General Transcription Business

Are you a good listener? Can you type well? Can you follow directions? Are you looking for a business to run from your own home? If you answered yes to all these questions, then you should consider starting your own General Transcription Business.

General Transcription is simply typing information that you hear from an audio file into a document format, according to the client’s specifications. You turn audio into text.

Companies are getting more advanced with the use of the internet. Audio technologies are being utilized more and more, therefore increasing the need for typed copies of projects.

Companies that are in need of general transcription are ones that regularly record teleseminars and focus group projects. Other types of audio that need transcribing are: videos, podcasts, web conferences and tutorials.

What skills and tools are needed to become a Transcriptionist?

There is no special training or certification for this type of business. A good ear and typing skills are enough to get you started. It is also important that you are able to follow directions well, as a client will specify exactly how they want the file transcribed. They might want you to exclude certain words or phrases, or they may have a preferred format for the text that you will create as you go.

An important tool that you will need is a website to market your services. Potential clients need to know that you are there to help them and a good website is a way to bring them to you.

The equipment needed for transcription includes: computer with high speed internet, word processing software, good pair of head phones, and software that will enable you to play the audio slowly. You might also want to consider a good comfortable computer chair and a foot pedal to aid in using the keyboard commands for play, stop, rewind and fast forward. A foot pedal isn’t necessary, but it can make your transcribing faster when you don’t have to stop typing to run the controls from your keyboard.

If you like to type, and you do it well, a general transcription business would be a good fit for you. Your schedule could be flexible depending on the turnaround time the client needs. Also, the low startup fees to this type of business make it a very attractive business to start from home.

What it Takes to Be a Good Transcriptionist

Along with good typing skills there are a few other key traits. Helpful Skills to be a Transcriptionist:

Ability to apply common sense. Often times you won't understand what the dictation is saying and you'll need to try to put the phrase into context to figure out what the speaker means.
A keen eye for detail. This will help in proofreading and editing to ensure you turn in the highest quality work.
Strong work ethics. You'll have to meet deadlines and be extremely reliable.
Good organizational skills. If you have a lot of clients it's important to stay organized.
Good communication skills. For marketing your business and dealing with clients.
Professionalism and discreetness (often times you'll be transcribing very sensitive documents which require full confidentiality).
Basic computer skills and the ability to get around a word processing program.
A good grasp of the English language, good spelling and grammar skills

Grab your Moms Talk Biz Guide to Starting a Transcription Business - Step-by-step instructions, resources and inside information to start your own transcription business from home.

Demand for General Transcriptionists

The need for general transcriptionists is good. This is due in part to the fact you're able to take on a variety of different clients. Some transcriptionists choose to niche into a specific field such as real estate, insurance or marketing and still have plenty of work to keep them busy.

Whether you chose to concentrate on one specific field or transcribe for various fields, there are always plenty of opportunities to find clients. As with many other service-oriented businesses, many of your clients may come from recommendations from past clients. By providing a high quality service and meeting the needs of your clients, you'll greatly improve your chances for success in this type of business.

Here are just a few people may need your transcription services:

College Students - Students will often record lectures on hand-held recorders. Many times they like to have these lectures and recordings transcribed.
Social Work Agencies - Government agencies often times record their meetings and need these transcribed. Some agencies have "on the record" interviews with legal witnesses or parents who are being investigated by the courts and will often need these recordings transcribed so the transcripts can later be used during legal proceedings.
Realtors - Realtors may record a variety of letters which then need to be transcribed.
Insurance Companies - Insurance companies need an accurate record of all claims made. The loss adjustors will often record notes about the claims and you will need to go through a standard template and transcribe these notes for the client's records.
Charities and similar organizations - Many charities make an audio recording of their meetings and then like to have these transcribed for their official records.
Book Publishers - Although book publishers often have personal letters and meetings they like transcribed, they also often have work to be edited. Good transcriptionists are also good at editing as it goes hand in hand with the job. Book publishers need people with a keen eye for detail to help edit transcripts.
Life coaches, business consultants, online marketers and speakers are just a few more busy professionals who also need transcription services. Many of these people like to maximize their content and will have their speaking events or client coaching sessions transcribed. With online marketers, there are tele-seminars, coaching events, and audio products which can all be transcribed too.

As you can see, there is a lot of general transcription work available; the key is to know how to find it and how to approach potential clients. Grab your Moms Talk Biz Guide to Starting a Transcription Business - Step-by-step instructions, resources and inside information to start your own transcription business from home.

Moms: Home Based Business Ideas