Following up on this major topic, I’d like to add that it is also professionally and personally essential to set aside some time to attend a translation-related conference each year. At least,that’s the goal I set for myself. Last year, I went to Geneva to attend a conference entitled « Traduire pour le grand public ». It was so enriching to meet with and hear from fellow translators.

You’ll get to exchange face to face with fellow translators and even potential clients. It’s a great opportunity to network and « put yourself out there » in the real world to start making a name for yourself.

Take advantage of local meetups organised by the different official organisations (if you live in Europe, you’ll see there are plenty of opportunities to socialise with your peers thanks to the numerous professional bodies).

Being an independent professional means you need to do every job (CEO, CFO, accountant, community management, administrative officer, etc.) Some people think that people who work from home have it easy. If only they knew!

It’s a demanding job that requires discipline, rigour and passion. You don’t keep track of time and yet, you need to make sure you have enough of it to cover every aspect of this immensely rewarding profession!

Let’s be poetic for a minute: Your translating business is like a tree, you need to nurture it properly so that it can grow strong for years to come!

Looking forward to meeting all of you during a conference somewhere on the planet!