An Exclusive Interview with Alain J. Roy of ASTA-USA Translation Services, Inc.
Even in the best of times, one of the biggest challenges that business owners and leaders face is discovering how to grow their businesses. Whether they fear stepping out of their comfort zone, are unaware of untapped opportunities, or simply aren’t sure where to start, growth requires a lot of research, a well-defined strategy, and commitment. This becomes even more difficult during tough economic climates. Despite this, business owners and leaders do not have to put their growth missions on pause. Instead, they simply need to shift their focus to growing their top line instead of cutting costs to improve their bottom line. One way that companies have found success with this in tough economic climates is through corporate translation services.
This allows businesses to reach untapped segments of the domestic market to quickly grow their top line. The investment is affordable and with more than 67 million LOTE-speaking individuals in the U.S. alone, the possibilities for expansion are unlimited. As a seasoned businessman and the CEO of ASTA-USA Translation Services, Inc, Mr. Alain J. Roy has witnessed and played a key role in various business expansions over the years.
Discover his take on growing a business during tough economic clients in this exclusive interview:
How do you manage and maximize your company’s resources to mitigate the impact of an economic downturn while still driving growth?
In any business, this requires a delicate balance. It is pertinent to remain agile and able to shift your focus as is mandated by market conditions; however, you must also be able to think far enough ahead to understand how each decision will affect your long-term growth trajectory. I always remain focused on providing superior corporate translation services as well as superior customer support. Many business owners are prone to panicking and making rash decisions – such as cutting back on quality or value to retain acceptable margins, however, actions like these will inhibit growth for many years to come. Understand that economic downturns happen but they are temporary and will pass.
Customer loyalty makes it possible to sustain a stable customer base during challenging economic times. How have you managed to build and continually nurture strong relationships with your existing corporate translation service customers?
While many companies lean on gimmicks and slogans to win customers over, these tactics will only get you so far. The key to building and nurturing strong relationships with customers—whether new or old, during times of feast or famine—is simple. Be honest, provide a quality service, and exceed their expectations at every turn. There are no shortcuts to forging lasting relationships. It requires you to do the hard work—consistently—while also keeping the human aspect of the relationship at the forefront. Access to old-fashioned, human contact goes a long way in a world where customers are constantly met with the likes of AI, chatbots, or automated responses. The same is true when it comes to professional corporate translation services, as they take into account cultural differences and local dialects that resonate with audiences more than inaccurate, AI-generated translations.
What role has innovation played in your business’s ability to thrive over the years? Can you provide an example of how you have embraced innovation to create new opportunities?
Long before “remote work” was the norm, ASTA-USA Translation Services, Inc. was established as a fully remote organization. With translators located around the globe, this practice made sense, but it also presented a unique financial advantage. Unlike other organizations, there was no costly office rent, utility bills, or equipment to purchase. Instead, these funds were invested in recruiting top talent, developing a confidentiality audit program, and creating secure dedicated web servers to ensure privacy and confidentiality with our corporate translation services.
In times of economic uncertainty, collaboration, and partnerships are often key drivers of growth. How do you seek and establish strategic alliances?
At ASTA-USA Translation Services Inc., we provide highly technical, industry-specific corporate translation services. We serve legal, pharmaceutical, medical, engineering, aerospace, biotech, and many other intricate industries. Regardless of the industry, our relationships thrive due to our high level of adaptability and responsiveness. Our subject matter expert linguists seamlessly integrate; in essence, we become our clients’ internal language services departments. Because of this, our alliances are often geared towards trusted organizations within these nuanced sectors. For instance, we are a preferred provider of the National Association for Legal Support Professionals (NALS), which allows us to connect with those in the legal community who have struggled to find the level of translation quality necessitated by their professions. As there is a shared interest in supporting this group at the core, the partnership can thrive.
After being in business for more than 35 years, you have successfully led your organization through both bountiful and tumultuous economic times. What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs or business owners looking to grow their businesses in this tough economic climate?
One of the biggest mistakes that business owners make when times get tough is focusing too much on their bottom line. They are quick to reduce staff and cut costs where they can. Instead, a down market requires top-line growth. Dive in and identify overlooked opportunities, become more familiar with your target audience, and exceed their expectations. Many companies turn to language translation for costly international market expansions, for example, but fail to realize that there is an untapped market of more than 67 million LOTE-speaking people right here at home. Focus on the top line and the bottom line will take care of itself, even in the face of a recession.
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