10 Tips Every Business Needs to Know About Doing Business in Quebec, Canada
There is a wealth of Canadian business opportunities for American businesses
wishing to do business north of the border. By marketing your products to
Canada, you can easily expand your business share in your unique market,
and grow your business.
It is important to understand, however, that conducting business in Canada
has some differences when compared to conducting business here in the United
States. When you are conducting business in Canada, especially in the providence
of Quebec, there are rules and regulations which govern how you may and may
not conduct business, as well as the languages you must use for your documentation
and product labeling.
Here are ten tips every business needs to know about doing business in Quebec,
Canada:
Tip#1 Learn about Canadian Culture – One of the first things you should
always do is to learn about the people who live and work in the area you
wish to conduct business. By understanding their culture you can minimize
any pitfalls which you might unknowingly step into.
Tip #2 Learn about Canadian Laws – Just as important as understanding
Canadian culture is the understanding of the laws which govern your business
transactions there. The last thing you want to do is unknowingly break a
Canadian law.
Tip #3 Learn about Import/Export Rules and Regulations - It is imperative
that you consult the Canada Border Service Agency for rules and regulations
which govern imports and exports with Canada if you will be shipping goods
into and out of the country.
Tip #4 Learn about Canadian Language – In the providence of Quebec
the official language is the Canadian French dialect. Anyone doing business
in Quebec must understand the bilingual requirements for their documentation
and product labeling.
Tip #5 Purchase Quality Translation Software – Doing business in Quebec
requires you to have the ability to translate French to English and English
to French. The easiest, and least expensive way to accomplish this, is through
the use of translation software, such as Systran’s French Translator.
Tip #6 Build Terminology Dictionaries in Your Translation Software – By
building terminology dictionaries within your translation software you can
easily translate into the Canadian French dialect rather than the standard
French used in France.
Tip #7 Understand the Canadian Date Convention – Where dates in the
United States are generally formatted as “July 4, 2007”, dates
in Canada are formatted as “4 July 2007.” If you are using a
numerical representation of the date, rather than the standard American 7-4-2007,
Canadians use either 20070704 or 2007-07-04.
Tip #8 Understand the Meaning of francization – The term “francization” refers
to the bilingual requirements for businesses and their documentation. The
Office québécois de la langue française is the government
office in charge of francization.
Tip #9 Understand the Rules for Companies with More than 50 Employees – Any
company with more than 50 employees in Canada, is required to register with
the Office québécois de la langue française and work
with them on compliance of the bilingual requirements of Quebec.
Tip #10 Understand the Rules for Companies with Less than 50 Employees – Businesses
with less than 50 employees are not required to provide bilingual services
to the same degree as larger businesses are. Understanding the special rules
for businesses with less than 50 employees can save your business money.
As you can see there are many considerations you will need to take into
account when you look to market your business to Canada. However, with some
simple understanding, and the ability to easily translate documentation into
Canadian French, your business can grow and prosper north of the border.
Related Material:
French Dialects
French Translation
Software
What you should know about marketing products
in Quebec Canada
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