Skip to content
FacebookTwitterLinkedinYoutubeInstagram
  • Join ATA
  • Renew
  • Contact Us
  • Log In
American Translators Association (ATA)
Find a Language Professional
  • Certification
    • Certification
      • Guide to ATA Certification
      • What is a Certified Translation?
      • How the Exam is Graded
      • Review and Appeal Process
      • Looking for More Information?
    • Taking the Exam
      • About the Exam
      • How to Prepare
      • Practice Test
      • Exam Schedule
    • Already Certified?
      • Put Your Credentials To Work
      • CT Designation and Seal
      • Continuing Education Requirement
    • Register Buttons
      • Exam Schedule
         
      • Order Practice Test
  • Career and Education
    • For Newcomers
      • Student Resources
      • Starting Your Career
      • The Savvy Newcomer Blog
    • For Professionals
      • Growing Your Career
      • Business Strategies
      • Next Level Blog
      • Client Outreach Kit
      • Mentoring
    • Resources
      • For Educators and Trainers
      • Tools and Technology
      • Publications
      • School Outreach
    • Event Buttons
      • Upcoming Webinars
  • Client Assistance
    • Client Resources
      • Why Should I Hire a Professional?
      • Translator vs. Interpreter
      • Getting It Right
    • More Client Resources
      • Need a Certified Translation?
      • What is Machine Translation?
      • The ATA Compass Blog
    • Find a Translator Button
      • Find a Language Professional
  • Events
    • Events
      • Annual Conference
      • Seminars and Workshops
      • Certification Exam Schedule
    • More Events
      • Virtual Events
      • Webinar Series
      • Calendar of Events
    • Event Buttons
      • Visit ATA64
      • Upcoming Webinars
         
  • News
    • Industry News
    • Advocacy and Outreach
    • Press Room
    • The ATA Chronicle
    • The ATA Podcast
    • ATA Newsbriefs
  • Member Center
    • Member Resources
      • Join ATA
      • Renew Your Membership
      • Benefits of Membership
      • Divisions
      • Chapters, Affiliates, and Other Groups
      • Get Involved
      • Shop the ATA Store
    • Already a Member?
      • Log Into Your Member Center
      • Connect with Members
      • Create Your Directory Listing
      • Become a Voting Member
      • Member Discounts
    • Member Buttons
      • Join ATA
         
      • Member Login
  • About Us
    • About ATA
      • Who We Are
      • Press Room
      • Honors and Awards Program
      • Advertise with Us
      • American Foundation for
        Translation and Interpretation
      • ATA Team
      • Contact Us
    • How ATA Works
      • Board of Directors
      • Committees
      • Policies & Procedures
      • Code of Ethics
    • Contact Button
      • Contact ATA
  • Join ATA
  • Renew Your Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Log In
  • Find a Language Professional
savvy-newcomer-header

Helen’s Adventures in Translation, Chapter 2: Preparing to Launch

January 7, 2014 | The Savvy Newcomer | No Comments | Business Strategies, Starting Your Career

By the fall of 2010 I had done a lot of groundwork for launching:

  • I had acquired enough credentials to be credible so that potential clients could trust me.
  • I had the resources I needed. I had spent a few thousand dollars on dictionaries, plus another few thousand on training, a laptop and a smartphone with all the bells and whistles I thought would be helpful.
  • I had clients I had been working with part-time as it fit in with my obligations as a homeschool mom for years.
  • I had been participating in the ATA listservs, particularly Espalista (Spanish Language Division) and Business Practices.

It was time for the final countdown to launching as a full-time freelancer. I wanted local businesses in my community to know I existed. What were they looking for beyond credentials?

Business name.

I found that people listen differently when we have a “business name.” So, I registered in the State of Oregon. I had two problems to solve with my company name:

  • English speakers not believing I could be a Spanish translator and interpreter because my English is so good.
  • Businesses not being interested in doing business with an individual.

Gaucha Translations was born. “Gaucha” is a reference to Argentina. I loved it when I got a compliment for solving a problem creatively! “Translations” is only part of what I do. I am also an interpreter and an interpreter trainer. However, many clients do not know the difference between translators and interpreters, and I figured I could explain that later.  As usual, not everyone agrees with my choice of a name. However, it has worked well and many people now use it as my nickname. Oh, my car has a custom license plate now: Pampa (Gaucha was taken). The Pampa is the land of the gauchos in Argentina.

Business cards.

I went to the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce and networked, trying out several different homemade business cards as I went. I tested the type of information people would need to see and the type of card that was easy for me to use when others gave one to me. I also went to SCORE  to see what they recommended. I ended up with:

My business cards

My business cards

  • My business name and contact information on the front, with a brief list of credentials on the back.
  • White paper that would accept pencil and ballpoint markings
  • Reasonably thick card stock
  • Something graphic on the front. Lots of white space so they could write “Helen is Awesome” or simply “Wake Up Nov 5” and remember where they had met me
  • Professional printing

Website.

Everyone has a website today! I paid for my domain name and my business name in the .com and .net versions. So, I own the following domains, and they all forward to the same web page:  www.heleneby.com, www.heleneby.net, www.gauchatranslations.com and www.gauchatranslations.net.  A friend recommended that, saying people would search for me by my name as well as my business name. All of them forward to gauchatranslations.com.

I tested website content for months, with SCORE consultants and with the Hillsboro Chamber. Finally, I worked with a website designer to narrow it down. It cost money, but it was worth the investment. A few years later I landed a contract with a very interesting local company. I asked how they found me, and they told me I was the only local translator with a good website.

I view my website as a site people will consult after they hear about me elsewhere, whether through the Chamber of Commerce or some other means of networking. I always ask people how they found me before I do business with them.

At this point, I keep adding things to my website. Some things I do NOT put on my site:

  • Prices and sample contracts. I have standard terms in mind, but I want to introduce them to the client as part of the conversation.
  • My resume. As a friend told me, I am offering a service, not looking for a job. I send a resume to those who ask for it, but generally ask people to check my website first. I tell them they will find more information on my site than on my resume.

One thing I DID put on my website:

  • My street address. When I check a website, I like to know it is a real business in a real place. I do a Google Maps search of a potential business partner’s address before I do business with them, and have discarded some options because their address appeared to be an abandoned warehouse in the middle of the fields or some other unreasonable location. I have never had security problems because of this.

Other things potential clients check:

  • My LinkedIn profile. Many members of the Hillsboro Chamber have told me that they validate my statements by checking me out on LinkedIn. As they have seen the types of people I am connected with, they have felt more inclined to trust me.

So far, all these steps are working for me because they are consistent with who I am. In the Hillsboro Chamber they say that people do business with those they know, like and trust. With my marketing materials and strategy, I try to be real so clients can know me and trust me, and not be disappointed later when they meet me in person. I do not want to appear to be larger than I am or try to look like an agency. As a matter of fact, I openly state that I am a sole proprietor. When speaking to people in the translation field, I call myself “a freelancer with a business name.”

Next installment: How I decided what I should charge (a geek in action)

Update: This article was originally posted without the image of Helen’s business cards.  This image has now been included.  Apologies to Helen for the mistake!

Share this

Posts navigation

← ATA Business Practices: Red Flags For Avoiding Scams
Money Talk →

No Comments

  1. foxtailes on January 8, 2014 at 2:50 am

    This is perhaps the most comprehensive and useful piece of writing I’ve seen on how to (really) get started as a freelance translator. Many writers don’t even seem to remember being preoccupied with some of these details and many aspiring translators aren’t aware of others. Thank you!

    Reply
    • heleneby on January 8, 2014 at 8:31 am

      Thank you! It wasn’t very long ago… I’m writing this as a series that may end up having about eight chapters.

      Reply
  2. Grisel Cremonesi on January 8, 2014 at 6:22 pm

    Helen, this is so helpful. And you have found the perfect description for many of us who feel the same way: “a freelancer with a business name”, it’s genius! Thank you!

    Reply
    • heleneby on January 8, 2014 at 6:45 pm

      Grisel, I got that phrase from a friend, Virginia Anderson. I copy others freely when they have good ideas…

      Reply
  3. Helen’s Adventures in Translation, Chapter 3: Launch Time! Going from 20% to 80% Capacity As Fast As Possible | The Savvy Newcomer on February 5, 2014 at 11:32 am

    […] my last post, I explained how I evaluated and met the requirements my potential clients might have, including […]

    Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply





I accept the Privacy Policy

  • Home
  • Editorial Team
  • Resources
  • Write for Us
  • Style Guide

Recent Posts

Linguist in the Spotlight – Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo

Continuing Professional Development Reflection: From Translation Student to Freelance Translator

Trade Show Tips for Translators

The Most Lucrative Ways to Specialize

How to Use Video to Attract New Clients to Your Website

Savvy Diversification Series – The Role of the Genealogical Translator

What to Do With All Those Languages You Speak

8 T&I Events in Europe that Deserve to Be on Your 2023 Calendar

Using LinkedIn to Research People and Companies

Buddies Welcome Newbies: Starting #ATA63 Off on the Right Foot

Subscribe to The Savvy Newcomer

Connect with Us

Tweets by The Savvy Newcomer
Language Services Directory
ata_logo_footer

American Translators Association
225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590
Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone +1-703-683-6100
Fax +1-703-683-6122

  • Certification
  • Career and Education
  • Client Assistance
  • Events
  • News
  • Member Center
  • About Us
  • Member Login
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Submit Feedback

© 2023 - American Translators Association

Website by Yoko Co

Find a Language Professional
Scroll To Top