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Translation is a profession requiring a lot of skill, time and effort. If you're going to pay a translator the same fee you'd pay a baby-sitter or a paper-boy, then you're not going to get a professional product. Remember:

• Cheap translations are a liability
• Good translations are a sound investment
• Don't buy solely on price
• Think of the ROI (return on investment) that a quality translation will bring you
• A professional translation will give you the best value for money

The best way to find an agency is through personal recommendation, or by doing some legwork and checking out the services offered by different agencies. If you ask five agencies for a quote, how quickly do they respond and how well do they understand your needs? Which clients do they already work for and do those clients come back with repeat business?

One simple sign is how quickly an agency responds to your request. At the very least, you should expect an agency to respond to an email within 1 working hour. If they can't do that when being asked for a quote, then they're not going to be worth working with.

On these pages we give you some advice about buying translations and some tips for preparing your documentation.

You can also download BOB - our FREE Guide to International Translation, just click here.