Manchester is the site of the historical Industrial Revolution and the modern pop culture revolution. So, it’s no surprise that Manchester is slowly becoming a major business hub, as well. Located north of London, Manchester is home to one of the first business schools in the UK. 

This is a guide to all you’ll need to know about how to grow your business to stay competitive in Manchester. One way to keep up with the competition in the local area is to find Manchester services, either local or international, that can help your business reach customers who speak other languages. Below, we’ll cover what’s changed about the Manchester business scene, as well as how to find the best Manchester translation services for your local and international language needs.

Manchester Businesses and The Pandemic

Manchester’s businesses, like the rest of the world, were thoroughly affected by the pandemic. Even now, a year later, they are still surfacing with new cases and implementing strategies to defeat the effects of the pandemic. They were hit hard by the first wave, and then were hit harder by the second wave. The high mortality rates had a huge economic impact. But that’s not the only reason.

According to the Economics Observatory, “The frequent changing of restrictions, and the fact different regimes were in place across Greater Manchester, added to public and business confusion, and is therefore likely to have damaged public compliance and the economy.”

The “Build Back Better” campaign by the Greater Manchester Area and neighboring Liverpool Area is invigorating international business to invest in Manchester, as they in turn will build back better than ever.

How You Can Leverage The Manchester Location

Here are a few reasons why investing in Manchester could be a good idea:

• The Manchester area currently has a lower cost of living than other regions, as opposed to the higher cost of living in London. 
• Manchester is a well-connected area, with a large airport and excellent rail connections, plus the addition of HS2 in the not-too-distant future. 
• It’s a hotbed for students, so companies can have easy access to hiring newly graduated talent.
• Since so many companies have started up in or relocated to the area, there’s a dynamic, collaborative startup community.   

And here’s a few strategies for how businesses in Manchester can thrive again:

• Digitization – as technological tools are becoming more widespread, Manchester businesses can leverage the internet as a huge advantage. Through content marketing, social media, and digital tools, both international firms who specialize in Manchester or local Manchester firms can use digitization to reach new audiences.

• Globalization –  Audiences are not just using English on the Internet. In order to truly reach audiences from all parts of the world, businesses have to adjust to other languages. Manchester businesses can utilize translation services who know localization, transcription, interpretation, and other language solutions. This way, Manchester businesses can further open themselves to new opportunities with new audiences.

• Localization – Translation is not just the process of translating from, say, British English to Spanish, but also includes a range of other language processes like localization and interpretation. Localization will help in making sure your content is fit for the region you’re targeting. Whether you’re a local Manchester business intent on international expansion into other regions or an international firm with an eye on Manchester, localization is crucial for your business needs. 

Translation Services for Manchester Needs

If you’re looking to stay competitive in the business scene, then you might want to consider expanding your business to overseas or into local demographics that speak other languages. Manchester is perfect, since it’s an international town; although they speak English, Manchester is still a diverse city, with an African, Chinese, and South Indian population.

Businesses like Tomedes, The Translation People and the aptly named Manchester Translation Services all provide linguistic expertise, from the languages they translate to their knowledge of the Manchester business scene. To make sure professional agencies such as these are providing the best services, check the background of the translators they employ. They should have knowledge of international markets, know how to reach multilingual audiences abroad, and have ways to leverage regional locations like Manchester. 

You should also properly vet the agency itself. Look at independent reviews of their services online. It’s also important to check to see if the service has experience in your business sector – look for client testimonials or past work samples that demonstrate this. 

Growing Your Manchester Businesses in the Wake of the Pandemic

Even with the pandemic, Manchester continues to have an upward population trajectory. 

Greater Manchester has a 2021 population of 2,750,120. The population has grown by 20,044 since 2015. And there’s more to come. By the year 2035, Greater Manchester is projected to have a population of 3,028,104. The pandemic has not halted Manchester’s growth; there are still plenty of opportunities for businesses to expand within Manchester or with Manchester in mind.