Boutique Translators: Large agencies aspire to handle large, urgent assignments in any field or language, and there is considerable variation among them in quality and price. However, organizations using the services of these agencies can not choose or contact the translator directly. In addition to causing delays and difficulties, this blockage of communication effectively divides the team. It adds to expense and makes all-important conferral between translator and client difficult, greatly increasing the risk of misunderstandings, errors and translation degradation. The strength of boutique translators lies in their capacity to provide specialized, personalized, high-quality translation services at competitive rates to long-term clients with whom they cooperate closely and faithfully. They learn the unique needs and preferences of their clients and provide services which consistently meet those needs. In short, boutique translators are strong where agencies are weak, and agencies are strong where boutique translators are weak. The strengths of boutique translators include the following:

• High Quality and Reliability: Within organizations, employees are subject to the discipline of the workplace and the authority of managers. However, independent translators are subject to the even more severe discipline of the market. Unreliable or untrustworthy translators can not survive in the market for very long.

• Low Risk: It is no more difficult to assess the reliability of an outside independent translator than it is to assess that of a potential employee. There is also far less risk. Employees often require years of training. If an employee turns out to be unsatisfactory, it can create a burden for the organization. If for some reason an outside translator proves to be unskilled or unreliable, the organization can cancel the contract with that translator at any time.

• Convenience and Easy Conferral: Translation is a service. Wise clients know they can receive better service by cooperating in small but important ways with the service provider. As noted already on the Translation Process page, conferral among team members is very important. Such conferral is only possible when the client's in-house team members are in direct contact with the independent translator working with them. This is difficult or impossible with a translation agency because clients can not confer with the translator directly.

• Personalized Service: An independent translator is in direct contact and can tailor his work to suit your unique translation needs and preferences. He can master all the relevant terminology in the fields of your business. As noted already, I prepare cumulative glossaries for clients who enter into a Monthly Translation Agreement as a free service. For more information, please see the Terminology Management page.

• Cost Effectiveness: As noted on the Rates page, the translation market is divided into two Tiers, with individual translators in Tier I and full-service translation agencies in Tier II. Because translators in Tier I work directly for clients, there is no middleman. One benefit is that clients are in direct contact with the translator, as noted above. Another benefit is lower fees. Lower fees sometimes indicates lower quality. However, by establishing a long-term relationship with an experienced independent boutique translator, clients can obtain Tier II quality at Tier I prices. For more information about how independent boutique translators can offer top quality at low cost, please see the Rates section.

• Training for Your In-House Staff: Your organization's employees can gain valuable experience by working with highly experienced independent translators. In this sense, independent boutique translators can provide English language or translation-consulting service and training as well.

Working with an Independent Translator: Following are some guidelines on how to work with independent translators most effectively. The Translation Team section provides detailed information and recommendations on how easy it can be for an organization to set up its own translation team and how to benefit from including an outside independent translator on your team. Of particular importance, however, is the relationship among the coordinator, the translator and the checker. The outside translator should make it a practice to consult with the in-house coordinator or checker regarding any questions regarding the text. After finishing the translation, the outside translator should also highlight any places in the translation which need to be double-checked by the checker. Meanwhile, if the checker makes any major changes in the translation, such changes should in principle be confirmed with the translator. If the final proofreader is not a native English speaker, the final draft should be sent back to the native translator for one final proofread. The checker, the translator and the proofreader must take care that all changes made in the translation are improvements and never degradation.

Consider the Virtues of Regular Reports, Articles and Bulletins: If your organization is a research institute or other information services organization, or even if your organization is an ordinary company with customers or clients which you wish to maintain an ongoing relationship with, consider the virtues and advantages of issuing research reports, articles or bulletins on a regular weekly, biweekly or monthly basis rather than a haphazard basis. Whether they are investors, fund managers, business firms or any other individual or organization, they need information to conduct their business activities and receiving regularly issued materials from you, however, brief, conveys the impression that your organization is staying on top of current developments in your field and are keeping their interests in mind. Regularly issued materials also increase your proximity to your clients and customers and keep your organization uppermost in their mind.