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It is true...and the sales reps will tell you anything to obtain your business, but then they...sm

Posted By: Linda on 2006-08-22
In Reply to: It is absolutely TRUE! Comcast and vonage not sure about, but AT&T small business says NOT ALLOWED! - Linda

get you once you start using the ULD.  I know, I have been told the same thing that you say you have been told but then I received the dreaded "cut off" notice.  I wish you the best, but it is just a matter of time until they get to your area.  It's not allowed! 


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It is absolutely TRUE! Comcast and vonage not sure about, but AT&T small business says NOT ALLOWED!

Vonage nor Comcast work with all equipment (static, echoing, etc.) and I would be interested in learning more about what "the fine print" says for these two companies.  So, you must be misinformed because I have a sister who works at AT&T and no matter what package you buy, MT IS NOT ALLOWED.....and that is a FACT!   


Offshored service reps.
I had to call customer service about a credit card accout.  I got someone on the line, foreign accent, and I asked where they were located.  Turns out it was India.  As if that wasn't bad enough, this person had NO idea what he was talking about.  I insisted I talk to an American and finally was given a phone number in Virginia.  I called and talked to Jim, who knew just what I needed.  From now on, ASK where the person on the other end of the line is located and insist on speaking to an service rep. in USA.
TWice, I spoke to 2 different Vonage reps, and TWICE
they repeated my credit card number back to me incorrectly.  That made me very uncomfortable and therefore signed up with a different provider.  If you're gonna work and live in this country, LEARN TO SPEAK ENGLISH!
I want to obtain my own account
but looking for advice on how to set up a contract.  Its just my own way of doing things I guess.  I feel more secure starting out with a contract.  I rather have my butt covered now then worry later.  thanks for the luck though!  who knows.
Is it possible to obtain someone elses IP address
and use it? I don't know much about how this works so was just wondering if someone could get my IP address and use it.
sounds like you need to obtain a clinic acct or two. nm
nm
Where's best place to obtain credit score?
I know I see Free Credit Report all the time on the internet, but they are not really free, right? Don't you have to sign some sort of protection coverage and pay a monthly fee? Is the best place straight through the Equifax, TransUnion and that other place? (Can't think of the name of it right now). I'm in the market for a new house and want to make sure everything is okay. Any advise?  Thanks in Advance.
News stories do have to obtain permission to
My DS has much experience in this field.


Gross line counts are easier to obtain IF you have sm
a fixe font; however, 6 cents is not enough. I would not accept under 7.5 cents a gross line and only on a FIXED fot with the margins spelled out. For instance, if they say a 65-space gross line, that means 1-inch margins on each side. Of course, anything on a line is counted as a line and that means if there is only 1 character, that is counted as a line, but always get it spelled out the type of font that will be used because if you have true type fonts, you could be doing as much as 125 characters on a line.

As good as gross lines sound, today's world is not really based on that and it is much easier to calculate a 65-character line in the perspective of today's world.

I don't know how much experience you have, but even if you have just a few years, that still is not good pay and again, if it is a TT font, you would only be making something like 3-1/2 cents to 4 cents per 65-character line.

Any suggestions where I can obtain free invoicing software, or reasonably priced. nm
/
There is really no way to compare number of reports to a line count. The more experience you obtain
faster it will go and the lines will increase so don't give up. All of oldies have been there. Most companies require 1000 to 1200 a day, so you are not far off from that. Just keep plugging along, you will get there. Use Expanders for your most common phrases, words you find you have to look up constantly, etc. for starters to help build your speed.
i'm right there with you. i was in sales
for 15+ yrs and turned to MT so that i could get away from the mean world. 90% of people have the attitude that "start off evil and you'll get what you want faster and sometimes even more than you wanted just to get rid of them".  i hardly ever hear please or thank you from someone.  i'm teaching my 3 yo please/thank you/share/etc, etc, but then i cry to see how he's treated by his class mates.  i feel like i'm setting him up to be stomped on just for being polite and doing what is right.  I'm also in my mid 30's and went back to college last semester just so i could add some things to my resume since nowadays a b.s. alone isn't worth beans but i took my class over the internet through a local college.  i couldn't afford this semester, but next semester i'll take another class online. if i had to sit next to these people 1/2 my age with the attitudes that most seem to have i would snap. I wish being nice was as contagious as being mean.   i know there are nice people out there-but boy are they getting harder and harder to find!!!
Oh, of course, I'm certain you have the sales...

numbers right at your fingertips.  It appears you are the one how has been duped by believing the BOS is the ultimate authority.  The majority of MTs know better, and the majority of healthcare providers have never HEARD of it.  Many of us bought the book thinking it was actually useful, and newbies are told they MUST have it.  Now, mind you, they are told this by the very people who are in bed with the AAMT.


Buy into it if you will (obviously you already have).  That doesn't mean the rest of us need to do so.


ebay sales
Well, my accounts were always looked at..I had soaps, body facial products and line reducers (for face), lingerie, halloween products, kitchen products..movie videos, CDs, candles, shoes (Pay Less always has two for one or one for half price), books (you can get great used books for cheap and sell them for so much more..like a used Harry Potter..you can get a lot)..I just posted them and they were looked at..what matters is how you introduce your products..you post them and then tell about them..so you need to post good things about your products, you know, pump up your product..Yes, I truly think you can quit anything else and go ebay full time..I was thinking about that but going to the post office every day and packaging the products got to me..If I had had someone to help me, I think I could have done it..Like I posted previously, Im gonna do it again, when I move back to NY next year..There are so many surplus companies, manufacturers who will sell to you wholescale..Gosh, I had so much left off when I quit.LOL..I had purses, body jewelry, lingerie, kitchenware..you name it..I gave it all away to friends and used it for myself..Just surf for wholescale companies in the net..I loved selling on Ebay, plus you meet such nice people..I met people from England, Germany and all over the USA (through emails and phone calls)..It was a great experience..What I recommend is surf for wholesale companies and when you shop, buy two for one, go to Factory for U, Big Lots, Annas Linens, always when you shop be looking for something you can sell..Buy one get one for free always was great for me..
have a friend who does car sales

She said some banks won't finance KIAs because of that.  Way too easy to stay upside down in your financing.


 


You also may have to charge sales tax sm
depending on what state you live in. PA requires an MT to charge sales tax on work that is sent to someplace within the Commonwealth. I am exempt because my work is received from/sent to out of the Commonwealth. However, to answer the business license question, I don't have to have on for PA.
It is all about marketing and sales. Looks like they have your $$
x
Sales slip?
If you still have the sales slip, you have a good chance of returning it.
Sales Letter
Well,you could make a cute flyer with your picture in it and possibly your email and phone number. But you best bet is to dress up nice and go straight to the office manager with flyer in hand and say, "Help me get my foot in the door please?"
You are obviously young and eager with little experience. Any job at this point is your ace in the hole. So be direct and serious and leave the flyer with them. Most people just use business cards. If the local area proves fruitless, there are companies online that hire and you could get your experience that way also.
SALES PEOPLE LIE

Did you know that it is totally legal to lie?  I mean, it may be immoral and NOT right, but it is totally legal.  So, those who can profit by it, have everything to gain by lying to us and nothing to lose by being dishonest in this way.  This seems like such a simple rule of life, but it is one that did not become crystal clear to me until I became a medical Transcriptionist (and also when I bought a house, but that is another long story).  Sadly, it is my own fault for being so trusting and gullible.


Six years ago, I was incredibly naive and fell for the STUFF that was feed to me by the people selling the CS course.  They offered me was seemed at the time to be hope.  In reality, they took advantage of my state of neediness.


I graduated from CS almost 4 years ago.  I work my butt off, sometimes as many as 3 jobs at a time, and my gross income last year was a pathetic $21,000!!!  I have one adult child who takes care of himself.


So, I wish this woman, the one with the 5 children with one being a special needs child and her husband in Iraq, much luck, and I hope she has a great support system.


 


 


PA Sales Tax - HEADS UP PA MTs

Everyone has to know about this. I posted this on the tax board, too.


How desperate are the governors getting? PA sent out tax forms to everyone that bought cigarettes from a Native American reservation and they want their tax money. One woman in PA was hit up for over $4,800 and last week, they slapped a Sheriff's Sale sign on her property.


Now, my DH received a letter today. They want anyone in business who bought anything from out-of-state companies (office supplies, equipment, tools, etc.) that don't reciprocate taxes to PA, to pay up. This doesn't just apply to last year. This goes all the way back to 1981!!! Since when, since records do not have to be kept after a certain amount of years, how can they do this?  DH doesn't have to worry about it that much. He usually always buys in PA.


I certainly do not have any receipts back to 1981 when I was an IC!


It's bad enough the governor is "threatening" to raise property taxes if he can't pass the higher income tax, but now this. I think our state government should stop the spending like he's always done. We're broke, yet he keeps handing out money.


Out-of-state sales tax question
I would have posted on the other thread, but it is gone already. My apologies.

Do any MTSOs charge sales tax to out-of-state clients? Long before transcription, I worked for a company that did not charge sales tax on product sold out of state but did charge sales tax for any services peformed on-site, even for out-of-state customers. They insisted if the service was performed in the state, they needed to charge sales tax. I have been subcontracting out of state and every time I called to get a sales tax license they would very nicely tell me to stuff it until I got an in-state customer. Now I have just gotten my first out-of-state account (direct client) and want to make absolutely sure I should not charge sales tax for my service.

Thank you.
Idea for sales letter
What do you all this of this? I just graduated, and I want to market to doctor's offices. I made a flyer to send. I thought I would also send a sales letter that is formatted like a SOAP. I don't know how much competition I will have, and I'm trying to stand out. Too silly? Any comments?
VR demo - not a sales pitch

You need to have the Windows Media Player loaded onto your system to view the video. It takes about 30 seconds to load and is about one minute in length.


I think after you watch it you'll understand why so many medical professionals (i.e. doctors) are switching over to speech recognition.


If you're an IC, you should be charging PA sales tax as well. sm
I know there are A LOT of PA MT's who are not doing this, making it more difficult for those on the up-and-up. However, if you are providing MT services to anyone other than a non-profit (with valid PA Sales Tax exemption), then you should be charging the 6% State Sales Tax and filing a Sales Tax Return.

The Use Tax issue that started this post has been in place for a long time, it's just that the Commonwealth has decided to become more aggressive in their pursuit of this lost revenue stream.
Unfortunately it is legal..so yes it is business and they will continue with bad business practices
x
If you have a Paypal account, pay to sales@mtstars.com. Thank you!
/
PA requires you to charge sales tax on your work...
if you send your completed work to a MT company or doctor within PA.  However, I send my work out of state, so I don't have to charge sales tax and I don't need a license.  I had asked someone at one of the companies I IC for and she said that she had heard of that before from one of the other girls.  When I lived in WA state, I had a business license from the state and had to file every year.  The sales tax thing was a real shock to hear at first!  
hit some yard sales early in the morning

This belongs on classifed board, for sales
x
Did you see the story about bake sales/childhood obesity?

From the AP out of Minneapolis. "Study links bake sales, weight problems."


Puhleez. What next?


When are the "Diet Police" going to stop and realize that the majority of the obesity "problem" among children begins at home? Who gives these kids the money to go eat at McDonalds and loads their cupboards with junk food anyway?


Sure my kids like sweets and they like McDonalds, but monitor and moderation goes a long way.


Something tells me that a pencil sale just isn't going to bring in that much cash flow.


I've never heard of sales tax being charged for a service, only
for a tangible product.  
Garage sales, consignment stores, coupons
If your income for the prior year is below 24,000 in Calif., you are eligible for 20% discount on gas/elec. Also, if your income is less than 12,000/yr, you are eligible for food bank visits once a month which total about $120.00. It has been six years since I went down this road, so the figure may have changed.

After a divorce, major surgery and no job, I found myself penniless. I had yard sales daily. Went to swap meets and sold my things there. Also, took my finer clothes to a consignment shop. Used coupons to determine what I would be eating. Thank God, I had no children.

I think when you have kids, you really need a nest egg of some sort that is absolutely untouchable.

This sounds like a temporary situation if you price your home to sell.
Try ebay, yard sales, Recycled Software or BuyCheapSoftware.com
to find inexpensive software. Also, see if you can find a newer version of MS Works because I think it comes with Word now, or you can buy a standalone version of Word without springing for MS Office.

For that matter, wait until you find a job before worrying about it. Not everybody uses MS Word, and some companies provide their own software for you to use. What about going back to Medware or another company that provides software and/or equipment?
I hate crowds. Big sales bring out the worst in people.
I tried it twice several years ago. Never again. People were just rudely shoving everyone else around trying to get from store to store to gather up all the freebies or super deals.

We tried to go to the movies instead, but all the Harry Potter matinees were sold out. Again.
I made my business your business by posting and...
I totally respect everyone's opinions. It is easier for others on the outside looking in. That's why I pushed the "post reply" button yesterday. I trust my fellow MTs and I know the more I read from you all, the more confident I am becoming. I just need that final push, not from him though. I also wanted to let you all know that the physical abuse while I was pregnant was documented by my doctor and the hospital. I only wish I had known then that it is a felony to abuse a pregnant woman. I also photographed my face from a couple of weeks ago and told several people in my circle. I had such high hopes for us. Now...not so much. I'm not saying that I won't try to get him to church, but I realize that God can only do so much for someone who isn't listening. j
Business is business. Internet forums are
.
For a business ad?! A business that deals
''Transcriptsis'' x2

''with good track record''

''serve our clients of all sizes'' (I know what they mean, but I just think the wording is funny)

''strive to achieve highest possible quality'' (once again, they never met an 'article' that they didn't hate)

''all departments including H&P...'' (or a comma, for that matter)

Thank you ghost! So true! So true! More than one person!
xx
Yer crackin' me up! True, true, true! nm
x
ROFL!! true, so true! nm
nm
true, true but out of about 90 flicks....1 or 2...nm

true, true - but what you see as arrogance...sm

I think a lot of people go the extreme -


so, if I had to be one way or the other (being a humble extremist myself...*LOL*), I'd rather have too much self-esteem than not enough (been there, done that the first 30 years!!! *L*).  And I am a truly humble person, been recognized for just that.....but because of *been there, done that* - and all sorts of therapies (not drug therapies), some end up the other way.  Oh well, this was a fun couple of posts - so I thought.


Gave me much to chew on :)  Have fun!  


True but to say there are no good MTs not true.
asdf
ROFLMAO!!!! so true! so true!
Everybody sees it but her, though! I love it! Thanks for the giggle! ":^)
Is that really any of your business?
I would think that it would be very wrong of you to spread the information you found on Google while searching for the patient's name. Are you 100% certain that it is the exact same person you are transcribing? Even seemingly oddball names can be duplicated and how would you look spreading around gossip? Even if it is court-documented, it really is not your story to tell, IMO. I would love to know who is telling you to put it on the news. That is about the craziest thing I've heard in a while, although quite good for a laugh.
MT business
It depends on how large a business you want.  There are still some small accounts, (10,000 to 18,000 lines) per month that are still on tape that you can get.  Also the digital is not that hard but I will not pay for anyone to transfer my files, I can do that.   I do not have a phone in system but if someone were to ask I would probably start out with the ones that charge so much per minute and use their system until I knew for sure the account was staying.   Where are you located, have you networked with anyone in the area?  Are you set up for tapes as well as digital?  If you start out alone, you have no back-up, you have to do everything.  When you hire I/C's sometimes they are dependable and sometimes not.   You will not earn much off of them if you want to keep your accounts.   You will not be able to charge as high as the larger companies nor go after the larger accounts at first.   It is a fine line as to having enough help and enough work and that is why you hear the complaints all the time, "We have run out of work" as you have no control over how much or when a doctor dictates or if he takes time off.  But would I give it up, probably not as the money is good to me.   You can E-mail me with any specific questions, I have been doing my own small MTSO for over 20 years.   Been through it all, ups, downs, good times, bad times, and everyting in between.   My accounts have been with me from 6 years to 20 years so I feel that they are pretty stable. 
Well I am sorry that you are using this business as sm
your excuse, but hospitals pay their people for holidays and if by chance you have to work them, they pay you time and a half.

I do not know why a business owner cannot take these things into consideration when setting up a business. This is a business just like any other business and if you have employees, those employees need to be given the same consideration as any other business. IC status is different, but I find using the nature of this business as an excuse just a little weak.

A good business head would enable you to provide benefits for your employees and if you have already made up your mind it does not, then I think probably it is because maybe you need someone else to do that figuring for you.

I am not being mean in saying these things, but even small business owners I know are able to work it out that a holiday is a holiday (whether you have to work it or not) and an employee needs to be compensated in some manner. To me, there is no excuse for not doing so.
new business
My opinion would be to let them either work at home or at the company.  I prefer to work at home, but some people may not.  As far the pay issue--when I started doing transcription I made .06 cpl and I think that is a fair rate.  Hope I helped
This is really none of my business, and I know that,
but the more I read of your story, the more absurd it becomes to even think of staying with this man.  I'm truly sorry.  I know how hard it is to leave, as I had to that in my former life, and believe me I wanted my marriage to last "til death do us part," but that ain't always possible.  I too TRUST in the Lord with ALL of MY HEART and SOUL, and as I said, sometimes it just ain't possible.  The Lord will guide you through this.  Guess it is just that as an outsider it is easier to see the forest for the trees.
Been there on business
I used to work retail management and my company had a resort there. I have been there several times to meetings and we always had some time to do things. I always enjoyed it and would like to go some day just for pleasure. There is lots to do there.