Most translators go through the make-or-break stage of freelancing; meaning that the clients they do seem pleased with their translations and work is not in short supply, but their work volume and level of income haven’t yet reached the level that they need to be in order for the translator to become financially stable.

So what can freelance translators do to take it to the next level? Basically, you need to be at the point where you’re spending more time working than you are looking for work. When you’re at this point you should be looking at financial sustainability.

It’s Going to Take Time!

The first question to ask yourself is this: ‘It’s going to take time to reach your goals, so have you allowed enough time?’ Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the start-up time for an average freelance translator could be anywhere between six months and one year; and it’s quite normal for a translation business to take between two and three years until such time as the business becomes a full-time business – a business where you’re in control of the hours. If you’ve held the belief that your translation business should have reached cruising speed in just a few months, then that was very optimistic, and possibly unrealistic. Whatever you do, don’t quit after just a few months: you’ve put so much time, effort, and thought into your business that you’ve probably already done the hard yards, so be patient, carry on with your great marketing strategy (you do have a great marketing strategy, right?), and you will achieve success!

Are You Fulfilling Every Aspect of Your Translation Projects?

Have you fulfilled every requirement of every project you’ve completed? If you succeed in meeting, or even better – beating – your deadlines, and you consistently deliver quality work that’s been meticulously researched and proofread, then you can be sure that your clients will contact you again when they next require a translation. On the other hand, if you missed your deadline, you didn’t ask the relevant terminology questions, and your work wasn’t proofread to a high standard, then you need to start working on your quality assurance - because your clients will be expecting more from you. If you’re advertising yourself as a professional translator, then you must deliver professional work.

How Much Are You Charging?

Are you charging too little or too much? We could talk about translation rates forever, but basically, you need to avoid pricing yourself too much below or above the market rates for your language pair. If you charge too much your clients will simply look for another translator; if you charge too little it will appear that you’re not confident in your translation skills or that you’re an amateur.