Why calling a translator when you have a good knowledge of the languages you use at work, when you cope with English when negotiating with your partners, your foreign colleagues… When you know someone who teaches English, German, Spanish… a Chinese, a Hungarian friend… can help out?
Just imagine that your house needs modifications and, in order to reduce your charges, you skip the architect. You know what you want and the builder should be able to work it out! It might work but don’t be surprised if additional expenses pile up. It is the architect’s competence to have insight into the entire project.
Without questioning your skills and those of your acquaintances, remember the time you and your team spent on drafting your texts; think of the significance and scope of your documents. They are the image of your company.
Your document needs the linguistic and cultural knowledge a translator can provide… a translator is a word wizard!
Before considering a translation, determine your priorities. A graphic can sometimes do the trick. For example, one famous company never bothers translating its instructions, and uses graphics only. Or maybe you just need to provide a summary. For more information, have a look at this guide: “Translation, getting it right” published by the SFT.
According to your requirements, your document will be a faithful reproduction of the original or an adaptation to meet your objectives…
In any case, rest assured that I shall observe the code of professional conduct.