A New Way To Obtain Business Capital
A New Way To Obtain Business Capital
by Peter C. Forkuo
In today's article, I am going to focus on one of the entrepreneurial hats you seldom wear. And, that is financing.
Traditionally, trying to acquire the necessary financing for your business was a royal pain in the rear. Not so any more. I'm happy to report that the tables have been turned in your favor.
From this day forward, you should not look at every lender as being the same. No, all lenders are not alike. Certainly, a bank should not be your first choice when you set out to seek capital.
Unfortunately, many aspiring entrepreneurs and netpreneurs do approach bankers because they have not been better informed of the many options of financing readily available to them.
Why Is Your Local Bank The LAST Place To Turn To? I
t's really very simple. Local banks are forced to protect the interest of their depositors. The money they loan you for your business must not be at risk. The banks must answer to their depositors. Yet, as you and I know, the creation and operation of any business enterprise involves certain elements of risk. It's the nature of all business ventures. You are therefore, better off ignoring your bank for your web site financing needs, at least for now.
The most obvious choice for your online financing needs includes lenders who understand and appreciate your needs.
They should recognize the uniqueness of online businesses and netpreneurs.
They should be lenders who sincerely want to invest in online businesses.
The question is do these lenders exist?
Yes, they do. Your Long Awaited Solution Is Here!
See, after a long and tedious research, I've found the five best lenders in the world who make unsecured loans up to $1,000,000 to finance the design and development of web sites. Your signature is the only collateral needed. Yes, it's true.
There are lending sources that really make loans from $5,000 to $1,000,000 without collateral or co-signers. What makes this truly unique is, you never have to meet anyone in person to get your loan approved. You can apply from the convenience and privacy of your home. This allows you to borrow the money quickly, confidentially and easily.
In addition to financing the design and development of Web sites, they have the ability to create other finance solutions for various online applications. And, they are capable of financing transactions of all sizes, working with clients from small- and medium-sized businesses to publicly traded companies. In fact one of these specialized lenders is a company noted by its name within the Internet circles as WebsiteFinancing.com This lender is one of the pioneers and leading providers of various financing packages for web sites.
Because all transaction are handled through the mail and the Internet, eligible applicants can obtain their funding in a timely manner. Undoubtedly, this special financier can be your direct source of cash, credit and financing for all your web funding needs. But, with the word spreading so fast, they could be swamped very quickly. Besides, financing, just like women's fashion changes rapidly and WebSiteFinancing.Com's programs and related services are no exception.
In fact they change so frequently that it's very difficult for anyone to keep up with them. So you may contact them directly for their current information at WebsiteFinancing.Com, 13598 WeyCroft Circle, Alpharetta, GA 30004. Or email them at info@Websitefinancing.com
Additionally, you can find lenders who provide similar services in your own area or a nearby large city.
The type of lenders you need to contact identify themselves as Finance Companies. These lenders by their very existence are willing to take higher risks on you than any traditional lender out there, but at a price. It's a tradeoff. They move nimbly through an intricate maze of maneuvers to solve the financial needs of special situations where no lending patterns have been established. They then take projects that, bogged down in complications and little understood by conventional lenders such as banks, are rejected as unfeasible and make them a reality. Some of them may offer a variety of commercial financing programs to meet your web site and working capital needs.
Check out with your local Business Librarian. They should be able to help. It's really that easy.
(c) 2001 by Peter C. Forkuo. Peter C. Forkuo is an international capital consultant. He specializes in "high-risk" loans for people and businesses who are unable to get loans from traditional lending institutions. For a FREE excerpt from his new eBook "A Major Breakthrough In WebSite Financing" go here NOW, http:/worldwideloans.com http://EasyLoansForBadCredit.com
Start a secretarial business
6/10/2005
Free online computer training
Free online computer training
Get Valuable Computer Based Training Online - FREE!
Educating yourself about computers and software programs represents a very expensive proposition in both time and money. Anyone who has ever seen those Video Professor advertisements on TV knows that a simple tutorial on CD-Rom costs $59 plus shipping and handling.
Most people don't realize computer and software training is readily available online, some of it as good or better than the introductory courses that can cost you a lot of money.
Would you like to learn how to set up a web page?
Do you want to learn how to use your word processor for accomplishing more than just typing simple letters?
How about learning to use all the great "secret" features in your email program?
Log on to http://www.findtutorials.com to find yourself ina world of learning about things that really interest you! Many of the tutorials listed come free of charge since the sites hosting the classes contain the usual advertising most of us have come to expect online.
Some categories have more available classes than others, but the site rates a serious look and even a bookmark so you can check back for new jewels of knowledge on a regular basis.
Check here first before spending money on training, especially for introductory and general information instruction.
The following sites also offer free online training, however, understand that many of them use the introductory courses as a lead in to get you to purchase additional books, classes or other advanced instruction.
http://www.computertim.com Offers an extensive collectionof articles to help you learn how to operate various Microsoft Office programs more efficiently, including: Windows, Word, Outlook, Excel, and FrontPage.
http://www.lgta.org Land-Grant Training Alliance - teaches you how to use various software packages online and evenhas an interesting tutorial on how to use the Internet as a teaching tool to help others.
http://www.trainingtools.com Offers a variety of introductory training courses for software packages dealing primarily with website creation, installing scripts and making your website do cool things! http://www.learnthat.com/courses/ Offers a variety of courses on everything from computer training and software packages to even dealing with some hardware issues and how to purchase the right digital camera.
http://www.elosoft.com/101/computer.htm Offers a wide selection of links to other sites that offer online instruction, books, classes and other learning resources. Looks like an excellent place to start your search for additional information when you need instructionor help.
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links...
Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website or affiliate links? "Turn Words Into Traffic" reveals the secrets for driving Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate links... without spending a dime on advertising! Click Here http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com
Start a secretarial business
Get Valuable Computer Based Training Online - FREE!
Educating yourself about computers and software programs represents a very expensive proposition in both time and money. Anyone who has ever seen those Video Professor advertisements on TV knows that a simple tutorial on CD-Rom costs $59 plus shipping and handling.
Most people don't realize computer and software training is readily available online, some of it as good or better than the introductory courses that can cost you a lot of money.
Would you like to learn how to set up a web page?
Do you want to learn how to use your word processor for accomplishing more than just typing simple letters?
How about learning to use all the great "secret" features in your email program?
Log on to http://www.findtutorials.com to find yourself ina world of learning about things that really interest you! Many of the tutorials listed come free of charge since the sites hosting the classes contain the usual advertising most of us have come to expect online.
Some categories have more available classes than others, but the site rates a serious look and even a bookmark so you can check back for new jewels of knowledge on a regular basis.
Check here first before spending money on training, especially for introductory and general information instruction.
The following sites also offer free online training, however, understand that many of them use the introductory courses as a lead in to get you to purchase additional books, classes or other advanced instruction.
http://www.computertim.com Offers an extensive collectionof articles to help you learn how to operate various Microsoft Office programs more efficiently, including: Windows, Word, Outlook, Excel, and FrontPage.
http://www.lgta.org Land-Grant Training Alliance - teaches you how to use various software packages online and evenhas an interesting tutorial on how to use the Internet as a teaching tool to help others.
http://www.trainingtools.com Offers a variety of introductory training courses for software packages dealing primarily with website creation, installing scripts and making your website do cool things! http://www.learnthat.com/courses/ Offers a variety of courses on everything from computer training and software packages to even dealing with some hardware issues and how to purchase the right digital camera.
http://www.elosoft.com/101/computer.htm Offers a wide selection of links to other sites that offer online instruction, books, classes and other learning resources. Looks like an excellent place to start your search for additional information when you need instructionor help.
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links...
Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website or affiliate links? "Turn Words Into Traffic" reveals the secrets for driving Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate links... without spending a dime on advertising! Click Here http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com
Start a secretarial business
Free Software Eliminates Typing the Same Things
Free Software Eliminates Typing the Same Things
Ever find yourself typing the same things over and over on your computer?
Maybe you type the same blocks of text into your email messages thirty times a day.
Or maybe you find it hard to remember a long website address and never seem to get all the characters correct when you type it into your web browser's address bar.
Not too long ago, I came to the startling realization that I spent over 45 minutes every single day just on completing repetitive email tasks. Bottom line: that amounts to over 273 hours a year doing the same things over and over again - talk about a waste of time!
Much to my delight, I recently discovered a free software program anyone can use that instantly gave me back almost all of that wasted time! With email, I found myself answering the same questions repeatedly. I spent way too much time retyping or hunting down the answer so I could copy and paste it into my reply. On the surface, a task that takes only 30 seconds to complete might not seem like a time waster, but if you perform that task 100 times throughout the day you will chew up almost an hour on repetitive activity. What if you could reduce that time by 90% or more?
What if you could claim that time back and use it for other, more important things? Well now you can because a free software program called "ShortKeys" helps you reclaim the time you waste on most repetitive typing tasks. Log on to www.shortkeys.com/lite.htm and download the free version of the program, which offers all the features most of us will ever likely need or use.
"ShortKeys" is a macro utility, which means it performs repetitive tasks for you. In this case, it allows you to set up replacement text or paragraphs for any given number of keystroke combinations you can define.
For example, I set mine up so whenever I type #7 faq into an email message, the program automatically inserts six paragraphs with the most frequently asked questions I get from people surfing my www.7dayebook.com site.
The program quietly monitors your typing activity and, anytime you type in a pre-defined keystroke combination, the program will automatically insert the replacement text.
You can use the program with email, word processing, web browser, and even with your web page editor. You simply choose a word and associate it with the replacement text.
ShortKeys will then insert virtually anything you could type, including: simple sentences; extremely long web addresses; single paragraphs; even several paragraphs up to 3000 characters long.
Not only do you save time by not manually typing in the sentence or paragraphs, but you will greatly reduce the inevitable errors and typo's all of us make. I don't normally get this excited about a free piece of software, but if you ever find yourself typing the same text over and over, get a copy of this program and start using it!
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links... Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to your website for weeks, even months... without spending a dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com
Start a secretarial business
Ever find yourself typing the same things over and over on your computer?
Maybe you type the same blocks of text into your email messages thirty times a day.
Or maybe you find it hard to remember a long website address and never seem to get all the characters correct when you type it into your web browser's address bar.
Not too long ago, I came to the startling realization that I spent over 45 minutes every single day just on completing repetitive email tasks. Bottom line: that amounts to over 273 hours a year doing the same things over and over again - talk about a waste of time!
Much to my delight, I recently discovered a free software program anyone can use that instantly gave me back almost all of that wasted time! With email, I found myself answering the same questions repeatedly. I spent way too much time retyping or hunting down the answer so I could copy and paste it into my reply. On the surface, a task that takes only 30 seconds to complete might not seem like a time waster, but if you perform that task 100 times throughout the day you will chew up almost an hour on repetitive activity. What if you could reduce that time by 90% or more?
What if you could claim that time back and use it for other, more important things? Well now you can because a free software program called "ShortKeys" helps you reclaim the time you waste on most repetitive typing tasks. Log on to www.shortkeys.com/lite.htm and download the free version of the program, which offers all the features most of us will ever likely need or use.
"ShortKeys" is a macro utility, which means it performs repetitive tasks for you. In this case, it allows you to set up replacement text or paragraphs for any given number of keystroke combinations you can define.
For example, I set mine up so whenever I type #7 faq into an email message, the program automatically inserts six paragraphs with the most frequently asked questions I get from people surfing my www.7dayebook.com site.
The program quietly monitors your typing activity and, anytime you type in a pre-defined keystroke combination, the program will automatically insert the replacement text.
You can use the program with email, word processing, web browser, and even with your web page editor. You simply choose a word and associate it with the replacement text.
ShortKeys will then insert virtually anything you could type, including: simple sentences; extremely long web addresses; single paragraphs; even several paragraphs up to 3000 characters long.
Not only do you save time by not manually typing in the sentence or paragraphs, but you will greatly reduce the inevitable errors and typo's all of us make. I don't normally get this excited about a free piece of software, but if you ever find yourself typing the same text over and over, get a copy of this program and start using it!
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links... Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to your website for weeks, even months... without spending a dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com
Start a secretarial business
Save Time & Sanity With Virtual Assistants
Save Time & Sanity With Virtual Assistants
One of the great things about the online world involves the fact that you can find software to help you accomplish virtually any small job you can imagine, especially repetitive, mundane or boring tasks.
Since the Internet makes it possible for software developers to easily avoid the astronomical costs of traditional distribution through stores and catalogs, an explosion of highly specialized, time-saving software applications has occurred online.
The bottom line: if you can think of and perform are petitive job or task on your computer, a real possibility exists that a small software application can help you do the job better, faster and cheaper.
** Automate Repetitive Tasks Qualifying as a virtual "Swiss Army Knife" application, QuickKeys.com offers a very versatile program enabling you to automate various tasks, such as: repeatedly typing the same "boilerplate" text in emails and documents; formatting text with certain font sizes and page breaks; opening various files when you first turn on your computer; applying a complex set of filters to a set of graphics in PhotoShop; much more.
Commonly referred to as a "macro," QuickKeys.com takes a type of software application previously reserved for "computer nerds only" and puts it in the hands of everyday users, allowing them to automated tasks that used to eat up valuable time. Though it takes a bit of time to train the program to follow your directions, the end result seems well worth the effort. As soon as you get the hang of it, you'll find your self automating job after job and wondering how you got along before without this handy little utility. The only downside of the program may appear in its price of around $99, but the time saved makes the cost extremely worthwhile.
** Remembering Passwords
Roboform.com helps you remember all your various passwords for membership and password-protected sites on the web.
One of the biggest time wasters I can think of involvestrying to remember or find a username and password for a particular website. Now you automatically and securely remember the access information for virtually any password-protected site on the Internet.
Unlike Gator, another popular password utility, RoboForm.com doesn't harass you with advertising nor does't have other "spy-ware" privacy connotations. Sorry Netscape users, RoboForm.com only works with the Internet Explorer web browser.
** Stop "Spam" Before Downloading One of the most time consuming tasks online involves wading through the piles of spam that threaten to bury you on a daily basis.
MailWasher.net makes it possible to spot spam and delete it prior to downloading it to your computer. The program also allows you to set up rules to automatically identify friends as well as "blacklist" spammers and messages. An excellent feature in the program allows you to "bounce" the email you receive from spammers, which makes it appear your email address has gone bad. Some spammers will get this "bounce" and automatically remove your email address from their list never to hear from them again.
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links... Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to your website for weeks, even months... without spending a dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com
Start a secretarial business
One of the great things about the online world involves the fact that you can find software to help you accomplish virtually any small job you can imagine, especially repetitive, mundane or boring tasks.
Since the Internet makes it possible for software developers to easily avoid the astronomical costs of traditional distribution through stores and catalogs, an explosion of highly specialized, time-saving software applications has occurred online.
The bottom line: if you can think of and perform are petitive job or task on your computer, a real possibility exists that a small software application can help you do the job better, faster and cheaper.
** Automate Repetitive Tasks Qualifying as a virtual "Swiss Army Knife" application, QuickKeys.com offers a very versatile program enabling you to automate various tasks, such as: repeatedly typing the same "boilerplate" text in emails and documents; formatting text with certain font sizes and page breaks; opening various files when you first turn on your computer; applying a complex set of filters to a set of graphics in PhotoShop; much more.
Commonly referred to as a "macro," QuickKeys.com takes a type of software application previously reserved for "computer nerds only" and puts it in the hands of everyday users, allowing them to automated tasks that used to eat up valuable time. Though it takes a bit of time to train the program to follow your directions, the end result seems well worth the effort. As soon as you get the hang of it, you'll find your self automating job after job and wondering how you got along before without this handy little utility. The only downside of the program may appear in its price of around $99, but the time saved makes the cost extremely worthwhile.
** Remembering Passwords
Roboform.com helps you remember all your various passwords for membership and password-protected sites on the web.
One of the biggest time wasters I can think of involvestrying to remember or find a username and password for a particular website. Now you automatically and securely remember the access information for virtually any password-protected site on the Internet.
Unlike Gator, another popular password utility, RoboForm.com doesn't harass you with advertising nor does't have other "spy-ware" privacy connotations. Sorry Netscape users, RoboForm.com only works with the Internet Explorer web browser.
** Stop "Spam" Before Downloading One of the most time consuming tasks online involves wading through the piles of spam that threaten to bury you on a daily basis.
MailWasher.net makes it possible to spot spam and delete it prior to downloading it to your computer. The program also allows you to set up rules to automatically identify friends as well as "blacklist" spammers and messages. An excellent feature in the program allows you to "bounce" the email you receive from spammers, which makes it appear your email address has gone bad. Some spammers will get this "bounce" and automatically remove your email address from their list never to hear from them again.
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links... Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to your website for weeks, even months... without spending a dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com
Start a secretarial business
Outsourcing and Your Business
Outsourcing and Your Business
by: Kate Smalley
Outsourcing is an established way of doing business today, allowing companies to maximize their budgets and resources and generate better products.
Also referred to as subcontracting, outsourcing simply means acquiring a product or service rather than producing it in-house.
Outsourcing is suitable for just about any industry. In the administrative field, for instance, a variety of activities can easily be farmed out to a subcontractor, including word processing, data entry, transcribing, research, contact management and event planning.
Outsourcing is extremely common practice within human resource (HR) departments. In fact, two-thirds of HR departments outsource at least one activity, according to research by the Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. and the Society for Human Resource Management.
The top five outsourced HR activities are employee assistance/counseling, flexible spending account administration, pre-retirement counseling, outplacement services and pension/retirement plan administration.
Weighing the Outsourcing Option
When deciding whether outsourcing is a viable option, a company should consider all of the issues involved. Should the projects be kept in-house because they're critical and employees need to know how to do them themselves? Also, does the company have a sourcing plan, staff members to oversee contracts or a philosophy that supports the outsourcing initiative? If it does, outsourcing may be ideal for your business.
The bottom line is every business is different and companies should carefully weigh the benefits of outsourcing. Benefits of Outsourcing Many companies that choose to outsource do so because they don't have or can't attract the people skills they need.
Subcontracting gives them access to a much greater pool of resources. It also enables companies to cut cost by 10 to 30 percent, depending on the industry. They can purchase services on an as-needed basis, instead of maintaining a full-time employee. This allows them to avoid paying employee-related expenses such as salaries, unemployment taxes, paid vacation and sick leave, insurance which results in a lower overhead.
In another aspect, outsourcing can help a company focus on its core business, creating a competitive advantage within its industry.
Subcontracting also affords the business the chance to get the best job possible from the people it hires. By using a third party supplier, a company has more room to be critical of the kind of services provided. If the work is done in-house, company ties may interfere with the final product.
Outsourcing also offers a wide variety of other benefits, including:
Copyright 2004, Kate Smalley Connecticut Secretary Freelance Secretarial and Transcription Services http://www.connecticutsecretary.com mailto:kms@connecticutsecretary.com
Start a secretarial business
by: Kate Smalley
Outsourcing is an established way of doing business today, allowing companies to maximize their budgets and resources and generate better products.
Also referred to as subcontracting, outsourcing simply means acquiring a product or service rather than producing it in-house.
Outsourcing is suitable for just about any industry. In the administrative field, for instance, a variety of activities can easily be farmed out to a subcontractor, including word processing, data entry, transcribing, research, contact management and event planning.
Outsourcing is extremely common practice within human resource (HR) departments. In fact, two-thirds of HR departments outsource at least one activity, according to research by the Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. and the Society for Human Resource Management.
The top five outsourced HR activities are employee assistance/counseling, flexible spending account administration, pre-retirement counseling, outplacement services and pension/retirement plan administration.
Weighing the Outsourcing Option
When deciding whether outsourcing is a viable option, a company should consider all of the issues involved. Should the projects be kept in-house because they're critical and employees need to know how to do them themselves? Also, does the company have a sourcing plan, staff members to oversee contracts or a philosophy that supports the outsourcing initiative? If it does, outsourcing may be ideal for your business.
The bottom line is every business is different and companies should carefully weigh the benefits of outsourcing. Benefits of Outsourcing Many companies that choose to outsource do so because they don't have or can't attract the people skills they need.
Subcontracting gives them access to a much greater pool of resources. It also enables companies to cut cost by 10 to 30 percent, depending on the industry. They can purchase services on an as-needed basis, instead of maintaining a full-time employee. This allows them to avoid paying employee-related expenses such as salaries, unemployment taxes, paid vacation and sick leave, insurance which results in a lower overhead.
In another aspect, outsourcing can help a company focus on its core business, creating a competitive advantage within its industry.
Subcontracting also affords the business the chance to get the best job possible from the people it hires. By using a third party supplier, a company has more room to be critical of the kind of services provided. If the work is done in-house, company ties may interfere with the final product.
Outsourcing also offers a wide variety of other benefits, including:
- Faster setup of the function or service
- Acquire innovative ideas Increase commitment and energy in non-core areas Improve credibility and image by associating with superior providers
- Greater flexibility and ability to define the requisite service more readily
- Less dependency upon internal resources
- Greater control of budget
- Greater ability to control delivery dates
- Increase flexibility to meet changing business conditions
- Purchase of industry best practice Generate cash by transferring assets to the provider
- Gain market access and business opportunities through the supplier's network
- Turn fixed costs into variable costs
Copyright 2004, Kate Smalley Connecticut Secretary Freelance Secretarial and Transcription Services http://www.connecticutsecretary.com mailto:kms@connecticutsecretary.com
Start a secretarial business
Professional Transcription and Your Business
Professional Transcription and Your Business
by: Kate Smalley
Got stacks of audio tapes that need to be converted to a more user-friendly format? Professional transcription services may be the answer.
Professional transcriptionists can take standard or micro cassette tapes and produce a typed version of the text in a format that's clear, consistent and correct.
They can create transcripts of taped meetings, training sessions, seminars and conventions, as well as dictated letters, reports and manuscripts. Once the information is transcribed, you can easily email, fax or post it to a Website.
Accuracy Is Essential
Transcribing actually covers a variety of services.
It can include whatever editing is necessary to make a report or letter 'flow'.
It can also include the tweaking sentence syntax, adjusting paragraphs, removing redundancies, and repairing general grammatical errors. For some professions, a high degree of accuracy in transcripts is crucial. For example, medical transcriptionists must carefully listen to dictated recordings made by physicians and other healthcare professionals and accurately transcribe them into reports, correspondence and other administrative materials that eventually become part of patients' permanent files.
Their ability to understand and correctly transcribe patient assessments and treatments reduces the chance of patients receiving ineffective or even harmful treatments and ultimately ensures high quality patient care.
Accuracy in transcripts is equally as important in other fields. In legal matters, it's essential because all testimony must be rendered exactly as it's spoken. Likewise, police detectives require precise transcripts of statements by suspects and witnesses. In the corporate arena, letters, meetings and training sessions must be properly transcribed for the sake of effective education and communication.
Requirements For A Good Transcriptionist
Whether you need medical, legal or general transcribing for your business, accurate transcribing requires a unique set of skills. But if your staff lacks the expertise or time to transcribe materials in house, an outside company can easily fill the void.
Working with an outside vendor offers a variety of cost-saving benefits, including:
But before you run out and hire the first transcription company available, make sure it has the skills to meet your needs.
The outsourcer you choose should be:
For more information about professional transcription services, contact Kate Smalley, Connecticut Secretary, at 203-641-3739 or mailto:kms@connecticutsecretary.com
Copyright 2004, Kate Smalley Connecticut Secretary Freelance Secretarial and Transcription Services http://www.connecticutsecretary.com 203.641.3739 mailto:kms@connecticutsecretary.com
Start a secretarial business
by: Kate Smalley
Got stacks of audio tapes that need to be converted to a more user-friendly format? Professional transcription services may be the answer.
Professional transcriptionists can take standard or micro cassette tapes and produce a typed version of the text in a format that's clear, consistent and correct.
They can create transcripts of taped meetings, training sessions, seminars and conventions, as well as dictated letters, reports and manuscripts. Once the information is transcribed, you can easily email, fax or post it to a Website.
Accuracy Is Essential
Transcribing actually covers a variety of services.
It can include whatever editing is necessary to make a report or letter 'flow'.
It can also include the tweaking sentence syntax, adjusting paragraphs, removing redundancies, and repairing general grammatical errors. For some professions, a high degree of accuracy in transcripts is crucial. For example, medical transcriptionists must carefully listen to dictated recordings made by physicians and other healthcare professionals and accurately transcribe them into reports, correspondence and other administrative materials that eventually become part of patients' permanent files.
Their ability to understand and correctly transcribe patient assessments and treatments reduces the chance of patients receiving ineffective or even harmful treatments and ultimately ensures high quality patient care.
Accuracy in transcripts is equally as important in other fields. In legal matters, it's essential because all testimony must be rendered exactly as it's spoken. Likewise, police detectives require precise transcripts of statements by suspects and witnesses. In the corporate arena, letters, meetings and training sessions must be properly transcribed for the sake of effective education and communication.
Requirements For A Good Transcriptionist
Whether you need medical, legal or general transcribing for your business, accurate transcribing requires a unique set of skills. But if your staff lacks the expertise or time to transcribe materials in house, an outside company can easily fill the void.
Working with an outside vendor offers a variety of cost-saving benefits, including:
- No cost of special equipment.
- No hourly employee downtime.
- You pay only for production.
- No Social Security, payroll or unemployment taxes.
- No medical insurance benefits, paid vacations and sick leave
But before you run out and hire the first transcription company available, make sure it has the skills to meet your needs.
The outsourcer you choose should be:
- Well-versed in the English language
- Knowledgeable of the rules of grammar
- Familiar with your industry
- Easily accessible for questions
For more information about professional transcription services, contact Kate Smalley, Connecticut Secretary, at 203-641-3739 or mailto:kms@connecticutsecretary.com
Copyright 2004, Kate Smalley Connecticut Secretary Freelance Secretarial and Transcription Services http://www.connecticutsecretary.com 203.641.3739 mailto:kms@connecticutsecretary.com
Start a secretarial business
Home Medical Transcriptioin: A Decent Living or a Scam?
Home Medical Transcriptioin: A Decent Living or a Scam?
by: Stephen Bucaro
No doubt you have seen many ads by medical transcription schools claiming that you can make big money typing medical transcription at home.
Can you really make a good living doing medical transcription at home, or is it just another scam? In this article, you'll learn the honest facts about home medical transcription.
Can you really make a decent living doing home medical transcription? Yes and no.
Yes - Many people are earning $50,000 to $80,000 or more per year typing medical transcription at home. They work where they want, when they want, and as much as they want. The amount of medical transcription work that needs to be done FAR exceeds the available transcribers to do the work. When I say the demand exceeds the supply, I mean the situation is desperate.
No - Reading a few booklets and listening to a few tapes will not make you into an instant $50,000 per year medical transcriptionist. If you're not ready to commit to between six months and a year of hard study and practice, find another means of earning a living.
Typing medical transcription is not like typing a letter to your mother. It's far more challenging. Below are some of the challenges you must be prepared to meet.
1. You must have a good understanding of medical terminology.
You need to know how to spell the names of the latest medical conditions, drugs, medical tests, treatments, and procedures, and just knowing how to spell them is not enough.
Because of challenge #2 decribed below, you need to have some familiarity with medical conditions and what tests, drugs, and treatments are related to that condition. It's difficult to learn this with a mail order medical transcription course. This type of knowledge comes from experience. - You don't need to be familiar with ALL medical terminology.
Many transcriptionists specialize in specific areas such as gastroenterology or opthalmology. However, when you want to go on vacation, you'll need someone else to take over your work while you're gone. In reciprocation, you'll need to cover for someone else when they go on vacation, and they may be transcribing to a different field than you're familiar with.
2. You need to be able to extract the transcription from a noisy electronic recording.
Unfortunately, many doctors mumble, garble, don't enunciate, don't speak up, or talk too fast when they dictate. Combine the above problems with a thick, foreign accent and you can have real dificulty understanding what the doctor is saying. In many instances, the only way you will be able to decipher what the doctor is saying is if you are familiar with medical conditions and what tests, drugs, and treatments are related to that condition. - Doctors dictate "on the fly". They don't have time to think about proper sentence construction as the words emanate from their mouth.
Frequently the sentence they started doesn't make any sense or has an error by the time they get to the end. Do you edit what the doctor said, or just type the jiberish as dictated? Usually a doctor appreciates when you clean up their dictation. On the other hand, medical documents are often presented as evidence in legal actions. You're taking on liability if you change what the doctor actually said.
- Many transcriptionists have their own group of doctors that they type for and eventually become familiar with the idiosyncracies of each doctor. This makes understanding what they are saying much easier; however, when a you go on vacation, someone else will need to cover the doctors while you're gone. In reciprocation, you'll need to cover for someone else when they go on vacation. You won't be familiar with how the doctors dictate.
3. To make the earnings cited above, you need to be able to sit and type for long hours. You need to isolate yourself from the noise and distraction of other human beings (and some pets) and pound on that keyboard hour after hour. As I stated earlier, the amount of medical transcription work available far exceeds the available transcribers to do the work. Some transcriptionists let greed take control of them and sit at the computer for 16 hours seven days per week. They get accustom to a $100,000 a year lifestyle. But what does it do for their health? -
Medical transcription companies charge more for "fast turn around". Some pass part of this money onto the transcriptionist, others just demand the work get done immediately. In either case, fast turn around work prevents you from controlling your own working hours. Now that I've discouraged you, the fact is that many medical transcriptionists do work where they want, when they want, as much as they want, and earn a respectable living. If you're up to the challenge, how do you became a medial transcriptionist?
Training
You'll need to be proficient in the use of a computer. You'll need to be a fast typist. If you can't type as fast as the doctor dictates, you'll be working hard with the foot pedal to move back and forth in the recording. You must be comfortable using a Word Processing application such as Microsoft Word or Workperfect. You'll need to know how to format documents and how to use macros. If you don't use macros you'll be typing the same phrases over and over.
If you decide to sign up for a medical transcription course, make sure the course provides plenty of authentic dictations. You cannot become a medical transcriptionist by just reading medical terminology. You need to hear it spoken. Just listening to terms being pronounced is of limited use. You need to hear the terms used in a sentence. Simulated medical dictations are fine, but you need some practice with actual medical dictations.
- Find a course that teaches basic anatomy and physiology along with terminology.
The best way to learn The best way to learn is with on-the-job training. If you have a doctor friend or family member who does dictations, ask them if you can transcribe a low-priority dictaion for practice. If you're working at a clinic or hospital as a secretary or receptionist, investigate how the transcription gets done and volunteer to help.
Start out with a specific type of transcription such as letters or office notes in specficic specialities. As you get more experience, your speed will improve and you can branch out into other types of transcriptions for other specialties.
The amount of medical transcription work that needs to be done far exceeds the available transcribers to do the work.
Yes, you can make a decent living doing home medical transcription. You can work where you want, when you want, and as much as you want. But, medical transcription is an occupation only for those who are prepared to meet the challenge.
Copyright(C) 2005 Bucaro TecHelp. Stephen Bucaro. To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com. To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visit http://bucarotechelp.com/search/000800.asp.
Start a secretarial business
by: Stephen Bucaro
No doubt you have seen many ads by medical transcription schools claiming that you can make big money typing medical transcription at home.
Can you really make a good living doing medical transcription at home, or is it just another scam? In this article, you'll learn the honest facts about home medical transcription.
Can you really make a decent living doing home medical transcription? Yes and no.
Yes - Many people are earning $50,000 to $80,000 or more per year typing medical transcription at home. They work where they want, when they want, and as much as they want. The amount of medical transcription work that needs to be done FAR exceeds the available transcribers to do the work. When I say the demand exceeds the supply, I mean the situation is desperate.
No - Reading a few booklets and listening to a few tapes will not make you into an instant $50,000 per year medical transcriptionist. If you're not ready to commit to between six months and a year of hard study and practice, find another means of earning a living.
Typing medical transcription is not like typing a letter to your mother. It's far more challenging. Below are some of the challenges you must be prepared to meet.
1. You must have a good understanding of medical terminology.
You need to know how to spell the names of the latest medical conditions, drugs, medical tests, treatments, and procedures, and just knowing how to spell them is not enough.
Because of challenge #2 decribed below, you need to have some familiarity with medical conditions and what tests, drugs, and treatments are related to that condition. It's difficult to learn this with a mail order medical transcription course. This type of knowledge comes from experience. - You don't need to be familiar with ALL medical terminology.
Many transcriptionists specialize in specific areas such as gastroenterology or opthalmology. However, when you want to go on vacation, you'll need someone else to take over your work while you're gone. In reciprocation, you'll need to cover for someone else when they go on vacation, and they may be transcribing to a different field than you're familiar with.
2. You need to be able to extract the transcription from a noisy electronic recording.
Unfortunately, many doctors mumble, garble, don't enunciate, don't speak up, or talk too fast when they dictate. Combine the above problems with a thick, foreign accent and you can have real dificulty understanding what the doctor is saying. In many instances, the only way you will be able to decipher what the doctor is saying is if you are familiar with medical conditions and what tests, drugs, and treatments are related to that condition. - Doctors dictate "on the fly". They don't have time to think about proper sentence construction as the words emanate from their mouth.
Frequently the sentence they started doesn't make any sense or has an error by the time they get to the end. Do you edit what the doctor said, or just type the jiberish as dictated? Usually a doctor appreciates when you clean up their dictation. On the other hand, medical documents are often presented as evidence in legal actions. You're taking on liability if you change what the doctor actually said.
- Many transcriptionists have their own group of doctors that they type for and eventually become familiar with the idiosyncracies of each doctor. This makes understanding what they are saying much easier; however, when a you go on vacation, someone else will need to cover the doctors while you're gone. In reciprocation, you'll need to cover for someone else when they go on vacation. You won't be familiar with how the doctors dictate.
3. To make the earnings cited above, you need to be able to sit and type for long hours. You need to isolate yourself from the noise and distraction of other human beings (and some pets) and pound on that keyboard hour after hour. As I stated earlier, the amount of medical transcription work available far exceeds the available transcribers to do the work. Some transcriptionists let greed take control of them and sit at the computer for 16 hours seven days per week. They get accustom to a $100,000 a year lifestyle. But what does it do for their health? -
Medical transcription companies charge more for "fast turn around". Some pass part of this money onto the transcriptionist, others just demand the work get done immediately. In either case, fast turn around work prevents you from controlling your own working hours. Now that I've discouraged you, the fact is that many medical transcriptionists do work where they want, when they want, as much as they want, and earn a respectable living. If you're up to the challenge, how do you became a medial transcriptionist?
Training
You'll need to be proficient in the use of a computer. You'll need to be a fast typist. If you can't type as fast as the doctor dictates, you'll be working hard with the foot pedal to move back and forth in the recording. You must be comfortable using a Word Processing application such as Microsoft Word or Workperfect. You'll need to know how to format documents and how to use macros. If you don't use macros you'll be typing the same phrases over and over.
If you decide to sign up for a medical transcription course, make sure the course provides plenty of authentic dictations. You cannot become a medical transcriptionist by just reading medical terminology. You need to hear it spoken. Just listening to terms being pronounced is of limited use. You need to hear the terms used in a sentence. Simulated medical dictations are fine, but you need some practice with actual medical dictations.
- Find a course that teaches basic anatomy and physiology along with terminology.
The best way to learn The best way to learn is with on-the-job training. If you have a doctor friend or family member who does dictations, ask them if you can transcribe a low-priority dictaion for practice. If you're working at a clinic or hospital as a secretary or receptionist, investigate how the transcription gets done and volunteer to help.
Start out with a specific type of transcription such as letters or office notes in specficic specialities. As you get more experience, your speed will improve and you can branch out into other types of transcriptions for other specialties.
The amount of medical transcription work that needs to be done far exceeds the available transcribers to do the work.
Yes, you can make a decent living doing home medical transcription. You can work where you want, when you want, and as much as you want. But, medical transcription is an occupation only for those who are prepared to meet the challenge.
Copyright(C) 2005 Bucaro TecHelp. Stephen Bucaro. To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com. To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visit http://bucarotechelp.com/search/000800.asp.
Start a secretarial business
The Perfect Medical Transcriptionist
The Perfect Medical Transcriptionist
by: Margery Hinman
As a medical language specialist, we are responsible for the accuracy and professionalism of the patient's medical report.
Is there such a thing as the perfect MT?
I say there is, and as an owner of a several successful MT businesses, I can tell you exactly what employers like me are looking for. When thinking of the perfect MT (medical transcriptionist) several things come to mind.
First the MT should have the necessary medical knowledge needed to make sound judgment calls when the dictator misspeaks or gives a wrong word accidentally. A good transcriptionist knows the difference between aphasia and aphagia and when to use which term.
In addition, many times the physician will dictate a surgery note on the right foot when, in the last sentence, accidentally says left foot. A good medical transcriptionist has been trained to catch that.
Good medical knowledge starts with a top rate MT school and the learning continues throughout the career of the MT. (That's why experienced MTs are usually preferred over new graduates, except in certain cases.)
The transcriptionist should understand the physiology of the human body and know why body systems work the way they do.
They must know the drug names, dosages, and usages for hundreds of medications. They will know when the drug is dictated as 50 mg that it is actually in 15 mg because 50 mg would be an overdose.
They must know lab normals so as not to put a ridiculous number when this is what they "hear" the dictator saying. This is all necessary not only for the accuracy of the report, but ultimately for the safety of the patient whose report is being transcribed.
The perfect MT should have an excellent command of the English language. Not only must we know grammar and punctuation, but also our spelling should be exact. As healthcare becomes more and more competitive in today's world, the professionalism of reports is paramount in the specialist's mind as he endeavors to impress his colleagues with prompt, professional consultation reports. A report with no punctuation, spelling, or grammatical errors goes a long way in differentiating an excellent MT from an average one.
Now, for the remainder of the qualities of the perfect MT, put yourself in the service owner's shoes.
What other attributes would you, as an owner, need from your people in order to make your business successful?
It's a well-known fact that in addition to top-notch medical anatomy, physiology and terminology training, the perfect MT should have certain characteristics which cannot be learned. This being said, however, these characteristics are vital to the success of the transcription service and the transcriptionist's career.
The first characteristic which comes to mind is dependability -- old fashioned reliability. A good transcriptionist does what he/she says and says what he/she does. It does no good to hire an employee who comes from the best online school with a 4.0 grade average and perfect punctuation and grammar skills, if the employee does not turn her work in on time.
Dependability is, in fact, so important that it is the #1 thing that service owners look for in a subcontractor or employee. I cannot tell you the number of times I have had a subcontractor take 2 hours' worth of dictation, only to find that barely 20 minutes of the work was actually transcribed. This obviously leaves the service owner to scramble to get the work done urgently by another subcontractor (who already has their work for the day) and to have to explain to the client why the work was not turned in on time as promised. (Good communication requirements on the part of the service play a big part in solving these issues.) This affects the reputation of the service and could ultimately cost the service the contract.
In severe cases or in cases of contractual obligation, the client must be given a discount on the work that is late, leaving the service owner with little to no profit for that day's work and, more than likely, costing them money in the long run since the discount was in excess of the profit the owner would have made for the day. Therefore, a transcriptionist that keeps her word is worth her weight in gold.
Another characteristic equally important is that of attitude, yet another attribute that cannot be learned. How much more pleasant is it to work for someone who is appreciative of you, or even neutral, compared to someone that constantly complains, nitpicks, and whines?
While transcriptionists are looking for good employers, good employers are also looking for transcriptionists with these attributes.
A good attitude for an MT would consist of not complaining when the doctor dictates an extra few reports for the day (flexibility on the part of the transcriptionist), going the extra mile when the dictator asks for format changes (patience), and keeping the service informed of specific requests the dictator asks for (conscientiousness).
A good transcriptionist will stay on an account for an extra few days after notice has been given, rather than leaving the service owner high and dry without someone on the account.
A good transcriptionist will take constructive critique in a good manner and leave her ego behind.
A good transcriptionist, therefore, works together with the service owner in almost what could be construed as a "partnership," where each party does his best to help the other achieve their mutual goals. In this case, both the transcriptionist and the service owner work in synchronicity to serve the client, which ultimately serves the patient himself.
Another characteristic that comes to mind in a great transcriptionist is that of willingness to take on more than is necessary. So many times, employees will say something to the effect of "that's not my job."
A great transcriptionist will gladly jump in and do what is necessary to get the job done. Although not mandatory to do more than promised, service owners know that being able to call on someone who will help them in a pinch makes the MT more valuable than a co-worker who will not.
Of course, good transcription service owners realize that perfect MTs don't grow on trees. If you do your job well and have the characteristics mentioned above, you should expect top pay in your profession as well as a pleasant work environment.
For the at-home transcriptionist, a pleasant work environment, in my opinion, would consist of few, if any, interruptions from the service owner, consistent work from the service (so as to guarantee a paycheck), and protection from cherrypickers (finicky transcriptionists who take the best work and skip over the harder, more difficult work.)
I can think of at least a dozen more attributes that the service owner should possess, but that is best explained fully in a separate article.
The bottom line is - in order to become more valuable to your employer (more valuable = better compensation,) begin to think like an owner. If you see an opportunity for improvement, mention it. If you can help out in emergencies, do so. Above all, never forget that a perfect transcriptionist begins with the proper training. Adhering to these recommendations will ensure a transcriptionist that is happy, productive, and is making the income she deserves.
Margery Hinman, CMT, is owner and Director of Education for MT Advantage Career Center, a comprehensive, online, advanced medical transcription training program. With over 20 years in the transcription industry, Margery owns a number of transcription services and has mentored and trained hundreds of students in the field of transcription. She has taught medical transcription at Tidewater Community College and has authored and published the MT Advantage Career Center curriculum as well as other numerous articles throughout the years. For a free e-book on medical transcription please visit www.mtacc.net. You can reach Margery at MargeryMTACC@aol.com. Copyright 2005 Margery Hinman, CMT
Start a secretarial business
by: Margery Hinman
As a medical language specialist, we are responsible for the accuracy and professionalism of the patient's medical report.
Is there such a thing as the perfect MT?
I say there is, and as an owner of a several successful MT businesses, I can tell you exactly what employers like me are looking for. When thinking of the perfect MT (medical transcriptionist) several things come to mind.
First the MT should have the necessary medical knowledge needed to make sound judgment calls when the dictator misspeaks or gives a wrong word accidentally. A good transcriptionist knows the difference between aphasia and aphagia and when to use which term.
In addition, many times the physician will dictate a surgery note on the right foot when, in the last sentence, accidentally says left foot. A good medical transcriptionist has been trained to catch that.
Good medical knowledge starts with a top rate MT school and the learning continues throughout the career of the MT. (That's why experienced MTs are usually preferred over new graduates, except in certain cases.)
The transcriptionist should understand the physiology of the human body and know why body systems work the way they do.
They must know the drug names, dosages, and usages for hundreds of medications. They will know when the drug is dictated as 50 mg that it is actually in 15 mg because 50 mg would be an overdose.
They must know lab normals so as not to put a ridiculous number when this is what they "hear" the dictator saying. This is all necessary not only for the accuracy of the report, but ultimately for the safety of the patient whose report is being transcribed.
The perfect MT should have an excellent command of the English language. Not only must we know grammar and punctuation, but also our spelling should be exact. As healthcare becomes more and more competitive in today's world, the professionalism of reports is paramount in the specialist's mind as he endeavors to impress his colleagues with prompt, professional consultation reports. A report with no punctuation, spelling, or grammatical errors goes a long way in differentiating an excellent MT from an average one.
Now, for the remainder of the qualities of the perfect MT, put yourself in the service owner's shoes.
What other attributes would you, as an owner, need from your people in order to make your business successful?
It's a well-known fact that in addition to top-notch medical anatomy, physiology and terminology training, the perfect MT should have certain characteristics which cannot be learned. This being said, however, these characteristics are vital to the success of the transcription service and the transcriptionist's career.
The first characteristic which comes to mind is dependability -- old fashioned reliability. A good transcriptionist does what he/she says and says what he/she does. It does no good to hire an employee who comes from the best online school with a 4.0 grade average and perfect punctuation and grammar skills, if the employee does not turn her work in on time.
Dependability is, in fact, so important that it is the #1 thing that service owners look for in a subcontractor or employee. I cannot tell you the number of times I have had a subcontractor take 2 hours' worth of dictation, only to find that barely 20 minutes of the work was actually transcribed. This obviously leaves the service owner to scramble to get the work done urgently by another subcontractor (who already has their work for the day) and to have to explain to the client why the work was not turned in on time as promised. (Good communication requirements on the part of the service play a big part in solving these issues.) This affects the reputation of the service and could ultimately cost the service the contract.
In severe cases or in cases of contractual obligation, the client must be given a discount on the work that is late, leaving the service owner with little to no profit for that day's work and, more than likely, costing them money in the long run since the discount was in excess of the profit the owner would have made for the day. Therefore, a transcriptionist that keeps her word is worth her weight in gold.
Another characteristic equally important is that of attitude, yet another attribute that cannot be learned. How much more pleasant is it to work for someone who is appreciative of you, or even neutral, compared to someone that constantly complains, nitpicks, and whines?
While transcriptionists are looking for good employers, good employers are also looking for transcriptionists with these attributes.
A good attitude for an MT would consist of not complaining when the doctor dictates an extra few reports for the day (flexibility on the part of the transcriptionist), going the extra mile when the dictator asks for format changes (patience), and keeping the service informed of specific requests the dictator asks for (conscientiousness).
A good transcriptionist will stay on an account for an extra few days after notice has been given, rather than leaving the service owner high and dry without someone on the account.
A good transcriptionist will take constructive critique in a good manner and leave her ego behind.
A good transcriptionist, therefore, works together with the service owner in almost what could be construed as a "partnership," where each party does his best to help the other achieve their mutual goals. In this case, both the transcriptionist and the service owner work in synchronicity to serve the client, which ultimately serves the patient himself.
Another characteristic that comes to mind in a great transcriptionist is that of willingness to take on more than is necessary. So many times, employees will say something to the effect of "that's not my job."
A great transcriptionist will gladly jump in and do what is necessary to get the job done. Although not mandatory to do more than promised, service owners know that being able to call on someone who will help them in a pinch makes the MT more valuable than a co-worker who will not.
Of course, good transcription service owners realize that perfect MTs don't grow on trees. If you do your job well and have the characteristics mentioned above, you should expect top pay in your profession as well as a pleasant work environment.
For the at-home transcriptionist, a pleasant work environment, in my opinion, would consist of few, if any, interruptions from the service owner, consistent work from the service (so as to guarantee a paycheck), and protection from cherrypickers (finicky transcriptionists who take the best work and skip over the harder, more difficult work.)
I can think of at least a dozen more attributes that the service owner should possess, but that is best explained fully in a separate article.
The bottom line is - in order to become more valuable to your employer (more valuable = better compensation,) begin to think like an owner. If you see an opportunity for improvement, mention it. If you can help out in emergencies, do so. Above all, never forget that a perfect transcriptionist begins with the proper training. Adhering to these recommendations will ensure a transcriptionist that is happy, productive, and is making the income she deserves.
Margery Hinman, CMT, is owner and Director of Education for MT Advantage Career Center, a comprehensive, online, advanced medical transcription training program. With over 20 years in the transcription industry, Margery owns a number of transcription services and has mentored and trained hundreds of students in the field of transcription. She has taught medical transcription at Tidewater Community College and has authored and published the MT Advantage Career Center curriculum as well as other numerous articles throughout the years. For a free e-book on medical transcription please visit www.mtacc.net. You can reach Margery at MargeryMTACC@aol.com. Copyright 2005 Margery Hinman, CMT
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Why Hire a Professional Transcriptionist to Convert Your Dictation or Audio Recordings to Typed Text?
Why Hire a Professional Transcriptionist to Convert Your Dictation or Audio Recordings to Typed Text?
by: Laurie Kristensen In a discussion forum for non-fiction writers (where I had posted my introduction of myself and my professional transcription business), another member replied and mentioned that for simple dictation, she uses a voice recognition software program. When what she had said really sank in, I felt like someone had kicked me in the gut! Then my reaction was huge dismay and questioning, "Why should I even stay in business?" This came JUST after spending almost two months getting clear on why my transcription business feels exciting to me and realizing that I want to assist and support creative, positive, motivated people to succeed in ways they have not been able to before, working on interesting projects! I imagined emptying my transcription business website of all information -- just leaving a notice (as a ‘public service’) pointing out to the people who THINK they need me to transcribe their audios that they should go and buy that software instead! Yikes! Drastic thoughts! But seriously, then I started thinking some more... I mean, it's a legitimate question! Why SHOULD someone hire me if they can buy software for dictation? In what situations would dictation software be inferior than having a live, intelligent human being (who is passionate about helping her clients succeed) listening and transcribing their audio material instead? Knowing such software exists, ANYONE might appropriately ask that question! Since I've never worked with this kind of software, I realize I may not understand it perfectly, so I decided to ask some questions... With audio recordings of interviews, groups, or live teleclasses, seminars, and so forth, how does the software distinguish between multiple speakers? How does it know to punctuate and break the text into paragraphs appropriately? When people just speak naturally, their speech is filled with tons of 'ahs' and 'ummms' and 'you know's' and so forth. Does the software know to filter those out when appropriate? People also string multiple sentences together with 'and' forever! Does the software know when to break the sentences apart? How about when the quality of the audio recording is not top-notch, such as when there is background noise or people speaking on top of each other... how does it handle that? Even when there is only a single speaker, if they do not dictate punctuation, paragraphs, etc., does the software intuit that correctly? If the software does not handle these issues well, how much work is involved in cleaning up the text? Also, in my relationships with the clients I've worked with, there is the unquantifiable element of me being an objective outsider who can catch errors or discrepancies in the CONTENT. And I often even come up with valuable ideas to help them improve their material! There is a creative, collaborative give and take between my clients and me that often seems to be of benefit to us BOTH beyond the action of me ‘just’ transcribing their audio recordings. So, I concluded, there IS still a need for my services by many people! Not all, but I’m sure enough to keep me busy. I actually do enjoy this kind of work under the right circumstances and with the types of clients I intend to connect with! So in the end, I thanked that discussion forum member for her post and the internal thinking process it sent me through, because it helped me face a fear and come out stronger on the other side! And then, as a welcome validation of everything I had deduced on my own, quickly after I had submitted my reply to her, she was kind enough to reply with a more detailed explanation of how the voice recognition software works and its definite limitations -- everything I had suspected, and even more! I truly have a valuable, worthwhile service to offer my clients. I’m very proud of my skills, my dedication, and my opportunity to make a contribution to the entire world by assisting my clients to develop their own gifts in ways they might never on their own IF it was up to themselves alone to type out their wisdom and creativity! Copyright Laurie Kristensen, 2005-Present. All rights reserved. Laurie Kristensen owns and operates a successful audio transcription and typing business from home, visit http://www.LKTranscription.com Also be sure to browse through her Success Resources at http://www.LKSuccess.com. You have permission to publish this article in its entirety, unchanged, electronically or in print as long as the byline, URL, and copyright are include
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by: Laurie Kristensen In a discussion forum for non-fiction writers (where I had posted my introduction of myself and my professional transcription business), another member replied and mentioned that for simple dictation, she uses a voice recognition software program. When what she had said really sank in, I felt like someone had kicked me in the gut! Then my reaction was huge dismay and questioning, "Why should I even stay in business?" This came JUST after spending almost two months getting clear on why my transcription business feels exciting to me and realizing that I want to assist and support creative, positive, motivated people to succeed in ways they have not been able to before, working on interesting projects! I imagined emptying my transcription business website of all information -- just leaving a notice (as a ‘public service’) pointing out to the people who THINK they need me to transcribe their audios that they should go and buy that software instead! Yikes! Drastic thoughts! But seriously, then I started thinking some more... I mean, it's a legitimate question! Why SHOULD someone hire me if they can buy software for dictation? In what situations would dictation software be inferior than having a live, intelligent human being (who is passionate about helping her clients succeed) listening and transcribing their audio material instead? Knowing such software exists, ANYONE might appropriately ask that question! Since I've never worked with this kind of software, I realize I may not understand it perfectly, so I decided to ask some questions... With audio recordings of interviews, groups, or live teleclasses, seminars, and so forth, how does the software distinguish between multiple speakers? How does it know to punctuate and break the text into paragraphs appropriately? When people just speak naturally, their speech is filled with tons of 'ahs' and 'ummms' and 'you know's' and so forth. Does the software know to filter those out when appropriate? People also string multiple sentences together with 'and' forever! Does the software know when to break the sentences apart? How about when the quality of the audio recording is not top-notch, such as when there is background noise or people speaking on top of each other... how does it handle that? Even when there is only a single speaker, if they do not dictate punctuation, paragraphs, etc., does the software intuit that correctly? If the software does not handle these issues well, how much work is involved in cleaning up the text? Also, in my relationships with the clients I've worked with, there is the unquantifiable element of me being an objective outsider who can catch errors or discrepancies in the CONTENT. And I often even come up with valuable ideas to help them improve their material! There is a creative, collaborative give and take between my clients and me that often seems to be of benefit to us BOTH beyond the action of me ‘just’ transcribing their audio recordings. So, I concluded, there IS still a need for my services by many people! Not all, but I’m sure enough to keep me busy. I actually do enjoy this kind of work under the right circumstances and with the types of clients I intend to connect with! So in the end, I thanked that discussion forum member for her post and the internal thinking process it sent me through, because it helped me face a fear and come out stronger on the other side! And then, as a welcome validation of everything I had deduced on my own, quickly after I had submitted my reply to her, she was kind enough to reply with a more detailed explanation of how the voice recognition software works and its definite limitations -- everything I had suspected, and even more! I truly have a valuable, worthwhile service to offer my clients. I’m very proud of my skills, my dedication, and my opportunity to make a contribution to the entire world by assisting my clients to develop their own gifts in ways they might never on their own IF it was up to themselves alone to type out their wisdom and creativity! Copyright Laurie Kristensen, 2005-Present. All rights reserved. Laurie Kristensen owns and operates a successful audio transcription and typing business from home, visit http://www.LKTranscription.com Also be sure to browse through her Success Resources at http://www.LKSuccess.com. You have permission to publish this article in its entirety, unchanged, electronically or in print as long as the byline, URL, and copyright are include
Start a secretarial business
Learn the Lost Art of Touch Typing
Learn the Lost Art of Touch Typing
by: Dick James Computers have replaced typewriters, but two-finger, hunt-and-peck typing can never replace the touch typing of a trained professional. A recent report by Robert Johnson in the Boston Globe highlights the decline of typing skills. Human resource managers are finding it surprisingly difficult to recruit candidates with the most basic of all office skills. According to Johnson, “the rapid-fire 100-word-per-minute applicant has virtually disappeared. Today, a mere 40 words per minute is enough to gain many administrative jobs.” Paradoxically, as computers are being used by more and more people, it has become apparent that typing is not just a skill required by typist anymore. Strong typing skills are vital when conducting a thorough web search, entering data into a spreadsheet or using any other computer program. Ubiquitous email means that merely doubling your typing speed could save hours each week! Yet many of us persist with the two-finger, hunt-and-peck typing method. How did we end up in such a mess? When people first begin to use computers, many do not take the time to learn how to type correctly. Using keyboard may seem to be simple, when compared with learning complex business software. People do not realize that by learning how to type properly, their use of software will be more effective and their time spent on a computer will be more productive. Attitudes in school teaching have also had an impact. Typing skills were once taught in most secondary schools. Johnson notes that these low-tech classes consisted of little more than a teacher with a wind-up clock and rows of typewriters. The textbook showed the keyboard and specified which fingers should strike various letters and numbers in order to quickly copy business documents such as invoices and memos. But most schools phased-out the typing class as the demand for broader computer instruction increased. Of course, many people manage to get by with the two-finger, seek-and-tap method. But getting by is all it is. By learning to touch-type, you step into a new realm of computer experience. No longer do you need to fret over the physical process of keying in information, whether it is a quick response to an instant message or a 30-page report. Instead, as a touch-typist you are free to concentrate on what you are writing, while your fingers do the “thinking” about which keys to hit. How to Learn the Lost Art. If you are unable to open e-mail account without mistyping your password at least once or you’re stuck at 20 words per minute, there are a several ways to improve. First, check out your current performance by taking a typing test. You will find a free typing test on the UK Training News website. If you can manage 90-100 words per minute then relax; otherwise read on. Typing tutor software is a low-cost approach that can easily transform you from a hunt-and-pecker to a 100-word-a-minute touch-typist. There are dozens of typing programs available, including freeware and shareware programs. You need to look for a program which won’t bore you to death with tedious drills, won’t frustrate you with poor design or US spelling and which provides enough scope to let you achieve your target typing speed. “Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing” is the leading typing instruction program, and has been one of the top ten best-selling software titles for over 10 years. A far cry from the first version that came out on floppy disks and had just four colours to display, the latest version has a virtual classroom with the simple to understand icons. Mavis adjusts to the individual problem areas on the keyboard with unbelievable insight and watches for the typist's frustration factor. It will suggest a different words per minute goal, throw in a typing game for a break, or even advise “calling it a day.” While self-instructional software on typing has proliferated, some say they’re no replacement for supervised classes. Besides, for many programs other than “Mavis Beacon”, the entertainment value seems to outweigh their educational quality. Consider Sega's “Typing of the Dead” tutorial, for which an ad suggests, “Trade in your video game controller for a keyboard and start typing for your life.” The format is to “type” zombies to death by completing words and phrases that appear over their bodies. Some employers say that typing training must be taken more seriously. Several training companies offer short classroom based typing training in the UK. Examples are “GO Training” in Glasgow and “Training Circle” in Northampton, where you will find instructor-led courses for around £200. For longer courses leading to a professional qualification, many local colleges offer excellent value. Learndirect is a great place to look for courses, as well as the UK Training News website. By increasing your typing speed, you really could get more done each day. Remember the mantra that training is an investment, not a cost. So put yourself on the path to blazing, machine gun-like typing by buying “Mavis” or enrolling on a touch-typing course. Dick James is the editor of UK Training News, a free website providing articles, resources and discussion for the UK business and industrial training community. Article copyright UK Training News, 2004. May be reproduced on any website, provided that all links, the author by-line and this copyright notice remain unedited.
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by: Dick James Computers have replaced typewriters, but two-finger, hunt-and-peck typing can never replace the touch typing of a trained professional. A recent report by Robert Johnson in the Boston Globe highlights the decline of typing skills. Human resource managers are finding it surprisingly difficult to recruit candidates with the most basic of all office skills. According to Johnson, “the rapid-fire 100-word-per-minute applicant has virtually disappeared. Today, a mere 40 words per minute is enough to gain many administrative jobs.” Paradoxically, as computers are being used by more and more people, it has become apparent that typing is not just a skill required by typist anymore. Strong typing skills are vital when conducting a thorough web search, entering data into a spreadsheet or using any other computer program. Ubiquitous email means that merely doubling your typing speed could save hours each week! Yet many of us persist with the two-finger, hunt-and-peck typing method. How did we end up in such a mess? When people first begin to use computers, many do not take the time to learn how to type correctly. Using keyboard may seem to be simple, when compared with learning complex business software. People do not realize that by learning how to type properly, their use of software will be more effective and their time spent on a computer will be more productive. Attitudes in school teaching have also had an impact. Typing skills were once taught in most secondary schools. Johnson notes that these low-tech classes consisted of little more than a teacher with a wind-up clock and rows of typewriters. The textbook showed the keyboard and specified which fingers should strike various letters and numbers in order to quickly copy business documents such as invoices and memos. But most schools phased-out the typing class as the demand for broader computer instruction increased. Of course, many people manage to get by with the two-finger, seek-and-tap method. But getting by is all it is. By learning to touch-type, you step into a new realm of computer experience. No longer do you need to fret over the physical process of keying in information, whether it is a quick response to an instant message or a 30-page report. Instead, as a touch-typist you are free to concentrate on what you are writing, while your fingers do the “thinking” about which keys to hit. How to Learn the Lost Art. If you are unable to open e-mail account without mistyping your password at least once or you’re stuck at 20 words per minute, there are a several ways to improve. First, check out your current performance by taking a typing test. You will find a free typing test on the UK Training News website. If you can manage 90-100 words per minute then relax; otherwise read on. Typing tutor software is a low-cost approach that can easily transform you from a hunt-and-pecker to a 100-word-a-minute touch-typist. There are dozens of typing programs available, including freeware and shareware programs. You need to look for a program which won’t bore you to death with tedious drills, won’t frustrate you with poor design or US spelling and which provides enough scope to let you achieve your target typing speed. “Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing” is the leading typing instruction program, and has been one of the top ten best-selling software titles for over 10 years. A far cry from the first version that came out on floppy disks and had just four colours to display, the latest version has a virtual classroom with the simple to understand icons. Mavis adjusts to the individual problem areas on the keyboard with unbelievable insight and watches for the typist's frustration factor. It will suggest a different words per minute goal, throw in a typing game for a break, or even advise “calling it a day.” While self-instructional software on typing has proliferated, some say they’re no replacement for supervised classes. Besides, for many programs other than “Mavis Beacon”, the entertainment value seems to outweigh their educational quality. Consider Sega's “Typing of the Dead” tutorial, for which an ad suggests, “Trade in your video game controller for a keyboard and start typing for your life.” The format is to “type” zombies to death by completing words and phrases that appear over their bodies. Some employers say that typing training must be taken more seriously. Several training companies offer short classroom based typing training in the UK. Examples are “GO Training” in Glasgow and “Training Circle” in Northampton, where you will find instructor-led courses for around £200. For longer courses leading to a professional qualification, many local colleges offer excellent value. Learndirect is a great place to look for courses, as well as the UK Training News website. By increasing your typing speed, you really could get more done each day. Remember the mantra that training is an investment, not a cost. So put yourself on the path to blazing, machine gun-like typing by buying “Mavis” or enrolling on a touch-typing course. Dick James is the editor of UK Training News, a free website providing articles, resources and discussion for the UK business and industrial training community. Article copyright UK Training News, 2004. May be reproduced on any website, provided that all links, the author by-line and this copyright notice remain unedited.
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What Is A Virtual Assistant & Why Do You Need One?
What Is A Virtual Assistant & Why Do You Need One?
by: Janice D. Byer, MVA Virtual Assistants (also known as VAs) are home-based entrepreneurs who take pride in providing fellow small business professionals with a wide range of office tasks, from administrative support to web design & maintenance. VAs are able to provide professional, creative assistance without ever having to go into the client’s office. Being small business owners themselves, VAs understand that success comes to entrepreneurs when they provide the best possible customer service. But, great customer service can sometimes be hard to upkeep when you are spending valuable time trying to stay on top of the non-core tasks that are a part of running a business. A VA works WITH their clients to help alleviate some of these tasks, allowing them to free up some of their time to concentrate on generating revenue and building their businesses. But, how do you know when you really need the services of a Virtual Assistant? Your inbox pile just seems to be getting higher, and each day you fall farther behind. Your day timer just doesn’t seem to be able to keep you organized. The important tasks are getting lost in amongst everything else and, when you do locate them, you find yourself rushing to meet a deadline. You don’t feel comfortable taking on an administrative task that requires a specific professional appearance. You find you aren’t delivering to your clients as fast as you would like to as you have too many other ‘things’ on the go. You have a project that you need to get done but you aren’t sure how to accomplish it. Your administrative tasks have you so overwhelmed that you just don’t seem to have time for anything else. You spend so much time working that your family says it’s like living with a stranger. Your business is booming by you have no one to share it with or draw on for support. Your website looks the same as it did two years ago, or Your website is just a figment of your imagination. You dread looking at the piles on your desk and wondering when you will get everything accomplished. Running your business just doesn’t have that same fulfillment as it used to because you’re spending too much time doing the non-core tasks and not doing what you love the most. You wonder where your ‘life’ has gone. FREE TIME? … WHAT’S THAT? Operating a business should not have you stressed out and wondering how you are going to make it a success when you are so busy doing everything yourself. You started your business because it involves what you love to do. But, the non-core tasks that are involved with running a small business should not be a discouragement. Virtual Assistants are in business to help you alleviate some of that added pressure by taking some of it off of your shoulders. They want you to succeed and will do everything possible to see that happen. From general word processing to graphic design to website design. A VA’s specialties can be just what you need to allow you to get back to running your business instead of it running you. Janice Byer is a certified Master Virtual Assistant and owner of Docu-Type Administrative & Web Design Services (http://www.docutype.net). See this and other articles on her website. jbyer@docutype.net
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by: Janice D. Byer, MVA Virtual Assistants (also known as VAs) are home-based entrepreneurs who take pride in providing fellow small business professionals with a wide range of office tasks, from administrative support to web design & maintenance. VAs are able to provide professional, creative assistance without ever having to go into the client’s office. Being small business owners themselves, VAs understand that success comes to entrepreneurs when they provide the best possible customer service. But, great customer service can sometimes be hard to upkeep when you are spending valuable time trying to stay on top of the non-core tasks that are a part of running a business. A VA works WITH their clients to help alleviate some of these tasks, allowing them to free up some of their time to concentrate on generating revenue and building their businesses. But, how do you know when you really need the services of a Virtual Assistant? Your inbox pile just seems to be getting higher, and each day you fall farther behind. Your day timer just doesn’t seem to be able to keep you organized. The important tasks are getting lost in amongst everything else and, when you do locate them, you find yourself rushing to meet a deadline. You don’t feel comfortable taking on an administrative task that requires a specific professional appearance. You find you aren’t delivering to your clients as fast as you would like to as you have too many other ‘things’ on the go. You have a project that you need to get done but you aren’t sure how to accomplish it. Your administrative tasks have you so overwhelmed that you just don’t seem to have time for anything else. You spend so much time working that your family says it’s like living with a stranger. Your business is booming by you have no one to share it with or draw on for support. Your website looks the same as it did two years ago, or Your website is just a figment of your imagination. You dread looking at the piles on your desk and wondering when you will get everything accomplished. Running your business just doesn’t have that same fulfillment as it used to because you’re spending too much time doing the non-core tasks and not doing what you love the most. You wonder where your ‘life’ has gone. FREE TIME? … WHAT’S THAT? Operating a business should not have you stressed out and wondering how you are going to make it a success when you are so busy doing everything yourself. You started your business because it involves what you love to do. But, the non-core tasks that are involved with running a small business should not be a discouragement. Virtual Assistants are in business to help you alleviate some of that added pressure by taking some of it off of your shoulders. They want you to succeed and will do everything possible to see that happen. From general word processing to graphic design to website design. A VA’s specialties can be just what you need to allow you to get back to running your business instead of it running you. Janice Byer is a certified Master Virtual Assistant and owner of Docu-Type Administrative & Web Design Services (http://www.docutype.net). See this and other articles on her website. jbyer@docutype.net
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Hiring A Virtual Assistant Can Help Your Business Grow
Hiring A Virtual Assistant Can Help Your Business Grow
Hiring A Virtual Assistant Can Help Your Business Grow by: Marie Fahey In today’s tough economical times it’s hard to think of hiring someone else to assist you, but it may be more cost effective than you think. If you’re spending a large percentage of your day doing “busy work” rather than working on growing your business or gaining more clients, a virtual assistant may be right for you. Are you a writer, but spend more time researching and less time on your actual writing? Are you a professional coach, but spend more time with your newsletter and other day-to-day things and less time finding new clients? Are you a realtor, but spend more time on your mailings instead of getting new listings? Maybe you’re the home business owner and you’re Webmaster, receptionist, and assistant all in one, but you aren’t productive enough. These are circumstances where an assistant could be used. Now you’re thinking, my business is too new or my business is too small for an assistant. A “Virtual Assistant” could be your answer. A Virtual Assistant only works when it is necessary. In other words, you only pay when there is work to be done. You might only need someone to send out your weekly newsletter, do some research for the book you’re writing, keep your schedule/calendar, do a mailing for you, or all of the above. Whether it is one hour a week or 20, your VA will be there for you. She or he can live anywhere, so you do not need to provide office space or equipment. Taxes, social security, and benefits won’t be a worry for you because your VA is working for herself. Finding and hiring a VA is also an easy process. With technology always progressing and more people wanting to stay home with their families, many assistants are leaving the workplace and starting their own businesses from home and bringing all of their experience with them. You can get their resume and references or just hire them for a small job. As your partnership grows you’ll feel more comfortable assigning more work. At any time, if either of you feel it isn’t the right fit you can easily convey this to each other and end the partnership. Trying a VA may be the best thing for your business whether it is small, large or just beginning. Focus your attention less on your usual busy work and more on growing your business. You may be pleasantly surprised at what a VA can bring to your business. Marie Fahey is a virtual assistant, wife and mother of two living and working from her home in Massachusetts. She has 10 years experience as an assistant. If you have questions regarding Virtual Assistants or would like to hear more about her services, please contact Marie at MTFahey@aol.com.
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Hiring A Virtual Assistant Can Help Your Business Grow by: Marie Fahey In today’s tough economical times it’s hard to think of hiring someone else to assist you, but it may be more cost effective than you think. If you’re spending a large percentage of your day doing “busy work” rather than working on growing your business or gaining more clients, a virtual assistant may be right for you. Are you a writer, but spend more time researching and less time on your actual writing? Are you a professional coach, but spend more time with your newsletter and other day-to-day things and less time finding new clients? Are you a realtor, but spend more time on your mailings instead of getting new listings? Maybe you’re the home business owner and you’re Webmaster, receptionist, and assistant all in one, but you aren’t productive enough. These are circumstances where an assistant could be used. Now you’re thinking, my business is too new or my business is too small for an assistant. A “Virtual Assistant” could be your answer. A Virtual Assistant only works when it is necessary. In other words, you only pay when there is work to be done. You might only need someone to send out your weekly newsletter, do some research for the book you’re writing, keep your schedule/calendar, do a mailing for you, or all of the above. Whether it is one hour a week or 20, your VA will be there for you. She or he can live anywhere, so you do not need to provide office space or equipment. Taxes, social security, and benefits won’t be a worry for you because your VA is working for herself. Finding and hiring a VA is also an easy process. With technology always progressing and more people wanting to stay home with their families, many assistants are leaving the workplace and starting their own businesses from home and bringing all of their experience with them. You can get their resume and references or just hire them for a small job. As your partnership grows you’ll feel more comfortable assigning more work. At any time, if either of you feel it isn’t the right fit you can easily convey this to each other and end the partnership. Trying a VA may be the best thing for your business whether it is small, large or just beginning. Focus your attention less on your usual busy work and more on growing your business. You may be pleasantly surprised at what a VA can bring to your business. Marie Fahey is a virtual assistant, wife and mother of two living and working from her home in Massachusetts. She has 10 years experience as an assistant. If you have questions regarding Virtual Assistants or would like to hear more about her services, please contact Marie at MTFahey@aol.com.
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6/09/2005
Cutting Costs can significantly increase your income
Cutting Costs can significantly increase your income
Cutting Costs can significantly increase your income by: Lori Redfield As a work at home Mother, I know the value of a deal. Any smart business person knows that the best way to make money is to SAVE money. Recently my husband quit his 9 to 5 salaried career to work from home with me. In order to afford this we had to take a good long look at our typical expenses and determine what we could do to cut our costs. We quickly realized how much money is spent to make money. A quick peruse through our refrigerator revealed a lifestyle of haste. Almost our entire diet consisted of prepared foods. We made a pact to take turns cooking meals and freezing leftovers to see how much money we could save. What we found out is that it was actually easy to cut our grocery bill in HALF on a consistent basis, simply by preparing our meals! It may not take a rocket scientist to figure that one out, but it was shocking to us to see how much money we had been spending simply for the convenience of quick meals to support our unbalanced, quick paced lifestyle. Food that may have been wasted in the past is now the source of one or two more meals. We freeze a lot of food so that it doesn’t feel so much like eating leftovers and when we shop we look for deals. We actually find that we eat healthier then ever and certainly enjoy the quality of our meals more. One of my favorite ways to save money is using online coupon codes. When I have to purchase any item for my home office, birthday gifts, clothing for the kids, etc. I always do a search for a coupon code first. You would be amazed at how many merchants that you shop from on a regular basis actually offer coupons for free shipping, 10 – 20% off your entire purchase, etc. To use a coupon code, simply visit a website that carries them such as http://www.promotionhub.com and locate the store that you plan to shop at. If there is a code noted, make sure to copy it down in case you are asked for it when you go to pay for your order. Generally though, the coupon code is embedded in the link you click and you will receive the discount simply by arriving at the website through that link. Another tremendous source of savings… gasoline! My husband had been commuting two hours a day, five days a week. The gas tank was filled on a weekly basis. Since he has been working from home, we fill the tank only on very rare occasions. Our trips are short and infrequent. We also became acutely aware of our energy usage. Turning off lights became religion. Warm clothes is mandatory before even considering turning on heat. Cutting expenses is an extremely viable way to help make your real dreams a reality. For us, it was that both of us could be ‘work-at-home parents’. To me, that is the ultimate American Dream. To you it may mean saving money for a vacation you never thought that you could afford, or paying off debt that could otherwise have taken years. Find ways to cut your expenses and you have instantly increased your income! Happy Savings! Lori Redfield is a freelance Internet entrepreneur. She and her husband work solely from home and support their family of five comfortably – with plenty of time for play! You can obtain more information by visiting her websites, http://www.freelancemom.com and http://www.associatehub.com.
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Cutting Costs can significantly increase your income by: Lori Redfield As a work at home Mother, I know the value of a deal. Any smart business person knows that the best way to make money is to SAVE money. Recently my husband quit his 9 to 5 salaried career to work from home with me. In order to afford this we had to take a good long look at our typical expenses and determine what we could do to cut our costs. We quickly realized how much money is spent to make money. A quick peruse through our refrigerator revealed a lifestyle of haste. Almost our entire diet consisted of prepared foods. We made a pact to take turns cooking meals and freezing leftovers to see how much money we could save. What we found out is that it was actually easy to cut our grocery bill in HALF on a consistent basis, simply by preparing our meals! It may not take a rocket scientist to figure that one out, but it was shocking to us to see how much money we had been spending simply for the convenience of quick meals to support our unbalanced, quick paced lifestyle. Food that may have been wasted in the past is now the source of one or two more meals. We freeze a lot of food so that it doesn’t feel so much like eating leftovers and when we shop we look for deals. We actually find that we eat healthier then ever and certainly enjoy the quality of our meals more. One of my favorite ways to save money is using online coupon codes. When I have to purchase any item for my home office, birthday gifts, clothing for the kids, etc. I always do a search for a coupon code first. You would be amazed at how many merchants that you shop from on a regular basis actually offer coupons for free shipping, 10 – 20% off your entire purchase, etc. To use a coupon code, simply visit a website that carries them such as http://www.promotionhub.com and locate the store that you plan to shop at. If there is a code noted, make sure to copy it down in case you are asked for it when you go to pay for your order. Generally though, the coupon code is embedded in the link you click and you will receive the discount simply by arriving at the website through that link. Another tremendous source of savings… gasoline! My husband had been commuting two hours a day, five days a week. The gas tank was filled on a weekly basis. Since he has been working from home, we fill the tank only on very rare occasions. Our trips are short and infrequent. We also became acutely aware of our energy usage. Turning off lights became religion. Warm clothes is mandatory before even considering turning on heat. Cutting expenses is an extremely viable way to help make your real dreams a reality. For us, it was that both of us could be ‘work-at-home parents’. To me, that is the ultimate American Dream. To you it may mean saving money for a vacation you never thought that you could afford, or paying off debt that could otherwise have taken years. Find ways to cut your expenses and you have instantly increased your income! Happy Savings! Lori Redfield is a freelance Internet entrepreneur. She and her husband work solely from home and support their family of five comfortably – with plenty of time for play! You can obtain more information by visiting her websites, http://www.freelancemom.com and http://www.associatehub.com.
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Tips On Winning A Virtual Assistant Position
Tips On Winning A Virtual Assistant Position
Tips On Winning A Virtual Assistant Position AND Keeping It by: Lori Redfield Although still considered an uncommon profession, the Virtual Assistant role is fast becoming the best recognized choice for companies, particularly web-based companies, to pursue nowadays. A Virtual Assistant (VA) is much like a traditional Administrative Assistant in many ways. VA’s handle correspondence, scheduling, customer support, website updates, writing and design projects, data entry – pretty much anything you can think of that an online company would require for their day-to-day operations. Many parents who want to stay home with their children have opened their own VA Service. It is a perfect career choice for Mothers of young children, or people who must take care of older relatives. You work out of your home office as an independent contractor. Often times the schedule can be quite flexible. This is an ideal position for women who plan to return to the workforce when their children are older. It will enhance your resume’ and inevitably you improve your old skills and acquire new ones. Basic skills and equipment you will likely need include the following: Microsoft Office – Excel, Access, Outlook, and Word HTML skills with either Macromedia Dreamweaver or Microsoft FrontPage Instant Messaging software – ICQ, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger Cable Modem or DSL – Dial up is far to slow for the pace most online entrepreneurs are accustomed to working at. The above aren’t always necessary – but acquiring each and learning to use them will only increase your desirability and worth. There are many places to start looking for a Virtual Assistant position: One of the easiest places to land your first clients is through an ad placed in your own local classifieds. It seems unlikely – but trust me, there is far less competition for local clients then for jobs being bid on through Internet Job sites. Freelance Job Sites such as elance, smarterwork.com, findafreelancer etc. There is an extensive list of these types of resources here: www.freelancemom.com/gigs.htm Via Freelance, Home Business, or WAHM forums. Virtual Assistants with an established client base often times search for reliable ‘Over-flow Partners’. Forums are an excellent place to network and seek out these types of opportunities. Building your own website. Unless you do some very good website promotion, it isn’t likely you will actually gain clients through a website that you build to promote your service. HOWEVER, you really should have a website. Just as business cards are an expected and valuable piece of your traditional business, websites are like an online business card/resume. You should list your rates, your skills, your availability and your portfolio. A well thought out website will give you the edge when bidding on a position. When you are applying or bidding on a Freelance position, you must come across as a professional. There is something about the online medium that invites a casual correspondence style. You will do well to avoid this temptation. Save similes, abbreviated internet slang (LOL, IMO etcetera) for later on in your relationship with your client. Your client needs to trust that you are going to help him/her run their business with professionalism. Your first impression must come across as professional as a traditional cover letter for employment. Be confident and clear in your interactions with them. Ask intelligent questions and be very honest about the time that you have available in your schedule. I strongly advise all aspiring Virtual Assistants to do an honest assessment of what their career objectives are before they begin seeking out work. It is easy, and common to over extend yourself. If your main goal is to earn a part-time living specifically so that you can put raising your children ahead of your career… then be very clear about that when you begin to take on new work assignments. Start off slow and add clients or responsibilities for clients gradually. Being too eager to succeed can quickly be your worst downfall. The quickest way to lose a good client is by under-delivering. Make realistic promises. You will gain their respect and their trust. And you will find that as their business grows, they will be more then willing to work around your schedule and needs in order to keep you as a valued contractor. Lori Redfield is a freelancing Mother of three, happy wife and blooming online entrepreneur. She is founder of newly launched http://www.freelancemom.com/ an esource for women who want to work from home. lori@freelancemom.com
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Tips On Winning A Virtual Assistant Position AND Keeping It by: Lori Redfield Although still considered an uncommon profession, the Virtual Assistant role is fast becoming the best recognized choice for companies, particularly web-based companies, to pursue nowadays. A Virtual Assistant (VA) is much like a traditional Administrative Assistant in many ways. VA’s handle correspondence, scheduling, customer support, website updates, writing and design projects, data entry – pretty much anything you can think of that an online company would require for their day-to-day operations. Many parents who want to stay home with their children have opened their own VA Service. It is a perfect career choice for Mothers of young children, or people who must take care of older relatives. You work out of your home office as an independent contractor. Often times the schedule can be quite flexible. This is an ideal position for women who plan to return to the workforce when their children are older. It will enhance your resume’ and inevitably you improve your old skills and acquire new ones. Basic skills and equipment you will likely need include the following: Microsoft Office – Excel, Access, Outlook, and Word HTML skills with either Macromedia Dreamweaver or Microsoft FrontPage Instant Messaging software – ICQ, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger Cable Modem or DSL – Dial up is far to slow for the pace most online entrepreneurs are accustomed to working at. The above aren’t always necessary – but acquiring each and learning to use them will only increase your desirability and worth. There are many places to start looking for a Virtual Assistant position: One of the easiest places to land your first clients is through an ad placed in your own local classifieds. It seems unlikely – but trust me, there is far less competition for local clients then for jobs being bid on through Internet Job sites. Freelance Job Sites such as elance, smarterwork.com, findafreelancer etc. There is an extensive list of these types of resources here: www.freelancemom.com/gigs.htm Via Freelance, Home Business, or WAHM forums. Virtual Assistants with an established client base often times search for reliable ‘Over-flow Partners’. Forums are an excellent place to network and seek out these types of opportunities. Building your own website. Unless you do some very good website promotion, it isn’t likely you will actually gain clients through a website that you build to promote your service. HOWEVER, you really should have a website. Just as business cards are an expected and valuable piece of your traditional business, websites are like an online business card/resume. You should list your rates, your skills, your availability and your portfolio. A well thought out website will give you the edge when bidding on a position. When you are applying or bidding on a Freelance position, you must come across as a professional. There is something about the online medium that invites a casual correspondence style. You will do well to avoid this temptation. Save similes, abbreviated internet slang (LOL, IMO etcetera) for later on in your relationship with your client. Your client needs to trust that you are going to help him/her run their business with professionalism. Your first impression must come across as professional as a traditional cover letter for employment. Be confident and clear in your interactions with them. Ask intelligent questions and be very honest about the time that you have available in your schedule. I strongly advise all aspiring Virtual Assistants to do an honest assessment of what their career objectives are before they begin seeking out work. It is easy, and common to over extend yourself. If your main goal is to earn a part-time living specifically so that you can put raising your children ahead of your career… then be very clear about that when you begin to take on new work assignments. Start off slow and add clients or responsibilities for clients gradually. Being too eager to succeed can quickly be your worst downfall. The quickest way to lose a good client is by under-delivering. Make realistic promises. You will gain their respect and their trust. And you will find that as their business grows, they will be more then willing to work around your schedule and needs in order to keep you as a valued contractor. Lori Redfield is a freelancing Mother of three, happy wife and blooming online entrepreneur. She is founder of newly launched http://www.freelancemom.com/ an esource for women who want to work from home. lori@freelancemom.com
Start a secretarial business
The Virtual Assistant
The Virtual Assistant
The Virtual Assistant by: Lori Redfield As a small business owner, outsourcing work to Virtual Assistants is fast becoming a popular and intelligent decision. The business owner saves enormous amounts of money by cutting the costs of offices and equipment overhead as well as expensive benefits packages. The ‘Virtual Office’ creates an enormous amount of personal freedom and independence for both the small business owner and the virtual workers. The dedication and commitment that virtual workers demonstrate testifies to the satisfaction derived from a home office setting. Being on the cutting edge of this profession offers tremendous opportunity for technical savvy entrepreneurs to secure a viable and stable home business opportunity. A good business plan and well thought out marketing campaigns are crucial to the organized success of a Virtual Assistant in both securing enough clients and/or work to meet their budget goal as well as adequately being able to balance clients and deadlines. Virtual Assistant’s actually would be well advised to embrace a business partner or utilize a team of trusted colleagues to entrust overflow work to. The standards of a good Virtual Assistant aren’t easily met and establishing a virtual network of quality workers isn’t an easy task. Any overflow work that you outsource must exemplify the same care and quality as your own or you stand the chance of alienating your clients. As the owner of a home business resource specifically geared toward professional mothers seeking home based work, I am often approached for advice on how to become a Virtual Assistant and also receive many inquiries about what skills are required to be successful in the field. To gain and retain clients, my main advice is to maintain your professionalism in all of your interactions with your client. As much as it is a leap for you to give up the ‘security’ of working in a corporate office, it is also a very new concept for business owners to outsource their work to a team of ‘Virtual Workers’ who they may likely never even see face-to-face. There is a great level of trust employed in this relationship and your professionalism in correspondence and phone calls will go a long way in securing their trust. Furthermore, I advise you to pay great attention to your accuracy and final product that you submit to your clients. Meet all of your deadlines, and know at least two days ahead of time if you are not going to be able to meet them. Communicate that to your client before the project is late and keep in communication on a daily basis from the beginning to the end of all projects with brief status reports. Make yourself easily accessible through email, telephone and instant messenger. You should have access to whatever instant messenger service your client prefers. The most popular are ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo. Be certain to set your instant messengers to save your history so that you can easily refer back to client request or comments without having to solicit the client to repeat what they already have said. A rule of thumb is to remain in communication with the client, but don’t waste their time. The client should end their work day each day with a sense of real gratitude of the skills, organization and trustworthiness you bring to the table. They should know that you are available to converse with at almost any time but you do not bother them unless it is absolutely necessary. In the end the presence of a Virtual Assistant should prove to make the company more money because the owner and other business team members can focus on income producing areas of business that they otherwise wouldn’t have as much time to do. The most common and I would say necessary tools for the job are the most current version of Microsoft Office. You should have and be comfortable using Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Access. You should have either Macromedia Dreamweaver or Microsoft Frontpage and know the basics of HTML and ftp’ing files to and from servers. So much of a Virtual Assistant’s work is based online that it really is crucial to have DSL or Cable internet access. You also want to have a good computer that you can rely on. There is so little expense in running a virtual office that I don’t believe it is wise to cut corners with your computer, software and other office equipment. Having the latest technology on hand and continuing to acquire and master new skills will increase your desirability and worth in the eyes of your clients. It will also demonstrate your commitment to your career. When a client begins to trust you with important responsibilities and invests the time in training and familiarizing you with the procedures of their particular business, they need to be able to depend on you and to know that you are committed to your work. In short, with administrative skills and above average technical savvy, coupled with an organized and professional approach – a career as a Virtual Assistant is definitely a viable and rewarding option. Lori Redfield, owner of FreelanceMom.com, http://www.freelancemom.com is a Virtual Assistant, Freelance Designer and Internet entrepreneur. To sign up for her monthly newsletter, visit http://www.freelancemom.com/newsletter.htm lori@freelancemom.com
Start a secretarial business
The Virtual Assistant by: Lori Redfield As a small business owner, outsourcing work to Virtual Assistants is fast becoming a popular and intelligent decision. The business owner saves enormous amounts of money by cutting the costs of offices and equipment overhead as well as expensive benefits packages. The ‘Virtual Office’ creates an enormous amount of personal freedom and independence for both the small business owner and the virtual workers. The dedication and commitment that virtual workers demonstrate testifies to the satisfaction derived from a home office setting. Being on the cutting edge of this profession offers tremendous opportunity for technical savvy entrepreneurs to secure a viable and stable home business opportunity. A good business plan and well thought out marketing campaigns are crucial to the organized success of a Virtual Assistant in both securing enough clients and/or work to meet their budget goal as well as adequately being able to balance clients and deadlines. Virtual Assistant’s actually would be well advised to embrace a business partner or utilize a team of trusted colleagues to entrust overflow work to. The standards of a good Virtual Assistant aren’t easily met and establishing a virtual network of quality workers isn’t an easy task. Any overflow work that you outsource must exemplify the same care and quality as your own or you stand the chance of alienating your clients. As the owner of a home business resource specifically geared toward professional mothers seeking home based work, I am often approached for advice on how to become a Virtual Assistant and also receive many inquiries about what skills are required to be successful in the field. To gain and retain clients, my main advice is to maintain your professionalism in all of your interactions with your client. As much as it is a leap for you to give up the ‘security’ of working in a corporate office, it is also a very new concept for business owners to outsource their work to a team of ‘Virtual Workers’ who they may likely never even see face-to-face. There is a great level of trust employed in this relationship and your professionalism in correspondence and phone calls will go a long way in securing their trust. Furthermore, I advise you to pay great attention to your accuracy and final product that you submit to your clients. Meet all of your deadlines, and know at least two days ahead of time if you are not going to be able to meet them. Communicate that to your client before the project is late and keep in communication on a daily basis from the beginning to the end of all projects with brief status reports. Make yourself easily accessible through email, telephone and instant messenger. You should have access to whatever instant messenger service your client prefers. The most popular are ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo. Be certain to set your instant messengers to save your history so that you can easily refer back to client request or comments without having to solicit the client to repeat what they already have said. A rule of thumb is to remain in communication with the client, but don’t waste their time. The client should end their work day each day with a sense of real gratitude of the skills, organization and trustworthiness you bring to the table. They should know that you are available to converse with at almost any time but you do not bother them unless it is absolutely necessary. In the end the presence of a Virtual Assistant should prove to make the company more money because the owner and other business team members can focus on income producing areas of business that they otherwise wouldn’t have as much time to do. The most common and I would say necessary tools for the job are the most current version of Microsoft Office. You should have and be comfortable using Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Access. You should have either Macromedia Dreamweaver or Microsoft Frontpage and know the basics of HTML and ftp’ing files to and from servers. So much of a Virtual Assistant’s work is based online that it really is crucial to have DSL or Cable internet access. You also want to have a good computer that you can rely on. There is so little expense in running a virtual office that I don’t believe it is wise to cut corners with your computer, software and other office equipment. Having the latest technology on hand and continuing to acquire and master new skills will increase your desirability and worth in the eyes of your clients. It will also demonstrate your commitment to your career. When a client begins to trust you with important responsibilities and invests the time in training and familiarizing you with the procedures of their particular business, they need to be able to depend on you and to know that you are committed to your work. In short, with administrative skills and above average technical savvy, coupled with an organized and professional approach – a career as a Virtual Assistant is definitely a viable and rewarding option. Lori Redfield, owner of FreelanceMom.com, http://www.freelancemom.com is a Virtual Assistant, Freelance Designer and Internet entrepreneur. To sign up for her monthly newsletter, visit http://www.freelancemom.com/newsletter.htm lori@freelancemom.com
Start a secretarial business
What Personal Assistants Want
What Personal Assistants Want
What Personal Assistants Really Want by: Lorraine Pirihi What would happen if the personal assistants in your organisation were away for a week? How would it affect the running of your business or department? How would it affect you…personally? If you are fortunate to have a personal assistant whom you heavily rely on to assist you, in most instances you would find yourself run ragged if they were absent for longer than a day. This week I spoke with two clients who were in the situation where their p.a.'s had been on holiday and these clients' lives were super-stressed as a result. Although they had other people in their organisation helping out, it wasn't the same as having an assistant who knows you very well and can get things done without you having to even ask. If you are fortunate to have a great p.a. then I hope you appreciate and look after them. Often they are undervalued, yet are the key people who keep the wheels turning in your organisation. I know there are many p.a.'s out there who love what they do and have great bosses, however there are heaps of others who don't. These women (and there is the odd male p.a.) do their utmost best , start early, stay in at lunchtime, work late and yet are undervalued, unappreciated and underpaid. Marion's Story Marion is a hardworking, reliable and competent p.a. She had worked for the same company for 8 years. That's a long time in today's work environment. I bumped into Marion this week, when she attended a presentation I gave for the Victorian Office Professionals, a network for p.a.'s. I asked her if she was still at the same company and this is what she said…"I was beginning to tire of my job. My recent boss was not easy to get on with. He was quite uncommunicative and did not fill me in on issues that affected my work for him. Information was only forthcoming if I prompted for it. Then I had to guess the right questions to ask. He never made me feel accepted or supported. It made it really difficult to come to work. I arrived at work one morning recently, and he informed me that my services were no longer required. Within two hours I had packed up my belongings, said goodbye to several close associates and drove home in a state of shock…and that's what I got for all the hard work, extra hours and loyalty." Helen's Story Helen started her own business. What motivated her to take such a brave step? Her last position as a p.a. was extremely stressful, mainly due to the person she worked for. Helen told me that every Sunday afternoon around 4.00 p.m. she felt a dark shadow cast over her as she began to think about the forthcoming week. Her decision to quit her job came directly after she visited her doctor. She had developed a lump on her breast. Fortunately, it wasn't breast cancer, it had formed due to her stress levels! Tips for the Boss Treat your p.a. with respect Ask them how they are each day Invest in their personal and professional development. Listen to them Say 'thank you' Realise that your p.a. has a life outside of work and needs time out just like you do Be flexible - many p.a.'s have a family to care for, if you are flexible they will be extremely loyal and work even harder Understand that when you give them tasks to do, although you many have taken 2 minutes to discuss with them, it could take them 2 days, particularly with the many interruptions they have to deal with. Keep your p.a. in the loop. Organise a regular time each day to 'catch up'. Share your successes with them. Tips for the P.A. Look after your health and fitness first. You'll feel good, look good and be more confident. NEVER SACRIFICE YOUR HEALTH AND FITNESS BECAUSE OF YOUR WORKLOAD. Avoid the martyr syndrome. Ensure you take time out at lunchtime and get out of the office. The place will survive without you. If the workload is too much, let the boss know. It's no point whinging to everyone else and doing nothing about it. If saying 'no' is hard for you, then do an assertiveness course. When communicating with a male boss, get to the point. Join a professional association for office professionals. Share ideas and resources. Develop your skills, attend courses and seminars and read books to help you grow. Remember the more valuable you are, the better person you become and the more you can earn. The Final Word For many managers and business owners, having a good p.a. helps them to leverage their time and enables them to focus on what they need to be working on. When you find the right person, treat them like gold, do not take them for granted. If you look after them, they will look after you and make your working life so much more manageable. When you look after your people, they will look after you…just make sure you never forget that! Lorraine specialises in working with businesspeople showing them how to dramatically boost their productivity, reduce the stress and the mess in their lives and have more time for enjoying their life. www.office-organiser.com.au lorraine@office-organiser.com.au
Start a secretarial business
What Personal Assistants Really Want by: Lorraine Pirihi What would happen if the personal assistants in your organisation were away for a week? How would it affect the running of your business or department? How would it affect you…personally? If you are fortunate to have a personal assistant whom you heavily rely on to assist you, in most instances you would find yourself run ragged if they were absent for longer than a day. This week I spoke with two clients who were in the situation where their p.a.'s had been on holiday and these clients' lives were super-stressed as a result. Although they had other people in their organisation helping out, it wasn't the same as having an assistant who knows you very well and can get things done without you having to even ask. If you are fortunate to have a great p.a. then I hope you appreciate and look after them. Often they are undervalued, yet are the key people who keep the wheels turning in your organisation. I know there are many p.a.'s out there who love what they do and have great bosses, however there are heaps of others who don't. These women (and there is the odd male p.a.) do their utmost best , start early, stay in at lunchtime, work late and yet are undervalued, unappreciated and underpaid. Marion's Story Marion is a hardworking, reliable and competent p.a. She had worked for the same company for 8 years. That's a long time in today's work environment. I bumped into Marion this week, when she attended a presentation I gave for the Victorian Office Professionals, a network for p.a.'s. I asked her if she was still at the same company and this is what she said…"I was beginning to tire of my job. My recent boss was not easy to get on with. He was quite uncommunicative and did not fill me in on issues that affected my work for him. Information was only forthcoming if I prompted for it. Then I had to guess the right questions to ask. He never made me feel accepted or supported. It made it really difficult to come to work. I arrived at work one morning recently, and he informed me that my services were no longer required. Within two hours I had packed up my belongings, said goodbye to several close associates and drove home in a state of shock…and that's what I got for all the hard work, extra hours and loyalty." Helen's Story Helen started her own business. What motivated her to take such a brave step? Her last position as a p.a. was extremely stressful, mainly due to the person she worked for. Helen told me that every Sunday afternoon around 4.00 p.m. she felt a dark shadow cast over her as she began to think about the forthcoming week. Her decision to quit her job came directly after she visited her doctor. She had developed a lump on her breast. Fortunately, it wasn't breast cancer, it had formed due to her stress levels! Tips for the Boss Treat your p.a. with respect Ask them how they are each day Invest in their personal and professional development. Listen to them Say 'thank you' Realise that your p.a. has a life outside of work and needs time out just like you do Be flexible - many p.a.'s have a family to care for, if you are flexible they will be extremely loyal and work even harder Understand that when you give them tasks to do, although you many have taken 2 minutes to discuss with them, it could take them 2 days, particularly with the many interruptions they have to deal with. Keep your p.a. in the loop. Organise a regular time each day to 'catch up'. Share your successes with them. Tips for the P.A. Look after your health and fitness first. You'll feel good, look good and be more confident. NEVER SACRIFICE YOUR HEALTH AND FITNESS BECAUSE OF YOUR WORKLOAD. Avoid the martyr syndrome. Ensure you take time out at lunchtime and get out of the office. The place will survive without you. If the workload is too much, let the boss know. It's no point whinging to everyone else and doing nothing about it. If saying 'no' is hard for you, then do an assertiveness course. When communicating with a male boss, get to the point. Join a professional association for office professionals. Share ideas and resources. Develop your skills, attend courses and seminars and read books to help you grow. Remember the more valuable you are, the better person you become and the more you can earn. The Final Word For many managers and business owners, having a good p.a. helps them to leverage their time and enables them to focus on what they need to be working on. When you find the right person, treat them like gold, do not take them for granted. If you look after them, they will look after you and make your working life so much more manageable. When you look after your people, they will look after you…just make sure you never forget that! Lorraine specialises in working with businesspeople showing them how to dramatically boost their productivity, reduce the stress and the mess in their lives and have more time for enjoying their life. www.office-organiser.com.au lorraine@office-organiser.com.au
Start a secretarial business
Education for the Medical Assistant
Education for the Medical Assistant
Medical Assistant: Distance Education for the Medical Assistant by: Dr. Mark Stout Medical Assistant distance education is emerging to meet the demands of a new generation of students in the twenty first century. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School distance education program for medical assistant presents a good model for this integration of technology with medical assistant education. Distance education, particularly in its most recent form, online education, is being integrated into even the most cautious and conservative of educational institutions. Yet the impact of these alternative forms of teaching and learning on students, faculty, and institutions has yet to be broadly or deeply studied. New models such as that at St. Augustine Medical Assistant School are immerging. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School is available at: www.medassistant.org Distance education is not new, and can be traced as far back as the first century. The Apostle Paul wrote to the early Christian churches, instructing them from a distance (even when he was under 'house arrest' in Rome). This was probably the first type of 'correspondence course', which was the only method of learning at a distance until the advent of the telephone. Today, distance education and in particular online medical assistant instruction calls upon an impressive range of technologies to enable medical assistant instructor and the medical assistant student who are separated by distance to communicate with each other either in real time (synchronous) or delayed time (asynchronous). Currently and asynchronous model used at St. Augustine Medical Assistant School to instruct medical assistant students. This has proven to be a very effective model however the medical assistant program is currently investigating the benefits of synchronous online medical assistant instruction and the benefits it may have for the medical assistant student. Medical Assistant distance learning epitomizes the move away from institute based learning to a more direct, student centered approach. As a concept, distance learning has existed for over a century, notably in the form of paper based correspondence courses including the less formal correspondence education for medical assistants. Now however, distance education is depending increasingly upon technology for its success and technological innovations ensure that distance learning for the medical assistant continues to evolve and grow as a valid and potent force in all forms of education for the medical assistant. The task of the medical assistant distance educator is therefore to obviate these problems as much as possible by mixing and matching techniques, creating and maintaining a stimulating environment, and offering opportunities for medical assistant students to communicate with each other and with the medical assistant teaching staff on a regular basis. The medical assistant educators will also need to change their traditional role as well. Many remote medical assistant students need a great deal of social support, and medical assistant distance educators may find themselves spending more time offering one-to-one tutorials and less time lecturing. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School at www.medassistant.org or www.MedicalAssistant.us is leading today’s technology in medical assistant education. When designing medical assistant educational systems and materials for medical assistant distance in delivery the medical assistant teacher must consider not only learning outcomes, but also centered requirements and technical constraints for the medical assistant. Also to be considered are the needs, characteristics, and individual differences of both the students, the teachers and future medical assistants. Medical assistant distance education for the medical assistant then, should not be viewed as a means of reducing costs, but as an opportunity to raise standards. It is also about providing quality medical assistant learning opportunities for those who, for one reason or another, have previously been excluded from this basic human right. Medical Assistant distance education will quickly become the norm and not the exception for the twenty first century medical assistant. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School distance education program for medical assistant presents a good model for this integration of technology with medical assistant education. The St. Augustine Medical Assistant model can be reviewed at: http://www.medassistant.org and http://www.medicalassistant.us By Dr. Mark Stout Dean of Education St. Augustine Medical Assistant School Distance Education and Informatics Specialist www.medassistant.org Dr. Mark Stout Medical Assistant distance education is emerging to meet the demands of a new generation of students in the twenty first century. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School distance education program (visit: http://www.medassistant.org) for medical assistant presents a good model for this integration of technology with medical assistant education. Distance education, particularly in its most recent form, online education, is being integrated into even the most cautious and conservative of educational institutions. Yet the impact of these alternative forms of teaching and learning on students, faculty, and institutions has yet to be broadly or deeply studied. New models such as that at St. Augustine Medical Assistant School are immerging. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School is available at: www.medassistant.org info@medasstant.org
Start a secretarial business
Medical Assistant: Distance Education for the Medical Assistant by: Dr. Mark Stout Medical Assistant distance education is emerging to meet the demands of a new generation of students in the twenty first century. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School distance education program for medical assistant presents a good model for this integration of technology with medical assistant education. Distance education, particularly in its most recent form, online education, is being integrated into even the most cautious and conservative of educational institutions. Yet the impact of these alternative forms of teaching and learning on students, faculty, and institutions has yet to be broadly or deeply studied. New models such as that at St. Augustine Medical Assistant School are immerging. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School is available at: www.medassistant.org Distance education is not new, and can be traced as far back as the first century. The Apostle Paul wrote to the early Christian churches, instructing them from a distance (even when he was under 'house arrest' in Rome). This was probably the first type of 'correspondence course', which was the only method of learning at a distance until the advent of the telephone. Today, distance education and in particular online medical assistant instruction calls upon an impressive range of technologies to enable medical assistant instructor and the medical assistant student who are separated by distance to communicate with each other either in real time (synchronous) or delayed time (asynchronous). Currently and asynchronous model used at St. Augustine Medical Assistant School to instruct medical assistant students. This has proven to be a very effective model however the medical assistant program is currently investigating the benefits of synchronous online medical assistant instruction and the benefits it may have for the medical assistant student. Medical Assistant distance learning epitomizes the move away from institute based learning to a more direct, student centered approach. As a concept, distance learning has existed for over a century, notably in the form of paper based correspondence courses including the less formal correspondence education for medical assistants. Now however, distance education is depending increasingly upon technology for its success and technological innovations ensure that distance learning for the medical assistant continues to evolve and grow as a valid and potent force in all forms of education for the medical assistant. The task of the medical assistant distance educator is therefore to obviate these problems as much as possible by mixing and matching techniques, creating and maintaining a stimulating environment, and offering opportunities for medical assistant students to communicate with each other and with the medical assistant teaching staff on a regular basis. The medical assistant educators will also need to change their traditional role as well. Many remote medical assistant students need a great deal of social support, and medical assistant distance educators may find themselves spending more time offering one-to-one tutorials and less time lecturing. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School at www.medassistant.org or www.MedicalAssistant.us is leading today’s technology in medical assistant education. When designing medical assistant educational systems and materials for medical assistant distance in delivery the medical assistant teacher must consider not only learning outcomes, but also centered requirements and technical constraints for the medical assistant. Also to be considered are the needs, characteristics, and individual differences of both the students, the teachers and future medical assistants. Medical assistant distance education for the medical assistant then, should not be viewed as a means of reducing costs, but as an opportunity to raise standards. It is also about providing quality medical assistant learning opportunities for those who, for one reason or another, have previously been excluded from this basic human right. Medical Assistant distance education will quickly become the norm and not the exception for the twenty first century medical assistant. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School distance education program for medical assistant presents a good model for this integration of technology with medical assistant education. The St. Augustine Medical Assistant model can be reviewed at: http://www.medassistant.org and http://www.medicalassistant.us By Dr. Mark Stout Dean of Education St. Augustine Medical Assistant School Distance Education and Informatics Specialist www.medassistant.org Dr. Mark Stout Medical Assistant distance education is emerging to meet the demands of a new generation of students in the twenty first century. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School distance education program (visit: http://www.medassistant.org) for medical assistant presents a good model for this integration of technology with medical assistant education. Distance education, particularly in its most recent form, online education, is being integrated into even the most cautious and conservative of educational institutions. Yet the impact of these alternative forms of teaching and learning on students, faculty, and institutions has yet to be broadly or deeply studied. New models such as that at St. Augustine Medical Assistant School are immerging. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School is available at: www.medassistant.org info@medasstant.org
Start a secretarial business
6/08/2005
Secretarial Business -Spy on your competitors
Spy constantly on your competitors, your industry, and yourself. Keep an open mind. Look for things you may not have expected or rather not see.
Why is this important? Most of us tend to develop beliefs about ourselves, our products, and our businesses. We have strong feelings about why we are good, why people should buy from us, and why our customers find us important.
Believing in yourself and your products and services is very important. It is hard to be successful if you don't believe with confidence.
Beliefs can also blind us to reality or new conditions. Believing in a false reality can bring unpleasant surprises down the road when a competitor suddenly surges or customers begin to stay away.
The best cure is to spy. Watch yourself, your biz, and others with open eyes. Look for solid indicators that your view of things may need an adjustment. If someone disagrees with your view, listen to them. There may be some valuable grains of truth in what they think.
Kevin Nunley provides marketing and copy writing. Read all his free tips at http://http://DrNunley.comReach Kevin at kevin@drnunley.com or 603-249-9519.
Why is this important? Most of us tend to develop beliefs about ourselves, our products, and our businesses. We have strong feelings about why we are good, why people should buy from us, and why our customers find us important.
Believing in yourself and your products and services is very important. It is hard to be successful if you don't believe with confidence.
Beliefs can also blind us to reality or new conditions. Believing in a false reality can bring unpleasant surprises down the road when a competitor suddenly surges or customers begin to stay away.
The best cure is to spy. Watch yourself, your biz, and others with open eyes. Look for solid indicators that your view of things may need an adjustment. If someone disagrees with your view, listen to them. There may be some valuable grains of truth in what they think.
Kevin Nunley provides marketing and copy writing. Read all his free tips at http://http://DrNunley.comReach Kevin at kevin@drnunley.com or 603-249-9519.
Send email reminders
Send email reminders
Send An E-Mail Reminder Who here gets flooded with email every day? If your hand didn’t go up, it probably will within a few months. More than 20 million people use email every day. It’s rapidly becoming the contact method of choice for millions of customers. Keeping up with all your email can be a big hassle. There are some great email programs that help you file your messages in organized folders. But hey, a LOT of email is aLOT of email. Recently a customer insisted that she would send me an email reminder each month when it was time for a delivery. “That’s not necessary,” I thought. But then had to admit it WOULD be nice to have a customer who helped ME stay organized. Email is so cheap and easy that reminding key customers and suppliers isn’t all that hard. When you help them cut down on the frustrations of doing business, you immediately become a person they LIKE doing business with. That can translate into all kinds of benefits, including better service. Keep a short list of reminder chores. You may even use one of the simple programs that automatically presents the day’s scheduled events. Kevin Nunley provides marketing and copy writing. Read all his free tips at http://DrNunley.com Reach Kevin at kevin@drnunley.com or 603-249-9519.
Start a secretarial business
Send An E-Mail Reminder Who here gets flooded with email every day? If your hand didn’t go up, it probably will within a few months. More than 20 million people use email every day. It’s rapidly becoming the contact method of choice for millions of customers. Keeping up with all your email can be a big hassle. There are some great email programs that help you file your messages in organized folders. But hey, a LOT of email is aLOT of email. Recently a customer insisted that she would send me an email reminder each month when it was time for a delivery. “That’s not necessary,” I thought. But then had to admit it WOULD be nice to have a customer who helped ME stay organized. Email is so cheap and easy that reminding key customers and suppliers isn’t all that hard. When you help them cut down on the frustrations of doing business, you immediately become a person they LIKE doing business with. That can translate into all kinds of benefits, including better service. Keep a short list of reminder chores. You may even use one of the simple programs that automatically presents the day’s scheduled events. Kevin Nunley provides marketing and copy writing. Read all his free tips at http://DrNunley.com Reach Kevin at kevin@drnunley.com or 603-249-9519.
Start a secretarial business
We tried everything
We tried everything
But We Tried Everything!
Occasionally I meet a business that has done a TON of marketing but still isn't selling much. It isn't that they haven't tried. The list of marketing they attempted can be staggering.
If thousands and millions of prospects are learning about the product or service, why aren't any of them buying?
Here are some common reasons even well-promoted products don't sell. There isn't any real market for the product. It may seem like a great idea, but nobody wants it--at least, not yet. Customers don't think your business is qualified to sell the product.
One man knew his medium-sized business could supply the needs of major customers, but they didn't buy until his company grew into a big corporation.
We could have served them just as well before, but they wouldn't buy because they thought we weren't big enough.
Your advertising isn't targeted to the right market. This is probably the most common problem. A company markets with a media that reaches a mass audience (like TV or daily newspapers) but reaches too few of their customers who belong to a specific group. Tightly targeted media don't always reach the audience they claim to reach.
Try running a test first to see if you get results before spending big bucks.
Kevin Nunley provides marketing and copy writing. Read all his free tips at http://DrNunley.com. Reach Kevin at kevin@drnunley.com or 603-249-9519.
Start a secretarial business
But We Tried Everything!
Occasionally I meet a business that has done a TON of marketing but still isn't selling much. It isn't that they haven't tried. The list of marketing they attempted can be staggering.
If thousands and millions of prospects are learning about the product or service, why aren't any of them buying?
Here are some common reasons even well-promoted products don't sell. There isn't any real market for the product. It may seem like a great idea, but nobody wants it--at least, not yet. Customers don't think your business is qualified to sell the product.
One man knew his medium-sized business could supply the needs of major customers, but they didn't buy until his company grew into a big corporation.
We could have served them just as well before, but they wouldn't buy because they thought we weren't big enough.
Your advertising isn't targeted to the right market. This is probably the most common problem. A company markets with a media that reaches a mass audience (like TV or daily newspapers) but reaches too few of their customers who belong to a specific group. Tightly targeted media don't always reach the audience they claim to reach.
Try running a test first to see if you get results before spending big bucks.
Kevin Nunley provides marketing and copy writing. Read all his free tips at http://DrNunley.com. Reach Kevin at kevin@drnunley.com or 603-249-9519.
Start a secretarial business
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