London is one of the most exciting and dynamic business environments in the world. London business news is packed with stories of incredible success and there are some unique opportunities available in the capital.
London can also be an expensive place to run a business. This means that companies need to do all that they can to maximise their revenue. As such, we’ve taken a look at three ways in which professional translation services can enhance your London business. Let’s dive in.
Translation for Brexit and beyond
Nobody knows for sure what the future will hold once the UK parts ways with the EU. Plenty of people have plenty to say about it but, ultimately, only time will tell. For businesses, uncertainty is rarely helpful. That’s why many London companies are seeking to prepare for Brexit as best they can. Using translation and localization services is a key part of doing so.
Many forward-thinking businesses have already engaged a language translation company to assist with any potential upheaval during the transition period and beyond. Let’s use an example of a London business with established ties to France. It’s possible that disruption during the transition period could lead to supply chain delays and other issues. In that case, have a French translation expert on hand could prove extremely useful. A business that has already take the time to source the best English to French translation professional will be well ahead of those competitors who only begin thinking about their need for English to French document translation services once the disruption occurs.
Using translation to connect with Londoners
Translation in business can do more than open up and maintain partnerships overseas. In a city as diverse as London, there’s also plenty of scope for companies to use translation services as part of their daily operations in order to serve customers within the city.
Over 300 languages are spoken in London schools, while Census data shows that almost every London borough is home to 100 different languages. Translation services for businesses can therefore do much when it comes to helping London companies engage fully with their local clientele. What is French translation alone going to do, after all, when so many more languages are spoken right on a company’s doorstep?
A simple document translation exercise can do much for a business’ revenue. A shop that can entice customers through the door by running an ad in its window in several languages then has plenty of opportunities to turn those visitors into paying customers. To translate content in this way costs very little and has the potential to pay for itself rapidly if it can bring about increased footfall. Businesses that use a translation company to take advantage of London’s incredible linguistic diversity certainly deserve to reap the benefits of doing so.
Who needs professional translation services?
The importance of translation in business is such that all manner of companies can benefit from using professional language services as part of their overall operational and development strategy. In addition to companies preparing for Brexit and whatever lies beyond, and those looking to court London’s diverse population, the benefits of localization and translation can also extend to those looking to cut costs.
Huge numbers of businesses manufacture their products overseas or at least source parts overseas. Doing so can be vastly cheaper than manufacturing goods in the UK and particularly in London, where the cost of business premises is so steep compared to other locations. A carefully chosen language translator who understands a company’s goals, products and services can help that company to negotiate the deals it needs in order to make significant savings.
Using certified translation services can also be instrumental in helping companies to establish trusting relationships with suppliers and manufacturers overseas. This also extends to dealing with logistics companies. After all, a cost reduction as a result of a trusting, long-term partnership that has been carefully negotiated with a haulier could mean a saving on every single order.
Which type of translation services should London businesses use?
If your London business is planning to use professional translation services in order to get ahead of the competition, it’s worth shopping around to find the translation company that’s the perfect fit. One this is for sure: online translation won’t suffice! Machine translation has come along leaps and bounds in recent years, but human translators still have the edge. If you want your business to come across as professional, use a human translator. If cost restraints mean that you have to opt for machine translation, at least engage a professional linguist to edit the resulting copy – it will be so much better as a result.
When looking for a translation agency, it’s important to prioritise customer care and breadth of service offering, as well as the quality of the translations themselves. Good customer care can have a huge impact on a company’s experience of the translation service. A wide service offering, meanwhile, means that a business with shifting needs is likely to be able to stick with the same language service provider when their needs move from (say) document translation to website localization, or from translation to interpretation. The continuity of service gained by using the same company for all of this can save a company both time and money (as the business doesn’t have to go through the process of finding and on-boarding another language service).
Final thoughts
Modern London business have plenty to contend with, but also an incredible array of opportunities. The 2019 Global Cities Outlook from Kearney saw London take the top spot when it came to cities that are “primed to be the next generation of global hubs.” Economics plays an important part in the ranking (along with personal wellbeing, innovation and governance), marking London out as a superb location for companies looking to take on the world. The right professional translation service can do much to help turn such ambitions into reality.
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