Your daily dose of inspiration

Financial data you need to track to maintain a healthy client base

The foundation of any healthy freelance translation business is a good client base. But keeping your client base in the best shape, and your business moving in the direction you want it to, takes work.

Our tried and trusted process for shining at your next trade show

Flirting with the idea of heading to a trade show this year?

7 ways to find clients in the AI era

Artificial intelligence has made a big difference to the translation industry. Perhaps you’ve heard?!

How to set up your next year’s goals (and actually stick to them)

Here we are again, gang. It’s month number 12 out of 12 and it’s time to start thinking about your goals for the year ahead.

Productivity tools we love

Productivity is a hot topic in freelance circles, and there’s no denying that boosting your professional productivity is always going to be a good thing.

Our tips for negotiating like a pro as a freelance translator

As a freelance or small business owner, there’s no getting around the fact that sometimes you have to negotiate.

10 ways to collaborate with other translators in 2024

As freelancers, we’re generally one-person shows. We’re our own sales, marketing, finance, customer service and everything-else department.

How to find your next direct client before the end of the year

Most of us start our translation careers collaborating with agencies. There are all kinds of advantages to that, and some of said agencies will stay with us for the long haul.

Is a workcation for you?

Lately, it seems like you can’t move for freelancers taking workcations, right?

Specialisation as a way to diversify your income

There’s no getting away from the fact that, recently, many of us freelance translators have found that there’s less work out there.

Must-dos for an impactful CV

Your CV is something you have to keep coming back to time and again throughout your career, from the moment you first take the leap and become a freelance translator.

How to spring clean your business

Throw open the windows. Grab the duster. Whisk away the cobwebs. It’s time to polish your business until it shines.

How to educate your clients about AI

Artificial intelligence is here to stay and is already playing a big part in the translation industry.

10 best practices to maintain your online presence on LinkedIn

If you’re reading this, you already know being active on LinkedIn could be fantastic news for your business.

5 ways translators can actually use AI to their benefit

No one who’s gone anywhere near the internet in the last year can have failed to realise that there’s been change afoot.

Holiday survival guide for freelance translators: balancing work and festive celebrations

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, in a lot of people’s books. And we have to admit, we do love the festive season.

End-of-year review for translators

Perhaps this was the year you went freelance and bravely launched your business into the world. Or perhaps you’ve got quite a few years of this freelancing lark under your belt by now.

How to leave your 9-to-5 and finally become a freelance translator

You’re dreaming of a life with more flexibility and independence, with no boss to answer to, getting to use your translation skills every single day.

Tips to be noticed on social media as a freelance translator

Building a strong presence on social media can lead to all kinds of professional opportunities and referrals coming your way.

Common mistakes to avoid as a freelance translator

As freelancers, we all make mistakes. No matter how many articles just like this one you read, there are always going to be times you misjudge things or make bad calls.

How to leverage your quieter months as a freelance translator

There are so many fantastic things about being a freelancer. From the flexibility to the autonomy, we wouldn’t have it any other way and know a lot of you wouldn’t either.

Ready, set, go: our action plan for care-free holidays

Summer is upon us here in the northern hemisphere, and that means it’s high time we all took a holiday.

How to stand out to translation agencies as a freelance translator

Every freelance translator will work with agencies at some point in their career. Some might decide just to work with them whilst they’re finding their feet, and some will decide agencies are the way to go for their whole translation career.

14 ideas to make your translation business more sustainable

The climate crisis is a real and pressing problem that a lot of us spend a lot of our time worrying about. It’s a reality that can’t be ignored.

14 signs you’re made to be a freelance translator

No freelance translator is quite the same as another. We’re a unique, quirky bunch, and we like to plough our own furrows.

14 networking opportunities for translators in 2023

Have you decided that you’re going to make an effort to make more connections in 2023?

An interview with LSP.expert’s founders

We blinked and suddenly it’s the end of another year.
Freelancing is never a basket of roses, but we hope it’s been a positive year for your business overall, with appreciative clients and plenty of opportunities to learn and grow.

Looking back: how to leverage your end-of-year review for an even greater 2023

We blinked and suddenly it’s the end of another year.
Freelancing is never a basket of roses, but we hope it’s been a positive year for your business overall, with appreciative clients and plenty of opportunities to learn and grow.

Blogging for translators: how to never run out of ideas for what to write

So, you’ve decided to start a blog. And now you’re casting around for inspiration for posts.

6 marketing strategies you should try as a freelance translator

You don’t need us to tell you that as a freelance translator you’ve got to wear multiple hats.
On top of doing the actual translation, you need to keep the admin and financial sides of your business on track. And, perhaps most importantly, you need to be on it with your sales and marketing.

Back to work: our tips to make your ideal work week a reality

Hands up all those who see the end of summer as the start of a new year ✋

Going on holidays? Here are our tips to plan your time off without stress

Is that a holiday we spy on the horizon? 😍

How to earn more while working less: passive income for translators

Success is a relative concept. What success looks like might be very different from one translator to the next.
But many of us choose to go down the freelance road because we want more freedom. Because we believe work shouldn’t be the be-all and end-all.

3 proven methods for tracking your time

Tracking your time is a gamechanger in any freelance business.
If you’re not doing it yet, then you’re missing a trick.

Is your website SEO-optimised? 5 tips to help your clients find you on Google

For most translators, the answer to that will probably be job boards, LinkedIn or word-of-mouth recommendations.

5 ways to spring-clean your business as a translator

It’s that time of year. Buds are sprouting all over the place, the days are getting longer, the sun is getting stronger and we’re getting ready to put the winter behind us.

5 tips for building client relationships that last

What do we want?
Lasting client relationships based on mutual trust and respect.
Where and when do we want them?
Popping up in our inboxes on a predictable, regular basis.

New year, new goals: how to set goals for your translation business (and actually stick to them!)

New year’s resolutions are out, new year’s goals are in.
Don’t look at us like that - we know you’ve never stuck to your resolutions anyway.

11 Christmas gift ideas for freelance translators

That time of year is looming again, and you don’t have the faintest idea what to get the linguist in your life.
What on earth do you get the translator who seems to have it all?

How to grow your translation business through outsourcing

Starting to outsource is a big step for any independent freelance translator.
After all, it means you move into a kind of middle ground between go-it-alone freelancing and running a small translation agency.

What to include on your freelance translator website

Every freelance translator needs a decent website.
Creating a website will mean investing plenty of both time and money, and can feel like it’s an unnecessary hassle, especially when you’re first starting out.

How to guide your clients to write the perfect translation brief

How many translators does it take to change a lightbulb?
Depends on the context.
Okay, stop groaning. We all know it’s only funny because it’s true.

4 places to find freelance translation jobs

So, you’re just starting out as a translator. You’ve got the skills, but now you need the clients.
And you’re wondering where on earth all the successful freelance translators you see online find them.

Growth mindset: how to get into a mindset that can transform your business

Feeling like you’ve plateaued with your freelance translation business?
You’ve got to a certain point and you’re very proud of how far you’ve come, but you’re stuck in a bit of a rut. You feel like there’s nowhere to go from here.

Top 5 Tools for Translators: the Essentials

Freelance translation is a wonderful career. It means we get to use the languages we love every day, no two projects are ever quite the same and we have the freedom to work from anywhere, should we choose to make the most of it.

General translations, specialised system: how Sandrine stays efficient with LSP.expert

In the world of translation there’s nothing better than developing a lasting, trusting relationship with a client, is there?

Partner, Not Service Provider: Christèle On Positioning Her Company of One

When you know, you know, right? Christèle Blin certainly did. She fell head over heels in love with the world of translation over two decades ago, and it’s a love that’s still going strong.

A Look Into The Daily Routine of a Freelance Legal Translator

Few professions lend themselves so well to second careers in translation.
Like so many others, Steven came into translation as a second career at the age of 40.

How This Brussels-Based Freelance Translator Organises Her Business

When a country has 3 official languages, with less than half of the population speaking more than one of them, it seems like a good breeding ground for translators.

Data-Driven Surprise: What This Translator Learned By Tracking Her Hours

Could it be right? She worked more hours this month, but her income remained the same. Data can surprise you sometimes, especially if you aren’t used to tracking it.

How Emeline Jamoul Went From Freelancer to Translation Agency

Emeline started her career as a translator in 2013. When she started, she did freelance translation work with a portfolio of agency clients.

How Melany Went From In-House to Freelance Translator and Intentionally Exceeded Her Monthly Salary

The journey to translation is different for each translator.
For some, they start at another job entirely and later transition into becoming a translator. Be it for their desire to have more freedom, or for an escape from corporate life.

4 Finance Documents Every Freelance Translator Needs

Translators don’t only need to be proficient in their target languages—they also need to be able to dabble in basic finances. Yes, even if you’re a literary or tourism translator, having some degree of financial literacy is vital. You are running a business, after all.

3 Calculations Every Freelance Translator Should Make On A Yearly Basis

As we enter the last quarter of the year, one of the ways we can reflect on the year that passed and what’s to come is by crunching some numbers. Sure, unless you’re a financial translator, graphs and accounting figures might look like hieroglyphics to you.

Yes, you can earn the same amount of money when you work less

The maths seem to make sense when you add it all up. More time, more words, more money...right?

Scaling your Translation Business: What’s it All About?

You may have heard about translators scaling their businesses.
What does scaling mean, and how can you do it?

How To Stop Getting Bad Translation Clients Once And For All

We’ve all heard the horror stories.
Many of us have been victims of the said horror stories.

Why Translators Should Collaborate - Not Compete - With One Another

Have you ever found yourself thinking that when faced with the option to collaborate with or recommend another translator to your clients?

Ways Translators Can Diversify Their Income

Diversifying your income is the proverbial additional baskets to put your eggs in.

Super Busy? That Might Not Be a Good Thing.

“Good, busy!”
Is the answer we normally give or receive when someone asks “how have you been?”
But sometimes we’re so busy, that at the end of the day, when someone asks you what you did that day - you might not even remember.

6 Things We Wish We Knew When We Started Translation

If you studied a bachelor’s or master’s in translation, you’re probably (hopefully) well-equipped to start the actual translation process.

3 Useful Ways for Translators to Handle a Slow Month

You were riding that wave for a while, freelance translator. The feast wave. All of a sudden, you get loads of work. Everyone wants you to translate for them.

The 2 Non-Translation Skills That Translators Should Learn

When you go to study translation, most of us learn about the theoretical side of translation (formal or dynamic equivalence sprinkled with some Nida and Pym), and we get our hands dirty with some practical lessons.

Ideal client analysis with LSP.expert

A couple of months ago we published an article on finding your ideal clients. Since then we got to thinking: What about an article on how you can actually use LSP.expert to find more of them? So here we are.

Using testimonials to grow your business

Who doesn’t love to hear that they're amazing? By their very nature, testimonials are full of praise. But besides cheering us up, client feedback in the form of testimonials also inspires trust for new clients.

5 reasons why finding your niche boosts your business

We get it. It seems counter-intuitive that you’ll get more from (technically) doing less. But when you find a niche and stick to it, that’s exactly what can happen.

Measure and increase your performance in 5 questions (+ 1 bonus)

So, you chose to gain control of your time and started using a time tracking tool, possibly one that allows you to record billable hours. Good for you!

Why I deleted your email

Your email happened to arrive just as I finished my first cup of tea: the best time of the day to contact me. But despite the favourable conditions and your unmistakable keenness (I could tell by the capital letters and the lack of full stops), I deleted your email within seconds. I feel I owe you an explanation.

"Hello! Still here!" 5 tips for (subtle) client communication

With so many options to be social, we know that staying in touch with clients should be a piece of (Instagrammed) cake.

Why you should use a time tracking tool for your business

If you can recall exactly the last time you said 'If only there were 36 hours in a day' or 'I'll save this for the weekend', and if you are reading this in spite of the fact that you 'don't have time for it', this article may well be worth your time.

No-drama downtime - how to enjoy the quiet times

For "regular" people, who are employed by someone else, a quiet time of the year at work is something to be celebrated. It's a time when they can take longer lunches, maybe leave a little earlier, take an extended coffee break and book in some vacation time.

Pitching masterclass for (nervous) translators

Writing pitches to potential clients is nerve wracking! Contacting someone you don't know, but making them feel like you do know them, is pretty tricky.

How teaming up with colleagues could turn around your business

Gone are the days when we viewed colleagues as competition. Now, collaboration is the name of the game. In fact, colleagues are the new clients.

The introvert's guide to pre-conference networking

For those of us who are used to living the solitary freelancer-hiding-behind-their-laptop life, the thought of in-person networking can seem pretty daunting.

Central systems in modern working: a future-proof match

Collaboration, flexibility, promptness are essential to the way we work today and central systems can go a long way to help us stay ahead of the game.

Why you need to set a minimum rate (and then an ideal one)

There's no doubt that deciding your rate is tricky. There are many factors to take into consideration, and anyway, having one single rate for all clients and all projects is not a good idea.

5 productivity pointers to boost your translation business

How productive are you? Are you uber-focused on the task at hand, or do you find yourself flitting from one thing to another...and forgetting where you started?

How to (finally) figure out your ideal clients

Everywhere you look online, there are guides and how-to posts on defining and finding your ideal client. It can get pretty overwhelming.

How to use systems to boost your translation business

Feeling like you have too many tasks for your head space is not pleasant. Yes, it's great to be busy, but if you're not in control of start and finish dates, responses or project requirements, your "Yay, I'm in demand!"