other specialisations to compensate. Another major shift was the launch of ChatGPT. Translators need to stay ahead of such developments regarding their specialisations and service offerings – and decide wisely, whether their chosen strategy fits.