How to Start Your Own Interpreting Company in Wausau, WI
- 1). Check the Corporate Registration Information System to ensure no one else in Marathon County is using the business name you want to use. There is no fee for this service. Fill out a Registration of Firm Names, or a "doing business as" application. This form can be found on the State of Wisconsin Name Your Business website. Register your business as a sole proprietorship if you will be the only employee of your business. Other information required on the form is the organizer's name and the names and addresses of anyone with a financial interest in the business. You can also file a trade name with the Wisconsin Secretary of State. (see Resources)
- 2). Register your business name with the Marathon County Register of Deeds at the Marathon County Courthouse. The fee is $30.
Marathon County Courthouse
500 Forest St.
Wausau, WI 54403,
715-261-1470 - 3). Contact the Inspections Division of the City of Wausau to ensure that your business location meets zoning requirements. If you are operating out of your home, ensure you meet local zoning and planning rules.
Inspections Division
407 Grant Street
Wausau WI 54403.
715-261-6780 - 4). File the Business Tax Registration (BTR-101) form with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. This can be done online on the Wisconsin Department of Revenue's website. (see Resources) The form is available on the department's website to print as well. Ensure that your business meets other business tax requirements of the State of Wisconsin and of Marathon County.
- 5). Advertise your interpretation services in local health care facilities, cultural associations, such as the Wausau Area Hmong Mutual Association. Organizations that work with schools may also hire interpreters on a contract basis as they facilitate communication between parents and immigrant populations.
- 6). Submit your resume and qualifications to entities that hire interpreters on a regular basis, such as lawyers, state and local courts and medical offices. A specialized knowledge of the terms used in these types of arenas will be necessary. Complete a course to learn about the specific terminology used in, for example, the medical field in English and in the other languages you interpret at a college or through a professional interpreting association if you want to interpret in doctors' offices or hospitals. Note that court interpreters must meet Wisconsin's specific eligibility and training requirements in order to serve as court interpreters. (see Resources)
