This is a very controversial topic. Great comments and observations from both sides of the fence. My thoughts on agencies (and any type of client in general) are best explained with this analogy…

You own a small tour bus and have 10 seats available. When you’re starting out as a tour operator, you’re not that picky about the kind of customers you get. It may be a long drive from Seattle to San Diego, but you’re ok with a rowdy crowd (or one with tough expectations; say…the “real housewives” of Orange County or New York, if you’ve seen the show…).

As your business picks up and there’s more demand for your West coast tours, maybe you start thinking a bit more about who you let on your bus. If you’re going to ride with these folks for 5 days, you want the experience to be pleasant. So you start making different choices, trying to balance income with enjoyment.

And if your business goes through a slump (think 9/11 and what happened to the travel industry for about a year or two), you’re back to letting anyone on, as long as they pay according to your terms.

So…my feeling is that there’s no right or wrong. Your situation is very unique, so you have to make decisions based on that.

But the key, NO MATTER WHAT, is to make sure that you ARE thinking about all of the variables. If you choose to let a rowdy rugby team (or a bunch of drunk fraternity brothers…or a group of stuck-up, spoiled rich housewives), just make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons.

Life’s too short — and the trip to San Diego is too long — to compromise all the time.

-Ed

Hi Michele,
Great advice… it’s important to make sure the agency has a clear objective with the project, and can give you clear direction. I think many freelancers can relate to being burned before, by just agreeing to help on a project, jumping right in, and assuming you can figure things out as you go along. It’s painful! Better to walk away from a “fuzzy” project if there is no agreement between you and the agency on expectations and deliverables. (Same goes for direct client work, of course.)

Truffles, phone calls, caring about personal stuff…these can all make you the number one choice and does buffer you a little if the agency has a drop in their incoming workflow. Am I replaceable? Sure! But I also don’t have to worry about kissing butt to get a check cut and I have experienced that several more than several times in order to get paid from a direct client. Of course, that might have more to do with the types of direct clients I have had rather than direct clients in general.

I’m just thrilled there are options out there for every personality type and work style. It gives everyone a better chance for success.

AC – thanks for adding a sober dose of Yin to my raging Yang on this topic. Looks like you’ve found a way to leverage the first PRO I pointed out… “access to lots of project work, with little effort.” Good for you. (However, I gotta say… I think the owner of your local bakery cares more about you and his other customers than you might think… without you all, he has no business.)

I suppose I could earn more if I worked for direct clients. But at what price? Being the only translator a company has means a stronger commitment in that it is harder to say “no”. If I tell an agency that supplies me with a lot of work that I am overbooked for the rest of the week, they will say OK and contact me again after a few days because they are happy with my work but I am not their only option. If I turn down an assignment sent by a direct client, the client will walk away sooner or later. Moreover, I believe I would have to be more of an all-rounder than now. And this does not concern just topics that I do not specialize in. For example, I do not offer DTP services and do not plan to learn these skills. I am happy that agencies do this part.

More importantly, why would I do that? I already earn more than I need. I am from a poor family and my spending habits are, to a large degree, still shaped by the money contraints from my childhood although they do not bind me any more. On average, my husband and I spend one fourth of my income, which, for example, includes overseas flights once of twice a year since we are from different continents and want to visit our families in both places from time to time. We will want to buy a house soon and I am sure we will pull it off without taking out a mortgage. My spending pattern may slowly adjust to a new level of income but I do not expect that I will be willing to make any sacrifices in order to earn more. Unless I am wrong, my work for agencies gives me more flexibility and is generally more comfortable.

The owner of my local bakery does not not care about me either. Why should he? But I will not start baking my own bread because I like his and he likes my money. In a similar vain, I don’t mind if agencies get their share of what the end client pays because I appreciate the services they perform and would not want to take care of everything myself.