Setting up a business and selling products in Quebec is not easy but it’s worth it. Unlike consumers in the US and the rest of Canada, Quebecers are not as concerned about price as they are about quality so they’ll quickly become your loyal customers if your products are of high-quality.
But there’s more to marketing your products in Quebec than providing a quality product. Read on to find out what you can and cannot do when advertising products in this province.
Budget for dual-language versions: English and French
Doing business in Quebec means doing business in both the English and Canadian French languages. While most people in Quebec do speak English, making communication a non-issue, Section 52 of Quebec’s Charter of the French Language states that catalogs, brochures, user manuals and any marketing materials be written in French, the language of more than 80% of Quebec.
In addition, according to the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act (CPLA), most mandatory information needs to be provided in both English and French. Your product’s label needs to include its name, net quantity, the dealer’s name and place of business.
Promotional signs and displays in Quebec need to be predominantly in French. Plus, if your company is selling products in Quebec and has an address in this province, you’ll also need to have your website translated into French.
Keep in mind that Quebec takes its language regulations very seriously and if you fail to comply, there may be hefty consequences, including levy fines of between $1,500 and $20,000 for a first offence.
Investing in translation is just plain business sense
It’s true that translating all your documents can be daunting but have you tried using translation software? Systran is the number one most used and affordable language converter in the world and it’s guaranteed to make translating documents a breeze.
Using it can help you convert all your documents from English to French in minutes instead of days or weeks, which is the average when working with a translation agency. Plus, it’s affordable and you only have to pay for it once and be able to use it as much as you need to. Systran’s French translation software works perfectly online and offline. So, even if you don’t have an Internet connection you can still use it to translate your documents and get an impressively accurate French translation.
The ability to easily and inexpensively translate from English to Canadian French gives your business the ability to do deals in Canada that your competitors cannot. While they may be struggling with the higher costs of human translation services, you can translate many documents yourself in just a few minutes, without the delay of waiting on a translation agency.
Find out more about Systran’s French translation software and discover how it feels to never have to worry about translation costs.
