Category: Professionalism
Freelancers Unite! An Interview with CFU’s Paula Kirman
Many ATIA members may have met Paula Kirman of the Canadian Freelance Union (CFU) last year at the AGM in Edmonton, as she gave a presentation to our members on the benefits of joining the CFU. Thank you for joining us, Paula!
Q: Why don’t you start by telling us who can join the Canadian Freelance Union.
A: The Canadian Freelance Union is a community chapter of Unifor, Canada’s largest private-sector union. Membership is aimed at freelancers working in the media, communications, and information fields, and this can include interpreting and translating. Our members also include writers, graphic designers, website designers, social media consultants, photographers, and videographers.
Q: As you know, many associate and certified members of the ATIA do freelance or independent contracting work. Can you tell us about the benefits of joining the CFU for Translators and Interpreters?
A: Membership in the CFU offers group rates on insurance: health, home, auto, and liability. As many of us who are self-employed know, insurance can be hard to get – and very expensive. The CFU also offers grievance support, so if you have a client who isn’t paying, you can discuss the situation with someone at the union to decide the best course of action. As well, the CFU has a member’s directory that is available to potential clients who want to hire someone who is unionized. There is also the potential to connect with and socialize with other freelancers. Membership in the CFU helps build solidarity for freelancers in the labour movement. We’re stronger together.
Q: Many are drawn to freelancing because it affords translators and interpreters the independence and self-determination of being selective of projects and clients, allowing us to pursue work that we are passionate about. However, this independence can have its downside when it comes to clients’ non-payment of fees or deceptive contracts. How can the CFU support freelancers with problematic clients?
A: As I mentioned before, the CFU offers grievance support when it comes to non-paying clients. The situation will be discussed with the member, and an action plan created. Sometimes all it takes is a phone call from someone at the CFU to your client to convince them to pay up. CFU members are welcome to submit questions concerning contracts. Something the CFU is currently working on is more comprehensive contract advice, and contract templates.
Q: Freelancing also has many draws in terms of lifestyle: building your own schedule, choosing your workload, flexibility, and independence. Unfortunately, this can also mean precarious labour, lack of access to health benefits, and loneliness. What services does the CFU offer to combat these commonly-faced hardships for freelancers?
A: Joining the CFU helps build solidarity among freelancers. You can be connected to other freelancers in your area. Here in Edmonton, there is an Edmonton Freelancers Facebook group that I moderate, and we have regular meet-ups. Meet-ups have happened in other cities as well. The union also offers group rates on health, home, auto, and liability insurance, which can be hard to get (and expensive) for precarious workers. Finally, the CFU gives a voice to freelancers in the labour movement, and advocates on behalf of us by standing up for issues affecting us as precarious workers. If you check out our website (canadianfreelanceunion.ca) and social media, you will see articles and information posted to help inform freelancers about pitfalls to avoid and issues of concern, such as the persecution of journalists, shady websites that “hire” freelancers at low rates, and related issues.
Q: Certified members of the ATIA must carry errors and omissions insurance, as it is one of the critical ways that the ATIA protects both its members and the public. This insurance does not come cheap, and can be particularly unaffordable for freelancers or independent contractors. Can you tell us a little bit about insurance plans tailored for freelancers?
A: The Errors and Omissions insurance offered via the CFU includes Misrepresentation, Professional Negligence, Inaccurate Advice, Libel and Slander, and lost documents. It is an individual plan, not a group one, which means each person would have to get their own quote to see what best suits their needs.
Q: Thanks again for joining us to inform the ATIA’s members about the Canadian Freelance Union! Do you have any closing messages for the translators and interpreters of the ATIA?
A: More information about the Canadian Freelance Union can be found on our website: canadianfreelanceunion.ca. Also, remember that union dues are tax-deductible as a business operating expense (not on the union dues line on our taxes because we’re not a bargaining union), and the benefits of joining are well worth the annual dues.
Healthy Freelancing Boundaries
When you are a self-employed as a freelancer or contractor, being on the lookout for potential clients is a way of life. When we find new potential clients, or when there are new inquiries into our work, it is certainly an exciting thing. This is especially the case when we are just starting out, are experiencing a lull in incoming business, or have recently wrapped up projects and are eager to start more.
However, it is important to not allow your boundaries to be crossed by potential clients, even when you are in need of new ones. There may be traps that we can fall into, such as more work required than was stated at the beginning of the contract and clients who assume you are available most times of the day. If we can set reasonable boundaries from the beginning, from the time the initial contract is made, this can prevent you from falling into any of these traps. Here are some trade secrets for subtly setting boundaries in this line of work:
- Set project management meetings
- Get all documents needed before starting work
- Consider rush fees, revision fees, and deadline missed fees
Set regular meetings to go over progress and any issues. This not only keeps you on task, but can also be very helpful for the client. All too often we are inundated with emails, texts, and phone calls from clients. If we can limit this correspondence to these meetings, it can cut down on the expectation (and overwhelm) of timely replies.
Gathering everything needed before work starts can eliminate the need to drag projects on past their expected deadline. If you find yourself waiting for necessary documents, this can potentially prevent you from working on other projects, as you are saving space for this client and perhaps have not taken on others. Assert this to avoid this potential set back.
A tight turn around time requires hard work in a short amount of time, with little room for maintaining work-life balance. You may consider raising your prices for this. On the flip side, you might also consider setting fees for projects that drag on due to the client’s delay. At times, you may come across clients who never seem to be satisfied – here you can charge a fee for going beyond a set number of revisions that you deemed to be sufficient from the get-go. Finally as a follow-up to number 2, charging for missing documents and missed deadlines on the client’s part may be helpful.
Pro tips:
Manage expectations with assertiveness
The best way to manage expectations, of course, is to set them at the beginning and be extremely consistent and diligent with these contracted expectations. However, in the case that these expectations aren’t respected or maintained, it is imperative to have assertive and direct conversations with clients about this. In addition, in the very early stages of project discussion prior to contracts being drawn up, remember that you are under no obligation to take on the project if it’s not a good fit for you. Just because you’ve entered into a dialogue about the client’s needs and expectations does not mean that you are then obliged to take the job on.
Use your intuition by listening to yourself
If you have a gut feeling about a potential client or an offer, then it may not be for you. Listening to your intuition takes skill, including an ability to listen to what your body and “gut” is telling you, an ability to read body language of others, and, of course, an ability to say no. Sometimes we ignore these for the sake of incoming business, but the outcome could end up being less than beneficial. Always listen to what your intuition is telling you to avoid potential setbacks, negative outcomes, and individuals who may be trying to take advantage of inexperience or financial need.
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?How to Help Your Clients Achieve the Perfect Translation
The first step to helping client’s get the translation they want is good communication between translator and writer. This is important so that you, as the translator, know the unique goals of the project and ensure the best possible translation project is created! Good communication starts with the basics – listening skills, and an ability to professionally and assertively state yourself both in written and verbal ways. Most translators possess these skills, some clients may not. Here are ways to encourage your clients towards the best outcome possible.
- Encourage specific communication about budget and timeline.
- Have your client state their main objective for the translation
- Encourage your client to be organized with project documents
- Communicate your own boundaries
- Know your limits and communicate them
Stating or negotiating prices is often difficult to discuss yet it is fundamental when kicking off a project. Some clients come with a price in mind and some don’t know where to start. Encouraging your client to name a price, start a negotiation, or discuss this part of contracting can be a challenge when they don’t. Using language that is curious, open and inviting can help this process along. Equally important is the timeline of the project. Knowing when the project needs to be completed will help you in planning, but will also help the professional relationship as expectations will be set, maintained, and managed if this is all discussed up front.
Do you know what your client is trying to achieve with their translation? Did they communicate what the goal of the project is? Once this is clarified with the client, it allows you as the translator to better integrate their voice with yours, producing a piece of work that aligns with the client’s needs.
You need things from your client in order to be effective and efficient for them. You need contracts signed, receipts, and of course, the documents to be translated. Missing documents, incomplete work, and late add-ons can result in deadlines missed and your additional work inaccurately reflected in the negotiated fee. The more organized and complete the source content, the easier it will be to ensure success.
Some clients assume you are available for them much of the time. Some expect emails returned within a few hours and may become persistent if this isn’t the case. It is good practice to communicate to your clients your availability, such as when you spend time responding to emails, what a reasonable turnaround time is for correspondence, and what days you work and which you do not. You can set an out of office email reminder that tells your clients you are not actively responding to emails at the present time. Being clear on your professional boundaries not only helps the progress of the project, but it supports your personal and self-care time, as well.
It is okay to be the person who doesn’t always say “yes”. Allow yourself to turn down projects if you have taken on too much, or the project isn’t a good fit for you. In those rare occasions, it is okay to ask for a deadline extension, within reason and with good arguments as to why you need more time. Likely, your clients with respect and honor your ability to maintain your limits and will appreciate your dedication to ongoing communication and client – translator relationship building.
Digital Marketing for The World of Languages
How do you market yourself online when you do not have specific goods to sell, but are selling your services? The answer to this question is content marketing strategies. When you have a service to offer, generating content and an audience online can gather many potential clients. It is defined as the supply of relevant, informative and entertaining web content to the internet user. This content could take many forms, including blogs, tips, research and more.
When content is generated on a regular basis – credibility and trust grows. This is because it provides an opportunity for the service and the client to connect in the digital world. Relationships are built and maintained. It’s the next best thing to networking in person.
As a translator, how do you stand out among other service providers on the market? It’s a difficult thing to do – stand out and assert yourself among others. However, with good content marketing, it is possible to gain an advantage over the competition through digital relationship building. Many translators seek contracts as sole proprietors, and do not operate with huge marketing budgets, and it becomes important to generate content in a productive, efficient and economical way. Here are steps in doing so.
Create or refresh your website
The first step to content marketing is to ensure you have a website and that it is performing well. You may consider hiring a web designer to assist with this process, however it is not necessary with some basic research into how to do this. If your website is already created, you could examine every page to ensure that your links are correct, and that there are no “dead ends”. You may want to look for and delete content that is outdated, incorrect or repeats.
Write content regularly
New content is the basis of this type of marketing. Websites that create new content often come up higher in Google searches, resulting in better rankings for the website. Thus, content marketing isn’t about creating website pages and being done – it is an ongoing project. Some individuals choose to hire marketing companies for this process, others update content alongside their translation work. It is recommended that new content be created at least once a month, to allow for this relationship building and for clients to hear you voice through your writing style and skill.
Spread the word around
Now that content is written, it’s time to spread it around. Raising visibility can be done on websites like Linkedin that are dedicated to digital marketing. There are free community platforms that can be posted to, such as Medium, Flipboard, and Hub Pages. Social media can be invaluable for spreading the word about your new content. Social media can humanize a business by putting your face onto it and showing your qualifications, experiences, and personal style. Building followers by engaging with your online community regularly is key to social media success. This is called “seeding” – when you put your content in a place that your target audience is likely to read it,
Learn SEO
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is essential for content marketing. This is where your website comes up in search engines based on the keywords within your website. These keywords are the fundamental concepts that describe your website and any words that a client may use to type into a search engine, like google. Once you have compiled a list of keywords, then integrating them into your website in titles, headings, and descriptions is paramount for SEO. Caution must be used, here, because too many keywords can cause search engines, like google, to react negatively and lower the websites rankings. The goal here is to make your website high on the list of websites that come up in relevant searches – think page 1!