BeTranslated

Tips and Tricks to Get Started as a Remote Freelancer

by | 29 Nov, 2017 | Training, Freelancing, Remote Work

Many of us dream of being able to work as remote freelancers and shape our jobs around our lives. Freelance work, whether it’s translation, photography, or accounting, can provide this kind of lifestyle whilst also offering opportunities to make a substantial income. Finding a way to make a living through remote freelance work takes more time and more creativity than a traditional nine-to-five job, so we’ve come up with some tips to get you started.

Getting started as a remote freelancer

Getting started always takes some perseverance. Finding clients without any previous experience tends to mean offering a really competitive rate. Some of the apps below work on a points and recommendations basis, so feedback from previous clients is important. You have to prove that you’re the best person for the job and can be relied upon to deliver what’s required within the deadlines set.

Starting off with a low rate to increase your chances of getting jobs is advisable; it allows you to build up a portfolio of previous work with positive feedback, which enables you to command more, as your work level and experience grow and speak for themselves. Then you will attract higher-paying clients. But be careful not to charge too little, as you risk not being seen as a professional. Research your industry to strike a realistic balance.

Submitting a proposal to a potential client

When you submit a bid to a potential client, you want to impress and stand out from the many other candidates bidding for the same job. A strong cover letter that you can adapt to each individual proposal is a must. Try to present yourself in a way that highlights your key attributes and stands out from the crowd. Don’t be afraid to emphasise your previous work experience and explain how your skills are transferable.

Know your worth

Research your competition and know the rates paid for the skills you are offering. Get yourself some strong remote freelancer role models. Follow people in your industry on social media to get inspired and gain helpful tips. These individuals and companies are sure to give you ideas and ways to improve your offer to your clients. Consider reaching out to someone you admire in your industry to see if they would mind if you picked their brain; you’d be surprised how many people are open to the idea of mentoring those just starting out.

The best platforms to use

The following platforms, websites, and apps can help you to get off to a great start in your new remote freelancer career. Most will take a percentage of your earnings as payment for using their platform. This is usually a valid expense as they connect you directly to a large selection of employers and clients covering all different sectors and will save you a lot of time and money in the start-up process. It’s a great starting point to get those all-important recommendations and build up a reputation by gaining some invaluable experience:

  1. Freelancer.com – offers a variety of work, based on a bidding process.
  2. Upwork – offers a variety of work, based on a bidding process.
  3. People per hour – originally UK based, now worldwide.
  4. Guru – offers a variety of work.
  5. Fiverr – work related to logo design, translation services, voice-overs, video animation, intros, and caricatures.
  6. Working nomads – work related to a large range of telecommuting roles.
  7. Babbletype.com – work related to transcription, proofreading, and translation.
  8. ratracerebellion.com – has a big listing of WFH jobs.
  9. ifreelance – lets you keep all your earnings, no commission.
  10. remoteok.io – works as a search engine for remote jobs.

Once you’ve scored that job

Now that you’ve bagged the job, go at it with all the passion you have. Be aware of the advantage of going the extra mile; putting in more than the client expects (within reason) will always impress, and winning points will keep you at the forefront for future work. This extra attention could be what secures an ongoing working relationship with the employer. Don’t forget to ask happy clients for testimonials you can use to secure further work.

Productivity and time management

Productivity and time management are two further factors that can be hard to master, but that will help make sure you’re successful in your new freelancing career. Spend some time, before you get inundated with work, coming up with some sensible tools and strategies that work for you. There are a variety of apps out there that will help you with this, and look out for our future blogs to learn more about them.

When your freelance business is up and running, you may need help translating for your international clients, and BeTranslated is here for you. Our professional translators are experienced in all kinds of translation, from legal documents to marketing campaigns. For more information or a free, no-obligation quote, contact us today.

What are the Benefits of Bringing Up Bilingual Children?

by | 29 Nov, 2017 | Education, Languages

Have you been thinking about raising bilingual children? A UK study conducted in 2024, demonstrated that bilingual children showed increased whole-brain efficiency compared to their monolingual peers.

Early bilinguals also show structural brain enhancements, with increased grey matter in key language regions as well as higher levels of social flexibility, meaning they switch more easily between different social environments and read social cues better.

It’s worth noting that the younger the child is the better, both for the ease and speed of picking up the language and because it allows them to truly master the accent.

However, it is never too late to start.

How does being bilingual benefit the brain?

The ways in which being able to speak more than one language can benefit a person range from social advantages to cognitive improvements.

If your native language is a widely spoken and influential language like English, you may think that learning a second language isn’t important for your children, but the cognitive benefits alone make the effort involved more than worth it.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways bilingualism helps our brains:

  • It improves memory
  • It increases our ability to problem-solve and deal with ambiguities
  • It helps us to develop skills related to conflict resolution
  • It promotes better decision-making skills
  • It leads to longer attention spans and better focus
  • It develops multitasking skills
  • It helps with maths and puzzle-solving

The professional and social advantages

In addition to the cognitive benefits listed above, raising your children to be bilingual gives them skills that will help them in many areas of their future lives.

From encouraging them to be more open-minded individuals to making them more employable, there really is no end to the advantages speaking multiple languages can bring.

Here are just a few examples of what bilingualism offers:

  • A wider variety of job prospects, with a significant increase in earning power
  • An increased sense of self-worth
  • The ability to live in other countries with ease
  • The ability to learn other languages later on in life with less effort
  • The chance to experience art and literature in the original language

The professional and social advantages

Tips for bringing up bilingual children

As more people become knowledgeable about the perks of being bilingual, more resources are made available. From books to blogs, there is no shortage of information out there.

We’ve compiled a brief list of some ideas that will help you in your journey to raising bilingual children:

  • You and your partner may have the same native language, but you can still teach your children your second language, even if you don’t speak it perfectly.
  • Provide your children with multiple ways to access the second language, whether it’s TV shows, picture books, video games, or audiobooks. Every little helps.
  • Try not to compare your child’s verbal skills with monolingual children; all children develop at different rates, but it is quite common for bilingual kids to start talking slightly later than their monolingual peers.
  • Research different methods for bringing up multilingual children, such as One Person One Language, Mixed Language Policy, or Minority Language at Home, and be realistic about what will work for your family.
  • Find out if there are any local facilities in your area such as playgroups, story time events, or social clubs that focus on the relevant languages.
  • If it’s a financial possibility for your family, inspire your kids with trips abroad where they can try out their linguistic skills ‘in the real world’.

Tips for bringing up bilingual children

It’s never too late to start!

It’s never too late to start!

Although easier as a child, it’s never too late to learn a new language, and the motivation you feel as an adult will aid you in picking up a new language.

From the traditional classroom and online classes to language acquisition apps and opportunities to work abroad, there are so many ways for you to embrace a new language and culture. It’s not just for kids.

One of the many job opportunities for multilingual speakers is, of course, translation, and our talented native translators are all experts in their additional languages and highly qualified in the field of translation.

If you are looking for a reliable translation service provider, look no further than BeTranslated.

Contact us today for more information or a free, no-obligation quote.