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Poll: Do you keep a register of all your projects, big and small?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Jun 24, 2019

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you keep a register of all your projects, big and small?".

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Yaotl Altan
 
Ian Mansbridge
Ian Mansbridge  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:00
Member (2012)
Italian to English
+ ...
Yes Jun 24, 2019

Just completed project number 5218!

 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 02:00
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Absolutely Jun 24, 2019

I keep an Excel spreadsheet and have done so for decades. It's how I keep track of invoicing and who owes me money. I can't imagine not keeping a record.

I also keep the work I've done, which is keyed to my spreadsheet.


Anna Herbst
Liena Vijupe
Maja_K
REUVEN COHEN
Tina Vonhof (X)
JaneD
Rachel Shaw
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 09:00
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Yes Jun 24, 2019

I keep a paper form that I fill with all the information needed: date, my reference number, client’s name, client’s job reference, language combination, number of words, type of assignment (translation, transcreation, proofreading, editing), deadline, invoice number and special notes. Some years ago, because I realized that I hadn’t invoiced a client I got into the habit of preparing each invoice immediately after completing a job so that nothing is forgotten.

 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 10:00
French to English
. Jun 24, 2019

Isn't it kinda compulsory to keep track of your work? I mean apart from tax havens that no mere translator could ever afford to live in, is there a country out there where you don't have to declare your business earnings?

I just reproduced the log that we used to use at the agency in pre-Plunet days, minus language pairs since I only have one. I keep track of jobs that need doing, and bills that need paying, all in the one same document.


neilmac
JaneD
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 10:00
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
No, not really Jun 24, 2019

ProZ.com Staff wrote:
"Do you keep a register of all your projects, big and small?"


No, I don't keep a record like that. I do, however, keep a record of all my invoices and payments (obviously... it's a spreadsheet). And the invoices are related to the jobs that I do. But not every job gets a separate invoice. And I don't create invoices for "freebies".

And for some clients, it's not always clear where the job begins or ends. For most clients, when it comes to invoicing, I tend to rely on the official purchase order issued by the client, and I only complain if there appears to be a discrepancy between it and the amount of work I remember doing.

If you count "folders in a shoe box" as a record, then yes: I do keep a record of all projects. I put all files relating to a job in a subfolder on my desktop, and when I'm done with it, I move it to an archive folder. Every time I get a new request and I don't recognise it as part of an existing job that I'm currently working on, I put it into a new job subfolder. So, for example, in 2018 I issued 437 invoices, but I have 1155 separate job subfolders. For my biggest client, I issued 227 invoices, but there are 433 individual job subfolders.


Ventnai
 
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Germany
Local time: 10:00
English to German
In memoriam
No Jun 24, 2019

Not a consistent register. My work is mostly agency-driven, and the agencies have different ways of registering the jobs. Some issue individual POs for every job and when I want to create an invoice, I collect all open POs for that. With other agencies, I receive a report (at the end of the month, in most cases) about the work I did and use this for my invoice. Only with direct clients, I keep such a register (but a separate register for every client), in order to create an invoice in certain in... See more
Not a consistent register. My work is mostly agency-driven, and the agencies have different ways of registering the jobs. Some issue individual POs for every job and when I want to create an invoice, I collect all open POs for that. With other agencies, I receive a report (at the end of the month, in most cases) about the work I did and use this for my invoice. Only with direct clients, I keep such a register (but a separate register for every client), in order to create an invoice in certain intervals.

For the bigger view, I use my time tracker. In my time tracker, I can see how much time I spent in any time span for any client or project.
Collapse


Ventnai
Michael Harris
 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 10:00
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Jun 24, 2019

I keep a record of all the translation and revision jobs I do. I wouldn't call it a register though, which sounds a bit too official and highfalutin' for the slapdash chaotic mess that is my admin.

I'm currently having a nightmare with my tax returns, as one client has only declared five out of the dozen invoices I issued to them in 2018...


 
REUVEN COHEN
REUVEN COHEN  Identity Verified
Israel
Local time: 11:00
Member (2019)
Hebrew to English
+ ...
Sure Jun 24, 2019

I also keep a record of all work on a spreadsheet
Couldn't think of working without it.
Helps keep tabs on what you have done and what jobs are still owed payment.


Tina Vonhof (X)
Muriel Vasconcellos
 
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Yetta Jensen Bogarde  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 10:00
Member (2012)
English to Danish
+ ...
Yes Jun 24, 2019

I keep my records by client name > year > month > PM/project type.
I also have paper binders with my clients in alphabetical order, but only the most important documents i.e. initial contact, agreements and - in rare cases of disagreements - copy of such email exchange.

And I am really amazed at all the different systems we use.


Paulina Torres De Witt
 
Paulina Torres De Witt
Paulina Torres De Witt
United States
Local time: 05:00
English to Spanish
+ ...
Yes Jun 24, 2019

I keep digital records only. I just print an Excel sheet once a year for taxes.

 
Claudia Aguero
Claudia Aguero  Identity Verified
Costa Rica
Local time: 03:00
Spanish to English
+ ...
I have to Jun 24, 2019

According to the Costa Rican Law on Official Translations and Interpretations and its regulations, I need to keep such a record. Every January, I need to submit a report detailing each project and the price I charged for each official translation and interpretation.

 
Yaotl Altan
Yaotl Altan  Identity Verified
Mexico
Local time: 03:00
Member (2006)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Yes Jun 24, 2019

Since 2000, I write in a notebook information such as:
- title
- arrival date
- delivery date
- words


Grace Anderson
 
Ekaterina Chashnikova
Ekaterina Chashnikova  Identity Verified
Local time: 10:00
Member (2011)
English to Russian
+ ...
Other Jun 24, 2019

I try to keep the records in TO3000, but it's not a regular habit yet.

 
Kamila Perczak
Kamila Perczak  Identity Verified
Local time: 10:00
Member (2013)
English to Polish
+ ...
To some extent Jun 24, 2019

I only record the details of jobs completed needed in order to draw up correct invoices.

 
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Poll: Do you keep a register of all your projects, big and small?






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