LEaF Translations
LEaF Translations is more than just a translation company – it is a translation company on a mission. Their whole purpose is to show that any business, no matter how small, can be a positive force for good. Here we speak to its founder, Lucy Pembayun.
LEaF Translations was founded in 2017 with the explicit purpose of demonstrating that any business, including a translation company, can and should be ethical. The company focuses on sustainability, fair practices and inspiring other businesses to adopt similar approaches.
“That is why we have done everything that we can to keep our impact on the environment to a minimum. We are paper-free (all of our correspondence is sent electronically, except certified translations, which require paper documents), we use a plug-in hybrid car, bike or public transport for all business travel and we avoid single-use plastics wherever possible (made a lot easier by the purchase of a coffee machine for the office!)"
Ethics at the Core
Right from the start, Lucy embedded purpose into every decision.
"I believe business should be for the good of society. And I wanted to build sustainability into everything we do. You don’t have to sell organic cotton or fair-trade coffee to be an ethical business. Any business can be built around ethical values and I believe every business should be."
The name of her company, LEaF Translations, itself reflects her love of nature and commitment to environmental values.
From Small Steps to Big Impact
In 2020, she began working with Ecologi, a social enterprise that helps businesses support global climate projects. "They’ve gamified climate action in a really clever way. We subscribe monthly based on our emissions and we plant 10 trees for every new client."
Those trees are visible in a virtual forest, making the impact tangible. Projects include everything from reforesting mango groves to installing clean stoves and solar panels in underserved communities.
"It’s not just tree planting. It’s about broader climate action. We get a monthly newsletter showing which projects our money supports. It’s shareable, visible and it keeps us - and others - motivated."
Putting Values Into Practice
In 2021, LEaF became the first translation company in the UK to join the Good Business Charter. "It was a great way of affirming our commitment to ethics - paying tax, treating people fairly, promoting diversity and environmental responsibility."
The business is small but growing. It’s fully remote, with one employee as well as a team of freelancer translators. "We became a four-day week company when my employee joined. It’s been amazing for work-life balance."
Hiring decisions also reflect their values. "When onboarding new translators, we ask what steps they’re taking to reduce their carbon emissions. Even if they’re not doing anything yet, it plants a seed."
Running a Purpose-Driven Business isn’t Without Challenges
"Because our values have been clear from the beginning, they’ve shaped our strategy and who we attract. We tend to work with value-led clients and freelancers who are inspired by our messaging.
"As a micro business, it’s hard to keep up with changes in sustainability regulations, the laws around greenwashing and new tools to calculate your carbon emissions and so on. Bigger companies can afford consultants. We can’t.
“We did get help from a Master’s student from the University of York who identified things that we could do as a small business, things that we possibly haven't considered yet. I would, however, love to do a full audit, a detailed strategy, if we had the capacity.”
Redefining Success
"Success isn’t just about profit. You need to be profitable to be sustainable, of course. However, I also want us to be seen as a shining example of what a small business can be. There’s no excuse anymore for exploiting people or destroying the environment. I want us to be a positive force in our industry and beyond."
Lucy’s goal is for LEaF Translations to keep growing, because growth means greater influence and impact.
"As a freelancer, your impact is limited. A growing business can inspire customers, followers and even competitors to do better. Also, when you’re doing something positive you tend to attract people with the same values – and we do, both clients and translators. There’s so much doom and gloom around climate change - and it’s a real threat - but I believe in offering people hope and inspiring them with what’s possible."
Advice to Other Small Business Owners
"I'd say just take that one first positive step and just start. When you make a decision on something, no matter how small or how big the decision may be, consider the ethics of it. Is the decision you're coming to the best one in terms of how you're treating people? Is it benefitting society and is it sustainable? The other thing I'd say is to tell people about it. Take your clients and your followers on a journey with you and seek to inspire other people. Don't worry about being perfect. It's about taking a positive step in the right direction and just building on that."
What’s Next
Looking ahead, she wants to reach more people.
"I’d like to do more talks, to inspire other business owners. It's one of my biggest fears, but I'm aware that you have to do it to spread the message. It's had to take a bit of a backseat recently but I want to get back to focusing on our impact, to a point where I feel like we're doing everything we possibly can, both within the business and Inspiring other people."
How businesses can collaborate in the wider regional economy
"I think a lot of it is about mutual support and communication. There are so many remote micro-businesses in York and the surrounding area, there's probably things most of them could do that they haven't thought about.
And I think it is about knowledge sharing, getting together and talking about the issues and inspiring each other with stories of what you've achieved and things that have been done. It could make a huge difference."
Contact us
We’d be delighted to hear from you. The Enterprise Works team can be contacted via:
enterprise-works
+44 (0)1904 321420
@@UoYEntWorks
LinkedIn
Contact us
We’d be delighted to hear from you. The Enterprise Works team can be contacted via:
enterprise-works
+44 (0)1904 321420
@@UoYEntWorks
LinkedIn