Poll: How often do you hit a period during which you receive few or no jobs for several days? Лице кое објавува дискусија: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How often do you hit a period during which you receive few or no jobs for several days?".
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| | | | Tim Drayton (X) 
Кипар
Local time: 15:48
турски на англиски
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Very often over the past six months, which have been dead. On the other hand, I was snowed under with work for the first seven months of 2013, and I don't think I ever had more than two consecutive idle days in that period.
| | | | | Where is the option... | Mar 13, 2014 |
"Not often enough?"
This is the feeling I have at the moment...
I do "hit" such periods and I do get nervous after a while, but less and less often.
[Έγινε επεξεργασία στις 2014-03-13 09:58 GMT]
| | | | | Between very rarely and from time to time... | Mar 13, 2014 |
After two very slow years, things have picked up quite nicely since the beginning of last year and I haven't had a single day without work since late December...
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Carmen Grabs
Германија
Local time: 14:48
Член (2012)
англиски на германски
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| This week is my first quiet week this year, | Mar 13, 2014 |
but as I am still working on projects I got last week, I am busy.
Still a little worried, as usual ...
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Until now "touch wood" and hope it stays that way
| | | | neilmac
Шпанија
Local time: 14:48
шпански на англиски
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Could be doing with one of those periods now...
| | | | | What he said. | Mar 13, 2014 |
neilmac wrote:
Could be doing with one of those periods now...
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| somewhere between very often and time to time | Mar 13, 2014 |
A few days or so is not that unusual.
Last year was actually fairly slow compared to the previous year, and so far this year, february was completely dead save for a few small jobs.
Since the beginning of March, I've been busy which was great, because the weather has been HORRIBLE and i've been sick with a never ending cold.
Ideal situation is being very busy, then having a few days' stretch with little or no work...
| | | | Parrot
Шпанија
Local time: 14:48
шпански на англиски
+ ...
| From time to time | Mar 13, 2014 |
Oh, they come in, but a.) are they worth accepting from the financial point of view, and/or b.) are they in my competence areas? There are still a lot of generalists out there.
Put it this way, I manage to be free from time to time.
| | | | Enrico Zoffoli
Италија
Local time: 14:48
Член
германски на италијански
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| | Don't worry unless | Mar 13, 2014 |
Don't worry unless you have few clients and jobs in general or your financial liquidity would find itself in jeopardy were any single major client to quit requiring your services. As one poster has said somewhere, for $200 it's better to do 10 pages than 40. Don't lower your rates to increase your traffic, but if you do want to increase your traffic anyway, I suggest getting in touch with Marta, from whom you can get a translation-speci... See more Don't worry unless you have few clients and jobs in general or your financial liquidity would find itself in jeopardy were any single major client to quit requiring your services. As one poster has said somewhere, for $200 it's better to do 10 pages than 40. Don't lower your rates to increase your traffic, but if you do want to increase your traffic anyway, I suggest getting in touch with Marta, from whom you can get a translation-specific business and marketing course delivered by a qualified translator cum qualified business coach cum qualified marketer. Of whom there aren't many, and I have a nagging suspicion they take more than 210 quid for six sessions. Then there's her Traduemprende presentation, and perhaps she could recommend some literature or more advanced courses.
Then, there are Websites for Translators, who do more than websites; rather, the totality of your graphical presentation down to business cards. Again, the advantage is that stuff they do is translator-specific. Their prices aren't horrendous. And there's Valeria Aliperta, who focuses on branding (as in, more specific and specialised than what Marta does).
Finally, it's easier to fill your calendar than to raise your rates.
Edit: Yes, sometimes I receive no job inquiries for a full day, sometimes two days. Longer periods had happened earlier, though not really now. A full week may pass with no offers I'd be interested in, but not really with no offers whatsoever. Still, every now and then I suppose three days of silence in a row could happen, but that's okay with me because I have scarce free time as it is, and many things other than just translating which I'd like to do. For example marketing, administration, refocusing my business, writing some articles or preparing a video, publishing in a law review somewhere. The trick is to get used to and become somewhat comfortable with the fact that your free time (or your n-time, where n is anything else than working on actual client jobs) doesn't come where you choose it. Make use of it when you have, so that you don't have to turn down client inquiries when they start coming like busses (i.e. either none for hours or six at once ).
[Edited at 2014-03-13 20:47 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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LingoKat
Германија
Local time: 14:48
француски на германски
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[Edited at 2014-03-14 06:08 GMT]
| | | | Sonia Hill
Обединето Кралство
Local time: 13:48
италијански на англиски
The last couple of days have been the first quiet spell I've had in a few years. I'm trying to enjoy it while it lasts. Today already looks set to be busier!
| | | | Muriel Vasconcellos (X)
Соединети Американски Држави
Local time: 05:48
шпански на англиски
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Lat year I didn't have a day without work, but this year it has been more spotty.
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