Although this may appear to be a cost-effective solution, will it meet your requirements? For those unfamiliar with the target language and culture, this option may be appealing on a personal basis but may ultimately undermine the seriousness and credibility of your business through work of doubtful quality that is quite often downright incomprehensible to the point of being hilarious.

Better but no guarantees there either. Some less-than-scrupulous agencies will not hesitate to promise you the world before turning around and handing your work to cheap subcontractors who cannot do otherwise but fail under such conditions. However, some agencies do also offer additional services such as DTP or large project management in multiple combination pairs. The additional services make these agencies worth their weight in gold...

You can also seek the expertise of a network of independent professionals, who will help you define your needs and who will inform you of the most suitable solution with no strings attached. The advantage of resorting to a professional lies in direct communications which will spare you misunderstandings and eventually money.

What type of document do you wish to have translated? Financial, legal technical? Yourself being unfamiliar with the jargon used in these fields in your own language, you certainly cannot ask this of your translator in two or three other languages. Everyone has their specialty. Do not hesitate to ask your translator what his or her specialty is and to be cautious with all those who claim to be proficient in more than three languages or fields. Quantity will often inhibit quality...

Although for some projects quick and less expensive translation may be sufficient, others, mainly in the field of publicity, require superior quality which will take more time and therefore cost more.

If your document contains such considerations, be aware that the corresponding terms may not always exist in the target language and that some cultural sensibilities may impose different connotations on seemingly simple source terms. Talk to your translator to ensure that he or she can overcome such problems.

Do you have previously translated documents or contacts in the country of the target language that may help facilitate the translator’s work? Don’t forget that your translator is a language specialist and that in spite of his or her best efforts in other fields and trades, he or she may not know as much as you do in your field. Success will only result from the collaboration between your being the technician and your translator being the language specialist.

Make your translator aware of your objectives and intentions. This will supply them with information enabling them to tailor their work to your expectations.

Keep in mind the time it took to draft the original document. Is it reasonable to expect that a document that took three days to draft, be translated in eight hours? Although at best technically feasible, this will most certainly be done under pressure and will end up being more expensive and eventually of a lesser quality.

Does your translator have formal training? Does he or she belong to a professional association or order? Can he or she provide you with direct client references? Is he or she registered for tax purposes or with the local Chamber of Commerce? What type of terms does he or she offer? These elements are all indicative of a professional who will deliver the required quality. Ask your translator questions on how he or she proceeds with the work; this will help you discern their level of professionalism.