Fees are published on my company's website. They are tiered and are non-negotiable.
Fees for things like affidavits, jurats, oaths/affirmations, cert copies, etc. are generally set by the state. You can not charge more than that per notarized page rate depending on your state's laws/regulations. What you can charge for is your travel, after hour services fee, etc. when dealing with individuals.
Make it clear that you are not charging more than what your state allows for notarizing. Line item the fees if necessary on invoices to avoid confusion.
Typical SA B2B scenarios usually understand that those per notarized page fees are included in the cost of your services.
Again... check with your state or legal counsel on accounting requirements.
My base fee for each type of document includes a max page count, a max round-trip mileage count, etc. Mileage above the my max RT receives a per mile charge. Page counts above the base max raises the fees to the next max and so on. Fax/Scan backs are considered add-on services that also have a separate fee. Return trips due to changes, title or other party errors have fees. Reprint of paper work for any reason other than my error is a fee
My office hours are 8 AM - 5 PM. If a signing will not be completed, faxed/scanned/dropped by 5 it is considered after hours. That increases the fee again,
There is a cost of operating your business. You pay for paper, ink, vehicle maintenance, gas, technology, phone service, internet service, rent/lease/mortgage, etc. All of that needs to be accounted for in your fees before you begin charging for your time and expertise.
My business demands that I am compensated for any use of my resources (time, equipment, knowledge & skill sets).
We provide multiple services & have a print setup similar to what you will see when walking into a FedEx Kinkos. Thanks to that I know exactly how much $$$ is put into printing.
I have seen SAs "make" 4000.00 in a month based on deposits. After taking the time to show them how little they are actually profiting I leave it to them to change or continue to fail.
My fees cover my cost of operation and has my preferred profit margin included.
Yes... I have been told that my rates are too high from time to time. Just like us... signing co's have profit margins they try to reach. Most of them are more than willing to conduct business at a loss to you.
Contacting me to "offer" 85.00 for a closing is so far removed from increasing my bottom line that it's insulting. They are automatically rejected.
I regularly get calls from companies who rejected my fees just to have me go to fix errors. You get what you pay for.
The base line... This if YOUR business. YOU need to know your cost. YOU determine your margin of profit. Stick to your rates. Expand your offerings. Signing work should not be the only line of income you have.
DO NOT under value your services and DO NOT let another party under value it.
