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I don’t need no stinkin’ job tracking system… June 5, 2008

Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Translation Sites.
16 comments

Au contraire! I, like you, thought I didn’t need a job tracking system. When you are first starting out it is easy to keep track of the jobs because you may only have one or two. You may not think you need a job tracking system right now, but once things get busy and you completely forget about a job you agreed to take when you were stressed out with another job and/or forgot to write it down somewhere, you will definitely implement one! I’ve been there and I know of what I speak. I have forgotten two jobs in the thirteen years I have been doing this, and both times I was absolutely mortified. Luckily I had good relationships with the clients and was able to save our relationships. The first time I offered a substantial discount and busted my rear end to get the file done as soon as possible. The second time they decided to do it in-house, and the situation involved a lot of groveling and apologizing on my part… I’m still working with both clients – and the last job I forgot was back in November 2006.

My job board

There are numerous systems translators use to track their jobs. As you can see, I use the old-fashioned, yet oh so handy, dry erase board. It’s a tried and true method to track jobs and note deadlines and estimated word counts, and it gives you the added satisfaction of crossing a job off once you have finished the job and sent the invoice (the same day you deliver the job – or at most the next day. Don’t put it off or you’ll forget!!!).

As I mentioned before, one of my German-English colleagues uses Post-It notes on her monitor to track her jobs. Here are some other options you may not have thought of…

An Excel spreadsheet is an excellent tool to track your jobs and keep a running tally of how many words you have translated in a year. The graphic to the right may be difficult to read, but basically it contains the job number, end client, file name, pages, type of work (editing or translation), _x$h, word count, actual client, due, delivered, rush?, $/word, invoice date, $invoiced, notes, and TM. You can adapt this to fit your needs. You may want to include a column for date paid, late? (or days late), etc. I particularly love that it tracks the words you have translated for that year. You can also use all kinds of formulas to automatically add it up for you if you like that kind of thing. The sky’s the limit!

Another tool that is especially designed for translators is Translation Office 3000. This project management, accounting, marketing, word count, dictionary, etc. tool quickens, simplifies and optimizes a translator’s day-to-day work. You can keep track of your jobs, track your outstanding invoices, note your quotes and easily convert them into a job, handle your client contact information, and count your files based on lines, words, characters, etc. – all with the help of this tool. I particularly like the ability to track contact information and the visual schedule so you can see when a job is overdue. I don’t like the fact that you have to first create a project and then enter a job, but others may find it very helpful. You can download a free 30-day version here.

Some other options that were suggested to me when I forgot the job were:

1) a project planner (e.g., http://ganttproject.sourceforge.net)
3) a web calendar with automatic reminders (e.g., Freemail Kalender at http://web.de)

I use a web calendar as well (more on that another day when I talk about iGoogle), but I haven’t gone the extra step and entered due dates in it. My job board is perfectly sufficient for my needs – provided I am diligent about writing a job down as soon as I accept it. It’s become habit now, which is quite comforting.

End of day? June 5, 2008

Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Translation Sites.
5 comments

There’s an interesting discussion on the PT listserv at the moment about “end of day” (EOD) delivery deadlines. The translator who started the discussion took it to mean the end of her day (midnight), while her client meant 5 or 6 p.m. (close of business) This is a really interesting discussion, because “end of day” is so nebulous. Some translators agreed with her, saying that for them “end of day” means the customer wants it in their e-mail in box when they get to work the next morning so that they can immediately start working on it (although in this case the client would have most likely stipulated SOB – start of business – or “first thing tomorrow morning”). The majority of the members, however, felt that “end of day” meant the end of normal business hours.

Those of us (like me) who prefer to start work late in the morning and do our best work in the late afternoon or evening hours should never assume that the end of our day is the end of everyone else’s day. One member pointed out that we should not assume that our clients take note of our work habits. Nor should they.

This discussion also makes it clear that we should never assume things and should always clarify our terms at the beginning of the job – not the end. We are service providers, and it is our job to ensure that we meet our client’s stipulated deadline.

So in the future if your client tells you “2000 words EOD” be sure to ask exactly what time they consider to be end of day. You may be surprised at the response.

When do you cry “Uncle”? June 4, 2008

Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings, Translation Sites.
2 comments

I just finished two large jobs and a couple small ones, delivering a total of 20,000 words today. The muscles in my shoulders are stiff, and my arms are a little numb. I have been busy before, but the past few days have been absolutely insane. Everyone I know is completely overwhelmed with translations. When does it end, and when do you cry “Uncle”?

One friend/colleague starts turning down work when she has six Post-It notes stuck to her monitor, indicating six different jobs. In my case, my job board, as you can see, is filled from top to bottom with jobs and crossed-out jobs. I guess you just learn how much you can handle and practice saying no to clients when you are too overwhelmed. But that’s easier said than done.

I’d be curious to hear how everyone else manages to handle a deluge of work. Do you feel guilty saying no to your clients? Do you say no to new clients, yet squeeze in work from long-term clients? I realize my work load this past week was beyond insane. I have some small jobs on my desk now, which are manageable, but I’m taking some time off tomorrow for some “me time” – a pedicure and if they can squeeze me in at the last minute a deep-tissue massage. I also plan on finally writing about the importance of a job tracking system and will talk about how some of my friends track their jobs as well.

In the meantime, I’m off to get some supper and get ready for water aerobics – and, most importantly, turning off my computer. More on this subject tomorrow!

Bulk discounts – yea or nay? May 30, 2008

Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Marketing ideas, Translation Sites.
5 comments

There’s an interesting discussion on the ATA German Language Division listserv at the moment about bulk discounts (a.k.a. volume discounts). The general consensus is not to offer them. I wanted to summarize the main points why translators should not consider offering bulk discounts.

  • It is not beneficial to work more at a lower rate – in fact, it’s worse, because you would have to decline assignments from your regular clients who pay your standard rates.
  • These regular clients will then go elsewhere when you are not available, and you would lose a good client.
  • Most professionals – and even most non-skilled workers – who work over 8 hours a day get paid time and a half overtime – and double time on weekends. Freelance translators unfortunately do not have this luxury. And offering volume discounts ensures that the opposite is true – you are paid LESS for working MORE.
  • Many jobs that require volume discounts also have extremely tight deadlines, which would make it a rush job for which you should be paid more – not less.
  • You don’t know if the client will really come through with the kind of volume he is promising (one savvy member suggested drafting up a contract to “contractually commit to a legally enforceable minimum (annual) volume” and if the client doesn’t hold up its end of the bargain you can consider the contract null and void).
  • If such a contract were signed, you might be legally considered an employee.
  • Why spend time working for a client who doesn’t respect you enough to pay a competitive rate?
  • Prices keep rising (gas, food, housing, etc.) and agencies keep trying to depress prices. Volume discounts are just another way to lower the price. Globalization may be rampant, but the fact remains that U.S.-based translators cannot afford to work at extremely low rates and still make a living. If you continue to offer quality translations the clients who choose to outsource will eventually come back. If they don’t, there is still plenty of work to go around. With globalization the need for translation is increasing exponentially and there aren’t enough skilled translators to handle the load as it is.
  • Agencies that ask for volume discounts are most likely trying to get a bargain and negotiate the best price. Most agencies will be willing to pay your rate once you tell them you do not offer volume discounts.
  • The supply and demand in the industry means you can safely turn down volume discounts and still have plenty of work from other clients. I get contacted by one to two new clients a week who found my profile on the Internet or ATA database or heard about me from colleagues or clients.

If anyone else wants to add something to the list I would love to hear it.

BTW, if you work in German you should definitely join the ATA and subscribe to the GLD listserv. The GLD list has 297 members despite the division itself having over five times as many members (currently close to 1200 members). Those members don’t know what they are missing. I find the listserv to be one of the most valuable tools out there. It is a virtual water cooler for home-based workers (and even some in-house translators). We help each other with terminology and discuss business practices and anything else you can possibly think of (even German stores and food). Most of the things I will bring up here I have learned from the GLD list or PT, which is a Germany-based listserv for translators with 1331 members as of 3/30/08 (the lingua franca is of course German).