Intercultural Business News

UKTI and British Airways have joined forces to offer over 4000 heavily discounted seats to small and medium size enterprises in Britain in order to encourage them to look more closely at business opportunities outside the UK.
Minister for Trade and Investment Lord Davies of Abersoch said:
“This exciting initiative has enormous potential. It shows what can happen when big business and Government work together to support British firms and the economy.”
and that it was important that
“the private sector and Government [work] closer together to support new and existing investors. “

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The interconnected world in which we live has in many ways made doing business across borders considerably easier. However, some serious and under estimated challenges remain for those companies wanting to branch out into countries speaking a different language to their native business discourse.

Fundamental among these challenges is the task of translating and localising web content for a new audience.  The key, explains Kevin Ryan of Search Engine Watch, is to commission experts to translate and localise content on your behalf, as “skimping can have disastrous consequences.”

If evidence of this is required, one only has to think of the now commonly cited Chinese translation error made by Coca-Cola which left consumers searching for meaning in the slogan “bite the wax tadpole.”

Of course, employing experts does cost, but for those companies serious about going global it really is “worth the investment and energy to get the opinions, get the facts, and get it right.”

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The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved funding this week which will help support UK car manufacturers Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan through the economic downturn.

The car industry has seen sales and profits tumble over the past year with a number of employers cutting staff hours and pay to make up the shortfall. Last month one source put the percentage decrease in car sales over the last year at over 30%.

The EIB funding to the sum of £340 million is designed to allow these companies to maintain their levels of employment by focussing on the development of cleaner and more fuel efficient technologies.

The loans, which will be guaranteed by the British Government, were welcomed by all.  Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said “this is good news and offers the opportunity for real help for UK car companies”; Nissan said it was “very pleased” with the funding approval; and trade union boss Terry Fitzgerald described it as “excellent news”.

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