Poll: When it comes to my freelance business, I generally:
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Feb 23, 2020

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "When it comes to my freelance business, I generally:".

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Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 10:48
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Take things day to day Feb 23, 2020

I'm grateful to be able to take things as they come. Since I also receive a pension from my in-house years, I consider that all my income is translation-related, but I'm not fully dependent on my freelance business.

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Linda Miranda
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 17:48
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Take things day-to-day Feb 23, 2020

Like Muriel, I’m not fully dependent on my freelance business and I try to take things day-to-day but I must admit that when I have less work I just can’t avoid feeling kind of panicky (the fact that for a while I had no financial security at all and three kids to raise left its mark).

Goodness
Nikki van Leeuwen
Amy D Lang
 
Ana Vozone
Ana Vozone  Identity Verified
Local time: 17:48
Member (2010)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Plan ahead, short-term Feb 23, 2020

Although I have also had to take things day-to-day (don't we all as freelancers?) for over 40 years now, I do plan ahead (and short-term), namely as regards leaving certain clients, getting certain new ones in specific areas, working on my continuous professional development (a must!) and organizing my time off.

I have just reached the "official" retirement age here in Portugal but plan (and need) to continue working, both for financial and sanity reasons. So, for me, the continuit
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Although I have also had to take things day-to-day (don't we all as freelancers?) for over 40 years now, I do plan ahead (and short-term), namely as regards leaving certain clients, getting certain new ones in specific areas, working on my continuous professional development (a must!) and organizing my time off.

I have just reached the "official" retirement age here in Portugal but plan (and need) to continue working, both for financial and sanity reasons. So, for me, the continuity of my work as a freelancer definitely requires some planning ahead
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Kaisa I
Aline Amorim
Goodness
Meg Mullan
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 14:48
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Day-to-day, no other way Feb 23, 2020

It's very nice to plan and I love planning.
But in our profession, this is a bit utopic. We have no idea how much work will fall on our laps tomorrow or how long we'll stay with no work at all. How can we possibly do any planning?


Axelle H.
Muriel Vasconcellos
Philip Lees
Anja Hajek
Nikki van Leeuwen
momo kim
Liena Vijupe
 
Aline Amorim
Aline Amorim  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 14:48
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Plan ahead, short-term Feb 23, 2020

It's very nice to plan and I love planning because I have no idea how much work will fall on my laps tomorrow or how I'll stay wih no work at all and namely as regards leaving certain clients, getting certain new ones in specific areas, working on my continuous professional development (a must!) and organizing my time off.

 
Vera Schoen
Vera Schoen  Identity Verified
Sweden
Local time: 18:48
Member (2008)
German to Swedish
+ ...
Both Feb 24, 2020

I plan short term for the day and the coming week (is there room to accept more work, and if so what volume), but I also think a lot about what I want my working day to look like in, say, 10 years and make plans for how to get there. Will I be able to implement my plans? Who knows! But if I don't make any plans, chances are I will be going on exactly the same way for years and years, and I want to improve (my skills, expertise).

 
Justin Peterson
Justin Peterson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 18:48
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
I've got to do some marketing... Feb 24, 2020

Been saying that for 15 years :/ Too busy translating

Maria Danielson
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
 
Jan Truper
Jan Truper  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 18:48
Member (2016)
English to German
Plan ahead short-term Feb 24, 2020

I try to plan my workload about 2 weeks ahead (i.e., clients who book me in advance have a better chance of acquiring my services).

 
Amy D Lang
Amy D Lang  Identity Verified
Austria
Local time: 18:48
Hungarian to German
+ ...
How do you do that? Feb 24, 2020

Justin Peterson wrote:

Been saying that for 15 years :/ Too busy translating


Well, congratulations, wish I could say something similar...


Brian Joyce
Tom in London
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:48
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Reminded Feb 24, 2020

When it comes to my freelance business, I am often reminded of a certain kind of shopkeeper in Florence - selling anything from luxury women's wear to fruit and vegetables.

There are times of the day, and times of the week, when you see them standing at the door, wondering if any customers are going to come in today.

At other times they're so busy that there isn't enough room in the shop for everyone.

It all depends on passing trade, or whatever the transl
... See more
When it comes to my freelance business, I am often reminded of a certain kind of shopkeeper in Florence - selling anything from luxury women's wear to fruit and vegetables.

There are times of the day, and times of the week, when you see them standing at the door, wondering if any customers are going to come in today.

At other times they're so busy that there isn't enough room in the shop for everyone.

It all depends on passing trade, or whatever the translation equivalent is of "passing trade".



[Edited at 2020-02-24 15:12 GMT]
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Mariana Borio
 
Brian Joyce
Brian Joyce  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Member (2022)
French to English
day by day Feb 24, 2020

When it comes to my freelance business, I generally wonder will it ever work out?Living day to day in the freelance world it's like a zero hours contract, there is either never enough work or too much.

Tom in London
 
Iwona Budzynska MCIL
Iwona Budzynska MCIL
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:48
English to Polish
+ ...
The best plan is no plan at the moment Feb 25, 2020

From my short experience it seems like the best paying jobs come last minute. Therefore, I do not plan in advance anymore and frankly.. I go with the flow at the moment. It seems to be the best way to secure the most profitable jobs (in my case anyway)...

 


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Poll: When it comes to my freelance business, I generally:






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