In this in-depth interview, clarity coach and business consultant Katja Navarra talks about the psychological…
Often, the smallest tasks take up the most time and resources. Are you familiar with this? If so, then take a look at these services which have saved our deadlines (and our budgets) many times.
Before we start, know that this is not an advertisement – these are our personal, positive experiences, and we want to share them with you. We hope that these services will also be of use to you.
1. Translate Texts as a Pro – Free of Charge!
In 2017, the German company, DeepL, launched an online translation site based on artificial intelligence. This means that it does not simply translate words one-to-one, but it also analyses their context and provides a comprehensive translation. By using this method, they are able to perfectly capture the meaning of the text, as well as all of the endings, articles, and connecting elements of sentences to sound precise. Furthermore, DeepL ensures that the quality of its translations is three times higher than that of its famous competitors. We believe that this is 100% true.
Additionally, the site already supports 9 languages: English, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Polish, and Dutch, and soon, the founders promise to also train the neural network in Chinese and Japanese. Impressive, right?
Advantages:
- Enables the translation of large texts and even entire documents in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint formats.
- Provides alternative contextual translation options. Once you click on the word you want to replace, the system will offer you a list of replacement options as well as automatic correction of the continuous text.
- Provides a business software program that can translate texts directly on your website, e.g., user comments, product descriptions, blog posts, and more.
Disadvantages:
- There is no application for smartphones, the system only works through a browser. But we turn a blind eye to this little thing, because the quality of the translations exceeds all expectations.
- The quality of translations into different languages is inconsistent with the best translation occurring between English and German. More recently added translations such as Russian and Portuguese are not perfect (yet), but they improve noticeably every month.
Homepage: www.deeple.com
2. Save Your Budget by Placing Orders with Freelancers Worldwide
Fiverr’s online freelancer platform was launched in Israel in 2010 and is now active worldwide, connecting millions of customers with professionals. You can find anything from order branding in Canada, to Chinese texts and Proofreading in Beijing, and even video editing in India. Compare prices and ratings, set deadlines, and save money on your budget.
Advantages:
- Offers a broad range of services. On the website, it is possible to find almost all variants of services that can be passed on to freelancers. Examples include website programming, graphic design, copyright, creative work, photo and video editing, marketing, and much more.
- Large database of freelancers. By setting the parameters with just a few clicks, you can see a relevant list of providers and their services. You don’t have to place an order right away; instead, you can contact several potential specialists in private messages, discuss the specifics of the project(s), and find out whether it is best for you to work with them. Be sure to read previous customers’ reviews.
- High working speed. When you place an order, you’ll immediately see how long it takes to complete it. You are very likely to get the result on the scheduled day. However, it’s important to note that if you need revisions, plan for these at least +3 days. These are some of the peculiarities of the platform.
- Business accounting. You can include these costs in your company’s finances at any time, as you will receive an electronic invoice with each order.
Disadvantages:
- The search for the right freelancer is not always easy and some works can be disappointing. To avoid this, take a look at the specialist’s rating, the reviews of his or her previous work, and examples of completed orders. In addition, discuss the details of the order in private messages before paying for the service. Lastly, it is best to start with small tasks. For example, if you need to edit a large folder of photos, it’s best to first place a trial order of 5-10 pieces to see if the results meet your expectations.
- Communication is only possible via the platform. The system warns customers and freelancers from exchanging contact information, so you can’t call via Skype or send additional information quickly via WhatsApp. However, from a business perspective, this decision is understandable, so just accept it as given and enjoy the many other benefits of the platform.
Homepage: www.fiverr.com
3. Use Professional Photos for Free
Does it happen that you urgently need to find a photo for your website, brochure, or social media post but have nothing suitable in your archive? In this case, a real lifesaver is a free photo database from the Canadian company, Unsplash. In their database of more than 800,000 images (each freely provided by its authors) you’re sure to find the right photos for your project. Furthermore, the most important thing is that you can use them for commercial purposes, process them, and change them according to your wishes without being required to give the name of the photographer or pay for the license.
Advantages:
- Convenient search. Images can be searched not only by category or keyword, but also by collection. This is simply irreplaceable if you want to publish an album, a collage, or a series of publications in one style.
- Gratitude to the author is voluntary. Every time you download a photo, the site invites you to thank the author or provide a link to his or her profile, but it is not mandatory.
- Did you particularly like a photographer’s works? You can contact them directly via links to their profiles on social networks which are attached to each photo. Therefore, you can always subscribe to the pages you like or contact the author to discuss the possibility of doing a photoshoot for you or your brand.
Disadvantages:
- In this case, we will not talk about disadvantages, because we simply cannot thank Unsplash and its photographers enough.
Homepage: https://unsplash.com
What helpful services do you use? Tell us about them in the comments.
