Lisa - subcontractor
Posted By: luv2type on 2007-02-19
In Reply to: accepting an account - LisaB
There have been people here who would like just a little extra. If you get the account and once you are settled, why don't you put your need on the board. You might find some bites. Some people like to do a little extra. Of course if it is something digital you could even go away from your state. Just a thought. I happen to enjoy helping others when on vacation. It has worked for me in the past as well when I needed a vacation . 
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Subcontractor
Yes pay her out of your business account. You should provide her with a 1099, can buy them or have the IRS send you some. Also some Quick Books or Turbo Tax help you prepare them. You deduct it as a expense on your schedule C. Since it is an expense deduct you won't have to pay taxes on it. Make sure that she/he realizes that you will be reporting it to the IRS as an expense. Under 600 you don't have to fill out a 1099 but I do. Make sure you have their SSN, etc. to fill it out. Good luck. I just keep everything separate business and personal - makes it easier even though my Quick Books tells me exactly what I have made, etec.
Any more questions let me know. Patti
Thanks, Lisa! (sm)
I was pretty sure it wasn't illegal, since I signed all this paperwork and they did a credit check and everything to issue me the overdraft protection insurance, but it's nice to hear it from someone "in the know". Thanks for the reply!
On a Halloween sugar high, back from Trick or Treating with the kiddos, back to work and hoping I actually get paid for it....
(Sending out about 12 resumes tomorrow....)
subcontractor
not to sound dumb, but is this my responsibility? Thanks!
subcontractor
uggh! I have wondered about this myself in the past. this would be the hard part. I guess I would have to talk it over. thank you though for your help.
Yes, you can Lisa if you look :o]
For instance if you have applied to a smaller company and they've filled the spots, you can offer assistance in the future with a backlog or to cover vacations. Keeps ya' networked, plus gives you some extra cash. If I had anything that I needed help with that is what I would do. I don't see anything wrong with advertising for temp/vacation help. Why not? Sounds like a way to meet quality transcriptionists that you can count on. The other ideas posted here are good, too, but if you need a vacation then you just need a vacation. Taking work on vacation just doesn't seem like much fun to me. I wish more people would network in this fashion, but I think there are people out there that might try to steal your accounts, so you might want to be very careful. JMO. Thankfully, I have not had that happen.
subcontractor
I think what you are doing is wonderful! More people like you should be so kind as to take a newbie under her wing. If I ever an fortunate enough to have my own FTP server and accounts I want to do the same just because I know from experience how hard it is to be a newbie. Hope it works out for you both.
Subcontractor
Get rid of her - nicely. Just tell her that you MUST meet your deadlines in order to keep your accounts. Your livelihood depends on this. Tell her since she is having some difficulties right now, you cannot send her more work. If you want, tell her to contact you in the future when things settle down for her.
You cannot give her any more chances. What will you tell your clients? "Sorry the work didn't get back, but this MT I really like had a personal crisis and couldn't type last night."
Hire someone less enthusiastic who will do the work on time. I'm not enthusiastic about this job anymore, but I do it because I'm enthusiastic about living indoors and eating every day.
Pay for subcontractor
Well, first let me say sorry you blew TAT, or it was blown for you - however, if a company holds your check because a TAT was blown, even a last check what would you do? Pay her the 100.00.
As for calling your client, why would you give her this information. When i sub out They get the voice file only and a patient list that has been blacked out on the information. And always sign a confidentiality agreement. If she did call - which I doubt, do not try to confirm with them - they may not like the idea you sub'd out, and why bring it up if they do not. Apparently you are still getting their work so they must like something about it.
Lastly - be careful next time. But also keep in mind - if you were not paid you would have a fit - she just took it one step further and has a hissy fit.
I have a subcontractor......
I have had an account for a couple years and just recently hired on a subcontractor. This account pays me 14 cpl and I pay the subcontractor 7 cpl. This is an easy account and all the sub has to do is type what I send them and I do the rest. Granted, I took a 50% cut on the work by hiring a sub, but now I know that even if I'm not working I have 7 cpl coming in. I don't understand why anyone should feel guilty if they are paying their subs a decent amount for what the work requires. Just last pay period she did 1000.00 worth of work (based on my 14 cpl) and I collected 500.00 of that (based on her pay of 7 cpl). As an IC, I just see it as a benefit to me, not sure why anyone would feel guilty.
I am a subcontractor.
I make 12 cpl with one company full-time acute care and 11 cpl part-time in pediatric subspecialties (neurology and oncology mainly) with another company. The FT does offer a daily production bonus.
Subcontractor Pay
Does $2.00/report for MRI, CTs and ultrasound reports sound reasonable for an MT with 20+ years experience? I know some reports can be long, some short. Any insight would be helpful. Thanks
Hi Lisa
I do not think that this is the trend, but have seen a few companies who are doing this. In a way, it makes sense because then you are getting paid for airtime and all the BS like conversations with staff, etc. that you would normally have to listen to and not get paid for. Most folks that I've seen post here on the subject would not do it for less than $1.00 per minute, but it really is about how long it takes you to type it (obviously) and how much your time is worth to you. Since a general figure of how long it takes to type 60 minutes of dictation, from what I've heard and experienced, is about 3-4 hours, at 0.67 cpm that would work out to about 10.05 to 13.40 per hour of typing time. Of course, I've had work that I could fly through, and then I've had work that would take longer than the norm, so like everything in this biz, it all depends. Hope that wasn't TMI, since you asked only about the trend thing :)
I also hope you are not talking about losing the account with the flashdrives, as I know that would be really disappointing after what you have done for them.
Have a great night, and a Happy New Year!
Subcontractor pay
I do some subcontracting for an IC. My checks are usually different from the amount on my invoice by a little. Sometimes a little more and sometimes a little less. Shouldn't my check be the total on my invoice?
It depends....are you an IC or a subcontractor?
10 cpl is not unreasonable as a subcontractor
I have had several subcontracting positions that pay 10 cpl and now working as subcontractor for 11 cpl. You do not have to accept the first thing they offer. Naturally, they are going to offer you a lower rate. If they offer say 9 cpl, then ask for 10 cpl. If they offer 10 cpl then ask for 11 cpl. It has worked for me. Now as an employee with good benefits, I will accept 9 cpl with an incentive plan.
MedQuist - Lisa
With your experience, I would have to say it depends on cpl they are willing to offer you. I know of many companies that are generous in cpl due to the number of years of experience. I agree with earlier posting about it depending on if you get a good supervisor. The raises are not much to be desired, you will have to fight for one in the far, far future. Again, with your experience, don't settle for anything less than what you feel is fair. Worse case scenario, if you don't like the job, move on to another company until you find a job you do like. I don't think anyone can answer this ? for you.
Subcontractor..help with various issues
I need some advice on how to handle having a subcontractor. I have a subcontractor now helping with one of my accounts. My process is that I have a separate checking account and separate savings account for business. All of my checks from work as an IC go into this business checking account. I then transfer to the business savings account a certain percentage for taxes. We'll then transfer most of the remainder to our household checking accounts. That way, I can look at the business checking account and see my deposits and know exactly what my income is. Anyway, now that I have a subcontrator, I don't know exactly how to handle everything. Do I just keep track of what I pay her and then claim it as an expense at the end of the year? Will I have to give her a 1099? I guess I should only hold back for taxes on the percentage of the money I keep now. I'm just confused on the whole process. I could use any advice...or a point in the right direction for where to find information on this. Thanks!
Most hire a subcontractor
I think it it is wise to establish a relationship prior to needing them so they are already familiar with the account(s) and can do it with very little instruction.
Paying a subcontractor
I am going to take in a subcontractor in an on-the-job training program. I want to know your input on paying them and paying yourself for the training. I an setting up an on-the-job training program. As an independent contractor, I receive 8 cents/line. I am going to have the subcontractor work with me in my office at my other work station, and I will teach her everything and QA all of her work closely until she is up to speed. I was thinking of paying her 6 cents/line and me 2 cents/line. What is your input on a suitable division of payments?
I would love to help if I can, Lisa....sm
I love to help newer MTs, because back when I first became an IC, I was so shaky, I had my first two babies at home, my husband was gone most of the time for work, and this ANGEL that I met on another message board happened to see one of my questions and since she lived in my state and my area, and she had been doing MT for many years, we hooked up....she was so wise, and so helpful, and we became really good friends until she had to move to Italy with her husband. Also, if you are doing IC independently, I found so much info from my local SBA (Small Business Administration), they will actually let you know the laws of the state regarding setting up business, tax laws, tips, and they will just mentor you along in growing a business. Anyway, please feel free to e-mail me anytime, I will help if I possibly can! You'll be great!
Diff between IC & subcontractor
What is the diff between these two? And do most of you have set hours that work as a subcontractor or do you pretty much have flexible hours? Thanks!
I agree, but if I have a subcontractor come
into my home to remodel or something, I certainly can tell them not to come at midnight or early in the morning because that does not work for me. He does not have to abide by that and can turn the job down, but I can certainly suggest it.
Taxes as IC or subcontractor?
Does anyone know about filing taxes as a subcontractor or IC? Do taxes work the same for both? Is it the self employed tax form? Any info is helpful thanks.
Lisa - your 1st post was so optimistic....sm
Lisa: Your first post was upbeat and optimistic/positive. Then in walked the panners of MQ.....outside of a few clear realistic posts. Now, this current post of yours saying something to the effect of *now MQ isn't lookin too good* is indicative that you HAVE, indeed, let the panners influence you.
Again, hopefully you'll get a GREAT supervisor....(not a given) - the supervisors can make it or break it for you...hopefully you get one with NO POWER OR EGO problems!! I always said, the day my PS leaves, I'm gone!! *lol* Good luck to you whichever way you choose!
To Lisa - Going Rate in Area
I would try Career Builders and look for on-site MT jobs in your area and see what the hourly rate is and try to figure how many lines you would do in an hour for this account. I'm no expert, but that is probably what I would do. It seems strange to me though that the Nationals pay pretty much the same line rate to their MT's, yet they are all over the US. Will you have to pick-up/drop-off tapes? Do you have to print? If yes to these two questions, bid in the middle to higher range. If it is all digital and you only have to e-mail the reports back to the office, then maybe consider the low to mid range. I'm on the East Coast, and the cpl ranges from 10-15 cpl (65 characters with spaces) or anywhere from $13-17 per hour. I hear though in some other states such as Texas, the going hourly rate is $9-12 per hour, so this would reduce the cpl rate. I guess it would depend on the type of program you are using. I only use Word and the line count built in. I do not have a separate line counter. I hope Patti has ideas, and she very well may. I think she said she's in Oregon, so that would be considered West coast, so I'd be anxious to hear what her opinions are on the average rate. She's pretty knowledgable and from her posts "plays fair". With all that being said, I think either 13 cpl or 15 cpl depending on the program and method of retrieving dictation and sending back reports once they are transcribed. Hope this helps! I tend to get real chatty! Sorry! 
I hope it was okay to e-mail you Lisa.
NM
Lisa/MT Student (see mssg)
I don't think you would have to pay to place an ad. See if there is a "Letters to the Editor" section. If not, it might have to be done the way the doctors do it: Their papers are submitted to JAMA for consideration of publication. Even though we MTs are not doctors, it is their work that we are transcribing. And sometimes (if we're lucky) we even get to transcribe those papers that they are submitting for publication! I don't think there is a single doctor or medical professor out there that would want their JAMA submission, book manuscript, etc. transcribed by an ESL MT.
When I use a subcontractor, I pay them as soon as their invoice is turned in to me.
I consider it a good business practice to pay the sub as soon as their invoice is submitted. After all, don't you expect the client your contract with to do the same for you. You really should have paid this $100 invoice long before now. You have no recourse and should consider this a lesson learned.
Personally, I don't think you have any business subbing out work if you're no more prepared to pay and, apparently, are careless with the information that your sub receives from you. You could also be considered breeching confidentiality if you're not having the sub sign some sort of understanding regarding the confidential nature of the work you're sending out. 
Lisa, the truth of the matter is ...
that there *are* actually MT's out there who are still happy in their jobs and who make good money still in this profession. In truth, I still love the *type* of work that I do; it's the rest of what's going on that I'm sick of as well as the downward trend in pay. What we're commenting on here is the *overall* mood, feel, and status of the industry right now ... and my personal belief is that it's not going to get better.
I say hold true to your dream. If you really want to be an MT keep looking for that company that's going to be a good fit for you. It's going to be hard with you being a newbie, but it's still possible. Don't put all your eggs in this one basket though as some of us have done. Keep a back-up job in another industry so that as things continue to degrade on the MT side you'll have a soft cushion to fall back on. Keep reading the boards with an open and critical mind and decide for yourself if the common challenges that you see MT's as a whole facing are of an ilk that you can tolerate.
I hope this helps.
Hi, Lisa. Have you added macros to SM
your Expander yet for many of the common VR changes--such as for backspacing over a comma, adding a period, and capping the first word of the new sentence? How do you drop common words like, say, "she" into a sentence on the run? I hit "k" and in it goes, but I'm off scanning the next line by then and don't actually see it. Do you constantly use your program's function for jumping the cursor to the point of dictation and vice versa (assuming it has one)? This is a big speeder-upper.
And a reality that's hard for some to run into: Editing skills and talents are different than transcribing skills and talents. Reading fast and accurate becomes big. Punctuating fast on the run was always desirable, but it's more significant now as the ability to simply get the letters on paper becomes less so. Are you one of those this work suits or one it doesn't? If yes, keep working on speed. If not, move on sooner rather than later.
Hi, Lisa. Just wondering how the meeting
Hope everything went well!
Hmmm, interesting theory on Lisa. Maybe so, huh?
x
Hey Lisa - I'm from Lyons - give me a shout!
X
Lisa B - my rates and a long message
Again, I am from the old school, old way of counting and have had my accounts for many, many years - some 18 years. I do the simplest and easiest for me which is just doing gross lines per Word -- which I know counts the spaces but that is how these accounts were started and when I inherited some of them was told to count top to bottom -- but with that in mind -- I keep my rates a little lower. I am from .11 to 12.5 cpl. The lowest is for my Psych accounts as they give me 3-5 days turn around and we insert a lot of templates. The others are internal medicine, surgery, surgical oncology, Plastic/Hand surgery and Dermatology. I do pick up delivery, print, envelopes, cut apart chart notes but I average $35 to $45 and sometimes over $50 an hour (depends on how many Op's and consults that I have) and cannot see raising my prices. So I am happy and content. My pick up and deliveries take me an hour each day (depending on how much I visit with the office staff and docs) and I usually stop at the store or something but it gets me out of the house and I really do not mind that at all. I figure this into my work day to get my average hourly rate and am still happy with it. I will probably raise my rates at the end of 2007 but it has been two years. So with all of that said -- again it depends on your variables -- pick up and delivery, printing, etc. But for a ballpark figure I would go for 12 cpl for digital and 12.5 to 13 for pick up and delivery knowing that it will take 3 to 6 months to get your average up there while getting to know your docs, etc. I have used Sylcount for another account and to me that was too cumbersome. I tell my accounts the simpler, less time consuming we keep it the more savings I can pass onto you. And yes, they do appreciate me, pay on time, Birthday cards are received, Christmas bonuses received, included in staff parties if I want and the doctors actually talk to me and treat me as a person with a name and joke with me. Nobody can really answer this question for you as only you know what the account entails, your experience and what you want to make. You can always raise in a year or after doing it for a while. Good luck, e-mail me if you need any other additional info. Patti
That's why this is a great Site! Congrats Lisa!
Way to go Lisa
The 1st giveaway had 92 entries with Lisa I. of CA as the winner.
Directly after announcing the first winner, the second hunt began. There is indeed an I FOUND IT message posted and will be awarded over the weekend.
GOOD LUCK!
Lisa, you make a very good point. sm
I guess I should have been a little more specific. If ALL MTs were to go on "strike" and not accept the low wages these MTSO's are offering, they eventually would HAVE to offer a decent wage we can live on. But, the other side of the coin is, if the MTS WOULD STRIKE, then the MTSO's would no doubt just hire those non-U.S. MTs anyway, because that is the reason in the first place they are paying so little. The U.S. MTs have no support, that's for sure. (and I apologize for the misspelling of a word in my previous post.)
So you are subcontractor, not contracting with doctor direct.
If that's the case, then you need to ask the MTSO you work for if they can provide schedules for the doctors. They may not have them, either, but they could ask the docs for them. So it was their staff and not the doctor's staff that couldn't verify his schedule? That would be different advice then. Sorry - thought you were contracting directly with the doctor as your client. Sounds like you were hired through an MT service instead.
Maybe they get the work from the doctor that way, but the MTSO should try to organize and work it out with the doctor to see that it's uploaded promptly. Not all offices will cooperate in that respect so it's on the MTSO to remedy that, unfortunately. Some just send when they please without regard to the MTs' schedules, and sometimes you can talk until you're blue in the face but they still do it "their" way, on their terms. The MTSO could hold their ground and request the doc to send on a more regular basis, but it's pretty much out of your hands, I'm afraid.
As an IC, you can say "this is when I'll be available to work," and let the MTSO schedule accordingly. Or you can always find other IC work to supplement so you can at least work while you are waiting, or just find another gig altogether if it gets really bad.
N-n-noooooooooooo!!! Not Kev! Did you see how crushed Lisa Tucker looked
because she didn't get the boot? As she walked over to the host, she looked very unhappy. Then as soon as she went by Ryan she put on a weak smile to walk back over to the other contestants. She wants to go home.
Congratulations! Lisa I. of California on winning the first dinner!
Email to admin@mtstars.com with your full mailing address and your choice of restaurant and we will send out your gift card immediately.
Thank you for playing MTStars Fall Scavenger Hunt!
Administrator
MTStars
2 accts are direct hospital, 1 is a clinic and the 4th is a subcontractor position. nm
.
CONGRATS to Lisa R. of Wolcott, NY on winning the $10 gift certificate
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