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The Freelance Professional workshop – learn the techniques to make you and your business thrive

By Sue Leschen, 21 to 22 January 2021 from 9am to 4pm both days

Who is this workshop for?

Sue Leschen welcomes all freelance interpreters and translators working to and from English – both experienced and starting out – who are running their own businesses in today’s challenging and competitive climate. Most language professionals are not naturally entrepreneurs and have to acquire the know how to set up, maintain and enhance their businesses.


Throughout this course, Sue will cover:

Day 1

Part 1: Business Plan

  • Essential to have a (realistic) plan “A”
  • Just as important to have a plan “B”
  • Services offered by business
  • Aim(s) of business
  • Annual SWOT review of initial plan “A”
  • Business structure: sole trader or limited company

Part 2: Money

  • Accounting systems
  • Accountants or DIY?
  • Keeping receipts  
  • UK Taxes: Income Tax, VAT
  • Non – UK taxes?
  • Estimates, Invoices, Quotes, Receipts
  • Fees and basis for charging for translation; source/ target languages/ 1000 words, characters, line, hourly rate
  • Fees and basis for charging for interpreting ; per hour, minimum 2 hours, half – day, full day , travel time, paid breaks
  • Supplementary charges; preparation and research,  conversion to PDF, anti – social hours charge
  • Deposits, discounts and payment by instalments
  • Currency and exchange rates
  • Cash flow: feast or famine
  • Bad, late and non – payers; daily interest
  • Debt collection: Proz.com Blue Board: http://paymentpractics.net/: Small Claims Court
  • Running businesses not charities
  • Pro bono work – does it pay?

Part 3: Clients

  • Mass and premium market
  • Direct and indirect clients
  • UK / Europe
  • Pareto Principle 80: 20
  • Client obtention and retention
  • Difficult and demanding clients

Part 4: Colleagues

  • Good and bad
  • Networking
  • Collaboration: proof readers and  translators
  • Collaboration for sourcing work; Business Language Boutique: Bournemouth Translators and Interpreters  (40 languages) ; Interpreters Collective
  • Home alone office or co – work space with colleagues and/ or other professionals?

Part 5: Time

  • Time management 
  • Time is money
  • Prioritising and procrastinating
  • Time wasters
  • Tempus fugit (time flies) and Carpe Diem (seize the day)
  • 24/7 “always on” culture
  • Work/life balance

Part 6: Terms and Conditions of Business

  • Own
  • Client’s
  • CIOL Model Terms and Conditions – Interpreters
  • CIOL Model Terms and Conditions – Translators
  • CIOL Specimen contract – Interpreters
  • CIOL Specimen contract – Translators
  • The art of negotiating terms and conditions with clients

Part 7: Non – Disclosure Agreements (NDA’s)

  • To sign or not to sign an NDA that is the question?
  • Standard NDA clauses: non – solicitation of client’s clients

Day 2

Part 8: Marketing – traditional and social media

  • Profile and credibility in marketplace(s)
  • FTF networking at professional events
  • Business cards, brochures and biros
  • CV’s – relevancy
  • Websites; DIY or professional
  • LinkedIn profiles
  • Facebook pages
  • Twitter
  • Instagram pictures
  • YouTube videos
  • All marketing must be legal, decent and honest and not misleading

Part 9: Positioning and Branding of business

  • Setting up your stall in the marketplace(s)?
  • Developing your own brand; Dior or Primark?
  • Exploiting niche markets

Part 10: Generalists, Specialists and Experts

  • Which are you?
  • How many specialisms can any one LP have?
  • Becoming a Go To expert
  • Pros and cons of being a generalist, specialist or expert

Part 11: Professional Conduct and ethics

  • CIOL Code of Conduct (2017)
  • General principles of professional conduct
  • Common breaches of  Code
  • Regulation and sanctions

Part 12: Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

  • Staying up to date
  • Targeting the right CPD
  • How much, how little CPD?
  • Investing time and money in CPD
  • Free CPD
  • Maintaining visible CPD Record

Part 13: Protecting you, your business and the public

  • Professional Indemnity Insurance
  • Legal expenses insurance
  • Insuring home office/ equipment
  • Duvet days - Sickness insurance  
  • Rainy days – Income Protection Insurance
  • Retirement pension(s); State and private
  • Backing  up work in case of IT failure
  • Insuring Remote Interpreting (RI) 
  • General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
  • Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks; Standard, Enhanced
  • Security Check (SC) and Counter Terrorist Check (CTC)

Part 14: Professional membership organisations, networks and mentoring

  • What they can do for you
  • What you can do for them
  • Language specific organisations
  • Subject specific organisations
  • Adopting a mentor

Part 15: Mindset

  • Can do mindset
  • Persevere and try again
  • Accepting constructive criticism
  • Entrepreneurial

Cost

Two-day ticket: CIOL member

 

£300                                     

         

Two-day ticket: Non-member

 

£350

 

One-day ticket: CIOL member

 

£180

 

One-day ticket: Non-member

 £210

How is it delivered?

The delivery of this workshop will be online and you will receive joining details one week before the start of the workshop.

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