Web URL: www.prosandcommas.com
Years in Business: 35
Type of Business: transcription
Works: 100% virtually
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/Pros.Commas
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/Donnette-Cowgill
Twitter ID: @Donnette8676

Ruth: Welcome to The Naked VA blog Donnette. It’s great to have you here. Tell us about Pros & Commas.

Donnette: Simply put Pros & Commas is strictly transcription (and no medical).

Ruth: What led you to get started in your business?

Donnette: Like so many, I didn't want to go back to work after my son was born.

Ruth: I understand. A woman’s entrepreneurial spirit is often driven by her lifestyle. Moms are fabulous entrepreneurs. In fact recent surveys are indicating that nearly half of all businesses in the United States are owned by a successful woman entrepreneur. The U.S. Census envisions that women entrepreneurs and female business networks will both remain dominant, comprising of over 50% of all business in the United States in the next several years. Many women entrepreneurs with home-based and service-related businesses will eventually shift to the information technology industry, making this once male-dominated commerce to be one of equal gender appeal.

Donnette, have you had a mentor to support for you along the way?

Donnette: I had one boss when I was in my late teens/early 20s who believed in me in a way no one else ever had. He did wonders for my self-esteem. Then, very shortly after opening my office, I learned of a local networking group, Professional Association of Secretarial Services. I attended every monthly meeting and sat there like a sponge soaking up every bit of knowledge I could.

Ruth: What bit of advice for someone considering a virtual career such as yours would you share?

Donnette: Persevere. It's not always an easy profession to start, but the rewards for tenacity are abundant.

Ruth: So true. What advice would you give someone seeking a transcriptionist such as yourself?

Donnette: While transcription seems like a narrow field and "what's so hard about that?" a good transcriber doesn't just take your words and put them on paper. We do research into the subject matter of the audio. We verify names, companies, products of the companies where mentioned. We tailor the transcript to meet your specific needs: Do you need strict verbatim -- every uh, duh, and er? We can do that. Do you want verbatim with slight cleanup? We can do that. Do you need it grammatically correct? Not a problem.

We always proof every transcript to audio and try to have the transcript proofed by other than the one who transcribed. It's so easy to see what you want to see when you've transcribed it. It's new material to new ears and errors are often caught this way. Pros & Commas takes great pride in making sure deadlines are met.

Ruth: All good things to know when needing transcription services. Any last comments you’d like to share with our readers, Donnette?

Donnette: Prioritize. Quoting Mary Kay Ash: God, family, business. And remember the Golden Rule of Business: Treat your customers/clients/team members/subcontractors as you would want to be treated.

Ruth: Thanks so much for chatting with me, Donnette.

Pros & Commas provides highest quality office support with cutting edge hardware and software to allow you to meet your deadlines. Whatever your transcription needs, Donnette is here to help you get the job done right and on time. Contact her via her website to get started.

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About The Naked VA Blog

The Naked VA blogsite [www.thenakedva.com] is authored by Ruth Martin of Maplewood Virtual Assistance. The blog and site are focused toward virtual professionals of varying niche specialties.