So the time has finally come and you've decided that you want to take your business to the next level and provide your product in Spanish. However, you don't really know the first step in starting the process. However, you do realize that you need to find someone that speaks the language so that you can start them translating your product information and marketing material into Spanish.
You don't really know what kind of requirements you are looking for in a translator so you just start searching online for someone that translates Spanish and English. You find someone that has good credentials, has a lot of experience in your industry and has good feedback from previous clients. You decide that person would be a good fit for your project, but before you hire him/her you look at what the translator charges. After you see what they charge, you decide that it's too much for what you want to pay.
You wait a couple of days trying to decide what to do and then remember that one of your nephews spent some time in South America in the Peace Corps and speaks a little Spanish. Maybe you could get him to translate your project?
Good idea?
No, way; no way; and NO WAY!
Thinking you can save costs and trust your business projects to someone who is not a professional translator is ridiculous. Professional translators are worth every penny you will spend on them to translate your projects.
If you choose to go with someone you know who isn't trained professionally as a translator, not only will you get an unprofessional result, you will most likely have to end up retranslating the work, which will more than double the cost of having had a professional translation done in the first place. Also, a professional translator is used to working with deadlines and will work to ensure that you get your translation when you need it. Someone who doesn't translate professionally will be a lot less likely to understand the importance of getting your project back to you when you need it.
In addition, if you decide to ship your product out with an inferior translation done by a non-professional translator, your reputation will suffer and, like the commercial says, you won't get a second chance to make a first impression.
So in the end, while it may seem expensive to hire a professional translator for your project, in the end it will save you both time and money and your business will be better off for it.
Clint Tustison is a translator interested in helping other translators improve their businesses. His website, Spanish-translation-help.com is filled with information helpful to translators regarding the translation industry, and his free monthly newsletter, Translator Techniques, has tips and techniques for translators.
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