On the occasion of the company's 20th anniversary, learn more about Linguiscience in this interview with the founder.
What inspired you to start Linguiscience 20 years ago?
After the birth of my third child, I wanted a job that I could do from home and that would allow me to apply my skills. With a bachelor’s degree in biology, a certificate in marketing, and a strong customer service background, I was often asked to translate documents, even though translating wasn’t exactly part of duties. My fluency in both French and English gained attention, and I soon discovered that I had an interest in this work. That’s where I got the idea to start Linguiscience, a translation firm specializing in scientific and technical texts. Today, Linguiscience has become a leader in our sector.
What were some of the biggest challenges you encountered?
When you start a business, you tend to want to do everything yourself. But over time, you learn to delegate and surround yourself with people whose skills complement your own. Today, I feel very fortunate to be so well surrounded by other professionals who all have their own areas of expertise and who ensure the day-to-day functioning of Linguiscience: IT, web site, bookkeeping, project management, etc.!
Can you share some of your most memorable moments over the past 20 years?
It’s hard to look back without mentioning the pandemic, which was memorable for many different reasons. At the beginning, like most businesses, I was worried that we would see a significant drop in volume. But in the end, it was actually the opposite, because most of my clients are companies that provide essential services. On the personal side, on top of all the preoccupations related to COVID, I was also dealing with a massive home renovation project that involved raising my whole house to replace the foundation. So, let’s just say that I wasn’t at all bored during the pandemic!
What are some of the milestones that you or the company have reached over the years?
I think that celebrating 20 years in business is a milestone in itself! Expanding my team was also an important step for me. I’m at the point now where I have complete confidence in my team and can trust them to ensure that our clients’ needs are being met.
How have you innovated and adapted to the changes in the market throughout the years?
I am constantly on the lookout for any new technology and innovations in our sector. Artificial intelligence is certainly bringing about its share of changes and every day, we’re learning how to use it to optimize our projects, improve our work, and boost our performance.
What is something you’ve learned over the past two decades that you think is important and worth sharing?
In 2018, I learned from a friend that certain training related to managing my business could be subsidized by the Quebec employment network (Réseau Emploi Québec). At the time, I was looking for advice on how to make Linguiscience evolve. That’s when I hired a business to help me with logistics and marketing. Their advice was extremely useful. I also learned that it is far more costly to find new clients than it is to work to keep the ones you already have. Today, Linguiscience has an 85% client retention rate, which I think is something to be proud of!
What are you most proud of professionally?
That we’re still on the market after 20 years speaks to the quality of our work at LinguiScience. Clients hear about us through word of mouth and our reputation for quality is our best advertising.
How do you think your business has impacted your community and your clients?
If my business has impacted my clients, I believe that it’s at the level of trust. My clients know that when they entrust their projects to me, they are going to get quality documents that are always delivered on time, and at a reasonable price.
What is your most enduring client relationship?
Most of our clients have been with Linguiscience for over 10 years—they’re strong business relationships that have stood the test of time. I’ve been translating newsletters, user manuals, catalogues, and websites for Cole-Parmer, a laboratory material supplier, since 2004! A 20-year partnership is pretty impressive, isn’t it?
Where do you think Sonia, the entrepreneur, will be in 20 years?
I intend to continue translating for as long as I am passionate about my work—but in 20 years? Hopefully I’ll be retired by then; I’d like to live part time in South America as I am fluent in Spanish.
How would you describe Linguiscience today, to someone who doesn’t know about you?
Linguiscience is a small firm that provides high quality translation and revision services. We focus on simplicity, flexibility, and efficiency to provide an exceptional experience for our clients.
What’s next for Linguiscience?
Linguiscience is, and will remain, a small translation company without pretense. Although it has evolved continuously over the past 20 years, our founder’s vision of keeping clients close ensures that the company will stay modest in size and committed to excellence, rigor, respect, and transparency. The success of Linguiscience lies in its personalized services and lasting business relationships. Our slogan, “Your linguistic partner” is a reflection of this commitment.
A Word from Our Founder
