How to start translation business

06.06.2016

10 Steps to start your translation business!

Business Translation

Are you a language translation freelance? Do you fail to have regular clients? Is your budget low? Do you struggle for living? Do you need some uplifting and promotion?

Business Translation for your international projects

If your answer to all of the above questions is “Yes”, you are quite eligible to run your own translation business! Sounds ridiculous, isn’t it? Yes, but that’s what this article is all about – turn the impossible into real-life experience!

Translation Companies in the world

How to Manage Translation Services

First, you must have a dream or at least a wish to become more than you are now or to develop into something more significant than just a freelance.

Technical Translation Services for your large industrial ventures

Second, you have to acknowledge the fact that you CAN do better and more that you do now, and that’s absolutely true!

However, it does not mean to work harder – no! Working hard is not always the answer. The answer is to work wisely and regularly with enough time for rest and recreation. Certainly, at first stage of your business, you will have to make many inputs, but that is incredibly rewarding – it will pay you back hundredfold! Please mind that over-toiling brings only frustration and disappointment. You should have to work and to rest. There should be a balance between the two.

Medical Translation for healthcare and pharmaceuticals

Third, you have to realize that most of the barriers, which seem to stand before you and impede your move forward, are actually in your mind. However, besides the imaginable barriers there are real ones, which should not be underestimated. But still you have just to know – any and all barriers can be overcome! The difference is the time and effort – but that’s absolutely attainable!

Legal Translation for your business relations and transactions

Forth, you have to accept the fact that you can do most of the things yourself – on your own – independently! Most people think they are doomed to work under the guidance and instructions of people above them. Of course, you need to have some courage and a little experience that will help you feel worthy of making something incredible and fantastic!

10 rules to start your business!

Language Translation

Fifth, you have to learn to communicate and associate with various translation teams and freelancers. For that you can keep in touch with your former or past fellow-students, co-workers, colleagues, or local and remote language teams who can really do the translation for you. It is important for any business to have trusted companions and partners. You friends can become your first companions and partners! Also it is very beneficial to be a part of any online translation team or a club. This will help you to contact with more freelancers and share your projects with them.

Sixth, you have to learn to organize your time – work and leisure time. You have to plan you actions. You may start planning for a day or two, then for a week, a month, etc. Of course, we cannot predict future events or circumstances, as translation business depends on many varying and fluctuating factors that do not depend on us. But it is very crucial to see and depict the forthcoming activities. The easiest way to learn to organize your life is to make schedules and follow them strictly. Then, you will be able to adjust your schedules. Thus, you will become your own boss!

Seventh, one of the most important factor in business promotion is advertising. Actually, it may not be as one of the steps for business development – it should be done all the way and all the time! Without knowing you or without having information about the Client will never contact you and will never be interested in you!

Since it is one of the critical part of any business and profit, you have to attend to advertising very carefully. To make oneself visible you have to publish your information at least on the most popular translation portals and at online translation communities.

There are several hints as to what means are to be used for efficient advertising.

Online publishing of one’s information. Description of experience with samples of translation (it gives much weight to your portfolio), education (you should include every and any courses that you’ve ever had), personal qualities (include as many good traits as you can).
Webpage or website. It is you face and first impression that any client gets when he/she visits your page or site. Also, in future, the website will be a must to promote your business and used as a platform for communication and information distribution and sharing! So website is preferable. But you can start with just a webpage.
E-mail marketing is one of the ways which can be used to promote your translation services and your future (or present) translation business. Most people will ignore your messages, but 10% out of 100% will look through your portfolio.
SEO Promotion of your website or webpage. If you have a page or (preferably) website, you SHOULD promote it to be visible online. Even if you are a specialist of translation between just two languages, you are still having a very good chance to get noticed! The selection of key words for promotion of your website will allow you to specify your qualification and thus give you more opportunity to be promoted to the TOP!

Eighth, you have to search for direct contacts with managers, directors and decision makers of the companies looking for professional translation services between the languages you majored in. You may contact them by E-mail, phone call or any other possible off-line and online means.

Ninth, you have to publish your ideas, thoughts, insights and visions online and share it to the subscribers – you potential clients. You can send them regular E-mails with your updates and news. And you also can publish your texts in your website blog or in all other online blogs. You have to be online for people to see you are alive.

Tenth, you have to consider the legal status for your business. It may be just a sole proprietor or Limited Liability Company or a Partnership – whatever suits you and your occupation. If you have just commenced your business journey you have to start with something not burdensome. But if you are sure and able to stay afloat and develop into a bigger entity then it would be good for you to start with an LLC company from the start.

Our Translation Company is a good example of a development from a mere sole proprietor to a Company. Over the years, Intercombase Translation Services Inc. grew from a team of freelance enthusiasts into a company of business-minded people aimed at satisfying your language translation needs!

Our services range from Document Translation and Website Translation to Voice Over and Subtitling and Copywriting services.

We speak and translate in all major European and Asian languages. Mostly we provide: English to German translation, from English to French translation, from English to Spanish translation, from English to Italian translation, from English to Dutch translation, from English to Danish translation, from English to Norwegian translation, from English to Chinese translation, from English to Korean translation, from English to Japanese translation.