Earful Edits

 Today, I have officially gotten my business license. I can now legally start my website and my work! When I get my website up and running, I will post a link on my blog. Stay tuned! Want to find out what kind of licenses you need for your business and how? Check out this link:   How To Get A Business License In 5 Steps – Forbes Advisor

 I am very new to building a business. However, what I have learned so far is that you will need a business permit, a business plan written down on paper, research your competitors, have a space to work, equipment, and your own website. For more information on how to get a good start on your new business, take a look at this article: How To Start A Business In 11 Steps (2024 Guide) – Forbes Advisor

  Communication is often a struggle some people have on some level. When working with clients, you do not want to have any miscommunication. Good customer service and good communication will help you get regular clients and work. Here are some tips on how to have good communication and get clients to come back: Never submit your work late. If you can help it, always be on time. Sometimes things will come up that are unavoidable. This is when you immediately communicate with your client that you may not have their document done on time. This will allow them to find someone else if they need it done quickly and just so they know what's going on. Give yourself some wiggle room. Tell your client that their document will be done in a little more time than you think it would actually take you. That way, if something small comes up, you won't have to worry about it, and if you get it done before the due date then everyone is happy! Be friendly and reliable. When talking to clients you

  When creating a business, a strong online presence is important. Check out this article for some tips on how to build a stronger online presence:  16 Effective Ways to Build Your Online Presence (hubspot.com)

  If you are just starting out as a transcriptionist, here is an article on what tools are necessary for your new transcription job:  Transcription Equipment: What Do You Need to Work as a Transcriptionist? (vitaldollar.com) The person mentioned in this article, Janet Shaughnessy, was the one who trained me to be a transcriptionist and the one who created the Transcribe Anywhere classes that I took to become certified. I highly recommend looking at the free seven-lesson course if you are interested in transcription! 

  Want to know how to transcribe faster? Take a look at this article:  How to Transcribe Quickly: 7 Tips for Faster Transcription | Transcribe I looked over these tips and it was not very clear about the abbreviation section. Do NOT include abbreviations in your actual transcripts. Use the autocorrect setting in your Word document.  Here are the steps on how to use abbreviations in autocorrect to make your progress faster: In your Word document, click  file On the left sidebar, click options   Click proofing then autocorrect options If a long word or name keeps coming up in the audio you're transcribing, such as "discombobulate," come up with an abbreviated version of that word (let's say discb). In the Replace box, put your abbreviated version of the word or name, then in the With box type in the full word or name. Now when the long word or name comes up, all you have to type in is the abbreviated version and hit space and it will replace it with the word or name. 

  Want to stand out in your transcription? Find out what your niche is! What's something you specialize in? What's something you know more about than the average person? Finding this will help you figure out how you can stand out and help you get some extra income.  Article to help you discover more about niches:  Transcription Niches: Picking the Right One for You (freelancemaster.ng)

  Funny story: I have not been transcribing for very long, so for this topic I looked up some other websites that may have better tips for finding the fun in transcribing when it gets stressful or boring... and nothing came up! I guess they don't know either, ha-ha. So, although I am not completely sure myself how to make transcription fun, I will give some ideas I want to try when I work. I will be honest; I do not enjoy transcribing. It's slow, tedious, time consuming, and difficult at times. But I'm sure there's a way to make it fun! Here are some ideas to make it fun and ideas on how to overcome challenges. Idea #1: Set a 30-minute timer and treat yourself. My mom has this thing that she does when she works, she has a piece of candy for each task she needs to get done, when she finishes that task, she can have one treat. I like that idea, personally. So, what I may do is take a fun break every 30 minutes to either treat myself or do something I enjoy doing for about

  This picture is probably what a lot of people believe working from home looks like. And it may be that way for some people. However, this is not a very good set up for being productive. Although it is very cozy, it will probably make you want to go to sleep, read a good book, look at your phone, play with the dog, have a snack, watch tv, and introduce lots of other distractions. I'll be honest though, that drink and blanket look so nice, I wish I could be productive while working like that. Working from home does have its benefits. If you have kids, you can take a break anytime and tend to your family. You have the luxury of being flexible. But if you do want to be productive, I would recommend creating a proper workspace that encourages productivity. Here are some tips: Pick a room that will be your designated office Make sure your office space is clean, quiet, and distraction free If your house is not quiet and you are able to, choose a nice library or cafe that is quiet and th

 I've been asked a few times why transcriptionists are still needed when there is AI that can type everything for you. Here's the reason... AI is not accurate. If you let AI transcribe everything and you look and see what it typed, you will see that there are a lot of errors. This is why we still need a human to transcribe. We need that human touch that provides the accuracy that AI cannot. However, AI can be a great tool for a transcriptionist. Although I do not use AI and do everything myself as of now, it can be used to get a lot of transcribing done fast.  The primary way transcriptionists use AI to their advantage is by letting it do all the transcribing then going through and editing all of the errors. VoiceScript is one great tool that can be used for this. Although it's primary use is for legal transcription, it can be used for general transcription as well. Here is the link to that:  AutoScript - VoiceScript

 When I first started studying to be a transcriptionist, my average WPM (words per minute) was about 40 to 45. I started practicing my typing speed everyday along with practice dictations from the course. Now, my typing speed averages at 60 WPM. Still not quite as good as I would like but is a huge improvement! If you would like to check or practice your typing speed, here is the link to the website I normally practice on:  Typing Test · Check your Speed and Practice, WPM (keyhero.com)

 Late last week, I created a logo for the new Earful Edits business. It was surprisingly easy. It only took me about 10 to 15 minutes to create. After I finished creating the logo, I also created a Facebook page for my business and named it Earful Edits  if you want to check it out. Here is the website I used to create my logo:  Free Logo Maker - Create a Unique Logo Online | Looka

Early last year, my mom suggested to me that I try doing transcription. At the time I had no idea what that was. So, I looked into it. All it seemed to be was typing what you hear. So that's what subtitles are! Seems easy enough. I start looking into courses and classes to become certified in this field, and I stumble upon Transcribe Anywhere. It looked very professional and reliable, and the completion time was between three and five months. Sweet! I go in and I go through the preview course that tells you what you're getting into.  I see that it's more difficult than I originally thought. The preview course clearly laid out that transcription is not just sitting in bed or on your couch bundled up with a laptop and typing things. You need a proper workspace, equipment, training, and be proficient in grammar. Grammar? I stopped when I saw that I needed to be, not just adequate, but a master at grammar. I've never been very good with grammar and punctuation. Spelling? Su

 Recently, I graduated from Transcribe Anywhere. Due to some health complications, I decided to go the route of working from home and creating a freelance business. I worked off and on for about a year studying and training to be a certified transcriptionist. As of now, I am still learning how to create a successful business as I wait for my business permit application to be approved. I hope to create some sort of online presence as I wait to officially start my business and get to work. My new business will be called Earful Edits. The services that this business will provide includes transcribing and editing. Once I get a permit and get an official website up and running for my business, I will post the link. This blog will include updates on what I am working on and how I got to where I am at currently. Stay tuned!