Internet offers immense potential to make money.

Providing services is one of mo

st popular ways for making quick money on internet. It requires certain training
and experience which sometimes proves inconvenient and difficult. Some people h
ave typing skills and are keen to start their online business, preferably workin
g from home. Starting a transcription business is much easier since it does not
require much training and expertise.€ Also it is very economical since it requir
es little start-up cost.

What is Transcription?€

Transcription Service has a very old history. It started from secretaries taking
notes in shorthand and transcribing it on typewriter. Later, it was replaced by
Dictaphones and Tapes. Transcription service has developed long way over the ye
ars. Now is the age of digital transcription. Digital Transcription is the act o
f listening to the spoken words and typing what is heard into a word processing
document for later use. With ongoing development of Computer Technology and intr
oduction of word processing programs we are in a better position to save and tra
nsmit voice files in different formats. Small voice files can be emailed or it c
an be sent to you via a FTP server (file transfer protocol). Some websites provi
de this facility.€€Sendthisfile€ allows this facility free of charge and€Smartft
p€has a nominal annual cost for this service.

Different Types of Transcription.

General transcription includes transcribing speeches, religious sermons, insuran

ce and meeting minutes. Group discussions, interviews focus groups, telephone co
nferences, educational seminars etc. Ability to type fast and accurately, strong
vocabulary, excellent spelling and grammar skills, and familiarity with word pr
ocessing software are the basic skills required by a good transcriptionist.

Legal transcription€is a specialized type of transcription. It requires transcri

ption of different kinds of legal documents, such as court hearings, law enforce
ment investigations, legal depositions and interrogations etc. In addition to th
e above skills, a legal transcriptionist is also expected to be familiar with le
gal terminology and the formatting of different legal documents.

Medical transcription€is a highly specialized transcription field. Medical trans

cription covers a vast field which includes Doctor Office notes, X-ray reports,
operation reports, emergency room reports, psychiatric evaluations, clinical rep
orts, lab & pathological reports etc. Medical transcription does require advance
d training and thorough knowledge of medical terminology.

To become a successful transcrptionist you need to possess good listening skill

and the ability to listen and type simultaneously.€

Before you proceed with your new transcription business, please consider some im
portant aspects:€
€
1.Consider your startup cost: You will need some basic equipments like voice rec
ording machine, computer, foot control pedal, telephone recording, broad-band co
nnection, microphone, printer etc. If you are opting for medical transcription,
you will require medical dictionaries and reference materials too.

2. Acquire basic training: If you learn operating specialized equipment it may h

elp making your job much easier and faster. Medical and Legal transcription requ
ires familiarization with specialized terminology. There are reputed institution
s ready to help you acquire the skills required for a successful transcriptionis
t.

3. Plan your revenue generation strategy: Normal practice is to pay a transcript

ionist by audio hour or by the page. Medical or Legal transcription attracts bet
ter rates based on skill and ability to deliver the transcripts timely and accur
ately.

So, get ready to move on with your new transcription business. Best of luck!€

Anne Shaw is the CEO of http://www.transcriptionvendors.com/ , a Santa Ana, Cali

fornia based transcription company, which attempts to bring transcription provid
ers, general customers and transcriptionists together on a common platform. Apa
rt from providing transcription services, Transcription Vendors also provides l
egal transcription, business transcription and conference transcription.