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What was your motivation to do business from home?
I crave autonomy relating to work and the way I am going about my day. I’ve identified since I used to be in highschool that I didn’t wish to must work for another person. Once I labored in an workplace after school, I completely hated the truth that I needed to be there proper at 8:00am and couldn’t depart earlier than 5:00pm for any motive with out making preparations two weeks forward of time. It felt like a jail to me! We’d truly get in bother if we clocked in at 8:03, or clocked out at 4:59. I like to have the ability to resolve for myself once I wish to work, once I need/have to take a nap, once I do my chores — it was so arduous getting all of it performed earlier than 8:00am or after 5:00pm, or squeezing it in throughout my lunch hour. And we solely acquired 10 paid days off a yr. If we wanted greater than that, it was a problem. Actually, I don’t understand how I did it for thus lengthy! I’m additionally an avid traveler. Having the ability to work from anyplace permits me to choose up and go each time I need. My husband and I are heading to Ecuador for a 12-month keep this summer season — simply because we are able to! We’re each past excited and I’m so grateful I’ll be capable of preserve incomes an revenue even whereas overseas.
Inform us a bit about your property enterprise and the way it took place.
I’ve been working from residence as a skilled transcript proofreader for courtroom reporters since 2012. I do all of my work on an iPad — though I began out utilizing a printer, paper, and a pen! I used to work in a courtroom reporting company. I began out answering telephones, moved to transcript manufacturing, then ended up in advertising and marketing. Except for the proofreading/content material writing, I hated advertising and marketing… the administration thought that advertising and marketing was the identical factor as gross sales (it’s not!), so that they despatched me out to make gross sales calls rather a lot and I used to be depressing! The workplace knew I had eagle eyes, and any commercial or content material to be distributed needed to undergo me so I may examine it for errors. In a enterprise that prides itself on accuracy, typos simply make you look unhealthy! I took on a pair courtroom reporters as shoppers whereas I used to be there, and once I departed (which, whereas not a cheerful story… it’s a juicy one!), I stored studying for them. Then, one among them informed me that I wouldn’t be capable of learn for her anymore as a result of her company required her to make use of one among “their” high quality assurance proofreaders. I acquired the hunch to ask that shopper for the contact data of the one who’d informed her that. She gave it to me, and I despatched off a request to “audition” as a top quality assurance proofreader for her company. I didn’t even must audition! They wanted proofreaders badly, and began sending me work the very subsequent week. I began getting a number of new shoppers right here and there, then a number of extra — individuals have been passing my title alongside! I stored accepting work and, even when it acquired anxious, stored plowing by way of it. My pace and stamina elevated over time and earlier than I knew it, I used to be proofreading 20-25 hours every week and incomes double what I’d been making as a advertising and marketing supervisor at my previous workplace. I couldn’t consider it. I all the time say that me changing into a transcript proofreader was a complete accident, as a result of it was. I nonetheless assume again and get chills. Though I left that courtroom reporting workplace on actually unhealthy phrases, I’d not be the place I’m at this time with out that depressing job — so I even have an odd sense of gratitude towards my former boss.
What was your first step in getting began?
Effectively, joke — my former boss (the one who hates me now) truly gave me my first transcript to proofread! She needed to see if I used to be any good. I used to be very good. That was once I was nonetheless working as a receptionist. After I learn that first transcript, I can nonetheless keep in mind the intestine feeling I had that I used to be going to finish up doing way more than reply telephones for the remainder of my working life!
Is there any particular tools or abilities required?
You will need to have endurance and a really sturdy eye for element. Your eyes don’t go over errors simply. Transcript proofreading is kind of a bit completely different than conventional proofreading, too, so it’s necessary to be keen to be taught the ropes and never assume simply because you may spot errors that transcript proofreading can be a chunk of cake. It’s so way more than simply spelling and grammar. The truth is, more often than not, you may’t repair unhealthy grammar in a transcript. We are able to’t change the report if a witness misspeaks. The courtroom reporter information every little thing word-for-word.
As for particular tools, you simply want a pc and entry to the web/e-mail. You’ll be able to print transcripts out and mark them up by hand, or use a pc to do it. My private desire is an iPad mini! I paid $10 for an app that has streamlined my course of to be what I really feel is essentially the most environment friendly strategy to proofread in existence. I don’t advocate the printer/paper technique, particularly when you actually wish to make a residing. Some individuals assume an iPad is simply too costly, however it’s a one-time value! Ink, paper, printers, and scanners will find yourself costing way more than an iPad over time, plus scanning each web page you right again to your shopper is an extremely gradual and tedious activity.
What has been your largest shock alongside the way in which?
To today, it nonetheless blows my thoughts how few individuals know {that a} profession like this exists. I suppose it shouldn’t shock me, although, ’trigger I had no thought, both! However there’s by no means been a time once I’ve met somebody new that, after they ask me what I do for a residing, had any thought it was doable to earn an honest revenue utilizing simply e-mail and an iPad.
If there may be one factor you possibly can return and do over, what would it not be?
I’d’ve began sharing my information rather a lot sooner. I proofread for 3 years earlier than I developed a user-friendly, sensible strategy to share my technique with others.
The place do you advocate others getting began in your trade flip for assist?
As a result of I discovered myself getting requested “How can I get began?” so typically by so many individuals, in 2014 I made a decision it was (lastly!) time to provide them reply and develop a stable strategy to train individuals my craft. I based my web site, ProofreadAnywhere.com, and after many months of planning, drafting, filming, formatting, writing, rewriting, proofreading, and enhancing, in early 2015 I launched a self-paced on-line course referred to as Transcript Proofreading: Concept and Follow. It’s a step-by-step, turn-by-turn roadmap for anybody who desires to interrupt into the trade. Nothing else prefer it exists — prior to now, anybody who needed to proofread transcripts simply needed to, nicely, wing it! Within the course, we begin college students out with the very primary stuff, similar to what a transcript is and the way a courtroom reporter creates a transcript. After we lay a basis, we transfer into the tougher subjects like the various forms of errors you’re in search of, after which the enjoyable, hands-on stuff like apply transcripts and how you can get shoppers.
What’s one on-line enterprise device you fortunately pay for month after month?
I take advantage of FreshBooks Cloud Accounting. I pay for it yearly, and at over $200 a yr, it’s not low cost, however it has been an indispensable device for my enterprise! Every time I get a transcript, I instantly open FreshBooks on my iPad and enter the brand new job into my shopper’s bill. That approach it’s there and it’ll get billed. I proofread for 20-30 courtroom reporters every month, so maintaining observe of every little thing can get loopy!! FreshBooks helps me keep organized — and creating the invoices is sort of laughably straightforward! The customer support crew can also be tremendous responsive and useful.
Go to ProofreadAnywhere to be taught extra about Caitlin’s story and her proofreading from residence program.