There is no shortage of translators who take the initiative and establish a store as self-employed, but few have the desire or the spirit to start their own translation agency everywhere. This is not surprising, however, as the establishment of a translation agency is a quick measure compared to what is needed to start a viable independent practice.
However, the intellectual and financial rewards of business ownership can be enormous. Below, I will discuss the various factors to consider when considering starting your own professional and complete translation business. Round translation First, what is meant, in this particular context, by the term ‘whole cycle’? Basically, it refers to the scope of your product.
As a freelance worker your output will be limited to a combination of your language and level of proficiency; as an agency owner you will be able to provide your clients with translation into a wide range of source and target languages and sectors, including commercial, technical, medical and legal documents. In theory, your scope will be limited only by the number of employees you are preparing to contract.
Internal organization If you want to start your own translation company, you may be advised to find a qualified partner first - unless you are willing to hire staff right away (that is, in most cases, not a recommended procedure). Ideally, your business partner should be a person with qualities that match yours, if only because in such cases the division of labor is often obvious (and the source of the conflict is removed).
There are good reasons to separate product quality responsibility (i.e., translation quality) from organizational obligations (order processing, account management, etc.). The two roles are not well-matched to performance, and related skills are rarely integrated within the same individual nonetheless.
Find a suitable office living space that includes at least two rooms:
One room like a library where you can work peacefully, and one emotional center where business is done. Make sure you have at least three computer workstations (one backup station is not a luxury item) and an office printer, a telephone switchboard with at least two external lines and a fax. Get yourself a straightforward top-level calculator with a CRM module and write down your methods for working with detailed structured processes.
Do not forget to put down and formalize a number of important agreements regarding responsibilities and obligations with your business partner, to avoid any disagreements. Business Plan Once you have gathered all the information you need, you should draw a Business Plan.
Examples of such programs are available from your local Chamber of Commerce, or can be downloaded (for a fee) online. These sample copies are organized in such a way that they will assist you in each step of your Business Plan.
One of the great benefits of having a reliable Business Plan is that it will present you with the exact amount of money you will need to outsource your agency. If your loan requirements exceed your private budget (and there is a good chance they will do so), you will need to submit a direct banking plan to persuade them that your plans will pay off.
High quality network of independent translators The main asset of any translation agency is clearly its network of reliable translators. After all, you do not have to be a network freak to build such an independent network.
Many private individuals will automatically reveal themselves to you as soon as they receive the spirit of your presence; Alternatively, you can download and review CVs from various independent websites, such as Translators Café or Translators. The snag is that it will be difficult to measure independent work skills if you do not know the language well.
CV testing is important, but it is not enough:
You will need to be able to judge the actual quality of a freelancer product before handing it over to your customers! To avoid this problem, check your network of colleagues or friends to find the most native speakers of the language concerned, ask a few independents to submit trial (free) versions, test them and select two or three independent speakers who are most promising in each language. The combination you intend to give.
Carefully write down the strengths and weaknesses of each of the selected independent tasks, and list the special ones. Note that you will not be able to get a true picture of the freelancer's capacity and capabilities until he or she has the opportunity to do "several translation works" for you.
Once you have a group of reliable independent translators for each language combination, you can explicitly ask them to review and evaluate the translation of the test brought by other people. Another point to keep in mind is that freelancers who decide to work with you must comply with all the requirements set by your country Tax Administration. Each freelancer should be able to produce an official statement, issued by the tax authorities, proving his or her status as an independent translator.
Reliable network of suppliers Your self-employed translators are obviously your most important suppliers, but the supply network includes other organizations that will need to be carefully selected as you will need to use their services continuously. These include bank, accountant, printer and graphic designer.
Marketing Once your agency's internal setup is done, the first thing you should do is recruit customers in systematically. For many beginners in the translation business, this is a very serious obstacle. Obviously, there are a number of strategies that can help you attract customers to the business-to-business category (which is a huge profit margin for any adequate translation agency).
One of the most useful tools, if used properly, is Direct Marketing. In fact, two different Direct Marketing strategies are available:
1. Internet Marketing One effective and inexpensive way to generate business in the short term Search Engine Optimization (SEO), a term that refers to a variety of strategies that can help you strengthen your ability. Presence online, as well as helping customers who want to find you there.
A strong position in the Internet search engines will increase the number of times you are invited to submit a translation work quote, for the simple reason that you may be selected if it is easy to find you online. Some online service agencies are specialized in Search Engine Optimization and will be able to improve your search engine rankings within a few months. Most of these companies charge annual registration fees. For faster results, request an ad word, campaign.
2. Website marketing This is a way to find more expensive clients. Call major international companies and government agencies that may produce documents that will be translated regularly, and ask for the name of the person responsible for translation services (usually an official in the Director's Office, Communications or Marketing Department). Collect information on the website and post your contacts four or five times a year.
Posting may include your company brochure, letter of recommendation, flyers, business relations magazine or anything else that will help remind the reader of your name and the level of quality you provide. A functional website contains at least 1,000 companies or other organizations, and should also contain the names of people you can contact. It does not mean that you will have to re-invest in updating your site further.
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