I am not sure if this is the right place to post. Please accept my apologies if this is the wrong area.
Have been a commissioned NP since January 2023. I am very new and was wondering if there are any notaries out there willing and able to mentor. I will do some research on the topic and have been using the search function to do some much needed research. I tried registering for RON under Notarize but found out Notarize is not doing on demand online notarization for PA just yet. Honestly, it took the wind out of my sails. I went ahead this year and studied and passed the test for NSA. I wanted to do this online instead of being a mobile notary. Trying to see how to advertise myself since I am still waiting on my first job. Have patience at the ready but do feel a bit drained. How are you guys doing? Any advice you could spare would be well received gratefully.
@HEATHERLEEHENRY Welcome to the Notary Cafe forum. There is a GOLDMINE of data, insightful guidance, & very helpful information immediately available via the Search Function. Within your post you’ve identified that you’ve been using the Search Function, but have you found the page of more than 50+ threads that are specifically on your topic of Mentoring (see direct Notary Cafe url link below)?
I’d like to begin by offering a simple comparison: There is a very large difference between being an employee and becoming a business owner.
As a business owner, from the onset, you’re going to be pretty much flying solo; that is, unless you have a family member that is within this business sector. There are no Manuals of Desk Instructions [MDIs] as one may find as an employee nor any more experienced fellow employees there to train you.
The standards of practice that you’re seeking are to be found by being curious and seeking training & certifications on your own as a professional business owner who strives to provide professional services to your clients.
I strongly recommend a comprehensive training program that also has an option of mentorship with a proven track record of success. I’ve successfully completed a myriad of training courses/programs through about ten different training organizations. The one that has served me the best over the years has been the Notary2Pro Training & Mentorship. I’ve successfully completed all Carol’s certifications.
For additional information on my direct experiences, please reference this post:
If you’re seeking guidance & insights that are broad-sweeping and that will steer your course appropriately covering all the topics for a successful business, it’s Carol Ray at Notary2Pro hands down. Unfortunately, Carol passed [February of 2022] from our earthly plane. I hope she Rests In Peace. I’m grateful to have made her acquaintance and studied under her tutelage. It’s my understanding that her children are moving forward with the continuation of her legacy & providing these valuable professional services.
DISCLAIMER: I’ve paid the full fee for all the training I’ve successfully completed with Carol. I receive no compensation or remuneration of any kind for sharing my experience utilizing what she taught me.
Remember that launching a business as a Signing Agent isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon!
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As it pertains to locating a potential mentor, here is some valuable insight:
Good information provided by others. Elephant in the room real estate business is slow right now so actually came on board at the wrong time. Hopefully, business will pick up later in the year. Good luck in your venture.
@HEATHERLEEHENRY -as stated, not the best time to start this business BUT, that said…
If you go to the bar up top to the right hear your avatar, hover over that area you’ll find a magnifying glass for searching this site - do a search for VIPNotaryCO - some time ago she posted some very good information about companies to connect with and possibly work with your RON.
Best of luck - I hope this pans out for you. In the meantime, you are so new I would hone your skills as a notary - market your GNW (General Notary Work) to schools, hospitals, nursing facilities, etc etc - make sure you know your notary laws COLD as, trust me, you WILL be tested to do something not authorized or begged to make an exception “just this one time, help us out”. Beware of that and stick to your guns - just say no.
In my area, there’s some Notaries recently graduated from LSS Academy and another entities teaching Notaries about the wonders of six figure earnings doing real estate signings, these Notaries are not interested in GNW because they got trained for LSA, NSA, activities, the sad thing is that they invested a great deal in time and money and the reality is the market is dry.
Thank you for your advice Mannie!. It is much appreciated. I would like very much to hone my skills and I definitely need to get out there. I am weary of making mistakes as a newbie~!
Im about an hour out of Puttsburgh. RON is a tough sale for me. You can go to snapdocs website and also search for notaries in your area and then look them up to connect. There are also PA notary groups on Facebook. Doing RON closings as a new agent is almost impossible. You really should go out and get some pen and paper ones under your belt first. There are still counties in PA not accepting the electronic mortgages anyway. Blair County is for sure one of them. Amrock is big on electronic closings but has not been taking PA notaries on for a while now. I hope this is of some assistance to you. Good luck from an Indiana County neighbor.
