Creating a conducive work environment October 29, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings.5 comments
I woke up this morning to snow. It had been sleeting off and on all day yesterday, but I kept telling myself it was okay as long as the snow didn’t stick (that’s Ohio-speak for “accumulate on the ground and not melt away”). I had hoped it wouldn’t snow until after I had left for Florida, but I’m going to see this as the glass being half full and now say it will make me appreciate Florida all the more.
When the weather turns cold, I tend to nest in my apartment. My office isn’t heated (I converted a neat little storage room off my bedroom), but with the door to the bedroom open it tends to stay pretty comfortable. When it gets really cold I have a space heater that I can use. But most of the time I can work with just a sweater or sweatshirt, comfy bottoms, and warm, fuzzy socks and stay reasonably comfortable.
It is really important to have a work environment that is conducive to work, so I also usually light a candle in the winter to soothe me. I usually have a lavender candle going, but I unboxed my Halloween decorations yesterday and have a nice triple-layer candle from Root Candle (Pumpkin Spice, Mulled Cider and Citrus Grove) burning this morning. Also, in honor of the first day of snow, I broke out my last remaining can of Borders Pumpkin Chai. Borders discontinued its chai several years ago and I had been hording it, only making a couple mugs a month. I recently discovered that Borders Chai is/was Mystic Chai, so I found an online distributor and bought it in bulk to make it through the winter. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find any Pumpkin Chai, but their Vanilla Chai is wonderful too.
So I’m ready to tackle the day, with a candle burning and a steaming mug of Pumpkin Chai next to me. Hope your day is just as relaxing despite the fact that everyone is scrambling to get translation jobs completed before the ATA conference starts and the translation industry is down 2,000 translators.
P.S.: I just received a response from Mystic Chai to my e-mail this morning:
Thank you for your interest in our product. We are no longer producing the Mystic Pumpkin Chai. The two flavors we have available are the Spiced and Vanilla. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Dealing with time zone differences October 21, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Translation Sites.3 comments
I had an “urgent job inquiry” in my e-mail in box yesterday morning from an agency in Germany. The time stamp was 4 a.m. I had woken up earlier than I normally do and was already at my computer drinking my first cup of coffee. I responded saying I would be happy to translate it but wouldn’t be able to start it until Tuesday – and that I would understand if they decided this time frame wasn’t acceptable and found someone else. They responded saying they had already found someone. I got the impression that they had found someone within an hour of sending the e-mail.
This is one of my biggest pet peeves: agencies who ignore time zone differences. Did they expect me to be at my computer at 4 a.m. just waiting to respond to their e-mail? I love working with European agencies, because with the exchange rate the pay is good and I can translate the text and have it in their in box in the morning when they get into the office. But the time zone thing can really be annoying. I wish some agencies would institute a policy where they will contact Translator Group Europe if they need a response right away and Translator Group U.S. if they have a few hours to wait for a response.
I suppose I should consider myself lucky though. At least they didn’t call me on the phone…
What’s the rush? October 14, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Translation Sites.6 comments
I can’t remember the last time I received a job inquiry where the PM said “you know, we have plenty of time for this one. No need to hurry.” In fact, I think I’ve only had this happen to me one or two times. It seems like every single job inquiry I get lately is extremely urgent and needs to be finished tomorrow – or if the call comes in on a Friday by Sunday night. And don’t even get me started about the “we have 10,000 words that need to be translated by tomorrow, how much can you take?” inquiries. I can’t imagine that all these texts are as urgent as the client makes them sound to be. After all, the financial world isn’t going to come crashing down if a CV isn’t translated by tomorrow. But then again…
Why do agencies feel the need to push their translators to their limits and deliver texts within unreasonable deadlines? It is up to us to know our limits and say no if an agency request is unreasonable. I don’t think that is right. The client takes four weeks to write a software manual, article, or computer game and then expects it back – in perfect English – within a day or two. I’m sorry, but that is just unrealistic! Unfortunately, that is the way things are in the T&I industry, and most agencies don’t explain to their clients that the rule of thumb should be that it takes just as long to translate a text as it took them to write it.
The agency should value their translators enough to not want to endanger their health. Instead, it is up to us to say no, but that is a hard thing to do sometimes. For example, I am working on a job that isn’t particularly large – just 8,000 words. However, it needs to be done asap, because it needs to be translated into several other languages based on my translation. Never mind the fact that the client promised it would be 70,000 words, which were to be split amongst four translators, and it ended up being 8,000 – all of which were assigned to me… My forearms are throbbing at the moment. I need to finish this job and then go slather them with my tendinitis ointment and bandage them up for a few days to give them a rest.
And, let’s be honest, who among us really charges rush rates? It’s great in theory, but in practice not so much… I for one rarely charge a rush rate, since most of my jobs need to be finished “am besten gestern” (preferably yesterday). The only time I even think to charge a rush rate is when a client needs the text within a few hours, but then again I am rarely able to accept a last-minute job like that in the first place because I am usually booked for a couple days in advance now. I feel stupid asking for a rush rate for “business as usual.” I have, however, started charging clients extra for weekends. It’s the only way to ensure I can actually have one.
To all you PMs and agency owners reading this: if your agency routinely tells your clients “it isn’t possible within that time frame” or routinely offer rush rates for jobs, please give me a call. You will quickly become my favorite customer!
Freelancing is not for slackers October 13, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings.4 comments
As one of my favorite writing blogs, The Urban Muse, wrote this morning, “freelancers tend to be highly driven and hard-working.” This is not a job for slackers. You have to have the drive to succeed in order to be a successful freelancer. The downside to this is our tendency to work all the time. The Urban Muse suggested reading Steph Auteri at Freelancedom’s great post about balancing life with work, and I don’t think I could do a better job explaining it. Go ahead and read it, I’ll still be here when you get back…
I think all of us can relate to this common problem. Steph lists her four top priorities that should always be on the top of her to-do list: eating, sleeping, breathing and bonding. I think these are needs that every one of us has. I personally have no problem getting enough sleep (I need at least 8 hours to be on top of things), but I also stay up until all hours of the night. Not having anyone press me to go to bed and no kids to wake up in the morning helps a lot… When I have a pressing deadline I let the refrigerator go bare (and I also forget to eat balanced meals or eat at all) and the dirty dishes and clothes pile up. I also notice that the most common complaint among my colleagues is the growing waistline. I try to schedule in exercise, but sometimes it too falls by the wayside. I have also been trying much harder to have a social life, which my friend Jane is constantly commenting on. I try to make it a priority to have lunch with a friend, go out to dinner with friends, or attend a Meetup.com get-together. That said, I’m still single and happily so. I don’t know if anyone could understand the crazy hours involved with translating.
What about you? How do you balance your personal needs with your professional drive?
Shady agencies and scam artists October 8, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Translation Sites.add a comment
I received the following e-mail yesterday. It sounded fishy to me, so I checked the company on Payment Practices and then forwarded a warning to my NOTA members. After all, what are the chances that this meeting would just happen to be held not 5 minutes from my house? Not too likely…
The contact info has been deleted to avoid any accusations of libel.
Hi, my name is [deleted] from Minnesota and I was conducting a search on the internet for professionals that live in the Cleveland Ohio area. I run a Wellness Technology company here in Minneapolis and I have expanded my operations into Cleveland and I am looking for people that need additional income. This can be done part-time or full-time from home.
Anytime, I move into a new area; I personally talent scout top notch professionals for my business. I have a very simple question for you. Do you keep your options open in terms of another revenue stream outside of what you are currently doing in translation?
To be respectful of both of our times, there are two ways to hear about our company. 1) I could send you a link which outlines the company in detail or 2) If you are serious about earning additional income, join us this Thursday at the Solon Country Club to get a complete company overview (information only) and get your questions answered. If there is mutual interest at that point; we will schedule a time to meet again.
If you are doing great! Then congratulations! However, if you know someone that is less fortunate than you and might need more income, please forward this to them and have them contact me.
Event Date:
October 9Event Time:
6:30 pm – 9 pmEvent Type:
Special Events / Company OverviewEvent Language:
Special Guest:
[deleted]City:
ClevelandState:
OHEvent Address:
39000 Signature Drive, Solon Ohio 44139Local Contact Name:
[deleted]Phone Number:
[deleted]Contact Email:
[deleted]Special Notes & Instructions:
Signature of Solon Country Club will host this Special Company Overview with [deleted].Kindest regards,
[deleted]
Founder, [deleted] Translations, Inc.
Current markets:
Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bermuda, Brunei, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Guam, Hungary, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Isla Baleares, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Vietnam, Virgin Islands
Now this in and of itself set my warning bells off. Several of my members wrote back to tell me that this woman had been discussed on ProZ.com as well by several of her “victims,” so she apparently works internationally as well.
One of my members, who I consider to be quite business-savvy, sent me the following e-mail this morning:
I wanted to tell you about [deleted], who is supposedly the Administrative Manager at [deleted].
[company contact info deleted]
[deleted] contacted me via e-mail telling me she was urgently looking for a translator for an on-going large translation project. She was willing to pay $0.14 per word and give me up to 2,500 words per day 5 days a week for a year. She was going to pay via Paypal and/or Western Union and she wanted me to start ASAP. The only stipulation was to use Systran software, which, she mentioned, she had several copies of, and she was willing to sell one to me at a discounted price.
I asked her is she would guarantee she would keep me busy full-time for a year if I was to buy the software, and she gave me a 100% guarantee.
I responded telling her I was very eager to start, I wanted to see the contract, and I knew someone who was willing to sell me his copy of the software.
Needless to say she dropped off the radar never to be heard from again. I do not know what the deal was, but I think she was looking to sell me the software.
Just wanted to give a heads up.
The variety of ways people try to scam other people never ceases to amaze me. If it isn’t the Prince of Ghana looking for an interpreter for his wife, it’s someone trying to sell software using really shady practices. If a job sounds too good to be true, it most likely is! Keep your guard up and get everything in writing. And never, ever accept a job from the Prince of Ghana or anyone who offers to pay you up front and then wants you to wire money back to them. The check will be a forgery and you will be out the money.
Thoughts on the ProZ.com Certified PRO network? October 7, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings, Translation Sites.9 comments
I received the ProZ.com September newsletter this morning announcing something called “the ProZ.com Certified PRO network.”
A new ProZ.com program was announced on International Translation Day last week: the ProZ.com Certified PRO network.
This initiative is intended to provide qualified translators and translation companies with an opportunity to network and collaborate in an environment consisting entirely of screened professionals.
The impetus for the program came from member responses to the July survey on professional differentiation. The concept has been further refined and developed over the past several months by a private group consisting of ProZ.com members and site staff.
An overview was first made available last week. The program is being made open for applications starting today.
To learn more, go to: http://www.proz.com/pro-tag/info
Basically, those accepted into the program earn the “ProZ.com Certified PRO” title and seal, which may optionally be displayed in profile pages and elsewhere on or off the ProZ.com website. I am amazed that it took them this long to realize that most people were unhappy about “professional differentiation.” I’ve been railing about it for years! I’m curious to hear your thoughts on whether or not this is a positive step in the right direction. I’m also looking forward to hearing more about it at the ATA conference. If they can explain how they will accurately determine competence in the source and target languages, research competence, cultural competence, and technical competence as well as business reliability and good citizenship, I may just cave and actually join ProZ. But they will really have to sell it. I’m already overworked without ProZ’s help.
From their site:
Paid membership in ProZ.com (corporate membership for companies, regular membership for freelancers) is required; beyond that, there is no additional charge for participation in the program. Freelancers and companies must endorse the site’s professional guidelines and accept the terms and conditions of program participation to be certified.
If all it is is another title for paid membership, then thanks but no thanks.
Advice for work-at-home apartment dwellers October 6, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings.1 comment so far
The Cleveland Plain Dealer published an article by Robert Sberna last week in its Rentals/Classified section that was extremely informative for those of us who live in apartments and work from home – and perhaps those of you who do not. It discusses the importance of compartmentalizing living and work areas and how to handle distractions, which are two very important topics for any home-based worker. For expediency, I am going to paste it here in its entirety with contact information for the author, but kudos to the Plain Dealer for publishing it!
Advice for work-at-home apartment dwellers
By Robert Sberna
Tuesday, September 23, 2008Compartmentalizing living and work areas can improve productivity and efficiency
Not so many years ago, working from home was a benefit enjoyed mainly by those in entrepreneurial vocations such as freelance writing.
But today, home-based work opportunities, both full- and part-time, are open to a wide range of occupations. And the number of people working at home is expected to increase, driven by advances in digital technology, rising gas prices, and family-centered lifestyle choices.
If your apartment is currently doubling as your place of business, you’re aware of the conveniences and freedoms it offers. However, the most successful home-based workers understand that compartmentalizing their living area from their workspace is vital for productivity and time-management.
“By keeping the two spaces separate, it’s much easier to stay organized and uncluttered,” said JoEllen Salkin, a Solon-based professional organizer. “Compartmentalizing helps you to be the most efficient worker you can be. You can find documents and materials quickly, rather than wasting valuable work time looking for items.”
Ideally, a home office should be located in a dedicated space such as a spare bedroom, Salkin explained, noting that the use of a separate room offers privacy and makes it easier to take advantage of the home office tax deduction. For those who live in one-bedroom apartments however, space may be limited. In this case, a work area can be carved out of the living room by using furniture or even a decorative screen.
“There’s also a psychological reason for compartmentalizing,” said Salkin, who serves as president of the National Association of Professional Organizers’ North Coast Ohio chapter. “It all ties into keeping your business life separate from your home life. By separating your office area, you know when you’re at work. But when it’s time to stop working, you want to have the feeling that you’re leaving the office.”
Along with keeping your living and working spaces separate, Salkin said it’s important not to mingle your personal and business paperwork.
“For confidentiality reasons, you want to make sure that you keep client files in their own area,” she noted. “We also recommend investing in a fire-proof safe for storage of important documents.”
Check lease for any restrictions
Before launching a home-based business in your apartment, you’ll want to read your lease carefully. Rental agreements typically forbid tenants from using their apartments for any type of professional endeavor. However, many property managers won’t object to tenants working from their rental units as long as their business isn’t disruptive to their neighbors. To that end, it wouldn’t be a good idea to have a steady flow of clients visiting your apartment. And you don’t want to engage in an activity that involves loud noises or strong smells.
If you do plan on having the occasional client visit, professional organizer Muffy Kaesberg said you’ll want to keep your apartment clean and uncluttered.
“It’s very easy to get a small place messy in a short time, so you want to stay organized,” noted Kaesberg, a Cleveland Heights resident who co-owns Organizing 4 U. “Just remember that the client is forming an impression of you by the condition of your apartment. If you can’t keep your place neat and tidy, arrange to meet your clients in a coffee shop or restaurant.”
How to handle distractions
Those of us who work from home know that the television, Internet and refrigerator can be major distractions.
“If you’re having trouble managing your work time, use a timer to stay on track. Set the timer for a certain period, and when you finish, give yourself a reward of surfing the Internet for 15 minutes or getting a snack from the refrigerator. Or maybe you can check your e-mail. But it’s important that you finish your block of work before taking a break,” said Kaesberg.
Robert Sberna is a freelance writer who specializes in the real estate and finance sectors. He can be contacted at rchas@aol.com.
Organization is key – part 2 October 2, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices.add a comment
I talked about keeping your workspace clean and organized earlier this week. Now it’s time to talk about electronic clutter. It is important to have a clean and organized workspace, but it is even more important (if not crucial) to keep your computer organized. If you aren’t organized you won’t be able to find your files quickly, which can lead to a lot of frustration. It is so important to have a well thought out system for your files and to keep your previous translations archived and TMs (translation memories) together in a central location so that you can quickly locate them if needed.
I keep all my active translation files in My Documents and try to be vigilant about moving files from my e-mail program’s Attachment folder to My Documents when I start to work on a job. Once I am finished with the jobs and have sent the invoice, I zip all the files for that job (source, target, Trados .bak file, client’s purchase order, and any reference material) to my Archive folder with the client’s name and one or two key words that best describe the project in case I need to open it later. For example, the two surveys on motor oil I translated last week are saved as client_oil.zip and client_oil2.zip. I then delete the files from My Documents.
I have lots of subfolders in My Documents to store files that I may want or need to access again, such as Finances, My Webs, NOTA, Terminology (glossaries I haven’t yet imported into MultiTerm), and Translation Background (which is filled with client non-disclosure agreements and reference material I will most likely use again). I also have a folder called “Temporary” under My Documents that I use for big jobs with lots of individual files. I vigilantly keep that cleaned out once the job is finished.
I’m not saying everyone should use my system, but it works for me. You should at least have a system that you have thought through that works for you.
In addition to changing the way we find and filter information, the Internet has changed the way we file. Ronni Eisenberg and Kate Kelly, in their book, Organize Your Home Office!, explain that you don’t need to keep as much as we used to because so much is available electronically. “You still need to create a file system, and you still need to keep up with it, but today’s technology is going to let you toss more than ever before,” Eisenberg and Kelly write, “Because new and better information is constantly accessible to us via the Internet, there’s less need to maintain all types of files.”
And I haven’t even started about my electronic calendar on Google, which ensures I don’t forget errands or appointments and get there on time, or my PalmPilot interface, which allows me to keep track of contact information, ToDos, notes, and appointments. I love the Google Calendar, because I can pull it up on any computer that has Internet access. I have been trying to use GooSync, which supposedly syncs the Google Calendar and a PalmPilot, but I can’t seem to get it to work. If anyone can offer any insight or suggest another tool that does this I would be most appreciative!!!
Organization is key – part 1 September 29, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices.1 comment so far
I think one of the most important skills for a translator besides the ability to comprehend the source text and accurately convey it in the target language is organization. Organization can drastically reduce your stress level and keep you on top of things. It is important to keep your workspace, your finances, your schedule, and your computer organized and clutter-free. Dorothee Racette has a fantastic presentation from the 2006 ATA conference on Organizational skills for a successful freelancer business that is an absolute must-read for every translator.
There are simple rules for keeping a clutter-free workspace. The most important ones revolve around getting control of your paper. To file effectively and quickly, you need to have the essentials: plenty of file folders, labels, file cabinets or cardboard or plastic boxes, bins, crates or carts. And don’t forget wastebaskets and recycling bins for the items that you choose not to file.
1) Have a system for your active filing. I use four hanging file folders that I file all my important documents in. They are labeled Business expenses, Bills, Bank statements, and Pay stubs for each year. At the end of the year I start four new hanging folders and archive the previous year’s files in an attractive wicker box. Since you need to keep tax-related information for seven years, I shred everything from seven years ago to make room for the new year.
2) Create a record retention policy. Despite technological advances, there are certain files, such as tax-related records and signed non-disclosure agreements, that you’ll need to keep for an extended period of time, or possibly forever. Most of your files can either be thrown away immediately or kept for a defined period of time, then discarded. To manage this process, you’ll need a record retention plan. The following simple file management guidelines are outlined by Barbara Hemphill in her book, Taming the Office Tiger:
- Keep indefinitely: annual financial statements, corporate documents (including non-disclosure agreements, minutes of board of directors’ meetings (if you are an LLC or S-Corp), etc.), and income tax paperwork and payment checks.
- Keep for 6 years: bank statements, voided checks, purchase records (purchase orders, payment vouchers, vendor invoices), and records (invoices, monthly statements, shipping papers and customers’ purchase orders).
- Keep for 4 years: personnel and payroll records (if you are an LLC or S-Corp).
- Keep for 3 years: monthly financial statements.
3) Manage your “to read” pile. You should make a plan to discard the paper as soon as you receive it. If you set it aside to read later, you most likely won’t. I’ve seen suggestions to put these non–urgent “to read” items in large file folder. I use a stacking In, Out, and To Read system. When the folder or bin gets too full, you need to go through it and weed out the items that are no longer relevant or interesting. I don’t let my mail pile up either. I go through it as soon as I receive it and throw all the junk mail in the recycling bin in the hallway.
4) Don’t print it out if you don’t have to. You can’t blame all of your clutter on mail, unfortunately. With so much information at our fingertips as we surf the Web, it can be tempting to print every interesting thing we find. There is no need. It most likely isn’t going anywhere. I know people who print out e-mails (heck, back in 1995 I *was* one of them). There is no reason for this! The only thing I print out now are travel confirmations and invoices. Everything else either gets stored on the computer or can be easily found again using Google.
5) Do you have business cards strewn across your desk or don’t know what to do with the cards when you receive them? I have my business cards filed in a business card folder. I also regularly go through the business card folder and throw out business cards that are outdated. If you have a lot of business cards, consider buying a business card scanner to keep electronic copies of the cards, which can later be searched by name or keyword.
6) Scan the original and throw it out. If you have documents that you need to keep, but you don’t use everyday or don’t have the room to store, use a scanner to create an electronic copy on your hard drive or disk. Also, a shredder is your friend. Run anything confidential or sensitive through a shredder before it hits the recycle bin.
7) Once your office is organized, you’ll want to keep it that way. One web site suggests treating your office as if it were your kitchen. A major part of maintaining order is the way you approach the task. To prevent future paper accumulation, treat the paper in your office as if it’s perishable. Don’t pile it up, telling yourself that you’ll deal with it when you have time. You wouldn’t do that with food in your kitchen. Make decisions on the paper immediately. Keep a recycle bin and a wastebasket next to your desk and use them frequently. Keep filtering, filing, and tossing and you’ll keep enjoying a clutter–free environment.
Payment practice groups for translators September 25, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices.add a comment
I got contacted yesterday by a local translation agency for an interpreting job, which I turned down because I don’t interpret. However, I also let them know that I couldn’t in good conscience recommend someone, because they had come to my attention several years ago on several payment practice listservs to which I belong. I could have insisted on payment up front, as Corinne at Thoughts on Translation advocates, but, like I said, I don’t interpret. I prefer to sit behind my computer and come up with the perfect word.
In honor of this, here is a list of payment practice groups that was compiled by Maja Reimers and posted on the PT listserv (a German language mailing list for translators – primarily Europe-based) Wednesday:
Musings from an overworked translator 