Interpreter Live takes instant translation on-the-road

TLabs Showcase on travel startups featuring UK-based Interpreter Live, a new translation service for travellers using pre-paid mobile cards.

Who and what are you (including personnel and backgrounds)?

Lee Mears, founder and CEO - former army bomb disposal officer, Mears set up his own adventure motorcycling tour company, where communication was still proving a constant problem when travelling through so many countries where English was barely spoken by locals.

Mears decided enough was enough and decided to look into setting up an interpretation service. Knowing that emergency situations abroad, such as illness, accidents or involvement in the police can be a frightening experience, Interpreter Live was created and launched in July 2011.

Interpreter Live is a 24-7 on-call interpreter service functioning through the use of pre-paid phone cards and self managed accounts. It helps with emergency communication issues as well as common everyday situations; the company provides help from interpreters, as well as specialists on request, in more than 200 languages accessible with one quick and easy phone call.

What financial support did you have to launch the business?

50:50 bank loan and own finances.

What problem are you trying to solve?

We are providing an instant solution to the language barrier for leisure and business travellers abroad.

Describe the business, core products and services?

We provide fast, direct access to professional and experienced telephone interpreters for any reason, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can either buy pre-paid cards or you can manage your account online. Our service is designed to be easy to use and our interpreters can speak more than 200 languages – they are there to help whenever you need it.

Who are your key customers and users at launch?

B2C - Adventure and independent travellers and backpackers, in particular to SE Asia and China and Central/South America.
B2C - Self-drive travellers to Europe.
B2C - Business travellers, in particular to Europe and BRIC countries.
B2B - Corporate customers providing the service to their travelling staff or as a universal employee benefit.
B2B - Travel Insurers seeking a new product to differentiate themselves in a crowded and very competitive market.

Did you have customers validate your idea before investors?

Market research was carried out primarily through online questionnaires through a market research company. There was approval for the overall concept, the uniqueness of the product and also pricing level.

What is the business AND revenue model, strategy for profitability?

The service is highly flexible and there are many revenue and profitability models for each sector and target customer, whether B2C or B2B.

In addition to differing price structures there are also differing account structures to suit client needs. Revenue can come from management fees, a service usage mark-up or a "breakage" margin depending on the target market or the requirements of the client. The service and pricing can be modified to suit almost any sector and market with differing models to achieve both the desired results for the customer and also profitability for Interpreter Live.

SWOT brief summary

Positives:

There is little competition for this product in the mass leisure and business travel marketplace.
The established interpreting industry can be used as a ready-made, flexible and high quality service provider giving access to over 200 languages 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
There is great flexibility in how the service is delivered and priced to suit various markets.
It is an easily scalable business model.

Negatives:

Consumers need to be educated that the service exists - there is no pre-established route to market.
Market research shows that there is a mistaken belief among consumers that their travel insurance will provide this service which needs to be overcome.
Consumer take-up of the service needs to be established for each sector and model of distribution and is an initial unknown.

Who advised you your idea isn't going to be successful and why didn't you listen to them?

The only people who have expressed doubts about the viability of the service and business invariably quote the same reason - that travel insurance companies already provide this service.

The fact that this statement is incorrect (I have yet to come across any insurer who provides our service) still means that there is a challenge to overcome this mis-information and educate consumers. In the future we hope that insurers will provide this facility to their customers and it will be through Interpreter Live.

What is your success metric 12 months from now?

Achieving 2,500 interpreter account sales per month.