[curtain*]
A significant part of my work volume is translating certificates of all
kinds, from the simplest, college degrees, to the most complex, government tax
forms. While it is quite common and accepted, if not ideal, to price documents
by word count, this method does not reflect the actual work involved. Instead,
it is advisable to price each certificate in a rational way using a base
adjusted by its specific factors. It is also my experience is certificate
translation is profitable both in the short and long term.
Certificates vary in the number of the number of words but more
importantly in terms of formatting complexity, vocabulary and clarity. Clearly,
some official documents are very short, such as drivers’ licenses, while others
extend to many pages, such as bank statements. However, if time is money,
formatting runs up the meter. A water bill of two pages can take 2-3 hours to
recreate merely because of the formatting. To the best of my experience,
automated PDF converters do not provide a professional result, leaving it up
the translator to do the ant work, at least the first time. Furthermore, in
some cases, the language used in the document is quite specific and must be,
correspondingly, very accurate. Insurance and tax documents use terms whose
translation require checking to ensure accuracy. This search takes time. Often,
the quality of the PDF is poor, with no better copy available. Even worse,
handwritten text can be quite difficult to decipher, requiring time and
concentration, if not consultation. Thus, all certificates of the same number
of words are not created equal.
I suggest setting a base rate for one page which reflects a set time and
the economic reality. This base rate should represent what the translator wants
to earn per hour, which of course depends on the cost of living and financial
circumstances, among other factors. Translators also need to consider supply
and demand. It is not difficult to ascertain the range of rates for the
translation of a marriage or death certificate, rather standard documents. The
rate should lie within this range, preferable towards the upper half. This
number may vary depending on whether the ordering party is an agency or an end
customer and the country of purchase. With this number, it is possible to
assess the basic rate for each certificate.
At this point, the actual rate can be set by adjusting it upwards or
downwards as required. Premium elements include rush jobs, difficult
formatting, poor quality of the original, multiple pages and your expected
level of distaste/boredom in doing the work. QA and accounting time should also
be included. Discounting factors include short texts, simple language, customer
budgets, quasi pro-bono situations, one-time discounts and established
relations with customers. Furthermore, if there are more than one document of a
similar type but with different numbers in the package, e.g., salary slips from
several months, it is possible to reflect that repetition in lower rates for
the additional documents. Note that having a template of the document from a
previous translation is not relevant to the equation. When the plumber comes
and fixes the problem in 10 minutes, he still charges for a full visit and
correctly so as you pay for his experience.
As each document is treated individually, the sum total of the rates
should reflect the total number of hours you expect to invest multiplied by
your hourly rate. I often add a “surprise factor” to allow for unpleasant discoveries.
The factor should not be so high as to distort the quote but enough to allow me
not to get upset if the translation takes more time than I expected. The final
amount is your quote, which, in the case of single documents, almost all
customers find affordable.
I profit in the short term both emotionally and financially. When larger
projects are lacking, it is reassuring to receive short translations to fill the
time and create a feeling of working even if they will not pay any serious
bills. More importantly, the actual per-hour rate for certificates can be
amazingly high. In simple words, my profit is my expertise. The difference
between the theoretical time required to translate the document from scratch
and the actual time is often night and day, leading to healthy hourly rates with
little stress. Of course, the first time I translate a new form can take a long
time but this investment bears fruits in the future. Given the constant demand
for certificate translation, I am generally quite busy with a good profit rate.
In the long term, certificate translation is the key for gaining the
trust of customers and receiving more financially meaningful projects such as
contracts and long documents. Viewing the translator-customer relation as
potentially long term, it makes no difference if the first project only pays
for today’s lunch or dinner. It is quite possible that in the near or far
future the same customer will need a major translation. Having previously
proven your quality and reliability, you have a significant advantage over
potential competitors. In practice, trust is as important as rates, if not
more. Furthermore, these small jobs often lead to referrals to other customers,
creating a whole network of contacts, all from a small certificate translation.
Thus, certificate translation is part of my long-term translation marketing
strategy.
Certificate translation is a profitable niche on condition that the
rates reflect actual reality. The price, seemingly insignificant, is right both
in the short and long term, especially if you can use it to get to what is
behind the window in the next round.
* Blind people need captions to fully access the Internet. Picture credit: Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/mermyhh-48700/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=263731">Sabine Lange</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=263731">Pixabay</a>
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