Posts Tagged ‘translation agencies’

The news these days is full of market reports, minute-by-minute updates on the stock market and countless stories of small businesses being driven into bankruptcy. There is a general sense of tension especially for small business owners, and rightly so! So, what does this mean for the translation industry and how will it be affected?

Glancing at any timeline of the financial crisis is proof alone that all of our markets are interwoven, and what happens in one market will affect others on a global scale. As the translation industry largely depends on these global connections, to what extent will our services be affected? Across the globe, many freelance translators have been forced to find other sources of income and countless translation agencies have closed up shop as a result of the recession. While the demand for translations is undeniable, the resources to pay for them are now limited. Clients are struggling with their payments to the agencies, and in turn, payments to freelancers are delayed. As a result, more agencies have begun to enforce more rigid policies for clients regarding payment options, since the word “credit” nowadays is enough to strike fear into small business owners worldwide. However, many clients cannot afford to pay up-front and thus turn to the competition. Some agencies have increased their prices to compensate for overall losses, which places translation services out of the reach of many potential clients. On the flip side, other agencies have decreased their prices in an attempt to attract new clients. For many, the volume of work has slowed down, increasing competition for projects and thus driving down the prices of translation services.

So how will translation agencies and freelancers pull through this crisis? There is no easy solution to the problem, and much of the success of one business over another will be determined by their responses to the crisis and the whether or not the international relief packages will actually trickle down to small business owners.

As freelance translators, it is at times difficult to start your own business and increase your work flow and client contacts. Here are some helpful tips to help get your business up and running.

First, it is important to have a clear idea of the services you offer, your target market, and area of expertise. For example, if you only translate from English/Spanish, concentrate on finding potential translation buyers who also share the same target markets within your field. Later on, you can find other freelance translators to work with you on projects outside of your languages and expertise.

If you want to include services outside the translation process itself, such as Desktop Publishing or Transcription services, think about partnering up with other specialized providers to complement the services you lack.

Next, get your name out on the market. Consider developing your own website and publishing material about your services, whether in brochures, business cards, etc. There are also many freelance translator databases where translators can network and post jobs such as Translators Café, or Go Translator. Joining these communities will help you see what those around you are doing as well.

Recruiting clients directly can be difficult, especially since you will be competing with larger translation agencies. However, being consistent with the rates you offer, turnaround times and quality will all help to build a long-lasting relationship with a client and will encourage your clients to recommend your services as well.

If you haven’t already done so, consider investing in workshops or seminars within your area of translation to make sure you stay current in your field. Some other common workshops that are helpful for freelance translators are in the areas of CAT tools and office management skills.

Good luck!

When delivering projects to larger translation agencies or clients who use the Trados CAT tool, learning how to export and import translation memories is fundamental for smooth deliveries. Instead of delivering the five files that generate the translation memory (TM), which usually implies a large file size, you can simply export your TM into an easy-to-use .txt file or import the .txt file into an existing translation memory.

To begin, first open up your TM exclusively. (This means that you are the only one that can have access to it and modify it when you open it.) Next, under the File menu, click on Export.

The screen that pops up is predetermined and you do not have to do anything besides click OK.

Now, the dialog box will ask you where you want to save your .txt file. It is usually best to save it in the folder designated for the TM. Or, you can also create a sub-folder called “Export” if you are working with both imported and exported memories.

Once you click OK, the export process will run automatically. The final product is the .txt file in the folder you designated.

Be sure to check that the process ran smoothly by looking at the bottom portion of your TM window. Look for the Export finished successfully message, which will also indicate how many translation units were exported.

Now that you have a .txt file, you can also import it into an existing TM. Create your TM first (or open an existing one), then go to File and Import.

Again, the window that appears is predetermined and many times no modification of the settings is required. However, you can change the Existing translation units settings so that the segments are merged, overwritten, etc.

Next you will need to select the .txt file you are going to import and click OK.

The import process is now finalized and the segments from the .txt file will appear in your Translation Memory. As with the export step, if the import was successful the following message will appear: Import finished successfully.

One of the helpful tools in the Trados program is the Clean Up function. This function removes all the hidden text and updates the translation memory so that it includes any changes you may have made to the document outside of the translation segments. Whether you are working directly with clients or with translation agencies, knowing how to clean up your file is a fundamental part of the translation process with Trados.

1. To begin, select the Clean Up option in the Tools menu:

2. Next, you need to select the file that you want to clean up by selecting “Add…”

3. Once the file is selected, you can create a log file which will enable you to keep a record of the clean-up process and view any errors that occurred during the process. Select a location for the log file and give it a name:

4. Now that your log file is created, you can select one of the four options for how your document will be cleaned up. The best option to use is Update TM so that any changes made are incorporated into the TM, regardless of whether or not the translation segment was open when you made them:

5. Now you can click on the Clean Up button to complete the process. Once the function has been executed, the window will look like this:

6. If there were any errors in the process, simply go to Log File - View and the .txt file will open, displaying any errors such as broken tags or corrupted segments. If there were no errors, the following message will appear at the end of the file: “Cleanup finished successfully without errors!”

7. As part of the clean-up process, the program will automatically generate a .csv file (same as the .txt log file) and backup file with the .BAK extension. This file is the bilingual file, i.e., it has both the original and target text and is simply a safety measure so that you don’t lose the bilingual file in the clean-up process.

How many times have we heard one of our clients say that? Though this simple phrase may be the first step towards a profitable and lasting working relationship, as professionals, we need to gather much more information from the client in order to properly do our jobs and ultimately provide the client with the highest quality product.

So, let’s go over some of the key questions:

1. Does the translation require certification?

If the translation requires certification, this will be itemized as a separate service with an additional charge, since a translator who is duly certified will translate and certify the document with the corresponding expenses.

2. Is the document a rush translation?

In order to provide quality translations, a minimum amount of time is required, considering the hustle and bustle of the business world today. However, many times the client may need the translation outside of working hours or over the weekend, which also may be added as an extra expense to the bill.

3. Does the file have any special formatting issues?

When the original document is sent in a special format (other than Word or Excel), or is a Website, the translation may require Desktop Publishing (DTP) or IT services to maintain the original format. Even when the original document is in Word or Excel, Desktop Publishing may still be required in order to preserve the image formats, business logos, numbering, bullets, etc.

4. Does the client have a glossary with their language preferences based on previous translations?

When a client frequently requires translations for recurrent subjects, they may have a glossary prepared for their language preferences, such as the translation of their logo, key words for business policies, etc. This glossary will be extremely useful so that all translations from the company maintain the same linguistic style.

5. Should the translation take into account any special cultural considerations?

Some clients may have translation preferences regarding the measurement system for a specific country, regardless of the target language for the translation. For example, a client may require a translation from English to Spanish but would like for the translated text to have the measurement system of the country where the document originated.

6. Is the language into which the document will be translated considered a “rare” language?

When a language is not spoken by a significant population, there are fewer translators available, which may be reflected in the delivery time and costs.

7. Does the document have reference material?

It is always helpful for the translators to have reference material while they work, or even previous translations in order to have a better idea of the company, its products and the business image that this company projects.

When it comes time to translate a document, finding the right service provider can be tricky. So how do you find the right translation agency to fit your needs? We have compiled a list of points to consider when preparing your document for translation, aimed at helping you to better understand the service you require. So here it is….Quick Guide for the Translation Buyer Part 1:

1. What kind of document do you need to translate? Is it legal? Scientific? Financial?

Some translators or translation agencies only work with specific content, and legal documents, for example, many times need to be translated by a certified translator, which may narrow down your search.

2. Which language(s) does your document need to be translated into?

There are many agencies that only work with a handful of languages or a particular flavor of a language. For example, if your document needs to be translated into English for use in the United States, you may want to consider finding a translator/agency that is specialized in that particular flavor of English.

3. Where will your document be used and who is the target audience?

It is important to think about your target audience so as to help the translator convey the proper tone and writing style for the document. A document to be used in court has a different style than a document used on the internet for marketing purposes, so communicating these needs is essential for facilitating the translation process and ensuring the highest quality of your document.

4. Does your document require any special services such as formatting or certification?

Evaluating this aspect will greatly narrow down your options, as many agencies and translators do not provide these services. Larger agencies are equipped to handle an array of formats and have a team of desktop publishers on staff who are prepared to work with complex document formats. Many agencies also have the resources available to certify your document. A simple internet search of agencies will help you find a one-stop solution for your translation needs.

Stay tuned in for more helpful tips for the translation buyer. In the meantime, if you are interested in finding out more about the translation services offered by Trusted Translations, click on the following link: http://www.trustedtranslations.com/services.asp