Intentionally Small
I operate my interpreting practice as a single person. This is common for freelance ASL/English interpreters, to establish oneself as a business entity and then establish freelance contracts with agencies in your area. It means that managing finances is different than a W-2 position, but allows me to provide my services with different clients and agencies while operating in the same area.
I know a number of colleagues who have formalized their business structure and branched out to become their own small agencies. There’s no right answer, here, everyone can do what works best for their goals and how they hope to serve the community.
In my case, those times when I work independently of an agency, I handle everything from scheduling to service provision to billing. It is up to me to establish contracts for terms of service, business associate agreements for HIPAA confidentiality, and I have to make sure I establish terms for payment for services rendered while also providing means to collect payment. That’s a lot of hats, which is why, quite often, the preferred route is to work with agencies who handle those logistics, and we interpreters can focus on the work.
This is why, if you read my contact page, I state that I sometimes can work with individuals or companies directly. I am a Company of One, and for the time being, I plan on keeping it that way.
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