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Company: Williams Language Solutions Ltd
Project: Online Language Courses

http://www.translate-it.org

Dates: Jan 2007 to Jan 2009

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How did the project start?

The Company was finalist in the ICT and Internet category of the North East Business Awards 2005. It was a great success for us, being finalist gave the Company a great “injection of confidence”, and helped the business to plant the seeds for future developments. We were very encouraged by the achievement, and worked hard to demonstrate that the accolade received was a new starting point for us. We think we fully interpreted the awards objectives, and translated the recognition in improvement, job opportunities, and new developments. We dedicated year 2006 to development, and consequently year 2007 was very significant for us. We enter the awards to show how the business changed and improved during 2007. Our new website was launched at the beginning of 2007, with new features and new service. The website www.translate-it org is not just an entry in the net, a Company “must-have” kit; www.translate-it.org is Williams Language Solutions.

What options did you consider?

The Company has undergone several changes over the last 18 months and has been effective in re-launching itself. It has identified a distinct marketing aim: to be recognised as the premier specialist training organisation for online language and culture services (courses and consultancy). Our aim is to provide a best practice online service that encourages prospective clients to visit repeatedly and use the services offered.
The Company offers language tuition using VoIP, the latest, technologically sophisticated internet protocol available in the market. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is simply the transmission of voice traffic over IP-based networks. VoIP has become popular largely because of the cost advantages to consumers over traditional telephone networks. Using the Internet connection for both data traffic and voice calls can allow consumers to join language classes to talk (and see) the tutor, and to receive and send handouts, homework, etc at real time. It is also environmental friendly, as students can follow the course from their home or office. For International calls, the monetary savings to the consumer from switching to VoIP technology to follow language tuitions can be enormous.
Access to a friendly, informed, expert language tutor “on your screen” will be yet another innovative mechanism to assist today’s and tomorrow’s learning needs, and maximise opportunity to quickly access information about markets and culture to facilitate exports opportunities. Not speaking the language can prove a huge barrier to developing into foreign markets, but busy business people rarely have the time to fit a class into a tight schedule.
Learning in your own office or in your home at your own pace is the thinking behind the innovation from Williams Language Solutions. We are now updating our web-based courses and we are ready to launch upon demand a new online language course for Polish, to assist the many employers in the North East with a large Polish workforce.
As far as we are aware, this form of language tuition is the first example in the North East.

What help and expertise did you receive?

Advice and consultancy received by Pascal Fintoni at n-e-life were vital for increasing our confidence in digital solutions for our business and to develop our potential. The team of mediandmore in Italy was spectacular in materialising our ideas. The designer of the website, Paola Muzzetto, and the MD of Williams Language Solutions, were in the final of the Italian DonnaèWeb awards (Training and Work category) for translate-it.org. (see http://donne.premiowebitalia.it/scheda_sito.asp?pg=1&fase=3&tipo=4&sito=2570).

Did you face any challenges or learn any lessons?

Stefania De Angelis Williams has started the business from scratch, taking also into consideration the cultural difficulties of being foreigner. At the beginning, she covered all the roles of the business, but with time she learnt that if she wanted to drive the business forward she had to keep looking at the big picture and take other people on board, who can keep the equilibrium and keep the company growing.

What are the outcomes and how has it improved your business?

Our web-based clients can benefit from a language course delivered to the other side of the keyboard. This saves them money and time. E-learning is also environmental friendly. The high visibility of our website in the net and the e-zine increased the credibility and the popularity of the company. This increased our portfolio of clients, and we were able to outsource work regularly and frequently to 5 new freelancers in the North East. As a recognition of our technologically advanced solutions, Stefania De Angelis Williams, MD of Williams Language Solutions, was shortlisted in the Women in technology or Innovation category of the North East Woman Entrepreneur Awards 2007.Up to date in 2007, we received over 26,000 page views, which increased by over 80% from January to November. Unique visits statistics show a regularly linear pattern with an increase by 264% from January to November. Statistics graphs are available upon request. A careful and intelligent SEO allows us to target the market, by changing keywords and content according to the page impressions per month.

What are your plans for the future?

We are updating our web-based courses and we are ready to launch upon demand a new online language course for Polish, to assist the many employers in the North East with a large Polish workforce.

We are creating an online language school for Translators, following the success of our e-zine Translation Academy.

We are planning to increase the amount of online language courses for corporate needs and create new tailored courses. We am currently working on the Italian course based on wine lessons “Parli vinese? (Do you speak wine-tongue?)” and Parli footballese? (Do you speak football-tongue), for football fans

We are planning to enlarge tuition to other languages, and to develop a formula (win-win) for the use of external tutors.

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