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| [3 sand hourglasses*] |
The one element in life influencing all work environments is the fact that
a day is only 24 hours long. For freelancers of all kinds, including
translators, that limitation effectively caps the potential amount of work that
can be accomplished in any given period of time without outsourcing.
Moreover, understanding this framework allows freelancers to create a long-term
work strategy, market more intelligently and cooperate productively with
colleagues.
A sustainable work day, one that will not cause extreme exhaustion
and/or burn out, ranges from 6-10 hours a day. The actual working time depends
on the specific assignment, with some tasks requiring more concentration and
energy than others, individual capacity, which involves age, lifestyle
choices, health, manner of brain
functioning and motivation, as well as outside demands, notably children, running a
household and possible holding another job. Actual productivity also varies for
similar reasons. As a result, there is a finite and generally predictable limit
to how much any single entrepreneur can accomplish on any given day.
Given this limit, it is advisable to plan carefully, seek the most
profitable work and avoid being greedy. Far too many freelancers promise the
moon in terms of deadlines. Some knowingly lie but many simply are
overoptimistic. The fast way to lose business in the service industry is to
miss deadlines. Disappointed customers rarely offer a second chance. It is
better to try negotiate the deadline as, more often than not, deadlines are not
as firm as indicated. For example, Friday afternoon
is actually Monday morning is most cases. As a result, freelancers need to
properly estimate the time required to deliver a finished product both in terms
of hours and days and allow a sufficient margin for unpleasant surprises. Given
this timetable rigidity, it is generally better to seek and take on projects
involving high productivity either due to specialization or experience, thus
maximizing the quantity as well as the quality of the work. Quite often, short
jobs, sometimes less than an hour, are quite profitable in terms of hourly
income if they can be completed with sufficient efficiency. The worst strategy is to
take on any project without realistically considering scheduling issues and end up overloading
the day. The results tend to suffer from many errors often accompanied by late
delivery, the express route to customer dissatisfaction. Therefore, effective freelancers
consider their schedule carefully before taking on any project.
Given that a sole entrepreneur cannot handle a huge volume of project,
marketing become more directed, straightforward and sometimes even less
expensive. A sole individual generally cannot and should not take on a massive service contract from a large company, On the other hand, a given department or geographical
area may requires certain services on an more infrequent basis, which may be
relevant for the individual entrepreneur. An example is medical translation
where material must appear in a host of languages, far beyond the capacity of
any single translator. In this case, medical translators work the specialized
language agencies that manage such projects. In short, freelancers need to
direct their marketing to specific niches that create a balanced situation:
attainable demands by the service buyer and sustained capacity by the provider.
Since freelancers can narrowly focus their marketing, the actual expense often
decreases as the goals become more realistic. It is far less demanding in both
money and time to reach a focused audience than aim for a wide client profile.
In this way, the work limitation makes it possibly to economically and
efficiently market services.
Finally, since work capacity of a freelancer is by definition finite,
there is enough work of all colleagues in a given niche to work. It is not a
zero-sum word, i.e., my colleague receiving a project does not mean I will not
receive work. This approach allows colleagues to cooperate and help each other
in terms of knowledge, encouragement and work. A productive approach is that
sharing knowledge and techniques is not helping the enemy but building a
community. As it is impossible to be expert in all aspect of a business, it is
very useful, even vital, to have expert sources. Because giving and receiving
are closely linked, it is important to establish that community before the hour
of need arrives. This community not only provides knowledge but meets the
emotional need of understanding. Too many freelancers are alone, socially
and/or professionally. Given that every business has its ups and downs, it is
calming to have people to whom to complain that not only understand the
situation but maybe can offer a positive vision. Colleagues may not be close
friends but they often comprehend the entrepreneur situation better than life partners. Finally, since the nature of freelancing is too often feast and famine, it can be mutually benefit to pass on extra work to a colleague. Not
only are clients grateful that they don’t have to locate another service
provider, the colleague may be suffering a down period. Since no one is immune
from such occurrences, we do get by with a little help from our friends. There
is generally enough work for everybody, making it possible and profitable to
cooperate with colleagues.
A sole freelancer is not a company. There is a limit to what can be done
in any given day or week. It is vital to remember that since time is limited,
schedule carefully, market wisely and share generously. A working day is finite in terms of time, a fact
that should be remembered.
* Pictures helps the blind fully access the Internet.
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