As a freelancer, personal business development is key to improving your business model and increasing your client load. However, with the past year's restrictions on in-person meetings, it can be harder to pitch your services when you don't get to speak with someone face to face.
So, how can you entice prospective clients?
Email, of course. Unfortunately, getting someone to open, let alone read, your email can be challenging. You need to utilize high-quality email practices, and here is how you do it.
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How do I answer job offers at ProZ.com? That question came up in the ProZ.com Facebook group recently and I'm borrowing the well-crafted answer from Lu Leszinsky to include on this blog.
Highlights:
1. Browse jobs that interest you
2. Confirm you meet quoting requirements
3. Click on submit quote
As a freelancer, one of many benefits is the freedom that it allows. However, at one point or another, most freelancers fall into the trap of overworking themselves and feeling unable to take a vacation. The numerous benefits of taking time off have been well documented: relaxing, connecting with family, and giving ourselves that much-needed mental break. If you want to go on vacation but don't know where to start, try taking these four steps.
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How often do you look at reviews before doing or buying something? Most of the time, right? Nearly everyone will investigate a business or product before making a purchase, including your freelance language services. Public feedback inspires trust via its transparency.
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ProZ.com head of training Paul Urwin discusses "Transcreation Essentials" in the latest episode of the ProZ.com podcast. Urwin interviews Nina Sattler-Hovdar, one of the best know global transcreators, and creator of ProZ.com Spotlight Training course "Learn how to get started and prosper in transcreation".
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Did you know that you can include a logo on invoices sent through ProZ.com? Adding a logo to the invoice is one way to personalize this ProZ.com membership tool for your needs.
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Is your email inbox kept as a to-do list? Often, people leave “to-do” emails in their inbox until they are completed. After completion, the email is categorized or deleted, thus removing it from the inbox.
In the series on 50 Steps to optimising your ProZ Profile being discussed at the Translators and Interpreters (ProZ.com) facebook group, group moderator and author Andrew Morris has turned the group's attention to recommendations.
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As a language professional, do everything you can to boost your chances of success. Here's a short video from director of training Paul Urwin with some tips for connecting with translation agencies via email.
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Have you heard of project milestones? As a freelancer, you have likely come across this term but may not have yet implemented it into your project management systems.
Long-term projects need milestones. They help the freelancer stay on track and also make sure that you are getting paid along the way.
One of the beautiful aspects of being a freelancer is freedom. You get to choose your schedule, your workplace, your clients, and more.
However, the sudden switch to complete freedom often leads freelancers to an unorganized and unproductive work schedule. Here are some suggestions for how to schedule your freelancing day.
If you are a freelancer, you must choose a freelancer profile photo. It is a big decision to make as it is one of the primary draws to your freelancer profile. Your photo must inspire trust and professionalism to entice high-quality clients.
Here are 8 freelancer profile photo tips to help you make the right photo choice.
Your business opportunities require the services of language professionals across many languages from many different countries. Features exist at ProZ.com and other freelancer platforms for you and your vendor managers to quickly recruit many freelancers for your job in translation, interpreting, subtitling, transcription and more. Your project managers may deploy these tools to recruit talent to complete the work.
How will you pay this crowd of freelancers?
The overpayment scam may be the most active scam affecting online freelancers. This scheme is very simple, and many are entrapped with it.
You are offered a job with part of the payment coming in advance, but the scammer sends you a larger than agreed upon payment and asks for a partial refund. Or, a payment is made in advance and then the project is unexpectedly canceled.
There are millions of freelancers out there, and over 1 million registered at ProZ.com, likely with thousands within your language pairs; how can you compete? One of the top methods successful freelancers use to create a viable business is by creating a standout profile on freelancer websites.
How do they do this? Here are some strategies for standing out from the crowd.
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