Historically, Fundació Vincle has always aimed to promote the normalisation of the Catalan language in the field of business. This means creating synergies through the virtuous cycle business – administration – consumer. In terms of language, everyone needs to do their part: the company by complying with the law and respecting consumers’ linguistic rights; the administration by helping to win over employers through their actions, and by enforcing the law intelligently and gradually; and consumers, in addition to consuming responsibly, by defending their linguistic rights – among others – when they are not respected. We are currently preparing a new Language Plan for businesses. Stay tuned for more news soon.

We Created the Website Al comerç, en català to Promote Best Practices in Businesses (2015)

Fundació Vincle, in collaboration with Plataforma per la Llengua, launched a new tool for establishments and shops in Catalan-speaking territories, the website Al comerç, en català. Normativa i bones pràctiques per a una bona atenció lingüística al comerç [Business in Catalan. Guidelines and best practices for quality linguistic service in business].

www.comerçencatala.cat is an open portal directed at all types of establishments intended to foster responsible linguistic practices in customer relations. The tool includes a section of best practices by areas, with suggestions for day-to-day aspects such as spoken and written communication, signage or social media content. It also includes proposals for specific sectors such as bars and restaurants, tourist accommodations, insurance companies, travel agencies, and banks.

Users will also find resources and information on the regulations in effect in each area, along with a list of 10 basic items that every business should take into account when dealing with customers.
Take a look!

We Present the Website Business in Catalan (2014)

Fundació Vincle, in collaboration with Plataforma per la Llengua, created the website businessincatalan.cat It is the English version of empresaencatala.cat, which aims to offer information and encourage foreign companies operating in Catalonia and in Catalan-speaking territories to use the Catalan language correctly in their products and their relations with customers, employees, and the administration. Visit the website here.

Agreements with the Catalan Confederation of Commerce and Fundació CECOT (2012)

On 14 December 2012 Fundació Vincle signed “>a collaboration agreement with the Catalan Confederation of Commerce, and on 17 December 2012, it signed another collaboration agreement with Fundació CECOT Persona i Treball. In both cases, the aim of the agreement is to disseminate and promote joint actions with those associations to promote the habitual use and presence of the Catalan language in commerce, the labour sector, and business as the official language of Catalonia. Further goals include incorporating the linguistic element as part of companies’ social responsibility while helping them to adapt to increasingly internationalised and multilingual environments.

We Present the New Website: Business in Catalan (2012)

With the aim of disseminating content developed by Fundació Vincle which can be useful to society, we present the website Empresaencatala.cat. The site is a tool developed by Fundació Vincle and Plataforma per la Llengua for all companies interested in:

• Introducing Catalan into their businesses in compliance with the current legislation and best practices.
• Developing or completing an action plan for the use of Catalan in customer relations and other areas of the company.

Empresaencatala.cat, in keeping with current legislation, is addressed to all companies or multinationals that market their products or services in Catalonia and, therefore, do so under the auspices of the laws approved by the Parliament of Catalonia. However, the application of the proposed practices can be extended to the entire linguistic domain of the Catalan language. Thus, for example, a company operating in Valencia, Andorra, or Mallorca can implement the same guidelines and practices proposed for Catalonia. In fact, references are also made to the specific legal frameworks of these territories.
The contents of Empresaencatala.cat deal with legal and commercial aspects as well as social responsibility.

Presentation of the Guide and Brochure: A l’empresa, en català (2011-2012)

If a company’s main goal is to achieve maximum profits while providing full customer satisfaction, fortunately the normal use of the Catalan language fulfils both these requirements: it offers benefits in economic terms and promotes and conditions the quality of customer service. This guide is not only a tool for companies aiming to introduce Catalan into their basic governing principles; it is also a support for those companies looking to implement an action plan regarding the use of the Catalan language in customer relations, with interest groups, or in the company’s internal operations – a manual of best practices. We might say that it offers a series of minimum guidelines for acting responsibly, and at the same time it is a reference to be used in resolving certain doubts. In addition, it aims to be simple, easy, and useful, intended for the business community or for the people responsible for designing and making decisions regarding these policies.

Fundació Vincle and Plataforma per la Llengua published the booklet A l’empresa en català. Un mercat d’oportunitats. Manual per a unes bones pràctiques lingüístiques a l’empresa [Business in Catalan. A market full of opportunities. Manual for best linguistic practices in business] (2011). In order to communicate the message more readily, a summarised version was also published in brochure format.

The guide was presented at the Cercle d’Economia, in Barcelona, on 15 May 2012 in the presence of various authorities, business associations and business owners. A few months later, on 31 January 2013, it was presented at the Girona Chamber of Commerce.

The guide can be accessed at the following link: 2011 manual: A l’empresa en català 
and the brochure can be found here: 2011 brochure: A l’empresa en català