When it comes to running a business many freelance translators seem uncertain. Doing what you love is great, as is the freedom that comes with it, but how can you really be successful in business? The 365-day planner can be helpful then. In this xl8 review project I focus on the pros and cons of the planner that are meant to help entrepeneurs shaping a successful business.

About the 365-day planner

Giving a name to the 365-day planner is not easy. The planner, initially introduced on Kickstarter, is called the ‘365-day planner’, but it also uses the hashtag #bookplanner. In this xl8 review project I will stick to the initial name, ‘365-day planner’.
The planner was crafted by Cristina Marsan, an Italian business designer. In June she launched a crowdfunding project to reach funding for printing the business planner. The project ended by being funded at more than 100%. You may still purchase a print version or PDF copy (to be printed by yourself) at Kickstarter.

The 365-day planner is meant as a ‘self-development tool and a business-life coach’ that takes users on a 365-day journey to strive after business goals and keep track of their progress. While the planner seems to be designed mainly for business owners and managers managing a team of employees, it can be of use for other business professionals as well. That is why I decided to include it in this xl8 review project.

Design of the business planner

The 365-day planner is a big 400 pages + planner, that follows a fixed format. It is broken up into 52 themes, so every week one theme is covered. Each week thus starts with a page that has an item to focus on: an inspirational quote, some objectives, questions for reflection, or priorities. Then follows a weekly planner, followed by daily pages. These daily pages all have main points, another quote and space for challenges, thoughts, and plans. At the end of each week users can note down their weekly learning, and positive and negative perceptions.

Following the planner from day to day users will then structure their thoughts around themes such as their vision, discipline, their brand, attitude, web strategy, and time management. Themes that possibly might be of less interest to freelance translators are e-commerce, delegation and authority, and working place. For eager learners in the translation industry, these themes can nevertheless be helpful. If the planner is to be used by translation agencies and project managers, they might take away some important learning points, like Henry Ford’s quote on day 5 of the Delegation and Authority theme: ‘Don’t find fault, find a remedy’.

Pros and cons of the 365-day planner

It must be said that the planner has an attractive design. Marsan designed an inspirational planner in red and white with striking fonts and pleasing shapes. The ribbon in the planner will help in looking up the right page every day. Having the planner at your desk will certainly make you grab it every now and then to write down your planning and thoughts, and reflect on lessons learned.

On the other hand, the 365-day business planner is quite general. Although it offers room to reflect on your business behavior, themes are not explored in depth. The planner therefore seems more a useful tool to direct your attention to your weak points, after which you should seek other tools to get more specific feedback and guidelines to improve your business. For freelance translators, some themes are less useful, but the quotes and space for challenges and thoughts might nevertheless help in shaping their translation business.