First off, if a new person were to ask for help I would ask them if they have training beyond what the NNA offers and if there answer if no then let them know they need to invest in themselves and there new career by taking and paying for the training that is out there. We can and should assist New Notaries but if they are not willing to take and pay for additional training then they are not taking being a Notary seriously. As a Notary you are self employed and if your not willing to pay for training then you really are not serious about being self employed.
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I’ve no problem ‘helping’ a new Notary get their business started. I have to be careful whom I help as I don’t to aid the competition that could pull business away from me. Too many are still buying into the 6-figure fantasy, without doing any market analysis.
These are the one’s I feel for, as many have bought into a misleading sales pitch. I had one Notary reach out to me because she couldn’t find business. Turns out she lived in an attorney only state. She broke down explaining she’d invested $1500 for her training, couldn’t turn a dime in Real Estate closing, and had no means to recover her costs.
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On HELOC’s and Cash Outs in TX the docs have to be signed @ title, attorney or lender office. No other way to do them. I will NOT notarize theses docs. Not going to waste my time.
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@susan61107 Concur 
percent with your perspective.
I’ve created several posts within the Notary Cafe forums regarding this topic. Here is an excerpt from one of them:
"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 can 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. 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.
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!"
I have no problem closing these types of loans. I’m not closing them for $85.
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Hi Riverpointe Tax.
Knowing the number of notaries in a state or even the number of notaries in the nation doesn’t convey the full story.
There are many occasional notaries included in those numbers.
Occasional notaries include notaries that use their commission just to notarize docs for their employer. They may only do 2, 5, 10 notarizations in a year. They might do an occasional notarization for a neighbor or co-worker.
Occasional notaries are not competition to notaries doing real estate, medical facilities, and home bound notarizations.
Respectfully,
Guy
People frequently tell me, I’m the only notary they found or I’m the only notary that answered my phone.
Good evening Guy,
Many Notaries are stuck in the paradigm that what happens their region, should apply universally across the nation. It usually doesn’t. There were many ‘success bombers’, on NC and other forums, bragging about how busy they were. We don’t hear from any more.
I’ve specifically addressed the number of Notaries in Texas. Texas has the lowest ratio of Notaries to Population at 1 notary to 60 citizens. California has about 30,000 notaries for 30 million citizens: 1 Notary per 1000 citizens. (these number may have changed over the last year)
Texas has an over saturation of Notaries, which dilutes the number of engagements and lowered fees due to that pesky Supply/Demand equation. I’m getting about 5 calls per week from Texas Notaries asking where should they go to find business. Another change is TCs are now open for business. The requests for mobile closings is now much more rare than it was last year. I was recently asked to pinch hit for a notary who was out of the Title Office for the day. Some of the closers travelled in excess of 50 miles to close. I could have performed a mobile closing as I was in closer proximity to where they lived. My contacts in the Title side are telling me that Notaries are in their office daily, pitching there services. Too often the swag bag and business cards end up in the trash.
Looking in to the future I’m thinking we’re several years into the future before things stabilize.
So true! Saturated for sure. I actually sent an email to TX SOS and stated that there should be more regulations and restrictions on the amount of notaries that they approve. Of course, they never responded.
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I agree, if the bar was set higher there would be less competition. Any changes to Notary laws have to come from the Legislature, not the SoS, as they’re part of the executive branch. In the broad sense, Texas isn’t heavy on regulations in most of what’s done here.
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