Work from Home Jobs
Work from home jobs have been a success for me
- so why not for you, too?Successful work from home jobs make life great. My German translation site is part of the way I manage to make a success of my home based job.
Here's how it happened:
When I was growing up I came home each day to the inviting warmth of a cosy studio, the gentle sound of classical music, the smells of printing inks, and a cheery hello – my stepfather was an artist and worked at home in his studio. Since then, the idea of working from home has seemed very positive! (And this was the view from our house – so you can see why I get nostalgic!)
Since graduating, and starting my professional life in London, life has brought me to Austria where my greatest asset is my command of the English language.
After studying and taking my translation qualifications, I started out as a freelance translator - and I've never looked back. I work for a series of clients, translation agencies and private organizations.
I enjoy my work very much. Translation is great fun for curious people - I get to see what other people are up to and learn about the work of a whole range of different businesses and organizations. Variety is the spice of life, and I love to get my teeth into new translation challenges. (And yes, the view here isn’t too bad either!)
But I’m more than just a translator....I'm also a "work at home mum”.
My work from home job means I’m around for the kids when they need me. In many German-speaking countries school stops at lunchtime and so I need my afternoons free for the important things in life – supervising homework and ferrying children to sports clubs, friends and activities!Life before SBI...My work was fun and challenging and life was busy - but somewhat hectic and disorganized. I thought about this a while and realized it was because, as a freelance translator, I was my clients who determined when I worked, and not me.Translation jobs are a bit like buses – short periods when no jobs come in, and then 3 job offers at once. So if you need to work to a fixed schedule, work from home jobs need to be done efficiently.
So I started thinking about how I could use any non-translating “downtime” more effectively. And I realized the answer was staring me in the face.That thing on my desk.My computer. And I began to think, the world is online, so why not me? I started to do some research about generating income via work from home jobs and quickly learnt about “home based jobs”, “working from home”, “revenue streams” etc. There’s a lot of information out there. I probably spent about a year considering my options, and learning a lot of interesting stuff on the way about online businesses. “But I translate German,” I thought, “I shouldn’t really be wasting my valuable time so off-subject!” However, I kept coming across a website called Site Build It! (SBI) which helps ordinary people – with no webmaster skills – to build their own successful online businesses. So I surfed many of the websites written by people using the SBI website building system. These were all people writing about subjects they knew and loved, however weird and wonderful: juggling, renting villas, investing, playing poker, building houses, travel sites, recipe sites, wedding sites, gift sites etc. And not only were each of these sites providing valuable information on all sorts of topics, they were also generating income for their owners at the same time! Anything from a little extra holiday money to “bye-bye” day job and “hello” my own home based business.
And then came my Eureka moment!Hey! I could write a website about German translation!! This is what I know a lot about. (Jolly, well should do, as I work at it every day! ) German translation is the niche for me because I translate German, translation is a subject I know about, am passionate about, and am forever talking about.
 So I started thinking about what information was out there on the web about German and German translation. I realized there were really 2 types of websites – those published by translation agencies aimed at selling German translation services, and general information sites about the German language. There was nothing I could find about German translation as a subject, or about helping buyers of translation, or celebrating the role of English in a German-speaking environment. “Ah ha!”, I thought. My chance to give readers outside the profession a few insights and pointers, encouragement to those thinking of taking up translation as a career, help for those simply lost in a German-speaking environment. And of course, a few instances of the humorous side of translation. “Denglish” (or “Germish”, as we call it at home!) is flourishing, especially in the advertising world!
And so the idea for German Translation Tips & Resources was born. And the result? You’re reading it.
Work from Home Jobs with a future!Its taken time to build (it’s a work in progress), but it has been a great voyage of discovery, a huge learning experience and great fun. And equally importantly, it has the potential to bring in a second, steady income (even when I’m asleep,on holiday, translating, at the cinema....you get the idea.)If there is something you know lots about or have a passion for, maybe my story will give you the urge and the confidence to do something similar. Either to ditch your job to work from home, or to turn your work from home jobs into successful work from home businesses! Like many of my fellow SBIers, I am not a techno-geek, and still can’t tell my CSS from my HTML.
Why not see what other successful SBIers have to say? Meanwhile, all the best in your work from home jobs!
German Translation Tips & Resources
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