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Preface: As a business owner, I’ve learned to look at my year in terms of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters. When I pay my quarterly estimated taxes, I like to spend some time taking stock of business and life. Those were due September 15, hence this post.  4th quarter: This quarter started off with a bang in my personal life that is setting the tone for my business. In fact, I've been trying to write a more medical and translation-specific post, but I can't get my focus off of making the best of this "Big Bang." I received an inheritance from my lovely grandmother and went to work spending it wisely. Among other things, I used it to pay off some debt and put a down-payment on my first home. This “windfall” of money has flipped my financial POV upside down, consequently impacting my business plans for the remainder of the year and giving me hope for my business in the coming years. What follows are a 3 specific plans I will implement this quarter, then check back in on my business in the new year and adjust accordingly. Plan 1: I’m going to make a renewed attempt at connecting with people in the translation community. Gosh, saying that out loud is SCARY! Because it means showing up, being a presence in the community, despite my imposter belief that I don’t belong (which has made me very shy). By putting energy into forming connections, I will be more in touch with current trends and news and appreciate the value of my own translation services as a legit business. Plan 2: I will admit that work has been slow and minimal and will consistently spend time contacting potential clients until I am working at the rate I need. This will go hand-in-hand with the above plan. As I use LinkedIn and my website to connect with individuals, those efforts will support reaching out to clients, too. Specific to this plan, though, I will need to create a “portfolio.” Currently, all I have is a CV, the key component for any freelancer/translator. I would like to add to that a sample of my work and a new description of my services. Plan 3:
I will allow myself 2 full days off every week, ONCE I have put 30 hours into my business. One key action that will make this possible is to track my hours. Turn on a timer every time I start/end work, and categorize that time into translation, networking, or administrative time. This seems like a good start to me. Now, to start identifying smaller, tangible steps to take and holding myself accountable for completing them. Comments are closed.
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