Know what - OSI will house clean QA starting from the top if they want to stay in business

• Transcend..OSI - Christy
  • Advice - A friend
    • "HORRORS FROM HELL" - LOL-LOL well said
  • Transcend does not offshore - Transcender
    • offshoring - ala-mt
    • Transcend DOES offshore. I worked for them - GaTrans
      • Transcend has never sent work out of the US.....sm - Cindy Wellborn - corporate office
      • Transcend does NOT outsource! - Beg to differ
  • HERE'S THE SCOOP ON OSI - Don't know about Transcend but lots of negative
    • Well, well, word gets around, another OSi QA bites the dust - - joining Ex-QA OSi Club
      • give it a rest already, she already had 2 other jobs - her gain and their loss
        • The one I'm thinking about has recurrent CA. - OSi'er
      • Know what - OSI will house clean QA starting from the top if they want to stay in business - Gone good riddance no looking back
      • LMAO You are right - Good riddance OSI
        • LOL The blindest leading the blind - Good riddance OSI, I second the motion
    • OSi Offshoring - Not a speed typist
    • thanks so much - Christy
      • YOU ARE WELCOME - after that crap I quit and went back to school - Best decision I ever made
        • Me too - congratulations on your move up in life! - Former OSI-er now college student
    • I have worked for OSI for a while but this makes me want to look elsewhere, - thank you for the information
      • Dont believe her, she has a bone to pick and .... - OSi MT
        • So does your incessant denial of what everyone already knows - OSI outsources
        • OSi Offshoring - sm - ex-Osi'er
        • It is true. OSI outsources, they no longer deny this - no name
        • LOLOL, sick. - LOL
      • Why? One person on this site could sway you? - My own mind
        • I posted the email about OSI and this is why - EX-OSI

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I've been in your shoes, though many years ago, and I had 12 years experience before I had the guts to go solo. 

There is so much more that you need to know beyond the specialty you'll be transcribing.  You need to know how to run a small business.  Things like zoning laws - I kid you not; there are still places where it is technically illegal to work in your home.  Do you need a license?  Do you know the tax implications?  Do you know the insurance/liability implications?  Are you adequately capitalized?  You'll need backup equipment, supplies and something to live on until you start getting paid.  Banks don't like to lend to small transcription services because they so often fail.  As another poster said, contracts are difficult, if not impossible to enforce.  Are you aware of regulatory issues like HIPAA (especially for the speciality you have chosen)?  Are you technically savvy?  Not all offices use tapes with pick-up/delivery of work anymore.  Do you know what you need to make to live?  Sure you could undercut the competition, but can you live on what you'd make?  Do you have someone you trust to cover for you if you are sick, the power goes out or you just want a day off?  There's so much more, but I'm sure you are getting the picture.

Look for a business college, junior college/city college or regional state university in your area that offers classes for small business owners.  Is there an office of the Small Business Administration (government agency - your tax dollars at work) or SCORE (Service Core of Retired Executives) in your area that offers classes?

You are looking to do a tough thing.  I'm not sure I'd want to do it again, but I don't regret the years I did it.  Give it some more thought.  Best of luck to you.

MY SHRINK KEEPS ASKING ME IF I HAVE TRIED GETTING MY OWN ACCOUNTS VERSUS WORKING FOR A NATIONAL....(we are working on how to better handle life stressors).  (MQ?)  Anyway, I always tell him, yes, I have thought about it and I do know of two MTSOs as aquaintances.  I told him I am getting closer and closer to sending letters out to these MTSOs letting them know I am working as an MT and ask if they have any overflow work, to keep me in mind.  I told him I thought that would be the first step as I don't have a clue as to what equipment they use and how you go about the whole deal versus what I am doing now (wav files over internet). 

I am sure some of you who are or were MTSOs could clue me in as to how it is done, equipment wise, and what is involved.  I already know about the tax issues as we have had two small businesses previously. Is it still done with tapes that you pick up and what kind of equipment for that, or can it be done over the internet as per the nationals?

Thanks,

In the dark here.

Need some advice, please.  I am starting a small company and I want to market myself to be able to take overflow work from larger companies (or hospitals/clinics/medical centers) to give and send out to my group of MTs and QAs.  I do not want the hassle of trying to approach the large hospitals, clinics, medical centers, themselves and I do not have the capital to purchase my own dictation system or program. 

I was thinking of going to the MT conventions and networking there but was not sure who/what companies attend these conventions.  Does anyone have any ideas or can anyone point me in the right direction?  I would appreciate any advice anyone could give to me.  TIA

Maria Maz

You could do all kinds of stuff (do a Google search under virtual assistant, there are some webpages that explain stuff).  U-Haul I believe also hires people to do phone customer service from home.  If you look on guru . com they have people who advertise for odd jobs and lots of them are virtual assistant kind of stuff.

Just some ideas.  You could also do daycare, pampered chef, that kind of stuff.  :)

First of all, I have worked for several nationals in the past few years, and equipment has always been provided.  I currently have a f/t position with a national that I use my own personal computer for, they just put their software on it.  I had what I needed already, as far as foot pedal, Expander program, etc.

I have just been sort of rolling ideas around in my head about possibly starting up something small perhaps on a p.r.n. basis just to bring in a little extra income.  As I am still just mulling this around in my mind, my questions are:  How do I go about getting started? Do I try to purchase equipment first, or start out using tapes? I am worried about spending the money and not having any takers, so I am thinking, I should send out some sort of letters first; but, without having the equipment already, how do I tell them I plan on doing their transcription.  Maybe mention tapes first, and tell them I have plans to go digital after I get up and running? These are all just things I wonder about.  If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to email me with any advice. 

I have been an MT for 16+ years, but as I said, I have always had all of the stuff provided for me and just don't know how to start. 

Thanks in Advance!

I got offered a job in a small neurology office starting at $17/hr with a raise in a few months.  No working weekends or holidays and lots of vacation days.  Low stress.

I currently work at home for a pretty decent company with a pretty decent line rate, but am starting to feel pressure to produce more...my average pay at home is between $13 and $15 an hour.  It also adds stress when there is little to know work available and I am having to alter my schedule to "make up" time.

So, I would be making a bit more money, but I will have to have child care for the summers and for after school, so I don't know if it is worth it. 

Can someone give me some insight as to whether they were faced with this decision...what they decided and why?  I would really appreciate it. 

Help! What do I do?  I currently work for a pretty good national company and I get to stay home and work in my PJs, but then... we ran out of work for a few days and I panicked.  I applied for an in-house position doing radiology, which I have never done before.  I am fairly certain they will offer me the position to work 24 to 32 hours, with many more hours if I want them.  It pays about 18.50 per hour during the week and 19.39 on the weekends, which I will work one weekend day.  So now what???

Do I give up the comfort of my home for a guaranteed paycheck and work in a cubical typing radiology notes for 8 hours a day?  UGH!  Tough to have such choices in this economy. 

Any insight or thoughts on this?  I do have young children, but they spend a lot of time at grandma's while I work anyway.

I have been unable to access, since last night, a website (Weightwatchers.com) and/or its forums that I go to regularly. I have friends that are able to access it so I am wondering what I might need to do to "clean things out" on my computer in order to get back to the web site.

TIA.

Doctor dictated despite the fact that he had a tremendously BAD phone connection.  I can only hear a word every few sentences, the rest is loud humming and static.  I have a KOSS equalizer that didn't help at all.  Anyone know of a miracle program or something that might salvage this recording, as he doesn't want to re-dictate it?  THanks! 

one every time.  Right now we are without a dishwasher.  I use a dishcloth for dishes and a dishcloth to clean countertops/table  - or will sometimes use a paper towel.  I also use bleach or an antibacterial cleaner about once a week.

Never, ever use a sponge.  If you use a scrub brush need to at least dip in bleach every day that you use it. 

I can't remember where it was, but in the last couple of months I saw a show like 60 minutes and it was talking about how dirty a kitchen is, especially in comparison to your bathroom, and it was enough to make you sick, in more ways than one. 

or you can do what I did, I waited until the Logitech mouse (originally was about $70) came down in price to about $20 or $24 and bought one.  You never have to clean them inside and you don't need a mousepad.

I eat and drink at my desk, as I'm sure most of us do.  And of course, crumbs fall, drinks drip, and there's the dust.  I was just wondering what everybody else uses to clean their keyboards.  I have tried canned air to blow out the crumbs and then use alcohol on the surface and stick Q-Tips down in all the crevices and between the keys.  Just wondered if there was some miracle solution that would make it easier and less time consuming?

My keyboard is getting nasty down under the keys.  The vacuum used to do the trick, but now some dust, crumbs, and Lord knows what else remains in the bottom of the tray.  If I unscrew the screws on the bottom, will that allow me to lift the top off?

I figured I would ask, because I often do things like that only to end up with the wrong part coming off or nothing at all happens.  (I hate that.) 

Any tips appreciated!

And I hate shoes. I guess I need to be more dedicated. Just working on my hot spots every day would do me a world of good.

I work 7 days a week and used to have a gal come in twice a week until the place got back to normal....then once every 2 weeks after that. Had to pay $10/hour, so had to work twice as hard to pay her.

Finally had to let her go in September last year and the place hasn't been the same since.  Trying to get my savings back up so I can hire somebody again.  I have no closets but 1 in the whole house and no place to hang coats, etc.

I cleaned really good last week and was surprised it only took me 3 hours, but that's 3 hours I could be making money to save up to hire somebody. Everyone in this area are private people. There are no services like Merry Maids.