How to find the right business translation company

Translating business documents is no small undertaking. The quality of the translation can have a direct impact on the reputation and finances of the company in question. That’s why finding the right professional translation service is absolutely essential. 

If your company is looking for a business translation service, it’s advisable to first work out the size of the translation project in question. How many documents do you want translated, into how many languages and over what timescale? It may be possible to achieve economies of scale, so if you have a huge project in mind, be clear about it from the outset with any potential translation companies that you speak to. They may be able to offer a discount as a result of the size of the job. 

The perfect business translation service 

The right translation company will provide good value for money, responsive customer service and high quality translations delivered within agreed timescales. This might not sound too tricky, but a surprising number of companies get one or more of these elements wrong. That’s why it’s essential to read reviews and recommendations of any potential business translation companies before committing to using their services. 

If you have a large business translation project in mind, it may be worth asking more than one translation company to undertake a brief test translation. Some companies will charge for this, while others will be happy to provide a test translation free of charge. In any event, what you are looking out for here is the quality of the translation (see this handy guide if you’re unsure of how to check the quality of a translated document when you don’t speak that language). 

A test translation is also an opportunity to assess the friendliness of the company’s customer service, their level of communication and their ability to meet agreed deadlines. Trust your instincts here – if a company doesn’t do well in these areas and doesn’t leave you filled with confidence, they’re probably not the right translation service for your business! 

Translation cost - and other priorities

The next element to consider is the translation price. Many factors can affect the cost of translation, so when comparing quotes from different companies be sure to take into account their deadlines for completing the work, the format in which they require the original documents, the format in which they will provide the translations and so forth. If speed is of the essence, you may have to accept that the fastest translation agency is the one that charges the most. Meanwhile, if cost saving is top of your agenda, you may prefer to opt for a company that takes longer to translate your documents, but that charges less for doing so. 

Only once all of these factors have been considered can you find the perfect translation agency for your business. Remember – trust your judgement when it comes to the agency they choose. If you have any doubts about part of their service, explore these with the company’s customer services team. It’s essential to ensure that you have full confidence in the translation service you’ve chosen before you commit to a long-term translation project with them. Your peace of mind and your company’s reputation could depend on it!