This week's Women in Business Spotlight features entrepreneur Emma Page, a freelance translator, writer, and editor in Brighton, UK. Her translation specialties lie in literature, business communication, marketing, tourism, and the arts. She earned her B.A. from Wellesley College in 2016, where she studied French and Comparative Literature. That following year, Emma pursued a graduate degree in Translation from Lancaster University. Since then, her expertise in commercial translation has taken the translation industry by storm: her freelance work has been used for a variety of agencies and private clients.
Read more about how COVID-19 has impacted her work, thoughts on maintaining professionalism while working from home, and tips for starting your own company.
July 16 2020, 11 am EDT
Written by Sarah Chu
Becoming an entrepreneur
SC: Did you have an entrepreneurial drive as an undergraduate?
EP: My parents owned their own business: my mother was a wedding florist and they both owned a bookstore, so I was familiar with running a business. When I started out with freelancing, I was very aware of keeping track of my finances and staying organized. Since [becoming an entrepreneur], I enjoy managing my own finances and quality of my services.
SC: Have you considered getting an MBA?
EP: Not in the short-term, but it is something I’m thinking about. I would consider if I thought it would be beneficial. If I decide to expand and become my own agency, then I certainly would consider!
The Effects of COVID-19
SC: How has the coronavirus pandemic affected your work, if anything?
EP: Like almost everyone else in the world, one big change has been working from home. Working in an office was optional for me and I wasn’t interfacing with my colleagues every day, but it has changed my mentality. I don’t have a lot of structure naturally with my business, so losing this additional structure is challenging on a psychological level.
SC: Do you have any tips on how to separate work-life from home-life?
EP: I have to be mindful about the things I’m doing that aren’t work and how I fit them into my day. If it’s getting up and making breakfast or reading a book, I try not to roll out of bed and start work. I work out after work and don’t go back to my laptop in the evenings, which is helpful. Even though there’s a lot of economic uncertainty, make sure to take time off for yourself. It’s not sustainable to work all the time, even if you are home!
The Future
SC: Where do you see yourself five years from now?
EP: One of my goals for my business is to get more direct clients instead of working for agencies. Moving toward direct clients involved a better understanding of marketing and networking. The other would be is becoming my own agency. I would love to outsource and subcontract my own work. For right now, there is an upper limit to how much I can do (increase my rates or expand how much work I can take on), but I think there’s room to expand my business
SC: Do you have any advice for current students and recent graduates?
EP: Don’t pigeon-hole yourself to what you studied in college. [Growing up,] I was always the “literature kid” and I always felt like I was bad at math. Since becoming an adult, I realized I don’t hate math, I’m good at it!
SC: I think now, more than ever, it is important to be adaptable and an interdisciplinary mindset to thrive in the workplace.
EP: Absolutely. I think that’s one thing that has gotten me through this tough time: the ability to shift gears and switch what kinds of translations I’m doing or the industry. This has helped me keep my business afloat when the world is shutting down.
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