4Transcribe Transcription

Transcription Questions & Answers
When I first started posting transcription articles on the internet, I figured I would have to direct my customers and friends to the articles for somebody to read them. I completely underestimated the response I would get! As I started responding to some of the emails, I noticed several of the same questions over and over again. Here are some of the questions. Question—how much is the initial investment to start my own home based transcription business? Can I buy the equipment from you? Answer—the financial barrier to entry is low. Assuming you already have access to a computer with an internet connection and a word processor like MS Word, the only real expense is a USB foot pedal and a set of headphones. ExpressScribe.com offers free transcription software. If you get the foot pedal on eBay, you are looking at around $50-$75 as your initial investment. (Use a search on eBay for USB Infinity Foot Pedal). Also, if transcription doesn’t work out for you, then it’s easy to flip the pedal back on eBay to recoup most of your investment. In regards to selling equipment, I am not selling or buying anything at all. Question—do I need to have a website? Answer—the answer is yes, but it should not pose a barrier to entry for you. When you are first starting off, you can easily get by without having a website. The goal for my website was to serve as an online business card. Having a website certainly gives you some legitimacy and credibility. There are inexpensive solutions for websites as well. I built my website using the software that my host provided. These types of website builders are included in the price of most hosting packages. Right now I really like HostGator.com. They have amazing customer service and don’t mind a little hand-holding along the way. At first, my website hardly got any hits at all. In fact it took about a full year before I got my first customer directly through my website. I estimate about 10% of my new customers now originate from my website. Question—what should my very first step be? Answer—the first thing I recommend is getting the equipment and software and actually start practicing. I strongly recommend doing this before seeking out your first job. It doesn’t have to be trial by fire if you take a few days and practice. By practicing you will learn the degree of difficulty of transcription. You will quickly see if it’s the thing for you. Also, practice gets you in tune with the process. You need to figure out how to send and receive the audio (these files are usually big). You need to become familiar with the software and the equipment. This important step definitely gets you on the right track from the start. Question—does the customer need to have the same transcription software as me? Does the customer need to record the audio in a certain way? Answer—no, the customer supplies you with an audio file, usually an mp3 or a .wav file. There is no special software or format they are required to follow. The transcription software works in concert with the foot pedal. You load the audio into the software and then type away. Question—are you hiring? Answer—I am a one woman show right now, lol. I started my home based business so I could spend time at home and focus on my family. That’s the best thing about having a home based business for me. I still have to budget my work time, but it’s all done on my terms. In closing, I hope this short Q&A article answers a few questions. Please continue to send emails with comments, suggestions & questions. I am flattered to have people seeking my advice. Leona. www.infoaces.com

So You Want to Be a Home Based Transcriptionist
The allure of transcription is simple. I can type fast! I have a computer! I have a great internet connection! Transcription is so easy! I'm here to tell you, "Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again." Sheer typing speed does not a transcriptionist make. Let me reinforce that. Typing 120 words per minute does not qualify you as a skilled transcriptionist. Typing speed is but a single facet of the transcriptionist. In fact, in regards to the home based transcriptionist, I would place it pretty low on the totem pole of importance and at the same level of good hearing. Accuracy, attention to detail, strong grammar skills, and customer service are far more important to the home based transcriptionist. This seems obscenely obvious. However, you would be surprised at the number of would-be transcribers who discover that "transcription ain't so easy." If you were at a carnival ride, here's the 'you must be this high to ride this ride' information. Number one -- do not attempt transcription if English, especially grammar, was not your strong point in school. The exception to this would be if you hired a pro scopist, but this usually defeats the purpose of a home based business. A scopist also poses a slight barrier to entry. You've got to pay him/her, and you are already working on a tight margin. Number two -- get the right equipment...now! If you've decided you are 'tall enough' to get past stage one, then do not hedge your bet. Buy the equipment. You will need a foot pedal, transcription software, and a comfortable set of headphones. The most common foot pedal is the Infinity USB Foot Pedal. You can get this on ebay for around $50 delivered. Out of all the equipment, in my opinion this one is a no-brainer. Next, get the software. ExpressScribe is a free shareware transcription program that works great. It's easy to use, and the price is definitely right. Finally get a nice set of headphones. Serious transcribers sometimes consider this the most important piece of equipment. Just picking up slight audio nuances is a huge benefit. Finally, like with any real business, you must excel at customer service. Your competition is stiff and cutthroat direct from the shores of India. However, a native based transcriptionist will almost always have the advantage. If you are good, it's easy to get to the point where the work finds you. Repeat customers will not let you go. They tell their friends, co-workers, and associates. I cannot tell you the amount of projects I have been freelanced to "rescue" from the hands of a foreign outsourced transcriptionist. In closing I cannot emphasize this enough. If you are missing one of the three major components : a strong command of grammar and the English language, the tools & equipment necessary, or the degree of customer service you are able to provide, then DO NOT even attempt to start a home based transcription business. Save yourself the grief. Spare your future employers the headache. On the other hand if you feel like you are tall enough for this ride, then jump on go for it. Feel free to email me with any questions, tips, suggestions, or anything. I'd love to hear from you. Leona. http://www.infoaces.com

How to Outsource Transcription – An Insider’s Perspective
To put it plainly, outsourcing works. It represents an indispensable resource at every level and scale of business. It allows big business to trim payroll and find an eager, alternative work source. Outsourcing sometimes allows small business owners and sole proprietorships an opportunity to even have employees. Once you’ve addressed the need and desire to look for outside transcription help, here’s what you do. Number one—do not allow price to be the most important factor in the selection process. It is certainly an important facet of the decision, but if you select based solely on price, you will almost always be disappointed. In my business, www.infoaces.com, I have been tasked to “rescue” projects from the hands of low-priced outsourced labor on numerous occasions. For several of these projects I was not selected in the initial bidding process often losing out to someone charging less than half of my rate. I like to leave the door open in the event things don’t work out, and I’ve gotten some of my best repeat customers in this manner. Number two—check out the feedback and testimonials. Lukewarm and moderate feedback are definite warning signals. Low and no feedback are big no-no’s. Let someone else pay to “break them in”. How the transcriber responds to less than stellar feedback is another indicator of their level of customer service. If they are unable to handle criticism or are quick to offer excuses, then you have an idea of what might be in store for you. Conversely, if you see a trend of positive repeat customer feedback, you can usually assume they are doing things right. Number three—develop a five minute audio test recording and request prospective transcribers to return a proofed result. It’s an excellent method to see if the language barrier or overseas communication might pose problems. Make sure you put words specific to your niche or business. Include words that are not in the MS Word spell checker. One test audio I did had two obscure names of mushrooms in the recording. All it took was a quick check at Wikipedia to get the accurate spelling. I learned from the customer that I was awarded the project based in large part on correctly identifying those two types of mushrooms. That one project has resulted in a great repeat customer as well. While this article is specific to transcription, many of the points translate well into other areas of the outsource selection process. Exercise a little due diligence in choosing outsourced labor. Check out their feedback. Request a test run. Test their email response time. Test their command of the English language. See what others have said about them. Hopefully, this will help to bring two parties from across the world (or continent) together to a form mutually beneficial partnership. Good luck with your choices. Please feel free to email me with any feedback, tips, suggestions, comments or anything! Leona. www.infoaces.com

InfoAces Transcription Services
InfoAces Transcription Services

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