Have you guys read "Who Moved My Cheese?" If not, I highly recommend it. sm - Old MT

Posted: Apr 28, 2014

This industry doesn't pay enough anymore.  Why do you stay?  I have been in this business since the early 80s, have worked for hospitals and services and had my own accounts.  I was always able to make great money until now.  As soon as my pay dropped from what it was ($25-35/hr or more with own accounts) to about $10 an hour for a service, I was done.  I started looking and found a job in a hospital that pays a lot more, with benefits and paid time off.  Also started back to school.Anyway, in the book Who Moved My Cheese, it illustrates three types of characters:  The ones who are looking for new opportunities before the old ones dry up, the one who realizes an opportunity isn't there anymore and goes out looking for something new, and the one who is in denial and but stays at his "cheese station" with no work, hoping that someone will come and put the "cheese" back.Going back to school isn't what I wanted to do in my 50s, but I have no choice.  I know some of you are younger and have kids in school and working at home was your plan.  Why keep accepting what they are paying you (nothing!)?  It's more inconvenient to have to get a job outside of your home, but couldn't you make just as much working part time somewhere as you are working full time hours for little pay and only being paid on production?  People worked away from home before the internet and they survived.  It might even be better.  Looking back, I can see how I have changed after working at home for 20 years.  I may have been better off NOT working at home all that time.  And my days of working production were different because I was paid a fair rate.  At 7-8 cpl, I can't make a decent wage.  I'm not giving my time away.I know some of your situations are different, but please try to get out of this business.  Stop giving your time away. Stop letting transcription companies take advantage of you.  They will do it as long as you allow it.  Don't allow it.  There is something better for you.I wish transcription were still a viable option, but it's just not.  Instead of sticking around until it's too late, find something else and run with it.  If you're not making any money anyway, you might as well be doing something that doesn't suck the life out of you.