Why interpreters should swerve the gig economy

At an assignment in Copenhagen last month, the discussion focused on the new EU Platform Work Directive, which is designed to improve conditions for Europeans working via digital labour platforms.

The measures include ensuring workers’ employment is classified correctly and restricting the use of algorithms, such as stopping workers from being automatically fired without human oversight.

This got me thinking about the gig economy’s impact on the interpretation and translation industry. Platforms like Upwork make it easier to connect with clients, but they devalue our work – turning our skills and knowledge into a commodity traded at the lowest price.

That’s why it’s so important for new interpreters and translators to focus on building their own business, by doing three things:

• Creating a personal brand to attract good quality clients – and communicating the added value we can bring to their business, beyond simply translating words.
• Building a network of colleagues who’ll share referrals and recommendations.
• Connecting with reputable agencies who’ll match you with good assignments.

If you would like help to find more – and better – clients, I now offer one-to-one mentoring power hours for interpreters. These focused, practical sessions are designed to help you overcome your business challenges and move forward with confidence.

Italy’s flourishing family businesses

I was delighted to learn that Italy has the second highest number of businesses in the FT’s recent ranking of Europe’s top 300 ‘long-term growth champions’ – second only to Germany.

Like Germany, Italy has an exceptionally high concentration of family businesses – and they tend to outperform non-family businesses. Many of the companies featured in the FT’s list are multi-generational enterprises, including veterinary pathology laboratory MyLav and Palermo-based luxury retail platform Giglio.com.

​A study by McKinsey identifies four key reasons why family firms succeed: a strong sense of purpose, planning for the long-term and reinvesting in the business, financial caution, and the ability to make decisions quickly.

It’s this last factor that helped Naples-based vinegar-maker Acetificio Andrea Milano make it onto the FT’s list. Marketing director Fabio Milano – a fifth-generation employee – said that being a family business had allowed them to innovate and launch new products more easily.

A decade ago the company started making apple cider vinegar (ACV) in response to a social media-fuelled surge in demand overseas. They now make millions of litres of ACV every year, and 70% of their revenue comes from exports.

If boosting exports to Italy, or from Italy to the UK or US is part of your business strategy in 2025, I can help you every step of the way: interpreting at client meetings, translating contracts or providing one-to-one executive tutoring to help you perfect your business English.

And if you’re planning to expand elsewhere, I can connect you with interpreters and translators in more than 150 languages. Just last week, for example, I helped a client who needed subtitles translated from Korean to English.

Find out more here