Today marks 10 years since I registered the Tukanos translation company. Although I’d been working in translation prior to that, in 2012 I decided to make it more professional. At that time, I had grand ideas, and thought I would go on to hire other people to work for me. I never managed to hire anyone, but I did forward some of the CVs I received to some of my clients, so everyone was happy. Besides the projects I have worked on, one of the highlights of the last 10 years was traveling up the Rio Negro in the middle of the Amazon to visit the Tukanos tribe that inspired the name of the company, as each member speaks a minimum of three languages, and it is common for them to speak five or more.
The real difference in having a company has been that I can issue invoices, and I have a more professional appearance due to having a website, stamps, and seals. Now I am also a member of professional bodies such as the Brazilian Association of Translator and Interpreters (ABRATES), the Portuguese Association of Translators (APT), the Spanish Association of Translators, Proofreaders and Interpreters (Asetrad) and the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (UK).
During the pandemic it was translation that kept me going, although there were a few months when everything stopped, there were still translation jobs most of the time, so I feel lucky to be a translator. I’d like to thank all my clients for their business over the years, and long may it continue! Here’s to the next 10 years!
