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Sounds like my husband's ideas

Posted By: Susie on 2008-01-30
In Reply to: Well, Susie, here is the deal... - type-it

He is always the optimist, I am the opposite. I consider him naïve because he seems to believe most told him. I can understand what you are talking about. I have thought just in the past few years (now since I am in my older years) that if worse came to worst, at least I would have my retirement fund (the work doing now is after being outsourced from this place I will now draw funds from) and then social security kicks in for me next year. I want to continue working plus drawing full benefits from social security and the retirement- that is my goal and I hope to make it.


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Some ideas...sm

 


I hope you decide to look for your own accounts.  If you wait until you know everything there is to know about running a home business, you will never accomplish anything.  Do you think every entrepreneur—Bill Gates, Henry Ford, Martha Stewart--knew everything when they started out? 


 


I have had my own accounts over the years and with some, I have signed a contract.  With a few doctors in solo practice, we didn’t sign contracts and I had no problems.  I sent out flyers or letters of introduction in the area where I lived. I also called every physician office to follow up.  My first account came from the local hospital MT department.  None of the other MTs had time to do the account, so an acquaintance asked if I was interested.   So contact MT departments to see if any doctors are looking for someone. 


 


If you send out flyers or letters, have someone you trust who is very good at spelling and grammar proofread them before you send them out.  Remember that your language skills are what the client is buying, so be sure everything is letter perfect. 


 


Try to find accounts close to home if you have to pick up and deliver.  If you have clients who are far away and you have to drive there a few times a week, charge them a little extra.  Make friends with the office staff so they’ll be willing to help you out when you need them to look up patient names, referring doctor addresses, etc. 


 


As far as what to charge, it depends on where you live.  Remember that you have to pay taxes on what you make, and the physician will send you a 1099 form at the end of the year.  So charge anywhere from 15 cents to 20 cents per line, depending on where you live. 


 


I use the Microsoft word count to calculate line count, but you can buy software to do that if you like. 


 


Be sure to have a few backup people to help you out when you want to take time off or if you’re sick or your kids are sick. 


 


Make macros so you maximize your time, and always use your word Expander software, or Microsoft autocorrect, to the max while transcribing.  I include an invoice with every batch of work delivered and get paid every week.  I had one doctor in the past who was very demanding but very slow to pay.  I had to go see him and tell him I rely on that income and I need it NOW, and would not take any more work, or return any, until I received payment. I finally quit working for him because he would never pay me on time.


 


Good luck!


 


I have several ideas...
but do not want to do anything until that check is in the bank. I appreciate your suggestion. I will post a message with my name and what happens once the check is deposited. Thanks!
Or if you have any other ideas

OR..if you have a company you can recommend, I would also be interested in hearing about it.  I need to start the process somewhere immediatel (have two children at home and one in college, so down time isn't really much of an option for me).


 


I do have 11 years experience, and if someone can recommend a really decent company, I would be happy to go on as a referral.


Any ideas???
nm
Any Ideas??

I know it is almost impossible to start a union to protect us against pathetic wages, but if anyone can come up with any ideas on what we can do as MTs, speak up.  I'll fund, start, do anything if the result is fair treatment and fair pay.  The organizations out there are geared for the employers to pat themselves on the back, not for us!  Paying memberships for those as an MT is just pointless.  We need these employers to come to us instead of us sending out a zillion resumes only to be told they pay 1 cpl.  I've been an MT a long time, I believe in it and I like it, but I want to love it again.   According to salary.com, the median salary for an MT is $36,000, well many MTs aren't coming close to that.  We need to do something - Thanks!


Who comes up with the ideas that
stuff like that is a good idea or a way to indicate appreciation -- I think they just look for the cheapest way out. The worst by far was the year MQ gave $30,000 to AAMT in our honor!!!!! Seriously, if they had that to give, they should have given it to those who earned it for them.
Your suggestions would be welcome, Sue. Any ideas?
XX
Any ideas who the culprit might be?
If you focus real hard, you might at least be able to narrow it down to a dozen or so possible perps.
Where to go with this, great ideas...
So what kind of ID could we use that is known by all of us and would not be known by the company? Bottom line, whatever we would say there could possibly be reported back by an MT who is on the fence or feeling loyal to share what is being said. But, the idea would be to create a forum that, for the most part, is out of a public venue where everyone can see and everyone can monitor. More ideas? Anyone up for creating a yahoo list? I have no idea if this can be done anonymously.
Thanks, Sue. Your ideas make sense.
XX
Any ideas appreciated and welcome. Your experience, pls. n/m
v
Thanks for the creative ideas. I will do that. My acct. mgr....sm

already e-mailed me today with a concern over production, as if they're surprised it is so low.  Perfect opportunity to respond with my own concerns. 


How do you think this new pay plan will affect that rate. Any ideas.
:
People's ideas of rudenss vastly different. Who is to
x
Me and my husband
are both independents. We went to a health savings account. We pay approximately $350 a month with a deductible of $5000. This sounds like a lot - but it was cheaper in the long run, compared to higher monthly premiums. Right now we visit the doctor very infrequently, I am more worried about one of us landing in the hospital as we get older. THAT I want covered.
Then L's husband perhaps?
I thought she owned, maybe her husband but no problem, still love working there.
Yes I will. My husband may be going
up that way in a couple of weeks - I may have him peek in on that company and give me a first impression thought.
What does what her husband makes have anything
to do with anything?
My husband is in sales...sm
He is in sales, plus makes an hourly rate. He is considered full-time and the healthcare takes a chunk from his pay, but is well worth it for our family of four with two children under 12 years of age. I'm so glad he gets commission checks once a month. Before this though, I was the breadwinner working a full-time job plus 3-5 extras at home, he was taking care of the kids and working part-time. This arrangement we currently have works out great as I'm home all of the time, but sometimes I do get lonely. I love this message board!
wow, they sure must take a lot out of your husband's check! SM
because with self-employment taxes, etc., it's in the 30+% range!!!!  I don't think I have ever known an IC who didn't have to pay taxes.  What is your secret???
I have insurance through my husband.
I like being an IC too, but when you have your own accounts, it is tough to take time off.  Plus, you have to be really regimented about working.  It is very easy to get distracted.  When you have doctors counting on you, then you just do what needs to be done and the money rolls in.  I have a big problem at this point being told to work set hours and do a set amount of lines or minutes, so I tend to like IC work!  True IC work with a company online is hard to find though.  Most of these companies want you to COMMIT to certain hours or certain minutes of dictation or certain lines per day, which in my personal opinion is not truly IC work.  Just my 2 cents. 
My husband was sued for this
by a previous employer (not transcription) after he quit his job and took a job with a competing company with better bennys and $. It was a route/delivery type job.  He did sign a non-compete contract, but the judge denied their suite saying the company does not have a right to prevent a person for making a living. It was determined he was working an already established route and was not approaching the first company's clients, and therefore was not in violation. Of course every contract is different, but I can't imagine they can keep you from working.
How much is it for a wife and husband??? nm
Thanks
Same here. My husband wanted to help me out
and encouraged me to try it, but I definitely could type faster.. Just could not stand being so slow...like with my crazy slow dial-up I'm stuck with, drives me NUTS!
My husband is a retired
truck driver.  The truck driving industry seems to have gone the way of the MT business.  I wish you well though.  Sometimes I'm glad I'm old and really don't have to work anymore if I don't want to.  Gonna go paint my gourds!!
Please tell me you are kidding about your husband! nm
??
Keep IC job since husband has benefits...nm
nm
Her husband's a big jerk too.
x
I had to leave because my husband
is active-duty Air Force and is leaving for training. We have a three-year-old daughter and cannot afford daycare.
And my husband works
union and we pay no premiums and total coverage. Yeh!
My husband is in sales. He also
It's not just MT.  He has to sell 30% more of the product and also his contribution towards health benefits went up $160.00 per month.  We are a family of four.  There is no forum for flooring retail that I know of, so we just grin and bear it.  There is really nothing we can do.  This economy is tough.  But what I decided to do instead of worrying about the economy is just take a bit more work and work just a bit harder.  I was just so elated that they did not lay him off.  I guess I tend to look at things a little different.  Yes, it is hard on him to convince people to buy when the economy is bad, but somehow, some way, since he's really great at what he does, he's been doing rather well regardless of the paycut and extra putting out.  We've managed.
Well what is in Oldsmar, just the husband and brother?

The website and checks say the Palm Harbor address. 


Insurance is no cost at all to my husband
and me thru teamsters, $20.00 copay when going to the doctor, PTO. That is the good part- now the bad- if he should die before me, no insurance for me. Well, since I am 10 years older, will possibly have Medicare before him, who knows??
Oh please, that's a crock. I have savings and husband, but I still
xx
Still not affordable but better than my husband's so we have no choice. sm
His company is $1410 for a family of 4 and none of us have any illnesses or surgeries. Highway robbery.

We pay $710 a month at Keystrokes. Still high but half.
I already have insurance through my husband's job, so I didn't need it.
NM
Well, my husband has worked for the same company for sm
over 25 years and still only makes $11.75/hr. Try living below your means on that! It takes all of his income plus mine as an MT to even make ends meet. As for Dave Ramsey, he has some good points, but saving any kind of money on our income is practically impossible. And, as for giving up extras, like new cars, etc., we dont have any of those things either. We cant even go out to dinner once a month. Things have gotten very bad. No raises, but higher bills.

Okay, I'm done complaining now. Off the soap box!
yes, after my husband had 5 heart attacks, you would be too
Sometimes life happens. My husband had 5 heart attacks, requiring cardiac surgery. If you were working several accounts and had to answer 800 emails and hire while your husband was in the hospital, maybe you could understand.
Husband ditto here. Kicking out...
yet, he does not believe me when I say I am trying my best to get the work. Ug.
Hi, Yup, that would be Cheryl, co-owner, she and her husband Ian, who is an MD....sm
are originally from South Africa, have UK educations and degrees, have been in the US for 20 years now, the company has been up and running for almost that time, they have a lovely family here, and they are 100% American citizens, as our their children.  She is very busy as she is involved in so much of the running of the company, but a very honest, lovely lady to talk to, and Dr. Ian is kind an helpful and very encouraging, great bosses.
My husband is a carpenter and has his own tools. sm
There are a lot of professions, employees, who have to have their own tools including plumbers, mechanics, cement finishers and hairdressers. I am sure there are more, but those I can think of off the top of my head right now.
Happened to my husband who is in management
I haven't had to take a pay cut, but my husband did. At his company all management staff took a 15% pay cut. Mind you, it was management only, didn't affect rank and file employees. This is happening all over in this economy. The problem with cutting MT pay is that we make so little to begin with, the pain of a pay cut is much worse. I agree that pretty soon it won't be worth it to work in this field.
Yes, my husband is self-employed so we have individual plans but...
the preminums keep going up and up. I realize they also do when you work for a company, but since they get a group rate, the hit isnt as hard as when you are self-employed. Once you have a medical condition and your self-employed, the rates are horrible. I am going to check into some of our plans here locally just to see. My husband and kids are on their own individiual plans and they do have a copay but all we could afford was the cheapest plan which does not cover a lot and like I said every year we get hit with higher preminums just to end up with less coverage. It is very discouraging.
That is not just MT. My husband is a union bricklayer and if there is no work, they can take off wi
They will only lay them off if it will be more than a week. When I worked at a hospital doing MT, we had to use PTO when it was slow, usually in January!
I like the insurance they have now. It is cheaper than the one that my husband's company has. s
They have been trying to get new insurance for over a year but do not have the participation requirement filled, as they have let everyone know. However, I spoke to a manager who told me that the one that they have been working on since December looks good, just taking longer than expected as they keep asking questions.

My husband works for one of the largest corporations in the U.S. (not MT). sm
They are paid on the 1st and 15th and his will not post until Monday. They were told that it depends on the clearing house in their region, that their bank sends it any day, even if a Sunday, but if that middleman, so to speak, is closed, it will not go until the next day. Same with holidays.
We have insurance through my husband's company and this year

our premium was only raised $3.00 and our benefits were improved. 


If you have pre-existing conditions you don't have lots of options, but there are lots of other options available otherwise. 


 


Welll....I do have a millionaire husband who IS my nanny..
Heck..he doesnt have a real job.. He can cook, clean and watch the kids LOL
oh wow...good luck to your husband in finding a new job...
nm
My husband is union and they have been asked about taking a pay cut,
before you talk about having 2 salaries in the family, I along with others have been to where there was only 1 person working and taking care of children, the bills and everything else. I did it for years before remarrying and this is what really works: I had more than 1 job at all times. I never suffered from lack of work or money. I was determined. Can you see the difference? Not everyone that is married has the other 1 working and helping out. Used to be married to a househusband in years past so don’t guess what works in every household.
sure sounds swell. Sounds like 2350 ln/day @ 4 cents/ln=$90./day
in order to figure how many line needs to be produced to make $500 per pay period. ie, how many lines an hour needed per 8 hour day --at your rate.

So say $450 a week would be $90 a day.
For example, if making 4 cents a line,need 2,250 lines a day, 281 an HOUR (to listen through and edit) to make this great wage of $90. a day FOR ALL THIS SAME SKILL, TO KEEP UPDATED WITH CHANGING MEDICAL COMMUNITY. nope Better at Jack-in-Box Pass it up.