This document summarizes the career journey of Lorraine Artur de la Villarmois from trailing spouse in Vietnam to founder of her own legal translation business. It describes how she resigned from her previous legal counsel position in 2014 and struggled to find work in Vietnam. In 2015, she started a legal translation business by registering websites and purchasing a shell company. Her business has grown over the years, with the hiring of an accountant and changing of her company secretary. The document also provides tips on creating a portable career by finding something to sell, finding clients, selling products/services, getting paid, and continuously improving. It emphasizes persistence and getting out of one's comfort zone to build an independent career.

1. PORTABLE
CAREERS
FROM TRAILING SPOUSE
TO LEGAL TRANSLATOR
EMPOWERING PERSPECTIVES
20 MARCH 2018

2. FROM TRAILING SPOUSE
TO LEGAL TRANSLATOR
• Aug. 2014: Resigned from in-house legal counsel position
• Sept 2014 : Land in Hanoi and became Ms. “spouse of”.
No job, no fruitful interviews
Feeling of hopelessness and inadequacy. Low self esteem.
• July 2015: Find a job, any job
 Blogging > Translation > Legal Translation
 Operation under ADLV Trad / ADLV Traduction name
 Creation of adlv.trad@gmail.com
 Register on dedicated websites
• Dec. 2015/ Jan. 2016: Purchase of shell company New Globe
Technology to host the translation business
• June 2016: Closing of 1st financial year
• Oct. 2016: Launch of www.newglobe-translations.com
• Feb. 2017: Creation of the domain name @newglobe-translations.com
• May 2017: Change of Company Secretary
• June 2017: Closing of 2nd financial year
• March 2018: Change of Accountant
• 20 March 2018 : Empowering Perspectives

3. PORTABLE CAREERS
– OR BECOMING AN EXPAT-PRENEUR –
WHAT IS A PORTABLE CAREER?
• A career that you can take with you, wherever you go.
• Advantages:
 Maintain a professional identity and continuity in career
 No more starting over professionally every time you move
somewhere new.
SITUATIONS WHERE PORTABLE CARRERS ARE
KEY
• Language barriers.
• No work permit (or really difficult to get one).
• Unrecognized credentials
• Few to no work opportunities for your specific skill
• Salary levels cannot support your family and desired
lifestyle.
• Regular relocations due to your spouse’s career
• Want to travel and experience the world.
• Principal caregiver to toddler

4. HOW TO CREATE A PORTABLE CAREER?
THE EASY 5 STEPS
1. Find something to sell
2. Find a client
3 Sell your product to your client
4. Get paid
5. Finetune and upgrade
“Better have it done than well-done”
GO BOOTSTRAP!
• “But…setting up a company is expensive… I have no money to invest…”
• Bootstrapping in business means starting a business without external
help or capital. Such startups fund the development of their company
through internal cash flow and are cautious with their expenses
• How? Economics 101 :
 Earn more than you spend. Spend less than you earn.
 Start for free: Use free versions or free trial periods of online resources.
 When you have earned enough, reinvest the money in your business.

5. 1. FIND SOMETHING TO SELL

6. SETTLE FOR A GOOD ENOUGH
PROJECT
SETTLE FOR A PROJECT, RIGHT NOW
“But I have no idea…”
GIVE UP THE “RIGHT JOB”!
“Forget Mr. Right and settle for Mr. Good enough”

7. LOOK AROUND FOR INSPIRATION
 Stories of entrepreneurs in Hanoi: Clickspace, Lucy’s petit potage
 Stories of other spouses who set up their own business around the world
 Search existing markets and job boards for freelancers
 Inspiration from street sellers : if they can do it, I can do it! They sell
what they have.
What do I have to sell?
What do you have to sell?

8. SUGGESTIONS FOR PORTABLE CAREERS
• Accountant
• Architect
• Artist
• Graphic
designer
• Interior
designer
• Web designer
• Computer
programmer
• Virtual assistant
• Online business
manager
• IT services
• Online storefront
owner
• Consulting
• Coaching
• Writer
• Copywriter
• Publisher
• Teacher
• Online course
designer
• Translator
• Importer/Exporter
• Social media
strategist
• Online community
manager
• Online course
designer
• Translator
• Importer/Exporter
• Social media
strategist
• Online community
manager
• Digital media
specialist
• PR/marketing
specialist
• Online event
organizer
• Trader
• Photographer
• Online researcher
 Mostly online services

9. 2. FIND YOUR CLIENTS

10. FAKE IT UNTIL
YOU MAKE IT
• “I can’t do it”, “I don’t know how to do it”,
“No one will buy my services”…
• Impostor Syndrom and Fear of Failure can
be overcome.
• Imitate confidence, competence, and an
optimistic mindset, to realize those
qualities in real life
• Identify your ideal client and talk to
him/her
• My Website in 2015… when I had hardly
built anything yet.

11. THE MORE YOU SHARE, THE MORE YOU
GROW
No one will steal your idea: Success is 1% about the idea, 99% about realisation
• Create an email with Gsuite
to your own domaine name
• Talk about your project
• Register on specialized websites
• Create your own website
• Print business cards
• Professional email signatures

12. 3. SELL YOUR PRODUCT
TO YOUR CLIENT

13. SELLING
• The hardest part - The only important part.
• Sales skills are disregarded in Europe and the US
to the benefit of finance and law (more prestige)
• No sale > no revenue > no budget > no project
• Hopefully, Vietnam is the best country to practice negotiation !
• Selling > Money > Budget > Means to allocate to projects

14. 4. GET PAID

15. SET YOUR PRICE
• Do your homework, research the
market and
QUOTE AT THE
MARKET.
Prices tell how much your work is
worth.
• Send a quote and have it approved
at least by email before starting to
work.

16. GETTING PAID
• Bank account: can be personal for the first transactions but as soon as
volumes grows, need to open a business bank account.
• Can be a real hassle due to anti-money laundering regulations.
• Options: Fintech solutions for easy transfer or online bank accounts

17. TAX
• Disclaimer: This is not a legal advice.
• Do not hesitate to get the appropriate help from a legitimate counsel
• No money?
• Do your own research. Most major lawfirms provide “client-oriented” taxguides
• Most lawyers provide a first 30min consultation for free
• And most lawyers are willing to help a little friends of friends (who may become
future clients)
• Check the Agreement for Avoidance of Double-Taxation between, Vietnam and
your country:
• Between VN and France
• Between VN and the UK
• Between VN and the US

18. 5. FINE-TUNE & UPGRADE

19. 5. FINE-TUNE & UPGRADE
“When you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”
• CRM: from excel to Axonaut
• Company Secretary & Accountant
• Picture: from personal to professional picture
My next steps:
• Translation software: trial period
• Find a marketing specialist to upgrade my
inbound marketing!

20. INDEPENDANCE REQUIRES
PERSISTENCE

21. PERSISTENCE
“Every criticism is a valuable
lesson… for free”
• Portable careers and independence means working alone
• Need for a balanced life In Real Life:
• Coworking space
• Facebook groups supporting your lifestyle
• Emotionnaly supporting spouse

22. LEAVING THE COMFORT ZONE…
TO FIND YOUR LEARNING ZONE

23. Lorraine ARTUR DE LA VILLARMOIS
Lorraine@newglobe-translations.com
+84.16.65.78.56.61 - +33.6.83.14.85.52
www.newglobe-translations.com