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Original poster

Is this a viable business idea - typing essays up for students?

29 replies

SoftKittyWarmKitty · 08/05/2013 23:01

I've always been good at typing - fast and accurate - and I'm wondering about setting up a business typing up essays and dissertations for students. Do you think that would be viable, or do students tend to type their own essays as they go, rather than handwrite them then type them up when done?

Is it a completely stupid idea?

I've always wanted to work for myself but suffer from a self-diagnosed lack of transferable skills (and a hefty dose of self-doubt), so I'm struggling to come up with good business ideas. Is this a go-er, or should I go back to the drawing board?

OP posts:
tethersend · 08/05/2013 23:03

I think most people type things as they go, sorry...

pipsqueak · 08/05/2013 23:04

Hmmm I tend to think they do this themselves these days . Dd1 aged 17 doing a levels doesnt really need anything typing up and she and all her friends are nifty around the keyboard ... Sorry to be negative but there are probably other businesses that need this skill ?

QuintessentialOHara · 08/05/2013 23:04

I agree with tethersend.

Have you ever been a student?

Original poster
SoftKittyWarmKitty · 08/05/2013 23:22

As I thought, then.

Yes I was a student in the 90's when hardly anyone had a computer and no-one had heard of the Internet Grin .

OP posts:
LoganMummy · 08/05/2013 23:28

If you're good at typing etc what about becoming a virtual assistant?

joanofarchitrave · 08/05/2013 23:29

I understand there may be more work in writing the essays for the students to buy...

Yes, I'm afraid this particular bit of the market has gone IMO.

However, what about trying to get work as an exam scribe for disabled students? Do you have any areas of specialist knowledge that could help with that? Maybe talk to some universities about freelance work in that area?

DolomitesDonkey · 09/05/2013 07:13

What was your degree in? Perhaps you're (and I bet you are!) under-estimating your actual skills and knowledge and your specialist subject Magus, is in fact the "Norwegian Leather Industry" and therefore you could edit a thesis? Or is that on dodgy ethical ground as Joan suggests?

Salbertina · 09/05/2013 07:28

Agree something like virtual PA might suit.
Only handwritten essays now will be under exam conditions! Students type, draft, redraft as they go and even now often submit online without hardcopy, so market long gone!

GoblinGranny · 09/05/2013 07:36

There is a niche market for proof-reading and checking student essays before submission, but it seems to be very informal.
DD does it for several students at her uni, particularly EAL and those who may have excellent ideas but poor grammar.

exexpat · 09/05/2013 07:36

I'm a student now and all our essays have to be submitted online. Everyone has computers and does it themselves.

There might be a market in proof-reading and correcting the English of work by the growing numbers of overseas students - the only way my uni can make ends meet at the moment is by taking on huge numbers of Chinese students, who don't always have a high standard of English.

Salbertina · 09/05/2013 07:45

Kitty- you have "fast & accurate typing" but no transferable skills?! Hope you can see the huge contradiction there!

People like you are always in demand -just not for student market you originally suggested- set self up as virtual PA, clerking for council, advertise locally to offer services to local small firms? Temping?

QuintessentialOHara · 09/05/2013 08:41

Audio typist? Legal secretary?

megandraper · 09/05/2013 08:49

On the audio typist front there are jobs typing up doctors notes/dictated (into a recording device) comments etc. You have to know/learn the specialist vocab of course.

megandraper · 09/05/2013 08:49

Website content manager?

Delayingtactic · 09/05/2013 09:03

Medical typist would be the better way to go. Often hospitals lag behind in getting letters typed so there are one or two people whose sole job is to type letters (no secretarial work). Certainly the case in my department. All our dictation is electronic but I don't think you could work from home though am not sure.

ChocsAwayInMyGob · 09/05/2013 09:09

When I was a legal sec all I did was audio typing all day long. I wasn't brilliant and can't touch type, so someone like you would be a dream employee OP!

Original poster
SoftKittyWarmKitty · 09/05/2013 13:51

Thanks everyone. I already have a pt job so I have to be careful what I offer to people because I'm currently not available every day so my flexibility is slightly limited due to that, but I'm a skint single parent so I'm looking to earn extra income alongside my current job.

I'd love to work for myself and set up a business that would eventually replace the pt job (and hopefully overtake it in terms of earnings) but I've no idea what to do. I could easily do web content management as someone suggested, because it's part of my job, but no idea how to start with that. I expect most people who have their own website manage it themselves. Unless I set my own up of course, but doing what?! I'm just not sure what to do and where to go next.

OP posts:
ChocsAwayInMyGob · 09/05/2013 14:24

Why not start your own virtual PA business? more and more people are working from home and need letters and documents typed up and sent off but are using virtual assistants and doing everything by email. You could start your own virtual PA Agency?

EasterHoliday · 09/05/2013 14:30

the big city firms have teams of late night / overnight secretaries who are literally just there to bang out typed documents (or at least they did before voice recognition software became popular / accurate) - do you do audio typing?

ChocsAwayInMyGob · 09/05/2013 14:33

I've used voice recognition and it's really bad. You still have to format, correct and often retype big bits of text. Maybe it's improved since I used it!

NotYouNaanBread · 09/05/2013 22:03

Start a profile as a virtual assistant on People Per Hour.

FreddieMisaGREATshag · 09/05/2013 22:06

I used to do that exact job in the late 80's early 90's worked from home with a word processor, which was mighty high-tech at the time.

Sadly, decent computers, and good cheap printers killed it stone dead deader than a dead thing.

Sorry.

lovefreelance · 10/05/2013 11:53

I met a lady today who had set up a virtual assistant business and she loved it, so that indeed may be one way to go.

I'd also maybe try to look at your skills (soft and hard) a little differently. Maybe in vest in a couple of sessions with a life/business coach to help you understand what you want out of work/career and exactly what your capabilities are. You may be selling yourself a bit short :)

afussyphase · 10/05/2013 12:02

I'm doing a free online course (on something completely unrelated) and they advertised a 5-7 week course on how to conceive and develop business ideas. You could try something like that! It was coursera. I'm having a good experience with the one I'm doing...

Original poster
SoftKittyWarmKitty · 10/05/2013 22:19

Thanks afussyphase I'll check it out. What course are you doing, if you don't mind me asking?

What are 'soft' and 'hard' skills please, lovefreelance?

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