Even if you need to purchase some pieces of computer or office equipment, start up expenses for a freelance translation business should be relatively modest. If you already have an appropriate computer and a place to work from, your expenses might run only a few hundred dollars. Whether you have them already or not, here are a few items that make up the basic translation home office:
A computer and internet access.
computer is absolutely essential to a translator's work, and for backup purposes you may even want or need more than one computer.If you live in an area where wireless Internet access is available in public places, a laptop with Wi-Fi capabilities can be a great way to escape the home office when you get lonely or Internet access, another essential element of the translation home office.A good sized computer monitor
A monitor is also important, in order to minimize the amount of time you spend scrolling up and down. A 21-inch monitor is ideal, and some translators even install two video cards in their computer in order to accommodate two 21-inch monitors, one for the source document and one for the target, or one for the translation memory program and one for an online reference.
A comfortable desk and chair. You're going to be spending 90% or more of your time sitting at your desk, so make it comfortable and correctly sized for you.A phone line and fax machine
You must have a business phone line and a fax machine to receive faxes all the day.
A place to keep files.
You'll need a filing box or cabinet to keep invoices, check stubs, tax information, hard copy translation documents, client information, etc.
