Finnish language professional Mikko Mentula founded his own language services company in 2022 after several years of working as an employee in the translation industry. Language and expression have always been Mentula’s area of interest, and founding his own company was a natural step at this stage of his career.
Hello! Who are you and what do you do here at Werstas?
I am Mikko Mentula, and I have my own language services company, Mentula Language Services.
Where is your office located?
I have my own office on the fifth floor of Werstas in ElectroCity. Before that, I spent a short time in a glass cubicle in DataCity when no single-person rooms were available. I kept waiting for a room, however, and after a while, my current room became vacant, so I seized the opportunity. At the beginning of my career as an entrepreneur, I worked from a home office, but I soon realized that it could not be a long-term solution. Werstas offered many options from which one can choose a suitable membership.
What does your workday consist of?
I am a private entrepreneur and freelancer in the translation and language services sector. Most of my work involves translation. I also handle more technical tasks related to file processing and project management, as well as various linguistic consultancies. Text and content production are also among my services. Many might not think about it, but in this job, knowledge of different software is important. In translation work, the most important thing is to have fluent Finnish. The best translation is, of course, one that you don't even believe is a translation. I do the most translation work for the marketing, tourism, entertainment, and IT sectors.
What is your background?
My core competence is the Finnish language. Language and expression have always been an interest of mine: how things can be expressed. Combining language, translation, and technology has since captured me. I founded my own language services company last spring after having worked as an employee in the translation industry for 15 years.
"I trusted my own skills and knew that there would be enough work in the future as well."
How did you become an entrepreneur?
The confidence in my language skills has strengthened over the previous years of work, so I became an entrepreneur and freelancer with quite a lot of confidence. Since we were already working remotely during the pandemic, I wanted to continue working on my own terms in the future. The company is still young, so it is naturally still finding its own direction. The time was also right for a change, as I had been at the same workplace for a long time. I trusted my own skills and knew that there would be enough work in the future as well.
What is the best part of your work and entrepreneurship?
Versatility is the best part. In addition to translation, I also enjoy graphic design and layout work. In general, I am open to new opportunities and technologies.
How do you take care of your well-being?
I cycle to the office in ten minutes. If it's a busy workday, I can take a break in the middle of the day and go to the gym at Elixia Trivium. In my free time, you can also find me on a disc golf course or playing board games. Sometimes it would be fun to translate games into Finnish too! Entrepreneurship also allows for getaways – I was in Spain for a remote work retreat in February, which was a good experience in the middle of a cold winter.
What does the future hold for Mentula Language Services?
In the future, my goal is to also acquire direct clients. Until now, I have worked for translation agencies.
Have you already attended events in the Tiedepuisto area?
The joint events of Werstas and Joki will certainly help with my own networking, and I definitely intend to stop by for at least the Joki coffee sessions during the spring. It is great that there is a desire here to invest in the networking of the area’s operators and even casual encounters.
Your greetings to other Werstas members?
Let's say hello when we see each other! It has been fun to notice that a few old colleagues work here at Werstas. When a company needs translations, it is worth considering who should handle them and who the person behind the translated text is. I am also happy to help fellow Werstas members with their translation needs. Feel free to stop me by the sleeve or get in touch via email if you have any questions, and we can see if I can be of service.
Thank you for the interview Mikko and have a great wait for spring!