Translation - art & business » Business issues »
Thinking of starting an agency...
Thread poster: JackMac
JackMac
JackMac
Local time: 09:38
English
Apr 28, 2003

Hello everyone,



My name is Jack. I live in the US, but work part time as a proofreader for a couple of foreign translators. I recently learned that none of them solicit much business from companies in the US. I was thinking of starting an agency in order to find work for my translators. However, I do not know much about the actual business. I would like to know your opinions about the translation field. For example, are you happy running or working fro a translation ag... See more
Hello everyone,



My name is Jack. I live in the US, but work part time as a proofreader for a couple of foreign translators. I recently learned that none of them solicit much business from companies in the US. I was thinking of starting an agency in order to find work for my translators. However, I do not know much about the actual business. I would like to know your opinions about the translation field. For example, are you happy running or working fro a translation agency? Would you recommend to someone else to start a translation agency? What pitfalls should I look out for? How do you price your services? Please feel free to post your answer on this Web site or e-mail me directly at [email protected]. Thank you very much in advance for your help.



With best regards,

Jack McMillan



PS Do you have any other advice regarding something I haven’t asked? Thanks again.

 ▲ Collapse
 
Ralf Lemster
Ralf Lemster  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 15:38
English to German
+ ...
Think again - and think twice Apr 28, 2003

Hi Jack,

Without being too blunt (hopefully), I think you should seriously reconsider this plan.



Quote:


However, I do not know much about the actual business.





Thanks for being so honest - I find it very hard to conceive exactly how you would be able to add value. There\'s an abundance of \"agencies\" in the market who offer translations for 100+ specialist sectors in 200+ ... See more
Hi Jack,

Without being too blunt (hopefully), I think you should seriously reconsider this plan.



Quote:


However, I do not know much about the actual business.





Thanks for being so honest - I find it very hard to conceive exactly how you would be able to add value. There\'s an abundance of \"agencies\" in the market who offer translations for 100+ specialist sectors in 200+ language pairs - sadly, many of them simply act as a \"go between\", ruining quality and prices in the process.



If you find translations interesting, consider getting trained for it, gather experience and specialise in a limited number of fields - this should provide the foundation for starting an agency.



Best regards, Ralf ▲ Collapse
 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:

Moderator(s) of this forum
Margarita[Call to this topic]
Jorge Rodrigues[Call to this topic]
James Heppe-Smith[Call to this topic]

You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Thinking of starting an agency...







TM-Town
Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business

Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.

More info »
Trados Studio 2022 Freelance
The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.

Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

More info »