Careers for Translators and Interpreters

Business Smarts

The ATA Business Practices Education Committee addresses management practices in a monthly "Business Smarts" column in The ATA Chronicle. These columns have now been collected online for easy reference.

Business Smarts Index A-G

• 48 Hours (actually, 40-and-a half)
• Agency Owner Responds to Article on Payment Reduction
• Appropriate Pricing for Services
• Assessing Pricing Pressures
• Calculating Earnings
• Collecting from International Clients
• Cultivating Clients
• Dealing with Complaints
• Dealing with Large Projects
• Defending Yourself Against Unsubstantiated Complaints
• Effective Time Management
• Fluctuating Workloads
• Freelancers and Confidentiality
• Getting What You Are Worth

Business Smarts Index H-P

• Importance of Networking
• It's Okay to Tell
• Learning to Work Better (1)
• Learning to Work Better (2)
• Liability Clauses
• Making the Jump
• Marketing to Direct Clients
• Managing Clients
• Midsummer Slump
• Networking Resources
• Outsourcing
• Preserving Your (and the Client's) Reputation
• Pricing Your Services Appropriately

Business Smarts Index Q-Z

• Red Flags to Look Out For
• Rejecting Contract Clauses
• Repeat Business
• Resolving Payment Issues
• Retirement Planning
• Strategizing for Global Competition
• Targeting Your Résumé
• Ten Golden Rules
• Training for New Subject Specialties
• Weathering Economic Doldrums
• What is a Freelance Translation Business Worth
• Why Do We Need Translation Standards?
• Word Counts and Confidentiality Agreements
• Workflow Management
• Working from Home
• Working with PDFs

Online Earnings Calculator

How much should you charge? It all depends on how much you should make. Use ATA's online earnings calculator to figure out your bottom line.

Join the ATA Business Practices Listserv

ATA members can discuss business issues online in the Yahoo! ATA Business Practices group. You will need to register with Yahoo! (at no charge) if you have not already done so, and provide your full name and ATA member number in order to join the group.

Disclaimer

The information in these columns was compiled by members of the ATA Business Practices Education Committee. It is not intended to constitute legal, financial, or other business advice. Each individual or company should make its own independent business decisions and consult its own legal, financial, or other advisers as appropriate. The views expressed are not necessarily those of ATA or its Board of Directors.