Poll: I am 100% comfortable managing all aspects of my business.
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Apr 21, 2020

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "I am 100% comfortable managing all aspects of my business.".

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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 17:47
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other Apr 21, 2020

All aspects? No! As accounting is not my cup of tea my accountant looks after that. Marketing is another aspect I’m not good at and the idea of selling myself makes me terribly uncomfortable. At the very beginning (1985) I did engage in active marketing and contacted a good number of potential clients (translation agencies, European Community Institutions, chambers of commerce, public and private companies) and that’s how I built my customer base. Fortunately others have emerged, mostly thro... See more
All aspects? No! As accounting is not my cup of tea my accountant looks after that. Marketing is another aspect I’m not good at and the idea of selling myself makes me terribly uncomfortable. At the very beginning (1985) I did engage in active marketing and contacted a good number of potential clients (translation agencies, European Community Institutions, chambers of commerce, public and private companies) and that’s how I built my customer base. Fortunately others have emerged, mostly through word-of-mouth, my website, translators associations I belong to and Proz. After 35 years translating full-time I’d say that I feel comfortable enough, though from time to time I may have moments of self-doubt. I see this as a good thing as it keeps me on my toes. Overconfidence is a killer!Collapse


Silvia Bianchi
Liena Vijupe
ipv
neilmac
Cristina Antonac
Philip Lees
Michael Harris
 
Aline Amorim
Aline Amorim  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 14:47
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Almost true Apr 21, 2020

ProZ.com Staff wrote:

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "I am 100% comfortable managing all aspects of my business.".

View the poll results »






Almost true


 
Philippe Etienne
Philippe Etienne  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 18:47
Member
English to French
True Apr 21, 2020

and I am 100% comfortable leaving what I can't be bothered about (such as accounting and admin forms) or am incapable of doing myself (such as jobs requiring tools I don't know) to more expert hands.

Philippe

[Edited at 2020-04-21 10:56 GMT]


Dan Lucas
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:47
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Correct Apr 21, 2020

"I am 100% comfortable managing all aspects of my business.".


Correct. Next question?


 
Kaisa I
Kaisa I  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 13:47
English to Finnish
+ ...
Almost Apr 21, 2020

I am not comfortable filing my taxes. That being said, I left my tax related documents at a tax preparer's office two months ago, and now as they are closed, I wish I had just done it myself! They have only one person working to clear the backlog, and no-one can get in to pull their own documents. Not knowing if my taxes will get filed on time and the potential red tape resulting from that makes me way more uncomfortable than attempting to do the filing myself.

 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 18:47
Spanish to English
+ ...
False Apr 21, 2020

I do the basic admin myself, but I have a gestor/accountant who does my tax returns for me. I'd rather have someone who knows the ropes taking care of that side.

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
ipv
Philip Lees
 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 10:47
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Almost ... Apr 21, 2020

I'm totally comfortable with my client base and the way I track my work.

I'm uncomfortable with the increasing pressure to lower my rates.

I'm also uncomfortable keeping a record of expenditures for tax purposes (since I can deduct such things as home repairs, utilities, medical expenses, use of the car for medical appointments and business-related errands, etc., etc.). I haven't prepared my tax declaration for over 30 years and I trust my accountant totally, so I consi
... See more
I'm totally comfortable with my client base and the way I track my work.

I'm uncomfortable with the increasing pressure to lower my rates.

I'm also uncomfortable keeping a record of expenditures for tax purposes (since I can deduct such things as home repairs, utilities, medical expenses, use of the car for medical appointments and business-related errands, etc., etc.). I haven't prepared my tax declaration for over 30 years and I trust my accountant totally, so I consider his contribution a great comfort.
Collapse


 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 14:47
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Totally Apr 21, 2020

And I do not intent to outsource any part of it to third parties.
However, I do intend to open a company soon, in which case an accountant will be mandatory, but this person will only do what the law requires them to do, and nothing else. And I will, of course, do it all myself as usual and check everything they do.


 
Châu Nguyễn
Châu Nguyễn  Identity Verified
Vietnam
Local time: 00:47
Member (2012)
English to Vietnamese
+ ...
Almost... Apr 22, 2020

The thing that burdens me is tracking payment from clients. Different agencies have different payment terms so the payment for the work in January might not come until February or March. It is a nightmare to check and compare between Invoice, PO and Amount receive to make sure all payments are well received. But then there are different payment method (bank transfer, paypal, skrill, payoneer, etc.).... I can only spot check payments once in a while. One time I found out that one client did not p... See more
The thing that burdens me is tracking payment from clients. Different agencies have different payment terms so the payment for the work in January might not come until February or March. It is a nightmare to check and compare between Invoice, PO and Amount receive to make sure all payments are well received. But then there are different payment method (bank transfer, paypal, skrill, payoneer, etc.).... I can only spot check payments once in a while. One time I found out that one client did not pay me for 6 months! I reminded them and got the payments, but, that left me unsure of how many other payments that I missed?!

I would love to hear your sharing about tracking payment from clients. Is there any software to help freelancers or small teams track work/payment?
Collapse


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:47
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Spreadsheet Apr 22, 2020

Châu Nguyễn wrote:

It is a nightmare to check and compare between Invoice, PO and Amount receive to make sure all payments are well received. ....
I would love to hear your sharing about tracking payment from clients....Is there any software to help freelancers or small teams track work/payment?


A simple spreadsheet will do the job. It will take you a while to set one up the way you want it, but when you have perfected it, you will not lose track of who has paid you, who hasn't paid you, how much you're earning over the tax year, etc.

[Edited at 2020-04-22 13:07 GMT]


 


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Poll: I am 100% comfortable managing all aspects of my business.






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