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As an IC you invoice the company, count your own lines, and receive a paycheck.

Posted By: I have - on 2006-01-07
In Reply to: Anybody work with a company bue do your own billling to them, count like 65 cpl and use a program ho - w do you know if you are billing correctly!

First Choice, JLG, QT Medical, Metro in Atlanta, just to name a few.

Most use SylCount or something similar. I used Abacus - free line counting software.


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And should you not receive your final paycheck in a reasonable amount of time,

notify them that you will be filing complaints with the Department of Labor, the BBB, the FTC, the state attorney general's office, and small claims court.


Word count: 824 lines. DocuCount count: 897 lines.
I just counted the same file in Word and then in DocuCount, and DocuCount was higher than Word.

Just as an aside.
it does not count gross lines...I count 37 and it counts 67.
x
Invoices. Does anyone have a good invoice software program they use other than MPCount invoice?
I am looking for something professional and easy to use. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I count my own lines and would not think of doing otherwise SM

Yes, you may have to spend money on a counting program, but isn't it important to have everyone on the same page, so to speak?


I'm so old that I don't know how to count by lines...(SM)
No, that's not a "I'm so old joke" - wish it were! I've only worked for myself in the past and now I'm helping someone else out. I agreed at a fairly low page rate (certainly lower than I used to charge) but I now think I'm cheating myself! When you count a 65 character line is that 65 spaces from left margin to right? Is that a gross line? What is the standard? I've been counting my characters (including spaces) in each line and they're at least 75 to 80. So, each page is like 1-1/2! My margins are one inch all around and the font size is 11. Am I wrong in thinking that a 65 character line means 65 spaces across the page? And, if so, is 9 cents per line out of the norm? Thanks for "teaching an old 'dinosaur' a new trick"!!
How do you count your lines? m
When you're not using a program like BayScribe that does it for you.  For example, if you transcribe letters or reports in Word, how do you calculate the lines you bill to your client?  Any help is appreciated!
ES does count lines.
It is one of the most user-friendly platforms I have worked on. I have 2 accounts that the speech rec is very good on and 1 account with lousy dictators that require more editing, but it is often entertaining. The sound quality is very good, and there is little to no distortion when you speed up the audio file.
Yes. They count the lines as set up
in the contract with the client. Each account can be different.
How can you count your lines in Word, I used

to use the word count in Word and then divide it by something to get a standard line count for that report. Has anyone done this before? I forgot the way to calculate when working in Word.


You can count your lines and characters yourself sm
even if you have no counting program. You can copy and paste into a word document or clipboard and count the characters in Word. At least you will have some idea of what you are being paid for. I have done this many times and if it doesn't add up to what the company's count has, I was right on the horn and sometimes even quit because of it. I will not be cheated in any way by any one.
Count lines in courier 12 - nm

XX


and I count gross lines

I do not cheat, I count gross lines and from top to bottom but I make sure that it is fair so my price per line is lower and it all equals out in the end.  On chart notes, it is the total amount of lines which includes 2 spaces between patients which then helps to pay for the cutting apart, sticky paper and delivery.  But my accounts are aware of this and again it shows in my per line charge. 


The way MTSOs count lines

Does anyone know if some MTSOs calculate lines on various accounts differently?  One of my accounts is very difficult to get a decent line count.  While it is more tedious and does not have "normals," it just seems like often I have a shift full of fairly long reports (and a fair number of them), and by feel seems like my line count should be higher.  - I can't help but wonder if lines are calculated differently for this account.


Does anyone know of MTSOs doing that?  Sadly, I am afraid to ask my employer.  


10$ late if invoice is not paid within 10 days. At day 15 work stops until invoice is paid. Hardly
xx
Need to count gross lines only w/o spaces, sm
Used Sylcount free download but it expired.  Any alternatives.  Did not like Practicount.  Need to count gross lines only.  How do I do that using MS Word? 
Count several lines both ways and see the difference
??
How did you count lines before the PC, or were you paid hourly then? nm


Here is the best way...open any document you have typed for anything and count the lines both ways.

I have pretty much always been paid by the gross line...occasionally I will take a job with a company that pays by characters and I never make as money.  Remember...with gross lines, a line is a line is a line....that means anything on the lines be it one character or 65 is a line.  For instance....today I type a normal file for a client I have worked on for years...if I counted the lines at 65-cpl I got 398 lines, but counting gross lines I got 641 lines.  This is a 38% difference in pay between the two, so you would be making approximately 5 cents a line less on the character count.  Hope this helps :)


Word Macro to count Lines Strict inside

Hi,


The solutions others gave are good, but if I just needed to get the number of lines with typing (and don't need an invoice or a report), I'd use a Word macro.


The other solutions offered have this drawback: If the body of your document contains tables, the count Word gives you is vastly inflated, for Word counts each cell in that table as a line. This is not what the eye sees, and becomes problematic when you try to justify such to your client.


Below is a macro for counting what we at Emmaus call Lines Strict. (i.e. Lines with typing on them, vs Lines Extended that includes the blank lines).


To use it, copy from Public Sub through End Sub, and paste it into your macros along with your other macros. Easiest way of doing this is (after you have copied the appropriate lines):


1. Click Tools | Macros, and select an existing macro.


2. Click the Edit button.


3. Once the Visual Basic Editor opens, press Ctrl+End to move to the bottom.


4. Paste the clipboard contents.


5. Click File | Compile Normal. (If you've pasted things that don't belong, it won't compile.)


6. Click File | Close and Return to MS Word.


Merry Christmas!
vJoe
http://www.mpword.com


OOPS! I looked at the HTML code after I pasted the code into the editor on this board, and it added things that when pasted into the Visual Basic Editor in Word will not compile. Here's the code if you want to retype it, but pasting won't work. If you send me an email, I'll attach the code into a .txt document, and you won't have any problems.  vjoet@attglobal.net


Public Sub GetLinesStrictCount()
    Dim CharsStrict As Long
    Dim Count As Long
    Dim ParaswBlanks As Long
    Dim ParasWOBlanks As Long
    Dim LineswBlanks As Long
    Dim BlankLines As Long
    Dim LinesWOBlanks As Long
    Dim NumOfTables As Long
    Dim NumOfRows As Long
    Dim TableRowCount As Long
    Dim x As Integer
   
    TableRowCount = 0
    NumOfTables = 0
    NumOfRows = 0
   
    ActiveDocument.ComputeStatistics (wdStatisticCharacters)
    ActiveDocument.ComputeStatistics (wdStatisticLines)
    CharsStrict = ActiveDocument.BuiltInDocumentProperties(wdPropertyCharacters)
    ParasWOBlanks = ActiveDocument.BuiltInDocumentProperties(wdPropertyParas)
    LineswBlanks = ActiveDocument.BuiltInDocumentProperties(wdPropertyLines)


    NumOfTables = ActiveDocument.Content.Tables.Count
    If NumOfTables > 0 Then
        For x = 1 To NumOfTables
            With ActiveDocument.Content.Tables.Item(x)
                NumOfRows = NumOfRows + .Rows.Count
            End With
        Next
        TableRowCount = NumOfRows
    End If
   
    If CharsStrict > 0 Then
        ParaswBlanks = ActiveDocument.Range(wdMainTextStory).Paragraphs.Count
    Else
        ParaswBlanks = 1
    End If
       
    If LineswBlanks > 1 Then
        LineswBlanks = LineswBlanks + 1
    End If
   
    If ParaswBlanks = 1 And ParasWOBlanks = 1 Then
        BlankLines = 0
    Else
        BlankLines = ParaswBlanks - ParasWOBlanks
    End If
   
    LinesWOBlanks = LineswBlanks - BlankLines
    Count = LinesWOBlanks
   
    MsgBox "Lines Strict (with typing) = " & CStr(Count + TableRowCount)
End Sub


 


 


living paycheck to paycheck
Yeah, I feel your pain. I shop for as much groceries as possible in the Dollar Aisle at a local Kuhn's grocery store. Hopefully you have something like that around you.
Serious Poll: Paycheck-to-Paycheck

1.  Are you living paycheck-to-paycheck?  Defined:  Missing one paycheck would seriously harm your basic living (housing, food, utilities or necessary meds/medical care).


2.  If you lost your job today, without warning, do you think you could be employed again within 1 payperiod?


3.  Do you have an emergency fund in case a loss of job happens?


My answers:


1.  Missing 1 paycheck would hurt but not devastate me.  Mising 2 or more, yes - it could be dire.


2.  Yes, most definitely.


3.  Started one and slowly building it up.


 


Does Quick Books/Quicken count the lines or do you use a separate program for that?
nm
You can set Word to not count blank lines by changing your paragraph style
to automatically double space after the paragraph.
Ask for a sample report. Count the gross lines on a full page. Then
figure out the line rate you want to make. For example, if there are 30 lines on the page and you would want to charge $0.15 per line, then that would be $4.50 per page. If they would like your hourly rate, figure out how many pages you think you can transcribe in an hour. Using the above example, if you can transcribe 4 pages per hour, then charge $18.00 per hour. In California the going transcription rates are approximately $22-$25 per hour.
You need to know the program your company is using to count so you can compare.
xx
Anybody work with a company bue do your own billling to them, count like 65 cpl and use a program ho
nm
both are mine but the 1 w/lower count is the one company set up, i really baffled.
I decided to try it it seemed with long reports the line count seemed so low, but may be it is me. Duh, it just seemed with 5 full pages of dictation 178 lines was low.
You need to know how your company counts lines. It probably is not
counting the same as your line counter.
Depending on how many lines/reports a company
requires a QA person to do, it can be as much as $3.00 or more per report just for the QA portion. That is money I feel should be paid to me if I do high quality work rather than paying me the same or less than other MTs who are careless, sloppy, lazy, or incompetent and send everything to QA to be done.

Sometimes there are things you can't figure out, but at least take the time to try. You might even learn something. This is especially true for new MTs.

60 reports in a QA cue just because someone is too lazy to call the office to get a normal for a doctor who says to "use my normal" is not acceptable and the MT who sent that report should NOT be paid for the report that I had to find and put in for him/her.

Keep this activity up and no one will ever get a raise.
my company 127 lines/hour is minimum
nm
Depends on each company, but usually incentive pay is only on the additional lines. Ask to be sure.
s
Read between the lines. When a company starts saying work more to make more
and you have to work in assembly-line fashion like an automaton, they are having a cash crunch.  They held out one salary to you to get you to do the job, then they turn around and cut your pay because you make too much.  They don't sound financially stable.  If you've only been on the job 2 months, start looking elsewhere for a more financially stable company.   Send out your resume and see what other companies have to offer and check out references for those companies.  I and a friend in the past have gone part-time with a new company before resigning from the old one in order to make sure the new company is going to be compatible with us. It's hard to do, but it's short-term for only 1 or 2 weeks.   
the least minimum requined lines/hour I found for a company
nm
Work for 1 hour, then count your lines of the completed work - sm
either check you total characters in word (with spaces) then total them all up and divide by 65, and you get your total lines per hour. 10,000/65 is 153 lines. Or if you have a line counting program us that to figure you count, either way will work quite well. Maybe do it a few times and then figure an average over 3 hours or something like that, it will vary with the ease/difficulty of the work you are doing.
Bunch of us replied to similar ? on Company board under DSG lines post..nm
s
Calculating lines using Word Count in Word
I have recently started a job where lines are calculated using the Microsoft Word word count tool. I think I read that you get cheated out of lines if a company counts this way. Is this true?
paycheck
Mine was direct deposited yesterday, Wednesday.
paycheck
I worked for them for about 7 months the first 5 with direct deposit was fine but the last couple where they mailed checks was bad!!! My last several checks were 2-3 weeks late. Several people have left here. The "captain" is crazy. You would not believe some of the crazy & nasty emails he sent me. I would definitely get out of here unless you like waiting 2-3 weeks for a check and then are not sure if it will clear. Yes I heard a few checks bounced. Sorry I could go on and on about this guy but I think I have said enough. Good luck to you.
first paycheck?
It usually takes a full billing cycle for direct deposit to get going in my experience.
paycheck
Yeah the MTSO was responsible in that if they had payed her when it was agreed upon she could have paid her bills and wouldn't be in a financial bind. If you have your paycheck you can pay your bills. You work to pay bills, not for the heck of it. Yeah, you should have a cushion but they should pay on time. You think a sick child is an excuse you go pay a few doctor bills a see how much "cushion" you can keep in the bank. Don't judge people without knowing the circumstances. You don't know what is wrong with the child or how frequently they have to go to the doctor and it costs money not to mention the medicine. They have an agreed upon paydate and she has every right to be angry when she doesn't get her money. People work to pay bills. Alot of people don't have a big cushion in the bank.
No paycheck

I started with a company about three weeks ago, and here is the situation.  This is my first transcription job, so I think I was a little too eager to jump at the job offer when it was given to me.  They charge a "set up fee" of 100.00 that is taken out of the first paycheck.  I am only getting paid 5 cents/line, so I did not make that much more than the 100.00 (I think about 40.00).  The pay period ends on the last day of the month and checks are issued on the first of every month.  They do not offer direct deposit, so I have been waiting for the last nine days for my measly 40.00 check.  I really just want it to have documentation that I have paid the stupid set up fee (which I am embarrassed that I even agreed to).  I have emailed them 5 or 6 times with no response whatsoever.  They continue to send me work, and will (usually) answer questions regarding work, but NOTHING about my requests to see where my check is. 


I have since found a much better and higher paying position with another (wonderful) company, but I do not really want to put in my 2 weeks' notice until I have that check.  Any ideas??


definitely paycheck to paycheck sm

Losing even 1 would devastate me.


I am the only wage earner, and it is paycheck to paycheck.


There is nothing set aside to help, just in case.  But I definitely feel I could get another job almost immediately with my skills and experience.


It's a hard knocklife.


You will have paycheck on Monday 711/05
x
Why is it that the more desperately you need your paycheck,
the later the mailman is delivering?
Production is my paycheck
I work in 1 of my bedrooms with a big window facing the driveway. I have done this work for 30+ years. The office also has my husband's computer in it. I have absolutely no problem in keeping my mind on my work, the pay alone is the answer, no work, no pay and the more lines the better I feel when I get that check. I never see things I should do around the house because I have a housekeeper that comes every other week and takes care of things like that for me. Housework is about the last thing I want to do!!
whoever signs your paycheck
has the final say.

But, you might consider drawing up a "contract" that states the terms and conditions ... the dotor takes the ultimate responsibility ... your initials are only a reference ... and so forth. You sign it and they sign. Throw in a notary.




Not when your paycheck depends on it, it isn't.
p
To get the paycheck I want, I work
5 days a week and I type 1500 lines per day. I am radiology and therefore this is easy to achieve and for the most part, I am done in less than 7 hours but I will put in 7 hours.
No paycheck, need advice
I have worked for a company since April 21 of this year.  I began asking about my first paycheck around the beginning of May, because it was my understanding that I would be paid for what I worked in April on May 1.  After asking MANY times, one of my bosses (they are husband and wife) finally responded to me (saying that he had already responded many times) only when I stated that I would not continue to submit any more work until I got an explanation of where my paycheck was.  He told me that I had misunderstood when I was hired, and that I would be paid June 1st for the pay period of March 5 - April 29.  I decided (stupidly) to continue working, and the same thing has happened this month.  I have been given three different explanations as to when my paycheck was mailed.  Today, I finally stated, again, that I would not submit work until I received either the paycheck, or a faxed copy or emailed copy of something that proved that a check was issued and mailed to me.  He was very rude, and basically said, he would not do it, and I would be "shut off" from work.  The wife emailed me and said she did not want me to quit, and that the check had been resent the previous day.  I subsequently gave my two-weeks' notice, and stated that I would complete any and all assignments given in the next two weeks, but wanted to quite thereafter (which I have to do according to the contract I signed).  I live in CA, and the company is located in PA... and I already submitted a back-wage complaint online, but do not know what else to do.  I have read recently that other people have had this problem, and am in contact with someone else that works there currently, who has only received one paycheck, and has worked for them since January.  They also charge a "start up fee" of 100.00, so the check I am waiting on is only for 17.00!  It's not the money, It is the fact that I have worked very hard for 2 months and have not been paid!  He was also very rude and brought up personal things about myself and family in his emails.  ANY ADVICE is MUCH appreciated.  Thank you.
Need help with invoice...
Does anyone have any samples or know where I can obtain some. I have looked everywhere. I did a fill-in transcription job for the past week and now I need to submit an invoice, but I have never done one. Please help!!!