At this time we’ve got Caitlin Pyle, Founding father of Transcript ProofreadAnywhere, stopping by to introduce us to the distinctive work from home alternative of court docket transcript proofreading. Caitlin has been working from house proofreading for court docket reporters since 2012. At this time she is sharing how she obtained began and you’ll too.

What was your motivation to make money working from home?

I crave autonomy relating to work and the way I’m going about my day. I’ve recognized since I used to be in highschool that I didn’t wish to should 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 go away earlier than 5:00pm for any purpose with out making preparations two weeks forward of time. It felt like a jail to me! We’d really 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/must take a nap, once I do my chores — it was so exhausting getting all of it carried out earlier than 8:00am or after 5:00pm, or squeezing it in throughout my lunch hour. And we solely obtained 10 paid days off a yr. If we wanted greater than that, it was a difficulty. Truthfully, I don’t know the way I did it for therefore lengthy! I’m additionally an avid traveler. With the ability to work from wherever permits me to choose up and go every time I would like. My husband and I are heading to Ecuador for a 12-month keep this summer time — simply because we will! We’re each past excited and I’m so grateful I’ll be capable to preserve incomes an earnings even whereas overseas.

Inform us slightly about your own home enterprise and the way it took place.

I’ve been working from house as a skilled transcript proofreader for court docket 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 court docket reporting company. I began out answering telephones, moved to transcript manufacturing, then ended up in advertising and marketing.  Other than 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 lots 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 might examine it for errors. In a enterprise that prides itself on accuracy, typos simply make you look dangerous! I took on a pair court docket reporters as purchasers whereas I used to be there, and once I departed (which, whereas not a cheerful story… it’s a juicy one!), I saved studying for them. Then, one among them informed me that I wouldn’t be capable to learn for her anymore as a result of her company required her to make use of one among “their” high quality assurance proofreaders. I obtained the hunch to ask that consumer for the contact data of the one that’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 should audition! They wanted proofreaders badly, and began sending me work the very subsequent week. I began getting just a few new purchasers right here and there, then just a few extra — folks had been passing my identify alongside! I saved accepting work and, even when it obtained traumatic, saved plowing by 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 outdated workplace. I couldn’t imagine it. I all the time say that me turning into a transcript proofreader was a complete accident, as a result of it was. I nonetheless suppose again and get chills. Although I left that court docket reporting workplace on actually dangerous phrases, I’d not be the place I’m as we speak 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?

Properly, shaggy dog story — my former boss (the one who hates me now) really gave me my first transcript to proofread! She wished 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 rather more than reply telephones for the remainder of my working life!

Is there any particular tools or expertise 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 totally different than conventional proofreading, too, so it’s necessary to be prepared to study the ropes and never suppose simply because you may spot errors that transcript proofreading might be a chunk of cake. It’s so rather more than simply spelling and grammar. In reality, more often than not, you may’t repair dangerous grammar in a transcript. We are able to’t change the report if a witness misspeaks. The court docket reporter information all the things 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 choice is an iPad mini! I paid $10 for an app that has streamlined my course of to be what I really feel is probably the most environment friendly solution to proofread in existence. I don’t advocate the printer/paper technique, particularly when you actually wish to make a residing. Some folks suppose an iPad is simply too costly, however it’s a one-time price! Ink, paper, printers, and scanners will find yourself costing rather more than an iPad over time, plus scanning each web page you appropriate again to your consumer is an extremely gradual and tedious job.

What has been your largest shock alongside the way in which?

To today, it nonetheless blows my thoughts how few folks know {that a} profession like this exists. I suppose it shouldn’t shock me, although, ’trigger I had no concept, 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 concept it was potential to earn a good earnings utilizing simply e-mail and an iPad.

If there may be one factor you would return and do over, what would it not be?

I’d’ve began sharing my information lots sooner. I proofread for 3 years earlier than I developed a user-friendly, sensible solution 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 usually by so many individuals, in 2014 I made a decision it was (lastly!) time to present them an excellent reply and develop a stable solution to educate folks 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 known as Transcript Proofreading: Idea 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 wished to proofread transcripts simply needed to, properly, wing it! Within the course, we begin college students out with the very primary stuff, comparable to what a transcript is and the way a court docket reporter creates a transcript. After we lay a basis, we transfer into the tougher subjects like the various kinds of errors you’re on the lookout for, after which the enjoyable, hands-on stuff like observe transcripts and the right way to get purchasers.

What’s one on-line enterprise instrument you fortunately pay for month after month?

I exploit 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 instrument for my enterprise! Every time I get a transcript, I instantly open FreshBooks on my iPad and enter the brand new job into my consumer’s bill. That method it’s there and it’ll get billed. I proofread for 20-30 court docket reporters every month, so holding monitor of all the things can get loopy!! FreshBooks helps me keep organized — and creating the invoices is sort of laughably simple! The customer support staff can also be tremendous responsive and useful.

Go to ProofreadAnywhere to study extra about Caitlin’s story and her proofreading from house program.