Because the work is paid as completed, moms don’t have to feel like they are under pressure to meet work demands every hour or lose pay. Instead, they earn income as the transcription work is completed. To become a transcriptionist, you just need a laptop, Internet access and a client service with work to assign.

Freelance writing is another big area where moms can excel and earn income. If you are a good writer, you can sign on with multiple services or clients and work remotely. The production is date-based, so as long as you completes the work timely by related deadlines, the writing earns income per project. This highly flexible work also works well for schedules where moms can’t stay put for four or eight hours on end and must care for their child. All you needs is a computer, word-processing software and an Internet connection to begin.

Alternatively, moms can do what they already do well: take care of children. Some moms extend the car they provide their own children to others, earning income providing small child daycare for other mothers. While this route requires a bit more in terms of meeting local and state regulations for child care, it can be lucrative for moms with a good organizational system and knack for children, including their own.

That said, not everyone is interested in being a research analyst or daycare provider. So to become a transcriptionist provides a good middle ground of steady work without extensive effort. Plus it works well over the Internet, so it’s accessible to all.

Transcription is an important service for many people. Transcriptionists are relied upon to accurately transcribe audio records from doctors, attorneys, educational professionals, business people and many others. Since all fields rely upon written records, virtually everyone needs a transcriptionist.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that transcription employment will increase from 6% to 21%, depending upon the area.

• As the population ages, the medical field looks to see the biggest increase in transcription needs. The BLS estimates that the medical records and medical transcription field will increase by 21% from 2010 to 2020. More tests, treatments and procedures account for this increase.
• The demand for court reporters and transcriptionists is estimated to increase by 14% by 2020.
• An increase in enrollment at colleges and universities also translates into an increase in the need for academic transcriptionists.

Some people in the transcription industry also deal with Spanish transcription or translation of documents in any language. With an increase in the number of non-English speakers in the United States, the BLS estimates that the number of interpreters and translators will increase by 42% by 2020. With transcription being a part of that industry, the demand for bilingual transcriptionists will also increase.

As you can see, the transcription field is continually growing as a service industry. It is an important service that allows a great deal of flexibility for those that work in the field. With such a wide variety of services, the transcriptionist is a person that is always in demand. That demand will never die.

About the Author
Anne Shaw is the CEO of Transcription Vendors, a leading U.S. transcription company that brings transcription providers and transcriptionists together on a common platform for fulfill their business needs. Apart from providing myriad transcription services, Transcription Vendors also provides transcription jobs for transcriptionists to work independently and can help them set up their own transcription business.

Transcription is a great job for people who are relatively fast at typing, allowing them to either transcribe old documents or recordings into digital formats. 

Transcriptionists can be found in all sorts of industries (practically all of them), the major ones being business, law and healthcare. Additionally, most transcription work can be done right in your home on your own computer. However, there are some myths about transcription service that simply aren’t true.

MYTH: Manual transcription can be easily replaced with dictation software.
Though it seems services like apps and software like Dragon Dictation would replace transcription jobs completely, this isn’t true for the majority of work out there since it requires great precision. Sorry 21st Century: technology just isn’t as accurate as human transcriptionists.

MYTH: You need to be an incredibly fast typist.
So long as you are able to type beyond the "two finger" method and know your way around the keyboard, you don’t need to be lightning fast (but being slow is not good, either).

MYTH: Transcription work at home jobs are a scam.
While there definitely are some scams out there, the majority of transcription work from home jobs are legitimate and can either pay per word or even an hourly wage.

MYTH: Transcription is mostly just typing.
If you think you just need to know how to type, then you’ve been misled. Transcribing is also listening, comprehending, working with deadlines and much more. It can be difficult work, but also very rewarding.

MYTH: Transcription service and data entry are the same job.
They are actually very different. Transcription deals with a lot of listening and typing, whereas data entry will be mostly working with exclusively databases and spreadsheets.

About the Author
Anne Shaw is the CEO of Transcription Vendors, a leading U.S. transcription company that brings transcription providers and transcriptionists together on a common platform for fulfill their business needs. Apart from providing myriad transcription services, Transcription Vendors also provides transcription jobs for transcriptionists to work independently and can help them set up their own transcription business.

Transcribing takes concentration and focus. You need to be able to work without any interruptions to ensure you transcribe audio files efficiently and accurately.

Imagine listening to your recording and trying to type what you have just heard while screaming kids are running through the house, your dog is running around, the washing machine is on its spin cycle, the television is blaring, and dinner is burning on the stove. This is a recipe for disaster even without the transcription project at hand.

What to do….

• Create a separate workspace

• Choose proper lighting

• Choose a comfortable chair that does not promote or cause fatigue

• Create a regular schedule/routine

• Choose the time of day carefully

• Set goals

• Take adequate breaks

• Turn off the television

• Don’t look out the window while working

• Turn off your phone

These things may seem overly simplistic, but they are important and necessary to your ultimate success in transcription.

Choosing a separate workspace is very important. This space should be set apart from other areas of your home. It helps your brain to separate “work” from other activities. In doing so, it enhances your focus.

Proper lighting is important. Being able to see clearly without a glare will keep your eyes from becoming fatigued, and helps your concentration. Proper seating also eliminates fatigue.

Creating a regular schedule/routine is also important. It trains your brain to focus during the times you need it the most, and it also helps your family to understand that during those hours you are not going to be “available” to them.

Time of day is crucial. You don’t want to be struggling with the kids or fighting other distractions while you are trying to work.

Eliminate distractions. Turn off the television, don’t gaze out the window, turn off your phone, and by all means, feed your pets.

Be sure to set your goals for the day and take rest breaks.

All of these techniques will help you stay focused and give you greater success.

About the Author
Anne Shaw is the CEO of Transcription Vendors, a leading U.S. transcription company that brings transcription providers and transcriptionists together on a common platform for fulfill their business needs. Apart from providing myriad transcription services, Transcription Vendors also provides transcription jobs for transcriptionists to work independently and can help them set up their own transcription business.

Your body tells you.

Many people feel fatigued throughout the day, and this is normal. Feeling fatigued all the time is a different story. If you wake up in the morning and can’t seem to shake that first-light feeling, it may be time to get a doctor’s note.

If  you find yourself increasingly bored with your position, even when you’re making money, consider asking your boss for a few days off. If you’re not required to take your full vacation time, don’t. In a few days when you come back, if you still want to quit, start looking for other work and collect your vacation time on your last paycheck.

If your job is causing you more stress than your family can alleviate, take a break. Remember, you’re working for your family, not your boss, and if your job is causing you to push them away, it’s time to part with it for a while. For this situation, take the full stretch.

Depression is normal, but if you’re in a position where it’s hard to get up in the morning knowing that you need to go to work, take some time off to fix your house or spend time with the family.

Alternatively, take a vacation when you’re feeling your best to keep the positive attitude going. People don’t consider taking vacations when they can handle the workload, but coming back with a smile can lead to more time off in the long run.

About the Author
Anne Shaw is the CEO of Transcription Vendors, a leading U.S. transcription company that brings transcription providers and transcriptionists together on a common platform for fulfill their business needs. Apart from providing myriad transcription services, Transcription Vendors also provides transcription jobs for transcriptionists to work independently and can help them set up their own transcription business.

Play Typing Games
What’s more fun than playing games? And there’s nothing better than a game that is fun and actually helps improve your skills. There are tons of typing games all over the web, and some of them are even free.

Start Blogging
Write what you want and have fun telling stories or saying what’s on your mind, while also typing for speed. A good exercise could be to write your blog post on paper first and then transcribe it. If you’re going to be a transcriptionist, this is the kind of exercise you’ll be doing in your job, so might as well do it in a fun way as well.

Letter Of The Law
Perhaps there are some people in your life whom you’d like to send a long letter or catch up with. Instead of writing them a letter with a pen, try typing up a letter. It can be an email or it can be a letter that you’ll print out. Either way, it’s a chance for you to get your thoughts on paper and do so as if you were writing for an actual transcription job. The bonus is that when you’re done writing, you can send that letter off to a friend or loved one.

Join a Forum
Online forums are not only great places to share thoughts and ideas, but also a great place for those who want to be a transcriptionist and looking for a fun way to write quickly. Find some forums that match your interests, join the conversation and make some new friends. It’s also a great time to network and expand your list of contacts for future transcription work.

About the Author
Anne Shaw is the CEO of Transcription Vendors, a leading U.S. transcription company that brings transcription providers and transcriptionists together on a common platform for fulfill their business needs. Apart from providing myriad transcription services, Transcription Vendors also provides independent transcriptionist employment and can help transcriptionists set up their own transcription business.

In the year 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that 4.2 million more people in America chose to work at home, which is a vast increase when you compare that number to the 9.5 million people working from home in 1999. The number of federal government workers enjoying a stay at home job rose by 88 percent in 2010 and over 67 percent of private company employees also got a home-based job. There are many astounding benefits to working from home, and some job roles you could delve into include:

•Transcription

•Tech support agent

•Proofreader

•Tutor

•Copywriter

•Translator

•Freelance designer

While it is vital that people who work at home calculate their taxes, there is more than one reason to get involved in this sector of work. Being your own boss and choosing the hours you work is the main temptation for home workers, as well as reduced overheads and favorable working conditions. Some other advantages that prove to boost well being include:

•Less stress for staff members

•A dynamic and versatile company image

•An improved balance between life and work

•More commitment and better discipline

•Minimal interruptions

•Better staff commitment and skill retention

•Reduced office costs

•Cheaper commuting costs

About the Author

Anne Shaw is the CEO of Transcription Vendors, a leading U.S. transcription company that brings transcription providers and transcriptionists together on a common platform for fulfill their business needs. Apart from providing myriad transcription services, Transcription Vendors also provides transcription jobs for transcriptionists to work independently and can help them set up their own transcription business.

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If you’re going to be a transcriptionist, the difference between being a good transcriptionist and a great one could mean the difference between one that makes a good living and one that dramatically increases their earning potential.

What makes a good transcriptionist, great? Let’s delve into it:

Common Sense

One of the most basic skills that anyone can have is one that makes a great transcriptionist. Often times you might not understand exactly what the dictation is supposed to say. You’ll need to take it based on the context and the speaker and figure out not only what the speaker means but also how it fits into the larger transcription. Common sense and the ability to parse out the obvious from the unclear is critical.

An Eye For Detail

Perfection is always the goal of any transcriptionist, and a keen eye for detail is critical for that to happen. To be a transcriptionist you have to write quickly and accurately. You then have to be able to proofread what you’ve written and spot mistakes. You then need to be able to edit accurately in order to correct errors, clean up what was said and maintain the integrity of the transcription. It’s harder than it sounds.

Transcribing Thoughts, Not Just Words

Anyone can copy down a speech word-for-word. But what if the speaker changes thoughts and meaning midway through a sentence? What about the unsaid things within the context of a sentence or speech? A great transcriptionist is able to recognize the truth in a statement and work the sentence structure around that to make it comprehensible and understandable.

The Professional

If you’re going to be a transcriptionist, you will be in situations that call for discretion, professionalism and politeness. Knowing when you are working with sensitive documents as well as sensitive people should dictate how you react.

About the Author

Anne Shaw is the CEO of Transcription Vendors, a leading U.S. transcription company that brings transcription providers and transcriptionists together on a common platform for fulfill their business needs. Apart from providing myriad transcription services, Transcription Vendors also provides transcription jobs for transcriptionists to work independently and can help them set up their own transcription business.

It is important to have everything laid out in front of you when investigating a crime, and to have all the facts within arms’ reach. Often times when investigating a crime, interviews need to be conducted, and it simply isn’t feasible to write everything down. Written notes is important, but in an interview that could determine whether or not a particular individual is guilty, a tape recorder becomes a third hand, something to refer back to for critical elements. In the event that you need to dictate to your recorder, it’s there.

The benefits of investigative transcription are numerous. First, professional investigative transcription companies keep sensitive information confidential. This is critical. The release of confidential information can blow a case wide open, and transcription companies can be prosecuted for that release, so they keep it tight.

Second, when all is said and done, everything from the tape recorder has been transcribed and is laid out for you, making it easier to access and organize all of the information. Now, all of the information, all of the facts and clues, interviews, confessions and investigative notes are in one place, in one file, to be categorized, referenced, copied for the judge and filed away in case it’s ever needed again.

Investigative transcription has proven very useful for private detectives, investigators and police officers, and because of these services they have been better able to get a grasp on the case and solve the crime at hand.

About the Author

Anne Shaw is the CEO of Transcription Vendors, a leading U.S. transcription company that brings transcription providers and transcriptionists together on a common platform for fulfill their business needs. Apart from providing myriad transcription services, Transcription Vendors also provides transcription jobs for transcriptionists to work independently and can help them set up their own transcription business.

The first and most important step is doing your research. Decide what kind of transcribing you want to do, be it general, medical, legal, etc. Seek out places that fit the description of what you choose to offer, and start putting out ‘feelers’ to see which companies need that kind of service. Also, be sure to get an idea of what other people in your area charge for transcription services, and set your own prices accordingly.

Next, decide whether or not you will be hiring other people. You will need to find out the employment and tax laws in your area, and know what you will be required to do in order to employ other people.

When you start a transcription business, you’ll want to make sure that you are also in possession of working and updated technology – most transcribing today is done with computer software and audio files that contain voice recordings. There are several different brands of transcription software available today, and technology changes. Do your best to keep up with it and you will have a job for a long time to come.

Market your services. There are many ways to do this in this day and age. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to do business locally. There are also newspapers, job boards, and websites that you can access to network with other transcriptionists and potential clients.

While getting your own website could be pricey, it can also be a major way to attract business. With your own website, you can accept audio files online, credit card payments online, and organize and offer jobs to any employees you may have.