This month..

Wow! The New Year is with us already! And what can I say that others haven't already?

• The New Year Begins
• Transcriptions - a service provided
• Thought for the Day

The New Year Begins...

If you read my blog you will have seen my post about New Year's Resolutions and Goal Setting. I see these as two very different actions. New Year's Resolutions seem to be something that people say they'll do but rarely stick to. Setting a goal is something that usually has an end date, and can be measured. I believe that if you write down your goals and then have them visible so you see them regularly (daily is good) they'll usually be achieved.

I encourage you to write down what you would like to achieve and then revisit that written goal regularly. If it's foremost in your mind then things are going to happen that will help you achieve your goals. Your mind becomes like a magnet and is drawn towards things that you might ordinarily miss noticing. It's what the reticular activation system or the RAS is about and it works. What you think about you are drawn towards - why not try it for yourself?

Don't forget I am available to speak to women's groups, mother's groups, and church groups around Australia throughout 2008. My presentation is about women working at home and being present for their families - which is the topic of my recently published book and is a subject very close to my heart. If you know of such an organisation or group seeking a speaker on this particular topic, please do let me know, or forward my details to them. My speaker's website is KathieThomas.com or you can download my flyer to pass on. I am also hoping to travel to the US this year on the same quest.

Transcription - a service provided

Many of you know that our Virtual Assistants provide admin/secretarial type support and many web-based services. But did you know we also have many experienced transcriptionists on our team? If you go to our search page and enter in 'transcription' you'll find a number listed and you can scroll through the list and contact any of those listed, or fill out a request on our website and it will go out to our whole team.

Many people do not realise that 1 hour of recording does not equal 1 hour of typing. And transcription is a specialised skill - just because someone can type doesn't mean they're cut out to be a transcriptionist. As well as typing from a recording, be it from a tape, or a digital file on the computer, there are a number of things that can affect how quickly the recording can be typed. This includes: speed of speech, background noise, terminology, accents, more than one voice, clarity and so on. The common ratio for transcribing is between 1:3 and 1:6, i.e. 3 to 6 hours of typing for every one hour of recording.

The experienced transcriptionist knows how to achieve the best for your recording and will usually include proofing and playing back the recording to check what they've typed in their quote. So, as you can see, it doesn't take a lot for one hour of recording to become a task that takes a few hours.

Rates vary considerably too - those who type faster will charge higher, and then some will charge a rate per audio hour and others per typed hour. So when requesting a transcription to be done, be sure you are clear on what the rate is and how it is being charged.

In the past year there have been a couple of books, several blogs and media articles published relating to securing Virtual Assistant services at some of the auction/bid sites. I often see people recommending getting their transcription work done there at very cheap prices. Whilst there might be genuine transcriptionists on those sites you do need to check the credentials of anyone who responds to your project request and if possible, ask for samples of their work so you can be sure you are getting the quality you are seeking. The benefit of seeking a transcriptionist through a Virtual Assistant organisation or via a Transcription company is that members are usually screened and their skills verified. Placing a job request at our VA site is an easy process and you can be sure of receiving responses from those experienced in this field.

New Year Gifts

Some people I know give out New Year gifts to clients, rather than Christmas gifts. If you are one of those people, then why not visit our VAShop which might just have what you're looking for. We have books, mousepads, web hosting, and online courses. They can be ordered online, some delivered electronically, some by mail, but the best part of all is that you don't have to go and line up in aisles in stores or the post office!

Have a great month everyone and if you've not yet returned back to work, then enjoy the time you have on leave!

Kathie M. Thomas

Thought for the day:

We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. 
~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

About Our Organisation…

What is a Virtual Assistant?
It's a term for home-based secretaries, administrative and secretarial support, and others who supply remote or virtual office support.

We are as close to you as your computer and can do almost anything traditional support staff do - except virtually. You don't need to provide office space, equipment, software or furniture - we have our own!

Location no issue as the work is carried out 'virtually' no matter where you are!  However, if you need someone locally we can supply. See our list at VA Directory

We have a new resource for the VA Industry called VANetwork News. If you're interested in what's happening, or would like to know more about the industry, then please do visit!