We recently attended a networking event where someone asked us an interesting question. They asked if language services, namely translations, would be categorized as an entrepreneurial endeavor. The simple answer is always, “why not?” Every business gets its start somewhere, right?
The truth is that starting a language services business is just the same as starting any other. We certainly had our reasons for starting our language services business, GlobalSpeak Translations, and we did so without doubts of it being a worthy choice for an entrepreneurial endeavor. Our dream started when we recognized that there has never been a better time in history for a business to go global. We just want to make it even easier for businesses to accomplish this by offering the translation services that make global communication possible.
If you share in this dream of uniting companies around the world through a language services business, don’t shy away from the challenge of an entrepreneurial endeavor. It just takes a little bit of planning, as it would for any type of business.
Ready to become a language services entrepreneur?
If you want to become an entrepreneur through the translation services business, you’ll need to be ready to put in the work of making your business succeed. Translations entrepreneurs, like most others embarking on the challenge of starting something new, must navigate the increasingly complex process of creating a successful business.
The first thing you need before you take on any actual work is a clear plan. This is essential for success as an entrepreneur, as it allows you to map out your path to success. Ask yourself the important questions, brainstorm obstacles that may come your way, and plan out the solutions you will use to answer the unknowns.
There will be some business plan answers that are very specific to you and the business that you own. Any client that’s considering their choices for a language services provider will ask themselves why they should choose you. You need to be ready to answer this question for them, ideally before they even ask it. A successful entrepreneur will do this with their value statement, which offers the answers to the questions and problems you can solve for your potential clients.
Having this prepared will help you with tackling the next big question of taking on language services as your entrepreneurial endeavor: How will you market yourself? GlobalSpeak Translations’ answers to the following questions should help guide you as you try to find your own entrepreneurial answers.
Why Would a Business Need Your Services?
The reason for a business to turn to your service should be the whole motivation behind the operation of your entrepreneurial endeavor. There’s no need to worry though because businesses have plenty of need for translation services, and there’s plenty of opportunity for you to fill this need. After all, translation is among the fastest growing industries in the world for a reason.
Business is taking place on a more and more global scale, which requires the use of more than one language. At this point, there is definitely a huge lost opportunity cost of not going global that businesses have to recognize. What your business brings to the table is the ability for others to more easily expand into this global market.
Businesses need your translation services because language barriers should not stand in the way of the operations of important industries like legal, medical, and finance. Mistakes in such industries are unacceptable, which makes your translation services highly appealing to those businesses that need clear communication to do business across global borders.
For those that aren’t already working in the global market, your services are just as much needed to allow them to market their products to a much wider audience. Language service providers like GlobalSpeak Translations and your new entrepreneurial endeavor allowing companies around the world to speak to a global audience in their own language, which has never before been more important.
Who Needs Language Services?
It should be evident that translation services are needed in our modern global economy, but who is it that needs them? The simplest answer is that, in this expanding global economy, every business needs these types of services.
Medical situations can easily lead to disaster without the help of experts in the translation field. Businesses in the technology industry use translation professionals for intellectual property agreements, instruction manuals, and patents. Translation is essential in the finance world, where accuracy in the tracking and reporting of expenses is crucial, even as the market expands globally. A language services provider can also offer much to the marketing efforts of a business, allowing the brand’s image, messaging, and mission to stay consistent around the world.
No matter what the industry, every business can use the expertise of professional translators to bridge language barriers through translations of the employee handbook, HR manual, or other important documents. Don’t neglect to recognize the value that you bring to so many different businesses with a language services endeavor.
How Does Business Select A Language Services Provider?
To understand why a business would choose to pay for translation services from you, you might want to take a look at what plays into how they select a language services provider. Most don’t make the decision lightly, because the quality of translations can be absolutely critical to the success of a business. They take their time and consider every factor of what makes a good translation services provider.
In order for your business to factor into the selection, you’ll have to work hard to stand out from the crowd. Showcase what makes you such a good choice, but don’t present your services in too tight of a niche, as this may hold you back from opportunities. Plain and simple – you need a team of translators that are subject matter experts and able to provide tailored, strategic language solutions, no matter the market. Flexibility is key, as long as you are strong in every service you offer.
Don’t promise something that you can’t deliver on just to get a client. Quality translations every single time is what will keep businesses coming to you.
Following in the Entrepreneurial Footsteps of GlobalSpeak Translations
This knowledge of how to make language services a successful entrepreneurial endeavor comes from our own experience with GlobalSpeak Translations. Flor Dimassi started this company’s own entrepreneurial journey in 1993. With passion and a dedication to quality put into the business, GlobalSpeak Translations was able to grow, with more specialized technical translators and with greater revenues. Able to grow in the same way that we help our clients grow globally, we’ve walked the path of an entrepreneurial endeavor in language services, and now are confident in offering you the encouragement to follow in our footsteps.
As long as you have a plan in place to reach your business goals, taking on translation services as an entrepreneurial endeavor should be completely possible. The next great frontier for language is out there – are you prepared to conquer it?