June 4th has been a bit of slow for my taste. I have seen 40 to 50 notifications in the last four days. My calendar only has one RON signing order scheduled, and that’s it. I have seen so many low-paying orders that require driving 20 miles or more. I’ve seen a ton of orders from BlueNotary for $5 to $10 each. For the most part, the BlueNotary orders require me to attach a loose certificate to comply with Florida requirements, and the competition to obtain these BN’s orders has been like playing the slot machine and losing. This gig is not for the faint of heart. Being a notary takes mental fortitude to survive the slow times. I plan to use this lull as an opportunity to focus on generating more business, which is the only way to stay busy. Got to keep the “funnel” filled or go broke. It’s also time for my annual recertification and background check. It’s a tough gig, but working as a solo-entrepreneur serial business owner can also be rewarding. It requires grit, grind, and determination. I will just keep on pushing…
This gig lately reminds me of an old joke about the difficulties of doing a job: Keep your nose to the grindstone, your eye on the ball, your foot on the pedal and your shoulder to the wheel…and now try getting the job done in that position.
7 assignments this week. Lots of requests for next week. Multitudes of distance requests because I think fewer and fewer notaries in this region are doing the travel assignments. Still not doing RON. I wish I had a thousand bucks to fix my AC. That will be a headache the next two months. Hope I can get that repair saved for. And so it goes.
@johnsonps306, I totally get you! It’s hard when you have to wait for money, but you still need it NOW. Like, we all have been there, right? Just a month ago, I had to spend $1,800 plus for auto repairs. That made me have to give myself a loan to pay for those repairs. But life is life and the more we make, the more we spend, it seems. To avoid situations like that, I’ve tried keeping $3,000–$4,000 of accounts receivable in the pipeline, because I never know when something financially disastrous is going to pop up. And let me tell you, it doesn’t take long! You don’t have to wait for a problem either. It’s my thoughts, that we can create the solutions needed today. As an exercise, we might want to try this: We can focus on abundance daily. I do that twice daily, speaking to the universe. I ask for more than enough, and then I get out there and execute. I plant seeds and till the business fields for the people who need my services. It’s rather simple, my mission is to help people enhance their lives. I’m available if you want to chat about this, just let me know.
I have a phone interview next week. I’d like to work full time another 7-10 years.
I’m two years into a debt management plan because I tried using credit cards to bridge the gap and got myself into a world if hurt doing that. So another year and that seven hundred bucks a month doesn’t leave my account every month. That will be enormous.
I never imagined this is where I would be ten years ago but life is what happens while we’re planning life. I’m grateful for how well I am doing but my poor car is beat to heck. Last year I replaced an AC part and this year it’s the compressor. I doubt anyone trying gig work really understands the true cost of the wear and tear on a car. People tell me they want to do Instacart and I tell them - you will never make enough to cover the cost of keeping your car on the road. The guy who has worked on my car says “this Chevy model was junk when it was new get another car”. I owe way too much - that’s not going to happen. I just say a little prayer every day that it’s going to keep going down the road. Maybe it will last until it’s paid for fingers crossed.
I have good receivables coming in - my months have steadily climbed in volume this year. And it’s good to be reminded that things are better for me than for so many. I am trying to focus on that these days.
The end of last month high, has the slow begining of this month, has me feeling down. ugh
I have seen the low offers pour in. Granted, I have stayed consistent with closings, but I notice same-day closings requests are happening more and more often. It is hard to make a schedule.
I am RON certified, but I find more work as a mobile notary than in any other capacity. I also receive calls from my Google Business line for general Notary work.
I would recommend adding a Field Agent to your resume. Most of the time you just have to take pictures and/or a video of a property. Easy money. The pay ranging from $40-$85
I would concur low ball signings by everyone. I just can’t work for 40 and $50 when the drive time is more than an hour away and more than 100 pages plus include a copy for the signer. I’ve just been rejecting them all.
I don’t understand how these title companies are continuing to squeeze us for the fee, when everything in price is going up. The same title company that used to pay me $125 for a refi 5 years ago, wants to pay me $85 now. Same docs, same size package, reasonable drive. Yet, the cost of gas, paper, pretty much everything has gone up at least 30% since 5 years ago.
The day before yesterday, I called Mortgage Connect and told them to disable automatic notifications. I would get 40+ notification a day for orders sometimes 50 miles away for $45-$50. I asked if they could filter notifications by a fee threshold, or by distance. I was told “no”. For mortgage connect, you are either getting auto notifications, or not. So I disabled them since they were all low-ball and distracting.
@NobleInk The untenable lowball Fees continue to be proffered by business entities because SOME accept working at a FINANCIAL LOSS.
There is one training program (used car salesman/hawking 6-figures) that strongly recommends trainees ACCEPT lowball Fees “just to gain experience.”
This misguided recommendation not only sets up the trainees for FINANCIAL FAILURE, but also has DEGRADED the Fees all across the nation over the past few years . . .
Unfortunately, those who are new to this business sector are unaware of the Epic Fail that the misguided recommendation establishes for their future.
Review this thread for additional information:
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As I often express on a regular basis on the Notary Cafe forum threads:
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Calculate your own individualized Schedule of Fees - review the following thread 🤩 IMPORTANT => Guideline for Creating Your Schedule of Fees
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Adhere to your established Fees to ensure your financial stability and business success
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Ensure that your training & certification are from a reliable, well-established training program; i.e., Notary2Pro.com so that as a Professional Signing Agent [PSA] the services you provide are
percent ACCURATE 
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Share with the business entities that are proffering lowball Fees the reason you’re unable to Accept the Operating-At-A-Loss (in the Red) Fees to ensure their cognizance
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Diversify your business as I (& a few other PSAs) often express across multiple Notary Cafe forum threads to ensure your business Success & longevity
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NOTE: Review this Notary Cafe thread for additional information regarding diversification of your business:
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I don’t understand the continual complaining about low fees, when countering offers works and lets notaries sustain fees that don’t lose money. Just don’t go below you’re required fee. If notaries did that, the offers would change. Wouldn’t they?
@johnsonps306 Agreed ===>>> the offers SHOULD change.
The difficulty is that there will always be some new Professional Signing Agents [PSAs] who believe the “hype” of the used car salesman/6-figures misguided recommendation to accept the lowball fees . . .
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As I’ve often expressed, what works in YOUR locale DOESN"T work in other regions of the US.
Just because YOU’RE successful with counteroffers, certainly doesn’t mean it will work in all regions. Yes, definitively DO counteroffer! with the caveat that each business owner needs to ensure they’re not Operating-At-A-Loss.
There are business entities that you express usually accept your counteroffer - however, those are the SAME businesses that NEVER accept counteroffers in other regions. 
I presume in those instances that it’s due to PSA SATURATION in those regions where negotiation ISN’T honored . . . You’re lucky to be in your region!
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I think record of performance is also a factor. I avoid terms like never in this business. There’s a negativity here that doesn’t help anyone. JMO.
@NobleInk Concur percent! 
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