How to promote your business locally?
Thread poster: Nehad Hussein
Nehad Hussein
Nehad Hussein  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:08
English to Arabic
Apr 1, 2014

Hello,

I have moved to a small town recently and had to take the decision of moving into freelancing. I have been trying to contact agencies online for work, but have not been handed any jobs yet. A friend of mine advised me to advertise locally and not to forget the community where I currently live, but I am not sure what ways I can use to make the people aware that I am alive and ready for work. Can you please share ideas/ experiences?

Thanks a lot for thoughts in ad
... See more
Hello,

I have moved to a small town recently and had to take the decision of moving into freelancing. I have been trying to contact agencies online for work, but have not been handed any jobs yet. A friend of mine advised me to advertise locally and not to forget the community where I currently live, but I am not sure what ways I can use to make the people aware that I am alive and ready for work. Can you please share ideas/ experiences?

Thanks a lot for thoughts in advance.
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Daina Jauntirans
Daina Jauntirans  Identity Verified
Local time: 06:08
German to English
+ ...
What is your market - B2B or B2C? Apr 2, 2014

Are you trying to sell your services to other businesses (B2B) or consumers (B2C, i.e., translating certificates, personal documents, etc.)? What type of translation do you do? Maybe if you tell us that the posters here can come up with some suggestions.

[Edited at 2014-04-02 00:54 GMT]


 
philgoddard
philgoddard
United States
German to English
+ ...
This is a global business... Apr 2, 2014

... and I think you should take advantage of that by casting your net as wide as possible. I live in a fairly big city, and occasionally get local customers, but they're always people wanting certificates translated. I don't know what the translation market is like in small-town southern Libya, but I can't imagine it's big enough to earn a living from.

 
philgoddard
philgoddard
United States
German to English
+ ...
. Apr 2, 2014

I've just noticed that your profile says you're in England, but the map shows you in Libya. Either way, my advice remains the same

 
Nehad Hussein
Nehad Hussein  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:08
English to Arabic
TOPIC STARTER
My experience is B2C Apr 2, 2014

as I used to work for business clients and translate their marketing and business contents to approach their target individual customers in the middle east. So I have not done much of marriage certificates or personal documents before. Being in a small community makes me think that translating personal documents may be more in demand here. So now there are two questions:

1) Shall I stick to my original specialization in serving business or adjust to the new local market needs.
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as I used to work for business clients and translate their marketing and business contents to approach their target individual customers in the middle east. So I have not done much of marriage certificates or personal documents before. Being in a small community makes me think that translating personal documents may be more in demand here. So now there are two questions:

1) Shall I stick to my original specialization in serving business or adjust to the new local market needs.

2) My original question is still there. What can I do now to approach my local market? creative ideas please.

P.S: Thanks philgoddard for spotting the silly mistake about my location. I am in England, not in Libya. Location is adjusted now, thanks to you.
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Jessica Noyes
Jessica Noyes  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 07:08
Member
Spanish to English
+ ...
Network Apr 2, 2014

My thoughts are that in a small town, trust and awareness are often built by person-to-person contact. However, the process of gaining trust is slow, and it may well be six months before you receive your first local job. Also if the town is really small, you may need to travel beyond its boundaries to a place that has business organizations and universities. I suggest joining Rotary International and the local Chamber of Commerce and getting involved in their activities. Establish yourself as a ... See more
My thoughts are that in a small town, trust and awareness are often built by person-to-person contact. However, the process of gaining trust is slow, and it may well be six months before you receive your first local job. Also if the town is really small, you may need to travel beyond its boundaries to a place that has business organizations and universities. I suggest joining Rotary International and the local Chamber of Commerce and getting involved in their activities. Establish yourself as a local businessperson. Give out your card to everyone you meet in a business context.
Join any association that supports or involves the Arabic speaking world. Universities often have such groups. If there are any organizations that assist local Arabic speakers, do some pro bono work for those in need. If there are friendship clubs or twinning partnerships with Arabic-speaking countries, join them and get involved. Again, hand out your card. Once you get to know people, ask for their advice in promoting your business. If you practice a religion, become an active member of that religious community.
I moved to a small town quite a long time ago, and it was only through my reaching out to the community that I began to receive jobs in my field. Basically, people had to know me personally -- or have a personal recommendation -- before they entrusted me with work.
If you decide to take on certificates and the like, local immigration lawyers and university admissions offices may refer clients to you. (However, I would imagine that the need would more likely be from Arabic to English, and you work into Arabic.) However, with less work coming your way, you might take any spare time you have to perfect your English so that you are able to handle certain types of document into English. Consider finding a fellow translator (Arabic-English), perhaps on line) who will correct your English translations in exchange for your correcting their Arabic translations to give you any practice you may need.
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Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 11:08
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
What do you mean by local? Apr 2, 2014

Your pin on the map positions you close to London. OK, you may live in a little out-of-the-way place, but are you not sufficiently near to a large town for neighbours to commute to big companies there?

If that's the case (and even if it isn't the case) anyone you may meet locally may well either work in a company that could need you, or have a family member of a friend in that situation. Give your business card to everyone who'll take it and leave it to them. 99% will get forgotten,
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Your pin on the map positions you close to London. OK, you may live in a little out-of-the-way place, but are you not sufficiently near to a large town for neighbours to commute to big companies there?

If that's the case (and even if it isn't the case) anyone you may meet locally may well either work in a company that could need you, or have a family member of a friend in that situation. Give your business card to everyone who'll take it and leave it to them. 99% will get forgotten, lost, chewed by dogs, washed... But it'll be the other 1% that will be important.

When an old woman outside the grocer's asks you to write down the opening hours because she'll forget them and hasn't got any paper or has forgotten her specs, write them on your business card. She won't ever need a translation into Arabic, but she may have a child or grand-child who does. Stranger things have happened.
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Nehad Hussein
Nehad Hussein  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:08
English to Arabic
TOPIC STARTER
This is really encouraging Apr 2, 2014

Thank you ladies for your advice. I has taken note of them and will use them as inspiration for my coming marketing endeavors.

 
Tess Whitty
Tess Whitty
United States
Local time: 05:08
Member (2004)
English to Swedish
Local chamber of commerce Apr 4, 2014

Hi,

Jessica has some great advice. Go to events that your local chamber of commerce arranges and network (bring business cards). You can also try to contact a local paper to see if they want to feature your services. Good luck!

Tess Whitty
www.marketingtipsfortranslators.com


 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
As for me, Apr 7, 2014

my most outstanding, successful, long-lasting and rewarding personal contacts came from referrals, which turned to be legal entities... which officers either met me or saw my bizcard I intentionally left in restaurants, receptions, offices and other public places.

Sounds rather primitive and seems a bit childish, but why not making a bunch of bizcards? Who knows)


 


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