Category Archives: Uncategorized

Oops, I Did It Again: 5 Mistakes Freelancers Tend to Make

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When I started my freelance translation career – although I didn’t call it a career at that time – I did a lot of mistakes. And this is absolutely normal. What is not normal is not to learn from your own mistakes and those of your colleagues.

Yesterday I read the post 5 Sad Mistakes Freelance Translators Make on Startup by Simon Akhrameev and it resonated with my feelings. Even after 8 years of experience I found some thoughts for myself and refreshed some golden rules of a freelance translator.

Post is highly recommended for both newbies and experienced freelancers!

Website Localization for Dummies: 3 Basic Things You Should Know About

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In the age of the Internet it would be insane for any business not to have a website. Moreover, it is globalization that dictates the pace, and if you want to be a part of the global economy you should get not only an up-to-date website but a website translated into several languages.

For a person unfamiliar with the world of translation and localization it can be a real challenge to figure out what to start with. Some insight into the topic would be a use for those thinking about going beyond national borders. Continue reading Website Localization for Dummies: 3 Basic Things You Should Know About

Invoicing in Freelance: Choose the Right Tool for Yourself

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Small business is an important part of any modern economy. In recent years freelancers have been enthusiastically joining the ranks of entrepreneurs. Perhaps not all of us take freelance seriously, and in certain countries some freelancers even prefer not to register their activity officially. Personally I do not support this practice. I am sure that freelance can be successful only in case of a serious attitude. It means that you should look at it like at your business. It follows herefrom that your business is not only your narrow profession, but also some side activities such as marketing, accounting, and invoicing, of course.

Today let’s talk about different ways to cope with invoicing. Obviously, the best thing is to make the process maximum well-ordered so that it doesn’t require too much time, money, and efforts. That’s why each freelancer chooses the way responding to his/her own principles and business style. Continue reading Invoicing in Freelance: Choose the Right Tool for Yourself

Business and Friendship — a Killer Combination?

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There is an opinion that business and money can ruin even best friendship. When you cooperate with your friends or relatives, it is indeed too hard to decide which course you should follow — the one based on business standards or the other based on moral principles.

In my life, I’ve had a chance to try both office and freelance work. My experience taught me 2 things: think twice when you hire a friend (or become your friend’s service provider) and never ever become friends with your boss. Perhaps it would seem straight-out to you, but believe me, I have grounds for deciding this. Continue reading Business and Friendship — a Killer Combination?

The Hard Side of Freelance

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Some time ago in one of my posts I declared my love to freelance. I really love it, and 7 years of purely freelance life haven’t disillusioned me. However, there is nothing ideal in our world, so I am aware of the other side of the story, and I think it’s time to look at it a little closer. Perhaps this post will be useful for those who are still hesitating whether they should move to freelance or stay in a corporate world, and I think it can give some food for thought to current freelancers too.

So I sat down and tried to recall any minuses of freelance. And you know, the more I was thinking about it, the more I understood that these are not minuses but challenges and difficulties. Some people love challenges, so these “minuses” could even turn into pluses for them. So let’s call it the hard side of freelance. Continue reading The Hard Side of Freelance