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

Is the freelance life calling your name?

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.

But you’re under no illusions, and know the leap from employed to self-employed is a big one to take.

Because it’s tough to say goodbye to a fixed income when freelance earnings can be so variable. And although there are so many upsides to freelancing (we wouldn’t have it any other way!), that’s not to say it’s all sunshine and six-figure salaries, and that we all work 4-hour weeks from Instagrammable beach cafés.

You know all that, though. Your head is very much not in the clouds about it, but you’re still sure that freelance translation is the right path for you.

That’s fantastic! We’re very excited to welcome you into the fold.

Some of us went freelance straight out of university and have never had a 9-to-5, but most of us did start off in traditional employment before making the transition.

So we’ve got plenty of tips to share on gearing up for finally taking the reins and making the big switch from employed to business owner.

Here’s a selection of the most important insights.

1. Patience is a virtue

You’re excited and you want to start your new freelance life ASAP, but remember, slow and steady wins the race. If you want this new phase of your life to be sustainable, it’s a good idea to patiently lay strong foundations before you cut loose from your current job.

2. Start as a side hustle

The majority of new freelancers start their new careers in their spare time, alongside their full-time job. Which is great, because it means that at the beginning you’re not financially reliant on your business and you can give it time to grow, rather than needing it to be an overnight success.

The downside of this is having limited time to work on your freelance translation business, or other areas of your life suffering because you’re spending your free time on this new venture. But unless you’ve just come into a lot of money, starting as a side hustle is probably the best solution.

If possible, you could consider moving to part-time employment that covers your essential living costs but gives you more time for getting your translation career off the ground more quickly.

3. Save up a solid financial buffer

Before you actually quit your job, it’s a sensible idea to save up enough to cover your living costs for, say, three to six months after you’ve quit your job, to give your business time to gain momentum.

4. Base yourself somewhere with a lower cost of living

This won’t be feasible for a lot of people, but if you’re planning on living the digital nomad lifestyle, consider moving abroad whilst you get your business started.

Living somewhere cheap (and preferably lovely) will put you in a much better financial situation, as you’ll need to save up less of a buffer, and you won’t have to earn as much from your fledgling freelancing to make your business viable.

5. Define your niches or specialisms

It’s a good idea to decide on your specialist subject areas right from the beginning.

These are sure to change as time passes and you get more experience under your belt, and that’s okay, but it’s still helpful to start off with a few specific specialisms, based on your interests, specific knowledge or previous work experience.

That doesn’t mean more general translations won’t come your way too, but it will help you make a name for yourself. Because that way, other people are more likely to recommend you when they’re asked if they know someone who specialises in your area and works in your language pair.

6. Think about how you could diversify your services

The key to a successful freelance career, we’ve found, is having various different income streams so if one dries up, you aren’t left high and dry.

Lots of translators also offer proofreading, editing, subtitling, copywriting, linguistic or cultural consultancy… The possibilities are endless and will depend on your specific skill set (or your interests, because you can always acquire the skills!).

You don’t need to start off with a huge range of services but it can’t hurt to think about your options and put your eggs in a few different baskets at this stage of your career.

7. Scope out your future freelance colleagues online

Have a look around online and see who else out there is doing what you’re doing. These are your new colleagues, not your competition, and are an excellent source of inspiration! Find people you have things in common with, whether that’s language pairs or specialisms.

Send them tailored connection requests on LinkedIn with a nice message saying hello, and start laying the foundations of your freelance network.

The translation network is a wonderful one, we promise, and if you reach out to people you’re sure to receive a warm welcome.

8. Meet up with other translators online

Once you’ve connected with people and interacted with them online a few times, reach out and ask them if they fancy meeting for a virtual coffee.

Whether they’re at a similar stage to you or further along on their freelance journey, other freelancers are normally happy to chat over a video call so you can get to know each other and discuss all things freelancing.

9. Meet up with other freelance translators in your area

There are bound to be other freelance translators near you, so rather than keeping things virtual, be brave and reach out to them and organise a coffee or a coworking session.

These local translators will probably become some of your closest freelance friends, can be a great support network and will help you ward off the loneliness that sometimes comes with working from home.

10. Join a translators’ association or organisation

Becoming a member of a translators’ association, whether a small local one or a big international one, can be hugely beneficial. It’s a chance to get to know other freelancers, take part in CPD activities and is also a great thing to add to your website or CV to boost your credibility.

Bigger organisations can be expensive to join, so if you’re on a limited budget start off with a smaller network instead.

11. Take courses

When you’re finding your feet, the more you learn the more confident you’ll feel.

You’re the only one who can decide what you’d get the most out of, whether that’s a specialist course on, say, medical translation, or something more business-focused, like a webinar on how to set your rates as a translator.

12. Get the brand basics sorted

To feel good about putting yourself out there as a professional translator, it’s important to have decided on your brand colours, and have a logo.

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or expensively designed, but you’ll need something you feel represented by to use across all your social media, on your website or on your CV.

Don’t worry, you’re not tied to them forever, you can always rebrand later on!

13. Build a strong online presence

Making your mark online can be a game-changer for your new business.

Because although you will still have to do a lot of outbound marketing, sending cold emails to potential clients, if you can carve out a niche for yourself on LinkedIn or Instagram, it’s far more likely that clients will start coming to you.

So put yourself out there and post on your chosen platform regularly, as well as interacting with other people’s posts. If you stick with it, it’ll pay off, we promise!

14. Don’t be tempted to charge peanuts

One of the mistakes new translators often make is charging unsustainably low rates in an effort to get their first clients. There are all kinds of reasons not to price yourself too low, starting with the fact that it’s super hard to raise your rates with a client later on.

The thing is, if you’re going to be a professional translator, you need to be able to live off your freelance earnings. And if you’re spending your time on hopelessly underpaid projects you won’t have the time to go out and find better-paying clients.

So establish what your minimum rate is based on what you need to earn to cover your monthly expenses, and be strict with yourself about not going below that. It’s easier said than done if you’re short on work, but we believe in you!

15. Stop calling yourself a ‘newbie’

If you don’t take yourself and your business seriously, no one else will! Don’t fall into the trap of calling yourself a ‘wannabe’ translator. You’re fantastic at what you do, so make sure you own it.

16. Don’t try and do everything yourself

At this stage, you’re probably trying to keep all your expenses to an absolute minimum, but there are some things that are worth investing in and can easily be outsourced.

For example, taxes can be a nightmare, and if it takes you days to sort your tax return and you’re having sleepless nights over it, then it’s time to invest in an accountant. You’ll be very glad you did.

17. Bite the bullet

Being employed and starting a freelance business at the same time is a lot, and will mean you’ve not got much spare time. It’s easy to end up burned out before you’ve even become a full-time freelancer.

So, much as it’s a good idea to take things slowly but surely, don’t drag out the transition forever. No matter how scary it is, you’ll know when the time has come to jump in head first.

18. Get organised from day one

Tracking projects and clients and invoices is always a total faff and it’s easy to get things wrong, especially when you’re just getting started.

So do yourself a favour and let LSP.expert take some of the strain right from the very beginning.

It’s designed especially for translators, helping you keep your ducks in a very straight row, and saving you huge amounts of time. Something which is at even more of a premium when you’re juggling two jobs.