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A virtual cooperative?
Thread poster: Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Germany
Local time: 00:39
Member (2002)
German to Spanish
+ ...
Sep 10, 2008

Does anyone could think of becoming part of a translators cooperative?
In a way, the translators teams from ProZ are a kind of cooperative.
What is your experience on this? Have you already cooperate with dtp freelancers?
Can you imagine a virtual cooperative? Do you know if this already exists?


 
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 00:39
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
What do you mean exactly? Sep 10, 2008

Can you describe what you mean with a "virtual cooperative"?

 
Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Germany
Local time: 00:39
Member (2002)
German to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Brainstorming Sep 10, 2008

Tomás Cano Binder wrote:

Can you describe what you mean with a "virtual cooperative"?


I do profoundly believe in the power of brainstorming. This is why I think that ProZ, and in general the Internet, is a wonderful tool.
I have some ideas about a possible cooperative, but I would like to know if there is already hands-on experience in this kind of undertaking. I could imagine me joining an existing cooperative, if it already works well or maybe creating a new one.
Draft, idea:
there is a website where translators can provide his/her personal data and signing an agreement of partnership with access to accounting information. Everything like a company but virtual, online and in real time. The whole translation process can be done online. It could be also a platform where b2b could be also done.
The cooperative could provide two or three kind of services: top (A), medium (B) and low (C) qualities, to be able to adress different segments of clients.
Translations should be paid 100% in advance.

This is just a draft. What do you think? Is it technically possible? Is there a law difficulty for doing it worldwide?

[Editado a las 2008-09-10 07:45]


 
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 00:39
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
You mean a "mailbox" company? Sep 10, 2008

Felipe Gútiez wrote:
Draft, idea:
there is a website where translators can provide his/her personal data and signing an agreement of partnership with access to accounting information. Everything like a company but virtual, online and in real time. The whole translation process can be done online. It could be also a platform where b2b could be also done.


Do you mean just a company that supports your translation business, or a company in which translation business and work is shared, or both?


 
Jaroslaw Michalak
Jaroslaw Michalak  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 00:39
Member (2004)
English to Polish
SITE LOCALIZER
Many questions arise... Sep 10, 2008

Felipe Gútiez wrote:

there is a website where translators can provide his/her personal data and signing an agreement of partnership with access to accounting information. Everything like a company but virtual, online and in real time. The whole translation process can be done online. It could be also a platform where b2b could be also done.



I do not see how it is like a „company” at all. How would such cooperative get clients? If there is a marketing, who pays for it? What about other administrative costs? There should be someone to handle emails (and telephone calls!), who pays that person?

Also, requirement that clients pay 100% of the sum upfront will practically eliminate the cooperative from the market...


 
Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Germany
Local time: 00:39
Member (2002)
German to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Translators are a fount of wisdom Sep 10, 2008

This wisdom would be the richest asset of this platform.
It should not only handle with translation but also with handle: services and products.
Who knows better a product/machine/equipment than the one who write the technical documentation and the one who translated it? Maybe is not an expert, but he knows more than many of the sales people.


 
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 00:39
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Please let's stay on the topic Sep 10, 2008

Felipe, I really think it's best to stay on the topic. If you add additional off-topic comments, reaching any goal here will be rather difficult. Please answer the questions so that we can clarify what you mean.

 
Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Germany
Local time: 00:39
Member (2002)
German to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
But the topic is A virtual cooperative? Sep 10, 2008

Tomás Cano Binder wrote:

Felipe, I really think it's best to stay on the topic. If you add additional off-topic comments, reaching any goal here will be rather difficult. Please answer the questions so that we can clarify what you mean.


I don´t want to limit creativity, just think free. It is a brainstorming. Some ideas will be filtered, others won´t work, others will be left out. But this is a later stage.


 
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 00:39
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Brainstorming, no thanks... Sep 10, 2008

Felipe Gútiez wrote:
I don´t want to limit creativity, just think free. It is a brainstorming. Some ideas will be filtered, others won´t work, others will be left out. But this is a later stage.


But Felipe, you start your topic with a series of questions. When we try to ascertain what you mean exactly, so that we are able to answer, you start a different conversation. It makes no sense to widen this topic until we are talking about the size of almonds in India...

Please, please, please: let's take a topic of conversation and let's discuss it in depth so that this conversation is useful to everyone.


 
Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Germany
Local time: 00:39
Member (2002)
German to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Improving ideas in real time Sep 10, 2008

Any idea to improve the website, platform, should be able to be put in place in short time, with little effort, be it in the area of process or in the area of content.
There should be a "voting" area where improving proposals should be decided.
Translators should grade each other and collaborate in terminology directly with terminology platforms like ISO, EU, UN, WTO, CEN, etc.
Allways trying to asign the same client to the same translator/revisor.
There should be several
... See more
Any idea to improve the website, platform, should be able to be put in place in short time, with little effort, be it in the area of process or in the area of content.
There should be a "voting" area where improving proposals should be decided.
Translators should grade each other and collaborate in terminology directly with terminology platforms like ISO, EU, UN, WTO, CEN, etc.
Allways trying to asign the same client to the same translator/revisor.
There should be several kinds of memories, memories A, B and C for different purposes.
Clients must comply with some format requirements in order to be able to apply for services.
The platform is so good that all the big clients accept the requirements.
The requirements are made by translators and dtp specialist working together.
Collapse


 
Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Germany
Local time: 00:39
Member (2002)
German to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
OK, maybe you are right, let´s concentrate on translation :-) Sep 10, 2008

Tomás Cano Binder wrote:

Felipe Gútiez wrote:
I don´t want to limit creativity, just think free. It is a brainstorming. Some ideas will be filtered, others won´t work, others will be left out. But this is a later stage.


But Felipe, you start your topic with a series of questions. When we try to ascertain what you mean exactly, so that we are able to answer, you start a different conversation. It makes no sense to widen this topic until we are talking about the size of almonds in India...

Please, please, please: let's take a topic of conversation and let's discuss it in depth so that this conversation is useful to everyone.


Thanks for the comment. Almonds in India, is funny.
By the way, is there almonds in India?


 
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 00:39
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Create one! Sep 10, 2008

Felipe Gútiez wrote:
The platform is so good that all the big clients accept the requirements.


OK! Make one and I will join!


 
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 00:39
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Administrative/legal aspects Sep 10, 2008

I am not sure I have read about the administrative/legal aspects of the virtual cooperative. Felipe, can you tell us what your thoughts are about:

1. Where (what country/jurisdiction) the cooperative will be incorporated.

2. How the profits of the cooperative will be shared among shareholders.

3. How many people would be needed to run the cooperative (management, sales, development, systems maintenance, accounting, taxes...).

4. How much money
... See more
I am not sure I have read about the administrative/legal aspects of the virtual cooperative. Felipe, can you tell us what your thoughts are about:

1. Where (what country/jurisdiction) the cooperative will be incorporated.

2. How the profits of the cooperative will be shared among shareholders.

3. How many people would be needed to run the cooperative (management, sales, development, systems maintenance, accounting, taxes...).

4. How much money do you think each shareholder would need to fork out to pay the initial development, advertising, systems, and all other expenses.

5. Project managers: You are assuming that big companies will use the cooperative's services. They will have large projects requiring dozens of people; who will manage the management of these jobs?

[Edited at 2008-09-10 08:57]
Collapse


 
Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Germany
Local time: 00:39
Member (2002)
German to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
The issues are to solve them Sep 10, 2008

Tomás Cano Binder wrote:

I am not sure I have read about the administrative/legal aspects of the virtual cooperative. Felipe, can you tell us what your thoughts are about:

1. Where (what country/jurisdiction) the cooperative will be incorporated.

2. How the profits of the cooperative will be shared among shareholders.

3. How many people would be needed to run the cooperative (management, sales, development, systems maintenance, accounting, taxes...).

4. How much money do you think each shareholder would need to fork out to pay the initial development, advertising, systems, and all other expenses.

5. Project managers: You are assuming that big companies will use the cooperative's services. They will have large projects requiring dozens of people; who will manage the management of these jobs?

[Edited at 2008-09-10 08:57]


Jurisdiction: how about the Cayman islands? Or in a ship with Liberian flag? Monaco? Luxembourg? No idea. I don´t think it really matters... We are world citicens in a world.
Jurisdiction: the world.Maybe is the first company with world jurisdiction.
The Hague international Court could be our Court address?
Profits: Don´t worry, accounting is online and every member/translator has access to it. Sharing of profits will be decided by voting, democratically
Running the cooperative: everybody runs it. Everybody profits from it.
Money for investment: how about 5000 Euros? Should be not much, so that every top translator can join. Should be not less, so that everybody take it seriously. The idea is not from me, I took it from MCC.
Management will be automatized. Format problems are out. We decide the formats. If a cliente disagree can go somewhere else, it is a free market. Process is improving everyday thank to the "fast idea-to-reality" system. The sky is the limit for improving.

It could work, I think.


 
Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Felipe Gútiez Velasco
Germany
Local time: 00:39
Member (2002)
German to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
No phone calls, no emails, just suggestions and fast "idea-to-reality" process Sep 10, 2008

Jabberwock wrote:

Felipe Gútiez wrote:

there is a website where translators can provide his/her personal data and signing an agreement of partnership with access to accounting information. Everything like a company but virtual, online and in real time. The whole translation process can be done online. It could be also a platform where b2b could be also done.



I do not see how it is like a „company” at all. How would such cooperative get clients? If there is a marketing, who pays for it? What about other administrative costs? There should be someone to handle emails (and telephone calls!), who pays that person?

Also, requirement that clients pay 100% of the sum upfront will practically eliminate the cooperative from the market...


Everything is well explained (in 180 languages of course!) in the website.
You just need to outsource to the best database store and management company available.
And you need top translators for A translations. This is the conditio sine qua non. Most are freelancers. Now they can be shareholders of their own work.


 
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A virtual cooperative?






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