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by Laura Cattaneo

Vivere in un mondo tradotto

[articolo scritto per il blog di STL Formazione]

Quando sentiamo parlare di traduzione, il primo e a volte unico pensiero va ai libri che leggiamo, romanzi o saggi che siano.

In realtà viviamo in un mondo fatto di traduzioni, spesso senza saperlo. Forse perché non ci rendiamo conto che moltissimo di ciò che leggiamo, vediamo o ascoltiamo è tradotto: la pubblicità in metropolitana, il bugiardino del farmaco che ci tocca prendere, le istruzioni della macchinetta del caffè; ma anche la comunicazione del CEO americano, la presentazione aziendale, un contratto, e persino i micro testi che troviamo online (‘finalizza l’acquisto’, ‘controlla la disponibilità’). Forse non ce ne accorgiamo perché alcuni testi ci suonano come se fossero stati scritti direttamente nella nostra lingua. La traduzione scompare, il traduttore diventa invisibile e il testo è riconosciuto come un testo italiano. Continue reading →

by Laura Cattaneo

Translating for B corporations and purpose-driven companies

So, let’s start from the beginning.

What is a B corporation? Even though most of us already know, in the words of the bcorporation.eu website:

“The B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high quality jobs with dignity and purpose. By harnessing the power of business, B Corps use profits and growth as a means to a greater end: positive impact for their employees, communities, and the environment.”

To be certified as such, the company needs to assess its overall positive impact, demonstrating they are using business as a force for good. These purpose-driven companies are effectively changing the business prospective, focussing no longer on shareholders (or at least no longer only on them), but on stakeholders, both internal and external.

We must be the change we seek in the world.

But how can these companies communicate their efforts, their stand on business and on life, in a way that is both effective and that can distinguish them from the competition? Continue reading →

by Laura Cattaneo

Catch your customers’ eye with good business writing

No more outdated, boring business writing stereotypes: say yes to smart, coherent, engaging copy to attract prospects and boost engagement rates and sales volumes.

Today, the average attention span, when we look at the web, is down to a bunch of seconds.

So, can good writing attract more customers or capture the visitor’s attention for a bit longer?

The answer is yes. Continue reading →

by Laura Cattaneo

Who’s afraid of the dry spell?

Beat panic and invest in yourself.

Let’s face it: we all go through dry spells. Even those who’ll never admit to it. For some, they fall at the beginning of the year, when companies haven’t decided on marketing strategies. For others, things slow down in the summer months.

Let’s turn dry spells into opportunities

When telephone and email go silent, panic is set to kick in. With experience, you learn to take these moments more philosophically, as a respite from your busiest days, turning them into opportunities: to improve your skills, to clean up your computer which is about to explode into space, to put your accounting in shape. Or maybe, just to relax and enjoy the free about freelancing. But let’s see a few examples. Continue reading →

by Laura Cattaneo

The therapeutic power of saying “No”

Good boundaries make good freelancers.

As freelancers we need to manage our work, our time, our money, the direction we’d like our business to go.

Learning to say no is a key step to grow your business exactly the way you want to. And a way to become a trusted professional.

But saying no to what? Continue reading →

by Laura Cattaneo

Central systems in modern working: a future-proof match

Collaboration, flexibility, promptness are essential to the way we work today and central systems can go a long way to help us stay ahead of the game.

Today being a freelancer doesn’t mean being alone any longer (luckily!). Nor stuck in one place.

Freelancers as multi-tasking digital nomads

Freelancers cooperate with agencies, direct clients, business partners and suppliers in an increasingly complex ecosystem, made up of many different actors. They are connected and part of peer networks. They have become ‘digital nomads’, with the freedom to work from virtually anywhere, be it home, a co-working space, or a place abroad for a bit of ‘bleisure’ time. Continue reading →