Home .........Hire Me .........101 Tips

Monday, April 30, 2007

Investment required for a freelance translator

Investment required for a freelance translator

Freelance translation jobs are very lucrative and with a little initial investment the returns can be made to increase manifold. Here are a few tips on investment and these will be of great help while establishing your career in the sphere of freelance translation.

There needs to be a minimum amount of investment required in some equipment and essential software. You need to possess a computer and proper word processing software.

You should also invest in a fax machine and Internet connection that is fast and effective. There are innumerable on line dictionaries available like LEO that are very helpful and so are absolutely necessary. These dictionaries yield instant results at the mere touch of a button. These help to save a lot of time as searching through these are much easier than going through the printed versions.

Besides these you also need to invest in a telephone and an answering machine. With these a dictating machine would be also quite helpful though it is optional. There are other options as well those are slightly expensive but helpful never the less.

Many freelance translators now a days are using many other translation tools and also translation memory software. If you have a full fledged office set up for your translation services then you can also use CAT that is the Computer Aided Translation. It is better known as the Trados, which is now taken to be a standard. There is also the Déjà vu but these are a little expensive. It might not be very cost effective if there is not sufficient funding available. Wordfast is also another good software that one can make use of.

These are some of the areas where sagacious investment will yield good results.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

A great site for booklovers!

I like to read good books.
Hence I am always looking for books which make me think, which are easy to read and keeps a lasting impression.

One way to find grat books is to search for best books list.

Recently I came across a site
http://www.librarything.com
which is very interesting. Wikipedia says it is a site like Myspace but for book lovers.

There is no sell involved. You can see what other peoples are reading , join groups with similar book choice etc etc. You need to visit the site and if you are a book lover you will not want to leave the site.

Happy reading and do keep your comments here once you visit that site.

The site is non-profit one and I do not have any commercial interest in promoting that site. It is a site just for book lovers.
http://www.librarything.com
Ostom

Saturday, April 21, 2007

How to Increase Business as an Online Freelance Translator?

How to Increase Business as an Online Freelance Translator?

As an online freelance translator, you are persistently working to acquire new clients to increase the scope of your freelance translation jobs. Using the power of the Internet has made the task all the more easy. However, there are a few techniques and tips which you can employ to obtain maximum online help in receiving clients.

As an online freelance translator, you should have an email address of your own to communicate with prospective clients. You also need a little investment on your part to develop a website of your own for carrying out freelance translation business.

The website need not be a fancy one, but should contain sufficient information that you want to convey to your potential clients. Even though having your own website may not initially bring in hundreds of clients, it will at least lend a professional touch to your online freelance translation service.

Create an email signature block stating your area of specialization and your website. This increases chances of potential client in locating you as an online freelance translator. Also, try to participate in online blogs and forums as much as possible since it is the quickest way to spread your name as an online freelance translator.

Writing articles online is another way of sharing information with the online community and letting them know of your website and translation business.

Communication from one end of the world to the other is just a button-push away! Just by sitting beside your computer, you can bid on new projects, decide the terms and conditions, work on translation and deliver this work back to the client.

Time is money, and the time you save can be spent on search for new clients. This will certainly give your business a well-desired start to succeed in future as an online freelance translator.

Friday, April 13, 2007

Managing Stress

Stress is experienced by all of us from time to time, thus the one experienced in freelance translation services is no exception. It can arise due to the fact that you are working by yourself the whole day, issues concerning payments from delinquent clients, finding freelance translation jobs, and meeting deadlines.

The golden rule in freelance translation jobs to manage stress is never to avoid it as a side-effect of hectic work schedule. To combat stress, find out its source. This will make things easier to take appropriate action. You may face situations when there are looming deadlines and not considerable time to work on the concerned translation project.

Instead of getting stressed and working furiously on it, take a minute to think of possible alternatives available in freelance translation jobs. You can always ask the client for extending the deadline.

If you think that doing so can hamper your reputation as a freelance translator, outsource fraction of the work to another translator. Always be mentally prepared for alternatives and solutions to relieve stress.

Along with the various solutions that you will keep handy in freelance translation services, you must also remember to take occasional breaks from the monotonous work you are engaged in. It is not possible to sit glued to the computer screen the whole day while working as a freelance translator. Combining work with pleasure will aid to relieve stress, especially in the field of freelance translation services.

While you are on freelance translation jobs, try to take time off to call a friend, read a book, go for a walk, and exercise to keep a clear mind. These small activities also boost up your energy level and keep the stress level at the lowest.

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Where should you put in your money in a freelance translation business?

Where should you put in your money in a freelance translation business?

Freelance translation jobs earn good profits and with a little initial investment the returns can be made to increase manifold. Here are a few tips on investment and these will be of great help while establishing your career in freelance translation.

There needs to be a minimum amount of investment required in some equipment and essential software. You need to possess a computer and proper word processing software.

You should put in your money in a fax machine and Internet connection that is fast and effective. There are innumerable on line dictionaries available like LEO that are very helpful and so are absolutely necessary. These dictionaries yield immediate results at the mere touch of a button. These are actually time savers as searching through these are much easier than going through the printed versions of dictionaries.

Many freelance translators use many other translation tools and also translation memory software. If you have a full fledged office set up for your translation services then you can also use CAT that is the Computer Aided Translation. It is better known as the Trados, which is now taken to be a standard. There is also the Déjà vu but these are a little expensive. It might not be very cost effective if there is not sufficient funding available. Wordfast is also good software that one can make use of.

Besides these things you need to put in some of your money in a telephone and an answering machine. Along with these a dictating machine would be also quite helpful though it is an optional one. There are other options as well those are slightly expensive but helpful never the less.

Sunday, April 01, 2007

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