Learnings of a translator in times of pandemic to strengthen your business

This unprecedented crisis has incredibly affected the daily life of everybody, even for a freelance translator used to spend almost the whole day at home.

At the beginning of March, I couldn’t imagine what finally happened during the last months… This experience taught me some interesting issues that I would like to share in case you find them useful for facing future crises. The past months have been complicated and it seems that we are going to live with the virus for some time, so it’s important to be prepared and strengthen your business.

Photo by Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash

Home office

To have the possibility of working from home provides much flexibility. Even if you’re not a freelance, having a comfortable workplace with all the materials needed at hand allows you to work with as minimal distractions as possible.

I always had a working space at home and it was very useful when I worked in Germany because home office was sporadically allowed at the company I worked for. It’s also convenient for studying, reading, writing, planning, drawing, etc. I can ensure you that it’s much more productive than trying to work on the sofa, dining table, kitchen… And, in addition to improving your concentration, it’s much better for your back.

Resilience

Our adaptation capacity is incredible. We are stronger than we think. In the beginning, it was difficult to assume that it was not possible to go out when desired, but it was very important to accept and adapt to the new situation as soon as possible.

Keeping away from sources of concern, discomfort and anxiety was very hard but allowed me to maintain an acceptable level of productivity those weeks. In order to be able to get some fresh air and disconnect after long working days, it helped me to keep enjoying the little things from home: watching birds, taking care of the plants, observing the sunsets, cooking delicious dishes, etc. Look around your home and find your sources of disconnection. Sometimes, even a pleasant aroma or an improvised dance can make you feel better.

Being prepared to strengthen your business

No matter how much you plan, there can always occur unexpected changes that make our income and expenses forecasting shake. Savings are necessary to overcome these periods with more security and less risk, both at a personal and professional level. You can live calmer and strengthen your business.

For that purpose, it’s crucial to know your income and expenses and keep the costs as low as possible in order to be able to save money and be more economically viable in the long-term. In addition, proper investing of those savings can be a complementary revenue source. Adequate financial control is an unquestionable personal benefit, but it also benefits the clients due to the continuation of the reinforced business and the providers, because of the ensured solvency.

Uncertainty

The uncertainty level can always rise, even when you already live with a high level itself, like in the case of freelancers and SMEs. Therefore, the strategy to achieve the set goals must be flexible and adjusted to the changing circumstances.

In most businesses, as it occurs in the translation sector, the working volume fluctuates throughout the year and it’s essential to make the most of the lower working periods for training, planning, improvement of processes, and marketing. Even if the uncertainty level doesn’t decrease, it keeps us better prepared for the success of our business.

Technology

Thanks to technology, we could keep in contact with others despite the distance. In particular, video calls have brought us close to our loved ones and other business people in an effective way.

Now it seems even easier to connect with people around the globe via smartphone or webcam. Being up to date on new developments and optimise the use we make of those tools bring a great range of opportunities to strengthen the business.

Mindset to strengthen your business

Mindset is the key to happiness and both self-cognition and managing emotions are crucial to keeping motivation and productivity in difficult times. Being conscious of what makes us happy and valuing everything we have, help us overcome this kind of situation.

Having hobbies and being in contact with nature (even through the window) is also very helpful to keep away from screens, avoid the information overload and re-connect with our emotions and thoughts. In addition, is a way to generate new ideas and reflections to improve our habits and act in accordance with our values.

For me, it’s important to extract learnings even from adverse situations. Especially, if they are useful to strengthen my business. Each experience changes us and so we improve at both a personal and professional level. We are increasingly better prepared for what is coming.

Which are your main learnings from this lockdown? See you in the comments area!

Clear, natural and accurate texts can help you to improve your business communication and connect with your audience. Expand your business in the Spanish market with my translation services specialised in technology, marketing, economics and environment.

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Olga Pérez

Technical Translator specialised in Marketing, Economics and Environment. I hold an MSc. in Environmental Engineering and enjoy contributing to the expansion of sustainable businesses in the Spanish market with accurate translations, and clear and natural texts.