By Jackie Herter, CPS, CERT,
Kodiak Reporting & Transcription, Kodiak, AK,
jackie@kodiakreporting.com

Are you listening to your customers’ needs? Are they looking for an audio file to compare to the transcript? Would they like to click on a word in the transcript and go right to the audio? Would you like an economical solution to synching a video tape with a transcript? Do all your clients know the benefits of e-transcript and clicking on a word in the index that takes you to its use in the transcript? Are you sending your e-transcripts securely with password protection? Are you using FTP and the Internet to safely share work? Do you have a system for project management, job tracking, or database management? Are you making the best use of your time? How clean is your desk today?

We are businesses as well as reporters. Our response to these questions can dictate success or failure. If you haven’t already given these questions some thought, maybe now is the time.

As a small business with a difficult market, I spend a lot of time learning, whether it is at seminars or conventions, networking with peers, reading business publications and e-zines, or taking small business development classes. Receiving daily digests of questions and answers posted on two business groups has provided answers to many questions I didn’t know I had. Information you share with others comes back to you tenfold.

While you’re honing your reporting skills, don’t neglect your business skills, too. There are many resources on the Internet as well as within the professional organization of your choice. Different reporting methods may have different solutions, but the end result should still be what the customer wants.

If you’re interested in possible solutions to the above list, let me know. I’d be happy to share what I’ve learned or refer you to someone with more expertise in the area you need.