| Pages in topic: [1 2 3] > | Poll: How long did it take you to be able to live solely on your income as a freelancer? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How long did it take you to be able to live solely on your income as a freelancer?".
This poll was originally submitted by Katja Schoone. View the poll results »
| | | | Georgia Morg (X) 
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:42
Portuguese to English
I don't and never would be able to.......
| | | | | I instinctively replied less than one month but | Jan 21, 2015 |
on reflection that's not actually true. I wouldn't have been paid until two months after I started.
But it was pretty much straight away, because I didn't have any other sources of income!
For the record, yesterday I was just kidding. I do all my own invoices and reminders and I don't take any **** from customers who pay late or mess me about in any other way.
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Chris S wrote:
on reflection that's not actually true. I wouldn't have been paid until two months after I started.
But it was pretty much straight away, because I didn't have any other sources of income!
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564354352 (X)
Denmark
Local time: 02:42
Danish to English
+ ...
| Less than a month | Jan 21, 2015 |
I wouldn't have ventured into self-employment if I hadn't felt sure I could live off my earnings from day 1.
However, that is not to say that I have always turned over as much as I earned as an employee, though. Life as an independent businesswoman is a bit of a rollercoaster, I find...
By the way
Chris S wrote:
For the record, yesterday I was just kidding. I do all my own invoices and reminders and I don't take any **** from customers who pay late or mess me about in any other way.
Chris, with a photo like that, no one is going to believe that you are a 'take no **** from customers' kinda... ... girl... How long are you going to keep trying to fool us?
[Edited at 2015-01-21 09:03 GMT]
| | | | John Cutler
Spain
Local time: 02:42
Spanish to English
+ ...
It's too long ago to remember.
| | | | Paul Dixon
Brazil
Local time: 21:42
Portuguese to English
+ ...
After 20 years I still can't live solely on my income as a freelancer.
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And I don't know ANY freelance translator who needed more than one year AS LONG AS they worked and looked for clients 8 hours a day, believing that this is a real job and not just "giving it a try to see how this works".
If you are serious about it, in one year your salary will be quite above the average salary in your country, I have no doubts about it.
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 02:42
Spanish to English
+ ...
I drifted into translation from TEFL and I suppose it was about 2 years before I finally managed to slough off or pass on my remaining diehard teaching clients. In fact, a couple of colleagues who took over from me are still teaching EFL groups for a company that is now one of my best translation clients.
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Gitte Hovedskov, MCIL wrote: Chris, with a photo like that, no one is going to believe that you are a 'take no **** from customers' kinda... ... girl...
What, bimbos can't kick ass?!
Gitte Hovedskov, MCIL wrote:
How long are you going to keep trying to fool us?
Until all that work rolls in as promised in the recent poll on profile pictures. Or until I get bored of it.
It's not my intention to fool anyone here - I thought my age and gender were well established.
That said, it's kinda fun. I've already had someone decline to pick a fight on KudoZ on account of me being a Christine not a Christopher... Chivalry is not dead.
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 09:42
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
With John here
John Cutler wrote: It's too long ago to remember.
I started out by jumping in the deep end and I've been swimming since. I don't ever recollect ever having drowned but sometimes the tide is against you.
Shall get back to work before I get 'writer's cliche block.' 
@Christine
Chris S wrote:It's not my intention to fool anyone here - I thought my age and gender were well established.
That said, it's kinda fun. I've already had someone decline to pick a fight on KudoZ on account of me being a Christine not a Christopher... Chivalry is not dead.
So, basically you're saying you got 'profiled' because of your profile picture. Hmmm, interesting. Maybe I should shave my legs and put on a dress. I might get more work.
Added 2nd half of post, darlings.
[Edited at 2015-01-22 00:39 GMT]
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I don't live solely on my income as a freelancer, but I could. I own my home, and houses have a way of gobbling up money. Also, I like massages, acupuncture, and other stuff that my insurance doesn't pay for.
My income is supplemented by a pension from the organization where I worked as an in-house translator. So theoretically it still counts as translation income.
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Rolf Kern
Switzerland
Local time: 02:42
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
Never since I started 1973.
Rolf
| | | | 564354352 (X)
Denmark
Local time: 02:42
Danish to English
+ ...
Chris S wrote:
What, bimbos can't kick ass?!
I stand corrected, those miniskirts must be ideal for kicking ass, although the high heels might cause you to wobble in the attempt.
I'm curious to hear of any other notable results of your ProZ gender change... Quite fascinating, I think...
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 21:42
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| I'm not sure | Jan 21, 2015 |
I used to work as Admin Manager until 2013. Only in 2014 I realized the market no longer wants me, since I'm over 45, and the opportunities I had paid half of what I used to earn. So I gave up being an employee and decided to be just a freelance translator.
I work with translations since 1987, but it was always an extra, as I had a salary. Now, I have to live on that. For the past 18 months, I did just fine, but that eternal doubt surrounds me all the time: will I have enough volume... See more I used to work as Admin Manager until 2013. Only in 2014 I realized the market no longer wants me, since I'm over 45, and the opportunities I had paid half of what I used to earn. So I gave up being an employee and decided to be just a freelance translator.
I work with translations since 1987, but it was always an extra, as I had a salary. Now, I have to live on that. For the past 18 months, I did just fine, but that eternal doubt surrounds me all the time: will I have enough volume of work next month? And for how long? And what happens if in any month I don't get enough work? ▲ Collapse
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