Translation and Language Industry Observations

Top 7 Countries in the World for Digital Nomads

Digital nomads make the most of the interconnected modern world to make the entire world their office. Digital nomads typically work in fields such as computing or writing, where it’s possible to complete their work online and they have no need to be based in any fixed place. Topping the list of digital nomads are …

Translating for free. When a picture is worth 1,000 words.

Last week we received the following email from a potential customer. This is what he wrote: I hope that all is well. My name is Anthony and I lead our regulatory/compliance efforts at XYZ Parfums. We’re developing some new aftershave products, and need to have “aftershave” translated into a few different languages for packaging for …

Are Translation Companies a Good Investment?

I just came across an interesting article about Straker Translations, a large and well-known translation company. And I was surprised to read that Straker is losing money. Having owned a small translation business over the last years, I am wondering how a translation company can lose money year over year and still remain in business. …

One Hour Translation Rebrands into BLEND

In a move announced this week, online translation company One Hour Translation has rebranded into BLEND Localization. As part of this move, the company also raised $10 Million from a venture capital company. As someone in the translation industry who has followed OHT from its inception, I want to share some of my thoughts on …

6 of the Easiest Languages for English Speakers to Learn

You know you want to learn another language. But of all the fascinating and beautiful languages in the world, which one do you pick? While it’s a challenge to learn any new language, some are much easier for English speakers to master than others. By choosing a language that’s relatively easy to learn, you can …

Ravaged by COVID-19, Seattle is a city in decline

This post is based on some emails I received from one of our translators. It illustrates how badly the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged Seattle and the outlying areas. I wanted to share this with our readers: I am now up in Bellingham, a small college town 90 miles up the coast from Seattle. Seattle (where …

The Pros and Cons of Life in Canada’s Five Largest Cities

Although Canada is the world’s second-largest country by area, it has a relatively small population of only thirty-six million residents and only a handful of cities with a total population of more than one million people.  Canada’s largest cities are mostly spread across the country’s southern border, from Vancouver on the Pacific Coast to Montreal …

Marketing for Japan – This is How You Do It

Even though you may be familiar with key marketing strategies, have absolute confidence in your product and are satisfied that your game plan works well in Europe, Australia or the USA; when it comes to marketing in Japan you may be left confused and wondering why your tried and tested strategies don’t appear to work …

Getting to Know Canada – Subtle Differences Americans Will Discover

The United States and Canada share the same continent and boast the longest border in the world. This border is undefended in a military sense, allowing Americans and Canadians to cross back and forth with relative ease. In many respects, the cultures of the two countries are similar. However, Americans travelling to Canada will notice …