Copy typing and transcription work from home.

[hayley81]

I'm thinking of starting up my own business from home, my partner works full time and with having kids I'm finding hours to suit extremely difficult. I've worked for prison/probation/courts writing up reviews ect. Does anyone have any tips or know of any companies that may be legit for me to start off slowly before perhaps starting on my own straight away just so I get a taster. I know that some that advertise aren't 100% and I don't want to fork out money and get scammed. Thanks, Hayley.
ps. my email is [email protected] if anyone has any info they would like to send.

[MellowMarshmallow]

hayley81 not quite the same but I write web content for digital marketing agencies. I've picked up all my clients through peopleperhour, odesk, freelaner and elance, then dealt with them privately for follow ups. I also picked up a good client by googling 'digital marketing agency' and emailing them asking for work. Could you try similar? Not sure what phrases you would search for - you'd know better than me.

Good luck.

[hayley81]

Thanks for your reply MellowMarshmallow, I've just been searching transcription work from home etc but it brings up a lot of these companies that want paying for you to work for/with them, which I don't fancy doing. What does web content entail?

[MellowMarshmallow]

If you have experience in transcription or court reporting stick with it. Anything specialist will get you a better rate. Web content is just the words you find on websites really.

Don't search for the type of work you want as you will likely come across plenty of scam artists. Search for the firms or agencies that will be hiring someone with your skills (whoever you completed reports for before), then contact some on spec. Or stick to the freelance boards. But don't compete with the low, low prices offered by overseas freelancers.

[hayley81]

I'm quite daunted by going it alone as such but I know if I don't do something whilst being a at home mum, my brain will become a pulp. It's begging me to bring it back to life!! I thought maybe starting off with something easier and then maybe pushing myself a little more but I just don't know where to start or who to trust.

[Eglantine175]

Hi Hayley81, if you have good typing speeds there are lots of transcription companies you can apply to work with. A good company should pay you about 60p per audio minute for general transcription. I run Manchester Secretarial and have a business guide to audio transcription on my site which includes guidance in the skills and how to get work. I also run online courses which are pick 'n' mix, so individually tailored to each individual and you can pay as you go. Alternatively if you just need some advice just email me from the site //www.manchestersecretarial.co.uk and I'll be happy to help. You'll need good grammar and punctuation, good typing speeds.

[Eglantine175]

I should mention, I would not advise anyone to use the freelance sites because they are basically slave markets.

[spikejack]

Hi,
I'm sorry to have jumped in on this conversation but I was looking for advice on copy typing and transcription work from home. I read all of the posts (as you do) and contacted [email protected] AKA Eglantine175 who has been amazing!! After spilling my inner most, work-related thoughts into a lengthy email, I received a really detailed, realistic and informative response providing me with an enormous pile of avenues to follow and websites to visit. I just wanted to say a huge thank you to Eglantine175 for inspiring me to just get on and face it!!
Thank you!!

[spikejack]

The website to visit for Eglantine175 is www.manchestersecretarial.co.uk ??

[Eglantine175]

Many thanks Spikejack. Feel free to get back to me if you need to. :)

[Speedy14]

Hi hayley81:

Eglantine175 seems to be quite resourceful, but just thought I'd add a few names that I've come across or worked for in the past:
Fingertips, Take Note, Accuro, Voicepath, Merrill Legal Solutions - these are all companies who have home transcribers work for them on a self-employed basis.

Most require that you take an online typing test, grammar and spelling test and then you are scored and notified whether or not you've 'made the grade'.

Before I started my own home based transcription service, I worked for a few transcribing companies so I could gauge workload (how long it would take me to transcribe say 1 hour of audio), pay (what rate per audio minute was more financially viable for me) and get used to the transcription templates that companys used.

I've used the StartStop Transcription system for the last three years now and found it great, but I do know you can download ExpressScribe and others for a fraction of the price. This website is great for buying equipment: www.dictationsupplies.co.uk/digital-transcription-11-c.asp. I also use an Infinity foot pedal and Plantronic headphones.

Once you're up and running, you'll wonder why it took you so long start.
Good luck... ;)

[Gibbous]

Ironically Eglantine's site, Manchester Secretarial, has:

Proof-reading
proofreading
Proof Reading

And that's just a quick glance. It's not surprising slave rates exist if the market as a whole does not support good standards.

[Speedy14]

Wowzers, that's a harsh criticism Gibbous! I'll remember never to post my website address on here...

Well, seeing as such things are an insult to your 'proofreading' skills, I best point out that in my previous post I used 1 instead of the word 'one', spelt 'companies' wrong and also omitted the word 'to' from the penultimate sentence.

I believe the market does support good standards, it's just that 'some' are always going to 'try' and pay cheap rates because they know people are desperate for work.

Sooo, what's your website address??

[WilsonFrickett]

And actually, advertising isn't allowed on the forum and you don't need to be a proof reader to see that this... is.

Reporting.

[Speedy14]

Not sure who your post is directed at WilsonFrickett, but my posts are genuinely pointing the thread originator in the right direction. I have nothing to gain from the names I've mentioned as they are all established companies who I found useful during my 'research' stage - so do your thing.

[WilsonFrickett]

It wasn't directed to you Speedy It isn't done to advertise one's own business and then to have another poster pop up to say how fab said business is, even if it's true.

[Speedy14]

Ahh, okay. Thanks for clarifying WilsonFrickett...

[MrsSteptoe]

To be fair to Gibbous, Speedy14, there's a difference between posts written on a forum and a website. If you're advertising proofreading on a website and expect to attract a commercial rate, it is most certainly better to display an awareness of consistency on that website and adopt only one way of writing proofreading. An eye for that kind of detail is what you're paying for in a professional proofreader.

thanks for listing those companies, though - I'm thinking of looking at this route myself, so appreciate the sharing of information!

[Rachel6996]

I know this is an old thread but just wondering if anyone could give me some pointers. I was a legal secretary for 25 years and then took voluntary redundancy 2 years ago. I have been working the last 2 years for a legal transcription firm from home on Thursdays and Fridays. I finally handed my notice in 2 weeks ago as I was working extremely hard for very poor pay - some days not even the minimum wage depending if you picked up a poorly dictated long dictation! The final straw came when the firm refused to reimburse me for a telephone call they asked me to return to them on one of my days off - it cost me £20 outwith my mobile phone charge as their number is an 0845 number!! Does anyone know of any reputable legal/medical firms that pay a good rate of pay. My typing speed is 90 wpm and I have plenty of experience and good references.

[coolgal33uk]

Rachel 6996. If you don't mind doing freelance work I can heartily recommend UK Transcription (based in Brighton). I have worked for them for the past seven years, and they pay a minimum of 60p per audio minute, more for difficult files. What's better is that once you pass their test and are accepted you have access to a jobs board, where you can express an interest in which files you want to do. These files are then usually allocated fairly twice a day. So no nasty surprises when it comes to audio quality, etc. Hope this helps at least in the short-term.

[abbyhamm]

Hi,
I`m interested in doing freelance copy typing/transcription work from home but have found that some of the companies want you to pay them.
Can anyone recommend a company/companies I can contact who don't require this?

Thanks

[easyb]

I started work for Take Note (takenotetyping.com/) and can highly recommend them, a really lovely company to work for as a freelancer or full time.

You can apply for a transcription job from:

takenotetyping.com/careers/

It takes about 3.5 hrs of per hour of audio, which works out about £8 per hour.

[debangelz92]

i just started working for Dict8 but i find it difficult without the footpedal. please can you advise on whichone works best and how to get a cheap option.
Thank you all for your helpful advice

[Prussiablue]

Does anyone know of any copy typing jobs that can be done from home?