| Páginas sobre el tema: [1 2 3 4] > | Poll: What is the best investment you have ever made for your business? Autor de la hebra: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What is the best investment you have ever made for your business?".
This poll was originally submitted by DianeGM. View the poll results »
| | | | | Investing in a proofreader | Jan 29, 2014 |
The best investment was to hire a part time dedicated editor/proofreader to check my work before it is handed off to the customer.
| | | | Ty Kendall 
Reino Unido
Local time: 12:41
hebreo al inglés
...surprised it's not higher in the poll.
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I have a spinal disc herniation caused by non-anatomical office chairs, too high desks, too low laboratory benches. After I started translating, it got so bad that, at times, I suffered from paresthesia of both arms and legs, 24h a day. Sometimes it was really painful.
My chair is a refurbished Duera by Klöber with all the options. It costs ca. 1500 euro new, I bought it for 200 euro. Much cheaper than surgery and I seldom feel any pain!
Other good investments:
- a large mon... See more I have a spinal disc herniation caused by non-anatomical office chairs, too high desks, too low laboratory benches. After I started translating, it got so bad that, at times, I suffered from paresthesia of both arms and legs, 24h a day. Sometimes it was really painful.
My chair is a refurbished Duera by Klöber with all the options. It costs ca. 1500 euro new, I bought it for 200 euro. Much cheaper than surgery and I seldom feel any pain!
Other good investments:
- a large monitor
- this: http://dromeas.gr/footrests_gr.php
- ProZ memberiship
- CATs
[Έγινε επεξεργασία στις 2014-01-29 08:48 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Mike Sadler (X)
Reino Unido
Local time: 12:41
español al inglés
+ ...
| Proz membership | Jan 29, 2014 |
Funny word, "best", but by far the most cost-effective investment for me has been Proz membership. Practically all my business contacts came through it, one way or another.
How you measure that against the years of experience, I don't know.
| | | | | University education, | Jan 29, 2014 |
including various extra courses that seemingly no one would ever need. A proofreader seems like a great investment too, but it is usually the clients (big companies and publishers) that provide proofreaders. Proofreaders should, however, be collaborators and helpers, not the translator's enemies, which is sometimes the case-- "the more mistakes I catch (often not even mistakes) the more important I would appear", sort of.
It is not a fishing competition, but collaborative work. ... See more including various extra courses that seemingly no one would ever need. A proofreader seems like a great investment too, but it is usually the clients (big companies and publishers) that provide proofreaders. Proofreaders should, however, be collaborators and helpers, not the translator's enemies, which is sometimes the case-- "the more mistakes I catch (often not even mistakes) the more important I would appear", sort of.
It is not a fishing competition, but collaborative work.
[Edited at 2014-01-29 09:13 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tatty
Local time: 13:41
español al inglés
+ ...
Pursing specialisation was definitely the best move I ever made. It cost me lots of money and took up a lot of time but it has paid off.
| | | | Helen Hagon
Local time: 12:41
Miembro 2011
ruso al inglés
+ ...
My first six months of translating were spent with a laptop on the bed or the sofa, which was terrible on so many levels. Then we moved house, and I now have a room of my own in the attic where I can sit at a proper desk and shut myself away from the rest of the world.
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Angus Stewart
Reino Unido
Local time: 12:41
francés al inglés
+ ...
| University Education 2 | Jan 29, 2014 |
Without having invested in a University education, I would not be equipped with the skills necessary to work as a translator in the first place.
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japón
Local time: 20:41
Miembro 2011
japonés al inglés
My own office, my own work space where I can do whatever I like and not be disturbed.
However, I answered 'Software' since investment in a CAT tool is absolutely necessary if you're in technical translation. though some of you might disagree.
| | | | Marjolein Snippe
Países Bajos
Local time: 13:41
Miembro 2012
inglés al neerlandés
+ ...
| apples and oranges... | Jan 29, 2014 |
I find it difficult to determine what the 'best' investment was.
Proz membership is definitely somewhere high up, but software is also an essential for me, as is my current PC (old laptop was struggling desperately before I replaced it), and education. I don't think I could have done without any of these so which one would be the most essential is impossible to tell...
| | | | inkweaver
Alemania
Local time: 13:41
francés al alemán
+ ...
A combination of
- membership (I found some of my best clients on Proz - or they found me)
- software (using a CAT tool has allowed me to increase my output considerably and saves a lot of time when it comes to ensuring consistency)
- education/curiosity (my education plus my curiosity for all sorts of things have proven invaluable)
I don't market my services, I'm rubbish at self-marketing, and I prefer to work with good agencies instead. And I certainly don't net... See more A combination of
- membership (I found some of my best clients on Proz - or they found me)
- software (using a CAT tool has allowed me to increase my output considerably and saves a lot of time when it comes to ensuring consistency)
- education/curiosity (my education plus my curiosity for all sorts of things have proven invaluable)
I don't market my services, I'm rubbish at self-marketing, and I prefer to work with good agencies instead. And I certainly don't network. In my book this amounts to using people which I find despicable. ▲ Collapse
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Michael Harris
Alemania
Local time: 13:41
Miembro 2006
alemán al inglés
Pretty much all of them although software and hardware are at the top of the list as I cant really do anything without them.
My office is also important. ProZ has also been / is a good investment, etc.
| | | | | I said "hardware" | Jan 29, 2014 |
But I really mean my whole office setup: the best and fastest desktop computer I can buy (I'm on my 8th one) with a nice big screen so documents display side-by-side, a super-duper keyboard, three desks, two walls of book shelves above my workspace so I can easily reach my references, a fantastic chair (I'm on my 7th one and I've finally gotten it right), file cabinets (for contracts and tax records), and two new skylights that flood my space with sunlight.
The only special softwar... See more But I really mean my whole office setup: the best and fastest desktop computer I can buy (I'm on my 8th one) with a nice big screen so documents display side-by-side, a super-duper keyboard, three desks, two walls of book shelves above my workspace so I can easily reach my references, a fantastic chair (I'm on my 7th one and I've finally gotten it right), file cabinets (for contracts and tax records), and two new skylights that flood my space with sunlight.
The only special software I have is PerfectIt, which I like a lot. I bought Trados, but it always slowed me down. I never got the hang of it, and my clients don't use it.
In order of importance, I'd say:
Skylights
Chair
Computer
Keyboard
Book shelves
Workspace
File cabinets ▲ Collapse
| | | | DianeGM
Local time: 14:41
Miembro 2006
neerlandés al inglés
+ ...
I personally find it really hard to say which investment has contributed most to my business, but several things have been invaluable: Proz membership, software including CAT tools, pdf conversion tool and and voice recognition software, big screens and a good chair, training and experience.
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