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I have been a freelance translator for over 10 years. I started out slowly since my children were small, and continually focused on growing my business. I considered myself a freelancer and not really a business and did not have a marketing plan. I still dislike spending time writing long business or marketing plans that usually end up forgotten in a drawer.

But, a little planning goes a long way. With a written marketing plan we can focus on our translation work but still continue with our marketing efforts in a structured way, without having to spend too much time on it. Take an hour or so to think through the following steps. In the end you will have an easy to follow plan for your business development. It can even fit on one page that you can print out and put up in front of the computer. Then it is easy to see what marketing tasks you should do that week or month and you will have more time and peace of mind to focus on your craft, i.e. your translation work.

Your business

• What services do you offer?
• What areas do you specialize in?
• Who are your clients?
• Who are your competitors?
• What are your unique selling points?

Your income

Track your finances by using the report functions in your software to answer these questions:
• What are your expenses?
• How much do you need to earn to cover these expenses?
• What has been your annual income for the past one, two or three years, and what do you want it to be?
• Which client generates the most income?
• How many clients generate the most income?

Your marketing

• How many new clients or projects do you want and in how much time?
• Where will you find your new clients?
• What marketing methods will you use?
• What is your marketing budget?
• How will you market and provide service to your existing clients?
• Can you offer additional services to your existing clients?

Divide the marketing actions up into monthly and weekly activities and write them down to have a visible to-do list and so you can follow up on your progress.

Whether you are new to the freelance translation business, or need to give your business a boost, you can set aside an hour today to start planning for future success. There are several templates available online and I have also created a one-page marketing plan template for freelance translators that will be distributed in this month’s Marketing Tips for Translators newsletter. Wishing you all the success in your translation business!

For more information and help to create a marketing plan and get your year started right, check out the Quick Start Guide – 8 steps to a marketing plan for translators.