How to find more or better translation companies/agencies

You can find lists of translation companies in translation association directories, translation portals, databases for payment practices, and by conducting a simple online search. No matter which method you use, make sure you research each company/agency before you make the first contact. Google the agency’s name to see if it has a website with contact information, check ratings via Payment Practices (www.paymentpractices.net) and/or Proz.com Blue Board, ask colleagues if they have heard about the translation company etc.

After checking credibility, you should also check whether the translation company works with your particular language pair and areas of specialization. At this stage, I recommend creating a master spreadsheet with the translation company name and a brief description of what makes that translation company unique

Activity

• Which of your current translation company clients do you like working with the best, and why? Try to find more of them.
• How do we find good agencies to work for? By “good,” I mean agencies that focus on quality rather than price, that are easy and pleasant to work for, and that have a straightforward means of invoicing and pay promptly.
• Template to contact and follow up
  (click on the link above to download a follow-up form that you can use)

Optimize your CV – Cover Letter – Profile

Are your basic marketing materials – your CV, cover letter, portfolio and profile – attracting the right work and clients for you?

One of the first and most important steps in finding more work with agencies is to make sure our CV, cover letter and online profile is attractive and optimized. I’ve created a quick-start-guide for you that takes you through this step by step. Click the link below to get to the download page.

Quick Start Guide: Basic Marketing Materials for Freelance Translators

This e-book gives you the information you need to create optimized basic marketing material for your freelance translation business:

• A great CV
• A killer cover letter
• An optimized online profile
• A show stopping portfolio