Poll: Are you planning to adjust your rates in the coming year?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Dec 26, 2019

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Are you planning to adjust your rates in the coming year?".

View the poll results »



Christine Nady Boushra
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 12:14
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other Dec 26, 2019

Adjust? I might raise my rates but I will not lower them for sure. I would like to charge more to some clients but I am already charging more than a good number of my competitors and I know there's no point in raising my rates as they would almost certainly stop sending me work. With some of them I’m bound by contract and I’ll have to wait until it ends to try to negotiate a new rate. I've been applying either a higher rate or a per project rate to new clients and I plan to do the same in 2020.

ahartje
Kevin Fulton
Michael Harris
Muriel Vasconcellos
Philip Lees
 
Sumaiya Nishat
Sumaiya Nishat  Identity Verified
India
Local time: 17:44
Arabic to English
+ ...
Yes, as it is below average. Dec 26, 2019

My rates are USD 2 to USD 3 per word translation.
But I am going to to increase my rates to 4 USD after 1 month.


 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
It's ok, just more benefits perhaps) Dec 26, 2019

My rates are USD 2 to USD 3 per word translation. But I am going to to increase my rates to 4 USD after 1 month.

Sumaiya, if you didn't mean decimal fractions, than you made even me--with $0.25-$.50/word + extra services--feel a little ashamed, especially after a month.


Josephine Cassar
Michael Harris
Gibril Koroma
Siyad Abdulahi
Muriel Vasconcellos
 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 05:14
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
No Dec 26, 2019

They are not going any lower, despite much pressure from agencies and some of my clients, and I know I would lose clients if I increased them.

writeaway
Roberta Broccoletti
 
LIZ LI
LIZ LI  Identity Verified
China
Local time: 20:14
French to Chinese
+ ...
Yes for sure Dec 27, 2019

In 2020, I'm planning to increase my income by
i) increasing my productivity and finally (thank GOD!!!) sending my son to kindergarden;
ii) applying strictly to 20/80 principal to work more for agencies with better rates;
iii) marketing myself to high-end clients/agencies.
iv) last but no least, reinvesting in something else, say, psychology?!?

Wish our fellow translators X'mas and a promising 2020!


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:14
Member (2008)
Italian to English
euphemism Dec 27, 2019

ProZ.com Staff wrote:

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Are you planning to adjust your rates in the coming year?".

View the poll results »



You mean "increase your rates", don't you?




[Edited at 2019-12-27 10:08 GMT]


 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
Perhaps Dec 27, 2019

Tom, let me google it for you:
DEFINE:Adjust--to change something slightly, especially to make it more correct, effective, or suitable.
So, it could be both ways for there're still the needy who believe that getting down and lower dumping is the only way out. But then...

However, to me a phrase like
we proudly offer $0.10/word and apply a fair "repetition grid"
is not so much an euphemism as an oxymoron, because it often may turn out as much lower than $0.03/w flat.


 
Robert Rietvelt
Robert Rietvelt  Identity Verified
Local time: 13:14
Member (2006)
Spanish to Dutch
+ ...
@ Sumaiya - Below average? Dec 27, 2019

Sumaiya Nishat wrote:

My rates are USD 2 to USD 3 per word translation.
But I am going to to increase my rates to 4 USD after 1 month.


(????) These are the rates p/w I am dreaming of!


 
Robert Rietvelt
Robert Rietvelt  Identity Verified
Local time: 13:14
Member (2006)
Spanish to Dutch
+ ...
Adjust? Dec 27, 2019

I am planning to be more flexible with my rates.

We can't go on pretending the sun is shining brightly each day in 'translator-country', because it isn't! (and for those living in a part of the 'country' where it does, good for you). So I decided to also take on jobs for a little less than my min. rate, but also for more than my min. rate, it all depends on the client, complexity of the task and other external factors. In that way you win some, you loose some, but you play even in
... See more
I am planning to be more flexible with my rates.

We can't go on pretending the sun is shining brightly each day in 'translator-country', because it isn't! (and for those living in a part of the 'country' where it does, good for you). So I decided to also take on jobs for a little less than my min. rate, but also for more than my min. rate, it all depends on the client, complexity of the task and other external factors. In that way you win some, you loose some, but you play even in the end with a more constant workflow as result.

So, I don't know if 'adjust' is the right word here, hence the question mark.

@Teresa, I like your 'per project' solution.

[Edited at 2019-12-27 15:28 GMT]

[Edited at 2019-12-28 13:22 GMT]
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Poll: Are you planning to adjust your rates in the coming year?






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