Small MTSO

I am a small MTSO and I have two part timers that work for me.  I try to allow them to make a good living but there are costs of running a business.  I do the pick up and deliveries, I print, I buy the paper, toners, etc.  I do the invoicing.  I do the customer service.  I do the QA, etc.   So when I make 2 to 3 cents a line, that is sometimes barely $5 to $7 an hour after gas, paper, etc.   I keep my line charge reasonable -- 0.11 to 0.12 and that allows me to pay 0.8 cents per line.   But if my gals use their brains to use word expanders, templates, etc. they can make $16 to $24 an hour (200 to 300 lines per hour) which to me is fair.    I pay them on time often first and sometimes wait for the check to come in.    But you guys we do not make a lot when subcontracting out.   But if a document is 400 lines I make $8 to $12 for the report and that is before all my expenses.  So we are not jiving any of you.

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No suggestions here except to keep up the great work and appreciation for your team.

I agree, don't waste your time on the ignorant's on this board that think everyone is out to screw the MT...it's a sad fact, but there are some who just have such blackened lenses to see through.  It sounds like you really appreciate your team and there are more employers out there like you, really there are.

I think the reason for late/bounced checks is exactly due to a lot of small MTSOs not keeping business and personal money separate and they do not have a reserve to fall back on in case something happens.

I had one that did not keep her personal finances separate from business and some government agency (she was having legal problems) went in and wiped out her bank account...she still owes me big bucks and that was several years ago. Unfortunately, I kept working (2 months with no pay, stupid) believing things would get better and believed the excuses and lies before I found out what was going on and quit, but could not collect because she had no money left and then she just dropped out of sight (rumor has it she changed her name and moved to a different state).

Another one had the same situation as far as not separating business from personal money and bounced payroll checks (I quit when the first check bounced, lesson learned from the first time). I finally got my money from that one after months of waiting. Needless to say, I will no longer work as IC for small MTSOs. They will lie to you when you ask if they have a separate business account and a line of credit or reserve to ensure payroll is on time even if client does not pay on time or they themselves get into financial trouble.

BEWARE THE CONTRACT THAT SAYS YOU GET PAID WHEN I GET PAID because it means just that and you will have no legal recourse of getting your hard-earned money, definite red flag. 

3 owners, and I trained the last 2.  The MTSO is a man.  He is extremely disorganized, just wants the job done, not interested in providing samples, doctor's lists, etc.   Frequently doesn't answer e-mails, not recognition for MT week.  I lost 3 close family members within a short time, never got a card, a plant, or I'm sorry.  When I worked there I did acute care and I didn't need samples, lists, because I had been there for so long I had the info or knew where to get it, but when this MTSO came on the scene things changed.   He lost the account to MQ, who has since lost it to CyMed, and he got a bunch of clinic accounts.  I left because I didn't want to do clinics, but I would occasionally do overflow for him.  He was always calling me because I wasn't doing something right, but he never gave me samples or answered my questions, so I did the best I could under those circumstances.  Pay is 7 cpl per gross line, which is 1 cpl more than I started out making 10+ years ago.  Never hear from him unless there is a problem or he needs a favor.  Checks are mailed and even though he is about 12 miles away it can take 3 to 4 days to get my check. 

I currently work for a small national (about 50 MTs).  Pay is better, MT week is recognized, my BD is recognized, Christmas is recognized.  Not that I expect these things but it is nice to feel appreciated.  I get an e-mail or phone call every few months thanking me for all my hard work and going above and beyond when they get in a bind, etc.   Pretty much left alone to work otherwise, but provided with any information needed to do my job.   I have direct deposit.

I briefly worked for YOG for a few months prior to their selling to MQ and it was the most disorganized company.  I didn't know who did what, couldn't get samples, had to frequently call for work because even though I was cleared by QA and should have been getting pooled work I wasn't.  Deducts if too many blanks.   I still had them calling me to work extra 6 months after I left.

I will share this about the MTSO I work for.  I called her late last Wednesday night after Church and told her I was compelled to help out with Hurricaine Katrina in some way and an opportunity arose for a small group from my Church to go to Louisianna this coming week.  Would she be able to cover my work.  She told me no problem without any hesitation and even donated money for the trip. 

And I am sure there are plenty of good companies out there to work for.  To compare us to migrant workers is just not right.

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recruiter is temporarily assuming job duties for an account supervisor while they look for someone or maybe a leave.

Put your questions here and we can tell you.

did YOU write the acronym book?  HAHAHAHAHAHA -

Well, I've online over 10 years and on boards/forums and SM means small message versus NM meaning no message versus LM meaning long message.

To each his or her own *S*  It's not etched in blood.....*S*  Hope you have a better 2006.  *S*

I have worked for both and I think that small companies are very, very particular. Not that that is a bad thing, but  ZERO room for error (everyone knows perfection is impossible 100% of the time).  So if you can QA at 100% every single time with a national, a small company would be perfect for you.  In all of my experience my lowest QA score was a 99.2 with nationals.  Small company just made me feel extremely inadequate.  That is one thing about communication with a small company, you can start feeling attacked for very (and I mean very) minor things. 

HTH.

The only reason they use subs is that the client needs more work done than they can physically do themselves.  Most small MTSOs did not start out wanting to be an MTSO at all, but just having their own accounts.  Then there is too much work and they have to use subs.  And most of the line count is forwarded on to the subcontractor, not kept as profit for the MTSO.

I am just such a small MTSO and I make more money when I don't have subs because I can spend my time typing instead of listening to blanks, setting up templates, explaining format, etc., doing payroll, etc.

I just put in my application this morning at Webmedx.  I had to go to a doctor's appointment and when I got home I had a message from a recruiter there.  I think it is the same recruiter that I talked to 2 years ago with another company.  They said I did not score high enough on the test to sign on with that that particular company.  The person said I did fine actually until I got to the ESL portion and it looked too much like swish cheese.  I wonder what the chances are that they remember that.

You set your schedule but you are expected to be there when you say you are.  However, they are great to work around doctor's appointments or other things that may come up.  I have never had an issue not being able to get time off for anything. 

As far as QA, they expect you to type what is dictated unless of course it is a gross medical error and then you blank and send to QA.  You do not get dinged for sending work to QA.  You also do not get dinged for punctuation.  They do expect high quality.

there's no one in the office on the weekends, or after 5 p.m. anyday for that matter.  fret not, i'm sure they'll get back to you.  VTS is a really small, family owned and operated organization, not a frenzied corporate giant.  good luck to ya, you'd like it here!!

that pays CASH?  (Under-the-table?)  Like for last-minute STAT dictation or something?   Is it possible to get such a sideline job in this field, or would you have to look outside of medical transcription?