Many language professionals start out doing their work “on the side” of whatever else they are doing in life. When people find out you are bilingual, you may be asked to do some volunteer interpreting to help out a friend, family member, or someone in need, or you may agree or be expected to do the occasional translation—and maybe even get paid for it.

Volunteering and doing small side jobs are great ways to gain experience and improve your skills as a translator or interpreter. But in order to be a professional—whether you plan on doing this work part-time or full-time—it is important to transition to a small-business-owner mentality.

According to Bankrate’s Sarah George, “As soon as your side hustle starts earning money, you (and the government) can consider it a business, even if it’s not a full-time business.”

So are you a “real” professional and small business owner if you devote less than 40 hours a week to your business? Of course you are! As a part-time language professional, you are a full-fledged small business owner. It is time for part-time small business owners to reclaim the paradigm that defines professional success in terms of number of hours worked and total annual income earned.

One of the greatest advantages of running a small business and being your own boss is the flexibility of setting your own hours. In fact, many professional translators and interpreters prefer to keep their business as a part-time career for a variety of reasons, such as family commitments, health concerns, or adjacent jobs or careers. The ability to run a truly small business that allows you time for other life pursuits or commitments should not be seen as a drawback or lack of success, but rather as a major benefit of choosing to be a professional translator or interpreter.

How to embrace this mentality?

• Perception is key. Years ago, I started describing myself as a “professional translator” (rather than a “freelance translator”) and immediately noticed a huge difference in people’s perception of my success, even though my actual work had not changed. Unfortunately, the word “freelancer” sometimes carries the connotation of a quaint hobby or dabbling interest that is not taken very seriously. This shift in perception created a positive feedback loop and helped to boost my own confidence in what I do and the success I have achieved.
• Keep personal accounts separate from business accounts. This includes social media as well as email and finances. One of the first things I did for my small business was pay for a professional email address, and it has been well worth it. And since the first thing most potential clients will do before hiring a language professional is to Google them to make sure they are legit, it is super important to cultivate an online professional social media presence that is separate from your personal online presence and reflects your small business.
• Be intentional about your legal business structure. Carefully researching your options (sole proprietorship, LLC, etc.) not only encourages you to see your work as a legitimate and legal small business but also impacts how you report your income for tax purposes. There are pros and cons for the different legal business structures, so make sure you choose the right one for you that fits your specific business goals.
• Understand that starting and running a small business—even a part-time one—takes time and a significant investment of unbillable hours. Think of the unbillable hours you spend on your business as an investment into growing or maintaining your business, not as a waste of time. Even if you are just starting out and only have two hours a day to devote to your business, use those two hours wisely—whether or not you currently have paid work. Marketing your services, researching new tech or new clients, and maintaining your professional online presence are valuable ways of investing in your business.
• Small business owners need to be confident in their skills and the value of their services. Translating and interpreting are highly skilled services, so continue honing your craft and expect to get paid what you’re worth!
• Practice professionalism with every interaction you have as a business owner, no matter how small. Every email response or social media post represents your business and builds your reputation as a competent professional.

If part-time is a temporary stage in running your translation or interpreting business, there are many resources out there for transitioning your part-time side hustle to a full-time small business. See, for example, “Side Hustle vs Small Business: 4 Practical Differences You Need to Know” by Nacondra Moran.

But whether or not you eventually choose to grow your part-time business into a full-time business, if you are getting paid for any amount of work you do as a translator or interpreter, you are already a small business owner. Your goal may be to someday devote 40+ hours a week to your language service business, or your goal may be to continue running your business on a part-time schedule. Either way, embrace that as a success and act like the professional small business owner you already are!

About the Author

Marybeth Timmermann is an ATA-certified professional French to English translator specializing in academic writing for scholarly publication, literature, certified documents, and revision/proofreading. She is a longtime contributing translator and editor to The Beauvoir Series, a multi-volume collection of the writings of Simone de Beauvoir in English translation. She also works with direct clients translating philosophy, fiction, academic records, and official documents. You can connect with her by email, on LinkedIn, or on her website.