Poll: If you joined a freelance team today, what would you focus on first? Uwekaji wa uzi: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "If you joined a freelance team today, what would you focus on first?".
View the poll results »
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Why would I join a freelance team today?
| | | | Zea_Mays 
Utaliano/Italia
Local time: 23:32
Kiingereza hadi Kijerumani
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| why join one at all? | Sep 7 |
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:
Why would I join a freelance team today?
I'd say also yesterday. It looks like a hybrid thing between an agency and an individual freelancer, having exactly what advantages? And how would this work in terms of liability, costs and taxes?
| | | | Christine Andersen
Denmaki
Local time: 23:32
Mwanachama(2003)
Kideni hadi Kiingereza
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| How some agencies are born | Sep 7 |
I know of several two-person teams that have worked well over the years - a couple (married or not) or a pair ocolleagues who complement each other. They may work in the same language pair but translate in opposite directions, often proofread for each other, or share assignments for large clients.
I have not heard of many teams that have worked successfully with more than two on a long-term basis. I have worked myself with colleagues on individual projects, or even several projects ... See more I know of several two-person teams that have worked well over the years - a couple (married or not) or a pair ocolleagues who complement each other. They may work in the same language pair but translate in opposite directions, often proofread for each other, or share assignments for large clients.
I have not heard of many teams that have worked successfully with more than two on a long-term basis. I have worked myself with colleagues on individual projects, or even several projects with the same colleague, but I tend to be a loner, and have never attempted to make the arrangement permanent.
Where there is a multi-language team, someone has to coordinate and take care of the administration, and this takes time from translating! So when that comes over a certain level, either the team breaks up, or they need to employ a bookkeeper and/or some kind of administrator ... they start outsourcing at some point, and there is a new agency.
Good luck to anyone who can get a team to work, but count me out! ▲ Collapse
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Peter Motte
Ubelgiji
Local time: 23:32
Mwanachama(2009)
Kidaji hadi Flemish
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| And how is that paid? | Sep 7 |
Christine Andersen wrote:
I know of several two-person teams that have worked well over the years - a couple (married or not) or a pair ocolleagues who complement each other. They may work in the same language pair but translate in opposite directions, often proofread for each other, or share assignments for large clients.
And how does that work for the payment? Do they simply send each other jobs for the opposite direction, or do they take a cut in that case? Or do they have a gentleman's agreement to proofread each other's assignments and do they pay for the assignement? Or are there other forms, provided they're not a married couple.
| | | | Zea_Mays
Utaliano/Italia
Local time: 23:32
Kiingereza hadi Kijerumani
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| majority of respondents seem to live on Mars | Sep 7 |
'Pitching big client' is the most popular answer so far, interesting. So there's actually people convinced that a group of buddies without any legal and fiscal structure are able to win over big fishes? This just looks like the majority of respondents works outside fiscal areas and extra-professional.
| | | | Christine Andersen
Denmaki
Local time: 23:32
Mwanachama(2003)
Kideni hadi Kiingereza
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| I have no idea how others share payments | Sep 7 |
Peter Motte wrote:
Christine Andersen wrote:
I know of several two-person teams that have worked well over the years - a couple (married or not) or a pair ocolleagues who complement each other. They may work in the same language pair but translate in opposite directions, often proofread for each other, or share assignments for large clients.
And how does that work for the payment? Do they simply send each other jobs for the opposite direction, or do they take a cut in that case? Or do they have a gentleman's agreement to proofread each other's assignments and do they pay for the assignement? Or are there other forms, provided they're not a married couple.
When I worked with a colleague, we charged the client a fee for the whole job and shared it between us according to how much each has translated. Where one did a lot more proofreading than the other, we calculated that separately, but also proportionaltely. As I said, we only did it for one job at a time. Normally my colleagues would approach me and deal with the clients and administration. On one occasion I did the administration, because the other translator lived in the UK, and VAT rules for billing the client were much easier from Denmark. I then paid her for her share of the job, so technically I outsourced to her.
Typically a Danish native and an English native would collaborate, but I do not know how they divided translation, proofreading and payment, or whether different pairs had different systems. Between two, it need not be complicated, but as soon as there are larger numbers of languages and translators involved, possibly different VAT systems etc. then administration takes more time!
| | | | Cilian O'Tuama
Ujerumani
Local time: 23:32
Kijerumani hadi Kiingereza
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| What would I focus on first? Enough beer in fridge. | Sep 8 |
IMO, most of these polls over the last 6 months (or even much longer) have been rather silly, just the site’s attempt to keep us visiting and commenting, to keep the site alive. Traffic seems to be their main concern. And many of us (self included) keep visiting.
And what does the site offer in return?
Pretty little from my perspective.
Just my view.
Edited for typo.
[Edited at 2026-09-08 02:44 GMT]
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Philip Lees
Ugiriki
Local time: 00:32
Kigriki hadi Kiingereza
Robbing banks.
Why else would I need a "team"?
[See "Sutton's Law". The law is named after the bank robber Willie Sutton, who reputedly replied to a reporter's inquiry as to why he robbed banks by saying "because that's where the money is."]
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...these polls may have been generated using AI. The question doesn't make a lot of sense, and neither does one of the answers, 'business accountability'.
| | | | Daryo
Local time: 22:32
Kiserbia hadi Kiingereza
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| I would focus on ... | Sep 9 |
If would rather do the focusing before joining any team.
To decide whether it's worth joining or not in the first place.
Once you are in, it's a bit silly to start thinking only then about 'why am I here'?
Yet another suboptimal formulation for a poll question?
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