We’ve mentioned in blogs previously about the use of glossaries, but we thought it would be worth really going into why they’re so important. Glossaries play a huge part in making sure a translation is accurate and that specific terms are not only correct, but also translated and handled in exactly the way you need them to be. In translation industry jargon, they tend to be called a Terminology Base (or a TB), but it’s exactly the same thing.

1. Accuracy

The first reason glossary creation is so important is accuracy. Everyone wants their translations to be 100% accurate. If you work with your language service provider to develop a glossary of industry and/or company specific terms, that may or may not have been translated previously, the translation team is fully equipped to choose the correct term in the target language. Language is very flexible and everyone has different sense of language and uses a different way to refer to the same thing. This is a chance to give translators essential information about what a term means. For example, a ship builder may have their own specific names for elements of their process. Giving translators the best possible insight into what these mean and how they are being used is obviously extremely worthwhile.

2. Brand tone

Glossary creation will also help the translator convey the correct tone for your brand. A good example would be a toy manufacturer. All of their products would have their own brand specific names. Names may already exist in overseas markets for the toys, and the client and language agency should work together to decide on how best to handle the product names for each target market. The more reference materials, explanations and information given to the translator, the better. Translators can study any materials provided and create a high-quality translation written in the tone of your brand.

3. Consistency

Consistency will also improve if a glossary is created prior to translation. A list of key terms, along with their definitions, will help ensure that the correct terms are consistently used throughout the text. In the case of a technical translation, it would be unacceptable for a word to be translated differently each time. A good example might be a user manual for a product, referring to a “screen”. In English, this could be called a display, a visual display unit or a whole range of other terms. Similarly, in other languages there are a range of choices available and a glossary will make sure that the correct choice is made, and that the same term is consistently used throughout all translated materials.

4. Translation Speed

Using a translation glossary can also have an added bonus of speeding up the translation process. In reality, a good translator spends more of their time researching things like phrasing, wording, and background information rather than actual translation. Nailing down terminology can certainly reduce the total time an assignment will take a translator, avoiding unnecessary research or duplication of effort. Equally, just removing the need for a translator to continually type the term over and over again. It’s easy to see why a linguist would be grateful to avoid having to type a word like Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (a medical term for a lung disease) any more than necessary.

How to create a glossary

A glossary is created in collaboration with your translation provider or sometimes created by a client themselves.

The point of a glossary is to improve the quality of the translation, so the selection of words to be put in it needs to be handled with care. A glossary list is based on the rule of Rubbish-in and rubbish-out. A glossary should be followed as gospel, so if the terms that go into the glossary are wrong or not fully considered, it will actually degrade the translation quality. We recommend that you only add specific, technical terms and other types of word you really wish to be translated in a specific way, there’s really no need to add basic or commonly used terms.

Physically creating the glossary is pretty straightforward. The process may differ slightly between different translation providers, but at a basic level, the files is simply a bilingual excel file, as shown below. The safest way to start is by asking your translation company. They should be able to analyse your files, extract terms that may require clarification and get everything set up for you.

“Speaking at nor(DEV):con  is a good indicator that people know what they’re talking about”   If anyone knows the truth of that sentence, it’s Dom Davis. People in the tech industry know him for many different reasons – as CTO of TechMarionette, providing consultations through Somewhere Random, or perhaps even his YouTube gaming channels – but his speaking career was launched by nor(DEV):. “I started doing the local talks for the Norfolk Developers evening sessions, then speaking at nor(DEV):con, eventually graduating to larger and larger rooms at the conference. That eventually led to offers to speak from outside Norfolk.”   ‘Outside Norfolk’ ended up being Israel. A conference over there was looking for interesting international speakers and found Dom’s talk from nor(DEV):con on YouTube. After negotiating travel arrangements, they flew him out to give the closing keynote. “Off the back of that I got to speak at Foundercon in Berlin. So now I can say I’m an international keynote speaker!” He’s also got talks at GraphConnect and ACCU coming up later in 2017.   Dom has also been engaged as a trainer as a direct result of being at nor(DEV):con. “I was asked to provide training on Go to others, based on the fact that I am a respected member of the community – Paul Grenyer‘s opening keynote gave me glowing review! Speaking at Nor(DEV): is a good indicator that people know what they’re talking about.” Dom also bumped into the founder of one of the companies formed at the last SyncTheCity at the 2017 nor(DEV):con, who offered him consulting work. “There’s work and business to be done with all this talent and business in one place!”   Click here to read on the blog   Words by Lauren

We are pleased to annouce that we have launched a new website Bridging Loan Hub. The site acts as an introducer for those looking for bridging finance in the UK. This is a type of short term finance used mostly by homeowners and property developers as a way of making a large purchase before other funding becomes available. 

A common example is for homeowners that have not sold their home yet but are desperate to complete on a new property or they risk losing it. A bridging loan allows them to get the money they need to complete on the property and then they can repay the loan when their house eventually sells.

Why Did We Set It Up?

Whilst our company specialists in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and getting other companies to the top of Google, we find that we are already working with lots of bridging lenders including SPF and Silverstream Finance. The brands have benefitted from receiving high quality leads through Google, so it only made sense to continue and help them achieve this. So setting up a broker website means that we can continue to pass on leads to our partner and they can continue to grow their business.

How Does It Work?

Customers apply for finance of up to £25 million that can be used to invest in a new property, development, business or invest opportunity (although property is the most common one). Using our basic application form, the customer enters their basic contact details and clicks ‘get a quote.’ The details are then passed to a professional broker that we can partnered with who will speak to the applicant and get a better idea of their requirements. Once confirmed, they will run a series of checks such as affordability, credit and property valuations and then put them in touch with the best lender based on their criteria. From the customer’s point of view, they are able to find the right lender for the product and amount they are looking to borrow. Part of the FCA’s requirements of Treating Customers Fairly means that the applicant will always be offered the lowest interest rate possible – so we can pleased to give the customer a good deal.

About The Products On Offer

Applicants can borrow between £50,000 and £25 million on a loan that is typically secured on the property or business premises in question. The funds are transferred to the customer’s bank account in one lump and the loan term is a maximim of 24 months, whereby this point, the borrower has either sold an asset to repay the loan or they refinance.

The interest rates start at 0.59% per month and the customer has the choice to repay in equal monthly instalments (like a mortgage) or they can roll up the interest and pay at the end of the loan term. 

Moving home is a common reason for using a bridging loan but it is also used by property developments to renovate a new or existing property and get access to finance without having to apply for a mortgage and be caught up in the regular property chains. Since valuations and solicitors are a key part of the application process, on average takes 3 to 4 weeks for a loan to be successfully funded.

Bridging Loan Hub is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under reference number 713027.

What are the differences between a Mobile App and a Website optimised for Mobile? And how can I work out which one is best for me? This is a question we often get asked here at Naked Element, and there are a lot of biased articles online favouring one or the other.   Consider that a Website optimised for mobile may be a public facing website or a secure login area for members, is easy to navigate on mobile phones and tablets but better viewed on desktops. A Mobile App may be a game you play on your phone, which is easy to navigate on mobiles.   There are differences between the two approaches, so in simple business language and without bias, here are a few things to consider to help you decide. It is worth noting that no one area should be considered in isolation.   Accessibility   A Mobile App may be downloaded from a store such as Play Store and Apple Store onto a phone, so that it is accessible by the user even when they are not connected to the Internet. This requires the user to download software onto their phone before they can see the content.   A Website optimised for mobile is only accessible via a browser when you are connected to the internet, so nothing needs to be downloaded and it’s easily accessible by new users.   Ask Yourself – Will my user base change frequently and be connected to the Internet at all times?   A Mobile App may be best if you have a specific set of users who will use the app intensively. It supports interactivity and regular use.   A Website optimised for mobile may be best if you have a lot of content that cannot easily be arranged on a Mobile App and if your user base may change.   Interactivity and amount of content   A Mobile App lends itself to regular and heavy use, such as gaming, managing your bank account or social media. A Website could also lend itself to regular and heavy use if it were a login area of a website where you manage your customers accounts, such as a quotation and ordering system, but the amount of content presented could be more extensive.   Ask Yourself – Have I got focused content that’s easily navigable and interactive?   Visibility   A user would have to search for a Mobile App in their store, whereas the Website may be found via any search engine or accessed from a known public facing website.   Ask Yourself – How will you inform new and potential users where to find your App? Where would they expect to find it?   And finally, a Website optimised for Mobile can also be developed to behave and act like a Mobile App. So if you really like the idea of a Mobile App but the questions above direct you to a Website optimised for Mobile, we can help you achieve the best of both worlds.   A blog by Emma, Commercial Director

Blinds have long been recommended as a cost-effective solution for offices, schools and an array of commercial and public sector organisations.

Norwich Sunblinds has been producing an outstanding array of beautiful blinds and shutters (as well as curtains) for domestic and commercial properties for many years but this research confirms what we have always thought.

Studies show that the humble blind can make fundamental changes to our well-being and the environment.

Recent research carried out by the BBSA (British Blind & Shutter Association) has proven that effective Solar Shading brings many positive benefits to commercial companies and organisations, and the people working for them.

Most notably these include positive effects on our behaviour and the environment.

The benefits of Natural Light on productivity at work.

People prefer to work in natural light conditions rather than artificial. Working with natural daylight has been shown to improve people’s emotions, attitudes and cognitive responses. Office workers recently placed daylight in the top two most desirable elements in the workplace.

Research has also demonstrated that office workers performed 10-25% better on tests of mental function and memory recall when they had the best possible views.

We spend 90% of our time inside buildings, and lack of connection with natural light is known to affect body rhythms negatively.

Solar Shading

The use of blinds and shutters; used appropriately in the commercial environment, can solve the problems previously associated with the use of too much glass in a building.

Many older buildings lose or gain too much heat through their glazing, and it was thought that using less glass would help this problem. However,  we have already seen the negative effects of people working without natural light, so companies and public sector organisations are realising the benefits of controlling heat loss or heat gain through blinds and shutters. This provides their employees with a much more natural, comfortable and pleasant environment in which to work.

Blinds and shutters can be made to suit a multitude of situations, and they are very cost effective.

• Solar Shading with well-designed blinds or shutters allows large areas of glazing to be used in buildings with all the known benefits that brings.
• Solar shading provides control of heat and light gain when needed.
• Solar shading provides an ambient temperature in commercial & public places which improves productivity.
• Controlling glare in a commercial or public place is a legal requirement, blinds and shutters do this.

Solar shading through bespoke blinds and shutters for the commercial and public environment can, therefore, be credited with contributing to superior work performance, higher productivity, increased concentration and a decrease in absenteeism.

The benefits of Solar Shading on our Environment – Save Energy & Save Money

The UK is known as a ‘heating’ nation which means we spend more to keep our buildings warm than cool.

Glazing is known to be a weak element in building construction and known for heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. Using blinds and shutters can help reduce these gains and losses and control light levels.

Effective use of blinds and shutters in the workplace can reduce energy consumption, reduce the need for artificial lighting and hence reduce energy bills.

With correct solar shading, companies can use less heating or air conditioning, making them a cost-effective solution.

The Shard, one of London’s most iconic buildings, solves the problem of solar shading by using motorised roller blinds built into the external envelope of the building. The Shard achieves 88% heat rejection.

If you would like to learn more about how your company can best utilise blinds and shutters to help improve the working conditions for your employees, increase well-being and productivity, together with saving money, then call us on 01603 334 085 send an email, or visit a showroom.

A version of this article originally appeared on our Norwich Sunblinds and Cambridge Sunblinds website.