Welcome

Welcome to the Transcription Services Newsletter. Welcome to a new edition of our newsletter. We appreciate that you take the time to subscribe and read our newsletter. We hope that you find some useful tips and ideas to use as you perform transcription services for your own clients.

Transcription Tip of the Month

I wanted to talk a little bit in this issue about advertising. Do you know that the best time to advertise is when you are busy? I know that is easier said than done, but if you can carve out just 30 minutes a day for marketing, you will grow your business in any kind of economy.

One of the most effective and cost efficient methods of advertising that we have found is e-mail marketing. Write a good sales letter, making sure to highlight the benefits of using your services. You will refine and tweak this letter as time goes on.

Next, pick a target group for your e-mails. These may be insurance companies, attorneys, realtors, or whatever your niche market is. Search the internet for contacts within your market. I have found good places to find contacts is industry-specific associations, LinkedIn and straight up Google searches.

Now there is an old advertising adage that is called The Rule of Seven. The premise of this rule is that a potential client must see your name or message seven times before they will buy your product or use your services. So what you want to do is take your e-mail list and start contacting them. Send them an e-mail. About a month later send them another e-mail. Wait another month and send them another e-mail. You will eventually hit their busy season and guess who will be at the top of their minds? Yes, you and your services!

I was given this advice years ago and was pleasantly surprised to find out that it does work!

Transcription Jobs

One of the best ways to get started in the transcription services industry is to work for a company offering transcription. We will bring you a couple each month that hire subcontractors. We do not personally work for these companies or know much about them except that they do hire subcontractors. Make sure to see our Tips When Testing With a Transcription Services article for some help when applying for jobs online!

Perfect Pages, LLC is located in Oakland, California. You can e-mail them at Perfect Pages LLC

Tech-Synergy has a jobs page that says they are currently hiring. It has a short list of what they are looking for in a transcriptionist and contact info on the page as well. Their website is located at Tech-Synergy.

Transcriptionist Spotlight

Each issue we are going to spotlight somebody who is working as a transcriptionist by conducting a short interview with them. This month’s interview is with Faye Ratcliff. Faye is another one of our wonderful transcriptionists here at Pioneer Transcription Services and we are happy to have you all get to know her a little bit.

How long have you been a transcriptionist?

Faye: I started my transcription business in 1992. However, I had done some sporadic transcription work at my job and throughout college.

How did you get started as a transcriptionist?

Faye: When I realized that I would be losing my position where I had worked for 15 years, I researched businesses to find one I could run from home using my strong English and grammar skills. I then trained as a legal transcriptionist and scopist prior to being laid off from my job. Among other things, this meant I learned to read and translate stenotype. I then also took a few medical transcription specialty classes to help in my work, but I am not a medical transcriptionist.

What type of training do you have as a transcriptionist?

Faye: I studied for over 18 months and received a certificate of completion as a legal transcriptionist/scopist. I trained in how to use a CAT system, which is Computer-Aided Transcription software. Plus, I have had many years of experience which has proven to be even further training.

Why did you start working at home?

Faye: I am a self-starter and wanted to be my own boss. My goal has always been to start a successful home business.

What is your biggest reason for working at home?

Faye: I hated the long commuting drive, and my home office is much more pleasant than one in a corporation (especially an office without windows). Best of all, I can set my own hours.

Do you work for transcription companies, have your own clients or both?

Faye: I ran my own company for many years and had numerous clients. I have subcontracted and transcribed focus group interviews, written and transcribed mystery shopping reports for new home sales, as well as interviews of Holocaust survivors used at the museum in D.C. The majority of my work has been for court reporters, either depositions or in court. I have also transcribed multi-channel tapes for Stenomask reporters.

What is a typical workday like for you?

Faye: First thing is to check e-mail and determine what length of job I am committed to do that day. I feel very fortunate to be able to choose what work I accept now. This is much different than when I ran my own business and was committed to be available most of the time, almost like being on-call.

What is your favorite piece of transcription equipment?

Faye: Number one is my large flat-screen computer screen. In addition, I have several transcription programs and sound editing software, and they have all been very helpful to me for my work.

What is the best thing about your job?

Faye: I can make my own schedule and not feel pressured. I thoroughly enjoy working from home.

What is the worst thing about your job?

Faye: I tend to work too much because I am never really away from work.

What advice would you give to somebody trying to break into the transcription field?

Faye: Be persistent and don’t give up, but don’t expect to have clients immediately. Develop excellent skills and do not hesitate to network.

This newsletter is brought to you by The Zoom Transcription Course:

Zoom Transcription Training This is an amazing course that includes a very thorough manual with so much information on the ins and outs of providing transcription services, plus tons and tons of practice audio files and sample formatting documents with which to compare your own work. It is simply very solid training for this field.

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