There are essentials for freelance translators as well: items that are important to the success of your translation business; items that we recommend every freelance translator should always be armed with.

There are items that are essential for success in every aspect of our lives, regardless of our profession or our hobby. These are the items that set you up to achieve; that keep you safe, that ensure you achieve your goals, and allow you to proceed with your career or hobby in such a way that you can be proud of the way you’re progressing in your particular field.

There are essentials for freelance translators as well: items that are important to the success of your translation business; items that we recommend every freelance translator should always be armed with –

You’re not going to achieve anything without a reliable computer; in fact, with freelance translation your computer will pretty-much become your best friend. You’ll rely on it to be there for you during feast and famine, and trust that it never lets you down.

Professional business cards. We’re talking here about cards that have been professionally designed and created – not those cheap ones with advertising on the back! These cards should be specific to you and your business, and whilst they don’t need to be fancy, they do need to clearly advertise your business and your translation skills.

Besides your trustworthy computer, it’s imperative that you have a reliable backup system - and that your data is backed up on a regular basis. Most professional translators have a backup computer as well.

A comfortable but sturdy office chair – one that supports good health. Alternatively, you may choose to use a treadmill desk or a yoga ball.

It’s imperative that every freelance translator separates their business finances from their personal finances. This means that you need a separate business bank account from which to conduct your translation business.

Every freelance translator should have a membership to at least one association for professional translators. It’s the only way to keep up-to-date with industry ideas and technology; plus, it’s also important that translators have regular contact with other people in their own industry. The freelance translation business can be a solitary business, so belonging to a professional translators’ association provides that much-needed contact with like-minded people in the outside world.

You also need a high-quality computer keyboard. A good keyboard is very important when you’re working on it for many, many hours each day.

A translation professional needs to have a few good dictionaries on hand, in various flavors. These might be online dictionaries, print, specialized, general, and so on, but the information you require to complete your work in an efficient manner must be very close at hand.

A good thesaurus is an absolute must for translators! Most translators say they use their thesaurus more than any other resource. Sometimes, when words fail us, we just need to find another way to say it!

A minimum of one trusted colleague! Obviously, this is not something you can buy, but if you should be fortunate enough to have at least one trusted colleague you have a much greater potential to succeed with your freelance translation business. Having a network of colleagues can reduce a lot of stress and make your job so much more interesting and enjoyable.