Please, don’t worry about what other notaries say. You get your experience and don’t worry about “watering down the industry”. The industry will weed itself out. Don’t let others tell you how to work or what to accept. A good notary sees the big picture, a good notary understands that he/she must establish a good relationship with a company.
You ARE NOT part of the problem and don’t let anyone tell you that you are. You keep doing you. NOBODY in these forums are paying your bills.
She’s already operating in the red and you’re encouraging her to continue to do so - all due respect but I don’t see the logic in that philosophy. Yes she may have to take lower fees - but my God there’s a limit; a company that wants someone to travel 80 miles plus for chump change - how can you encourage that?? Other than for self-serving purposes - so someone else takes the low fees and leaves the better fees for someone else.
If she already knows she’s paying them to do the signing and is in the red…it’s time to re-evaluate her fee structure.
JMO
I understand the frustration, Linda. keep in mind those 80 mile away jobs you can always turn them down you are not obligated to take them, EVER. Remember we are not employees no one will fire us for saying no. That’s why we are business owners we have different concerns and worries and add to that our personal obligations. I will say one thing about this outrageously far and low paying signings, if you are new and this is what you want to do for the rest of your life as a business owner and desperately need to bulk up your resume and experience I’d say why not take those jobs. Once you have the experience and know your way around and know your worth out in this field you will become selective of the signings you do and which SS companies you choose to work with.
It’s so sad to see that many LSA and NP especially seasoned ones still have that employee mentality: it s as if they are addicted to have someone to tell them what to do. You hold the rein, you call the shots.
I’ll leave with this, being an LSA is not for the faint of heart, some will discover this is not for them and that’s fine the world won’t end there. Many are called few are chosen We need to abandon that cookie cutter mentality of equal outcomes; which is ridiculous at best and dangerous at worse. P.S. And there’s nothing wrong going back to corporate America should this not work for them.
Good post @gabrielnaranjo40 - I agree with you - but the only thing to keep in mind is this
There are so many coming into the business every day with the idea of “something is better than nothing” - once you put yourself in the bargain bin, there’s no getting out of it - because once you decide to get out there’s always someone right behind you to take your place there.
I strongly urge anyone considering self-employment (in this business or any other) - find a local SCORE office and let them help you set up a good, solid, viable business plan - one in which you don’t work in the red - the longer you work in the red, the sooner you won’t be doing this at all…one thought might be to see if you can get a part-time gig in a title office for a bit - let them pay you a reasonable salary while you learn the docs and procedures in a hands-on fashion. There’s nothing like life experience to learn from.
And it’s true - there’s no shame in saying “not for me, I’m going back to a steady job.”
Linda, whoever thinks “something is better than nothing” is doing himself so much harm in the short and long term. It’s a bad recipe to create a business. I would suggest to stop immediately because that mediocre way of thinking will get no one nowhere.
I understand that working on the red and staying there is madness. You have to see where you are going. That’s why coaching is vital. I hate to put myself as an example when I started this I was full time at my old grind and was doing LS as a side gig for the first 3 months. When I noticed I was being requested to do more LS jobs and, after careful consideration and making logical financial decisions, was I able to quit my job, because at that point, with LS, I was making the same income I was in the old job. Yes. it was amazing that in such short amount of time I was able to quit. Was I on the red? Hell Yes for the first 3 months doing this full time. Thankfully with my savings and other money I was able to sustain myself and come out of it successfully.
The beauty of this industry is that you have a community and a network that comes to your side to help you along the way. I took advantage of all of that. No, I’m not making six or seven figures yet but I have more time in hands than ever did before. I admit, my case is not typical and I think it mostly has to do with the fact that I’m single.
Please, don’t misunderstand what I said before about assignments that are far away and pay absolutely nothing. Of course it’s a bad idea to make your business with such companies FOR THE LONG RUN. I’m talking about short term, experience grabbing jobs. Remember there’s no schooling for LSA or NP (except in CA and NY) or unless you are willing to pay for those LSA gurus to tell what you already know. Ask yourself: where do you get actual experience unless you get your hands on jobs like these? I promise you not with a serious Title company.
Lastly, Linda you should stop considering new NP and LSA’s as a competition. That’s bad thinking that only makes the heart sick. YOU are your own competition. It sounds like you have been around awhile, if you honestly feel that way perhaps you’ve fallen on the complacency trap. Perhaps you landed a great gig with an SS or a Title company and without much effort from your part you were getting lots of jobs than you can handle but one day that changed because they want to pay less. Now you become resentful and start believing that others are competition. All I can say to that is that nothing is promised to us in this lifetime; we have to constantly work to keep the good going. As a business owner ask yourself this. Do you have close relationship with the people you work with? Do you make sure you thank them for their business? Do you send them gifts as tokens of gratitude? and lastly, and perhaps the silliest: Do they know you by name like they know their mother’s? Most seasoned LSA’s don’t and that’s bad business. Sorry for the long post. God bless
This forum is great and everyone seems so helpful, I can’t wait until I’m seasoned enough to help a newbie. 17 signings in 2 weeks sounds great to me. I will definitely check our express notary. What state are you in? Have you considered RON and if so can you share any insights. Thanks!
I have to disagree Linda. After my low ball, 80 mile signing today where the borrower re a d every single line word for word and asked a thousand and one questions and even called the lender 3x during the signing that took almost 3 hours for s simple refi…I will NEVER EVER do that to myself again. I left feeling used and taken advantage of. That was the last and only time I will do that again. This signing was with the closing exchange and believe me they will never get another accept hit from me unless they are coming correct. Experience be damned, my time is worth wayyyyyy more than that!!!
Ohh Ohh I am seeing that tiny monster tooth working its way out! 
. Glad you’ve learned your lesson on this one!
Agree Gabriel which is why I left corporate America to begin with, to be my own boss. After today’s horrible signing which by the way she was a dr and asked my vaccination status and made me double mask when I told her I wasn’t, she commenced to lecturing me and talking to me as if I were a 5 yr old idiot. I didn’t argue I just replied its a personal choice. After sitting there for 3 hours with her almost torturing me with questions. The final nail in the notary coffin was when I asked her to use the restroom she made me use her basement restroom because I was not vaccinated and she wanted to be sure I used a restroom away from her sanitized space. All that for $65!!! Lesson learned! I will be setting my own prices and refusing these ridiculously low offers from here on out…ugh!!!
Ha! Wait til you read my response to Gabriel. Somebody hand me a bone cause I’m ready to chomp down!!!
Wow! I am so sorry you had to go through that! Lesson learned! Looks like you are starting to grow those little monster teeth!
@gabrielnaranjo40 Thank you for your words…but there’s something you need to know (I’m thinking you’re new to this forum).
I’ve been a notary for over 40 years, was a real estate closing paralegal in CT for 25 and was a signing agent here for 13 before I decided to hang up my hat. I’m still an active notary but just don’t do loan signings - so though your words make some sense, I’d direct this to all the other new folks here…not me.
Thanks though.
Hello Lia, let me say first off you handled that situation very professionally and with a lot of patients. I only have one tip for you that may help you put a overly cautious borrower/buyer or seller at ease, I always start the signing out with ID verification then I explain the Right to Cancel form in detail. Lia those are just growing your business pains. Always remember that you hace a business and you have to run it like a business. It get easier once you learn your worth. Good luck! Louis K
From your lips to God’s ears my friend. I’m somewhat glad my first couple of signings were “difficult” cause I believe its preparation. I did explain about the rtc several times to put her at ease but this woman literally had a notebook next to her filled with figures and notes and compared EVERYTHING in the lender packet. She even read the legalese in the note and got freaked out about the transfer of debt should she die. Then she wanted the title guy to get an attorney on the phone to help her understand. I could hear him nervous as well because he couldn’t explain everything in the documents either but told her he would send an email to his Mgr. Once he hung up. I sorta took off my notary hat and put on my paralegal hat and without giving legal advice. Explained to her that I was only there to obtain wet signatures and after I leave she should obtain legal counsel to go over the packet and if something doesn’t seem right. She should exercise her rtc. It was like it went in one ear and out the other. She looked at me like a peasant and went right back to her notes:rofl:
Well let me tell you this you are just getting started tree’s don’t grow over night… this is a hustling field either you got it or you don’t and that goes for anyone who is a business owner. You are in business for yourself I’m still grinding hard after a year.It so amazing to me how some people feel to be entitled with this dream of over night success. If running a business is that easy everyone would have one.My advice to new business owners keep a job at least part time until you get steady signings under your belt take everything that comes your way because every signing company in the WORLD will know how long you been signing which means they know you are new by commission number lol and even for snapdocs platform you need at least 20 signings before you are even noticed a little bit. My advice for new guys remember you are new at this as we once all were do your research it’s not going to come to you so easily.Hang in there stay strong and positive but let’s keep realistic goals in mind as well if this is something you really want to do patience is a virtue.
Amen! I receive that! Solid advice. Thank you
My pleasure sis stay grinding what you put in you will get out also there are other ways to make money with your notary as well I’ll be releasing some if that soon as I’m done with the format lol I got you covered girl 
WOW… Sorry you had to sit throught that. As you know, you don’t have to sit there and let the signer read every document word for word. Refer them to the Right to Cancel and explain you don’t have the time for them to read the docs then call the company.
Oh that is AWESOME I believe in my state (NJ) as of yesterday, we put RON into full effect. Ive been asking if anyone thinks its worth it but I havent gotten much feedback. So far I’m already into the hole about 1k so i’ve kinda put off getting this electric stamp, but wondering if you’ve had or have RON and is it worth it?
Well I’m in utah they started in 2019 I should be starting by next week just awaiting to hear back from the boards.You should try it’s been working pretty well for a lot of states it’s not a waist if there’s a possibility of increasing your wallet lady lol and they don’t care how long you have been a notary I have a guy I work with on a platform let me know I’d you are interested I can email you his info 
