Poll: How do you usually handle very small jobs (e.g. under 300 words)? Penulis thread: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How do you usually handle very small jobs (e.g. under 300 words)?".
This poll was originally submitted by Khurram Shahzad. View the poll results »
| | | | | Apply a minimum fee | Feb 9 |
But I must say that I do not apply the same minimum fee to new and long-standing customers.
| | | | DaliaNour 
Mesir
Local time: 00:03
Anggota sejak (2018)
Inggris ke Arab
+ ...
I usually feel uncomfortable working on small tasks and I feel that they are time wasting. I follow per word rate as big tasks but I believe this is not the right approach.
I would appreciate if colleagues can give examples about the minimum fee or how they handle very small tasks.
Thanks.
| | | | Hideki Yoshida
Jepang
Local time: 06:03
Anggota sejak (2024)
Inggris ke Jepang
+ ...
| Apply a minimum fee | Feb 10 |
Charging a fixed transaction fee on top of a per-word fee could be more logical, though.
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Aliakbar Majidi
Uni Emirat Arab
Local time: 01:03
Anggota sejak (2025)
Inggris ke Persia (Farsi)
+ ...
| Minimum fee in some cases | Feb 10 |
I believe the minimum fee is a smart strategy since even preparing for translation takes time. Personally, if I believe I can get larger projects from the outsourcer later, I'm usually OK with the per-word rate, but if I notice they're always sending me small volume projects, it's usually not worth it.
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Because the project still needs to be set up and invoiced, even a small project will often take 20-30 minute to complete, so I charge a minimum fee which is usually a bit more than half my hourly rate. (Setting up, e-mailing back and forth and invoicing are more time-consuming for some clients than for others, so my minimum rate does vary a bit per client.)
| | | | Samuel Murray
Belanda
Local time: 23:03
Anggota sejak (2006)
Inggris ke Afrikaans
+ ...
I don't charge a minimum fee. If I have time to do the job, I'll do it. If the job is truly minuscule, I don't invoice for it. But this is a good way to get your foot in the door. Even for a very small invoice, you are now in their system. They might send you a bigger job next time (this has happened several times).
| | | | Gregor Trebec
Slovenia
Local time: 23:03
Inggris ke Slovenia
+ ...
For small jobs like this i use per word tariff. Saddest part is, i have also use minimum rate more and more often.
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Laura Kingdon
Inggris
Local time: 22:03
Anggota sejak (2015)
Prancis ke Inggris
+ ...
Minimum fee, for two reasons:
1) All my best clients were okay with paying a minimum fee from the beginning anyway;
2) The clients who balk at it are usually the ones who send me repeated tiny jobs that aren't really worth my time to even invoice.
If a good client has a succession of small jobs within a short timeline that are all essentially part of the same project, I will waive the minimum fee in that case since it would otherwise add up to well beyond what I f... See more Minimum fee, for two reasons:
1) All my best clients were okay with paying a minimum fee from the beginning anyway;
2) The clients who balk at it are usually the ones who send me repeated tiny jobs that aren't really worth my time to even invoice.
If a good client has a succession of small jobs within a short timeline that are all essentially part of the same project, I will waive the minimum fee in that case since it would otherwise add up to well beyond what I feel is a fair rate. But most "minimum fee" jobs end up being the only job from that agency that month, so the email discussions, setting up the project, and invoicing all occupy enough of my time that I feel the minimum fee is fair.
My minimum fee is approximately the same as my fee for translating 200 words, so it's not that onerous, and I do ensure I mention it in my first response to the project offer so the client can easily choose to send the job to another translator if they don't want to pay it. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Christine Andersen
Denmark
Local time: 23:03
Anggota sejak (2003)
Denmark ke Inggris
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| Minimum fee or an agreement on streamlining | Feb 10 |
I specialise in small jobs, so I have to cover my expenses somehow! Most jobs are over 500 words even so.
If I can do the job in less time that it takes to set up an invoice, I do it for free for a good client.
One-liners in an e-mail go the same way if they are quick and easy.
Otherwise I charge for an hour or half an hour, depending on the job and how long it is likely to take, including administration and research or whatever.
Monthly i... See more I specialise in small jobs, so I have to cover my expenses somehow! Most jobs are over 500 words even so.
If I can do the job in less time that it takes to set up an invoice, I do it for free for a good client.
One-liners in an e-mail go the same way if they are quick and easy.
Otherwise I charge for an hour or half an hour, depending on the job and how long it is likely to take, including administration and research or whatever.
Monthly invoice and fixed admin charge
I had a client for some years who sent a lot of small jobs and some larger ones.
Many were around 100 words, but some were far smaller, right down to an 8-word slogan on one occasion!
The client wanted them in 22 languages, some relay-translated from my English version, so they had to be coordinated in Trados.
The English version was usually needed ASAP. Many of these small jobs were straightforward instructions, but if they were for marketing, the client might want a 'straight' version as well as a smart slogan - just because it worked in English and Swedish, you could not be sure it would work in other languages!
I had an arrangement that I invoiced once a month for all jobs that had come since the last invoice - there might be ten or a dozen jobs. Then there was a fixed charge per month for administration, setting up in Trados and exporting the TMX ... The fixed rate was rounded up to about an hour and a half per month.
Small jobs are not necessarily simple, and they can be deceptive!
There is often no context, but the client may need a smart slogan which calls for thought and creativity. I think for half a day, on and off, while I do household chores part of the time, and I may send two or three alternative suggestions.
There is every reason to charge for time spent as well as the word count. (Or at least all the time spent directly working on the job.)
Tiny jobs may include a technical term which has to be checked, or they may need clarifying one way or another. I have spent a couple of hours on jobs like that, possibly on the phone to the client, or looking at their website, dictionaries and references, or finding context that fits.
You can absorb research like that into a job with 5000 words, but not into a word count under 300.
I charge for my time there too.
[Edited at 2026-02-10 14:13 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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