Newbie Notary - signing services

[polk1745]

Are there any signing services that I can sign up for that give general notary work? I am not an NSA yet and can only do general notary work at this time. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Princess

[LindaH-FL]

Okay…this is a subject that irks me to no end - and not you but ANY SS that inserts themselves into the general notary aspect of this business.

Depending on your location, GNW fees are usually relatively low - the cost of the notarization plus a modest travel fee. You can do this all on your own with marketing - buy a batch of business cards and hand out to banks, attorney offices, title companies, nursing homes, hospitals, schools, …heck, stick some up on the cork boars of your local convenience stores, leave some at your doctor’s office, leave some at your courthouse…etc etc. Try builders and contractors in your area (when permits need to be issued prior to commencement of work)

It’s work but it’s YOUR business and YOUR work - why would you give ANY percentage of the small fee garnered with GNW to any SS.

Not sure where you’re located but here in FL we can charge $10/notarization plus a modest travel fee - in my countrified neck of the woods, if I can get $40 - $50 for GNW appt, I’m lucky. I’m sorry…I’m not splitting that with anyone.

You can do this while you hone your notary skills and prepare to be a Signing Agent. And Please, don’t put yourself out as a signing agent until you have your notary laws down cold.

Best of luck

[cNsa5]

@polk1745 Concur with LindaH-FL insights/wisdom.

Launching & marketing a business out can prove to be frustrating . . .

Remember that launching a business for general notary work [GNW] or as a Signing Agent isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon!

As such, I’d like to offer 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 Ray’s [owner] 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 via mentoring, it’s Carol Ray’s team at Notary2Pro hands down [as Carol left this early plane in February of 2022].

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.

======

There are many answers to this question as well as a plethora of other answers to questions you may (or may not) have thought of found right here within the GOLMINE of a database on Notary Cafe. The information available in this database is very insightful & helpful, too! It can easily & nearly effortlessly be accessed without much fuss by utilizing the Search Function.

Also, when you’re at the juncture to receive Signing Orders, it’s always wise to research & vet a new client prior to providing a definitive confirmation to them for your initial Signing Order for them. A great start of research is ALSO within the Notary Cafe forums Search Function via the Magnifying Glass.

Many members do mention that it’s difficult/nearly impossible to locate the Magnifying Glass for the Search Function. To be helpful, I’ve inserted an image for you & others [see below] to help members locate it to unlock the wisdom & knowledge of other members on the forums.

Accessing the database to locate info about potential clients has saved many of us an inordinate amount of time ‘chasing’ payments for Services professionally provided to potential non-payers . . .

======

Here are a few threads that will benefit you/your business greatly. Recommend not just reading/reviewing the information found within them, but print out the important elements or create a “Notes to Self” document so you can reference the golden nuggets in the future during this development process & gain further insights.

Finally..a reality check as to how much a notary earns

The NNA has completed a survey of income. Here’s the link: How much can I earn as a mobile Notary or Signing Agent? | NNA

My Initial Tips/Advice to New People

I hope the following helps you getting started If you’re going to set yourself up as a business, go to irs.gov and get an EIN - takes 5 minutes - NEVER NEVER NEVER give your personal social security number to anyone - use your EIN for all your notary work, including using it to report your notary income on our tax return; Set up a separate checking/banking account for your notary income - keep your personal finances and your business finances separate; Get some business cards and start …

Temper your expectations

To preface this, I’ve been a lurker on these forums for quite some time and I’ve noticed a ton of expectations lately that seem too unrealistic. I’m a NSA out of Michigan and have been one for the past 7 years. I usually pull in at least 8k worth of business every month but it takes a LONG time to get to that point. I see a ton of newer notaries looking to make fast money or expecting SS or TC to come to them over seasoned notaries while they have very little experience. A few tips that I’d sug…

IMPORTANT: A Seven-Step Guide to help you Achieve Success => Insights regarding whether to start a business (or not . . .) or to CONTINUE (or not . . .)

If you’re seeking the unadulterated truth, then please read further. If, on the other hand, you’re seeking sugar-coated, misleading, & prevaricating statements, then by all means, please SKIP this Thread . . . ====== STEP 1: There’s a paradigm shift that needs to occur when one charts their course to become a Business Owner by moving away from being an employee. If you’re CERTAIN that you’re ready & have got what it takes to chart your own course and be an independent contractor & business ow…

I need help with calculating the true costs of doing business

It would be in your best interest to jot down all of the expenses associated with performing the services you provide within your service region to determine a baseline operating cost. Then, at that point, you can calculate the fees that will generate a net profit to determine if you’ll have a Profit or sustain a Loss at that rate. There are many items to consider within your Overhead calculations. Here are a few to get you started: • telephone expenses including cell phone equipment and month…

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Assignments

@realtydocusigning No, you’re not doing anything “wrong.” As with most businesses that are starting out, it’s a SLOW process. In general, most do find building a business within this business sector to be a MARATHON, not a sprint. Well, that is unless you live in a region that isn’t already saturated with Trained, Certified, & experienced Notary Signing Agents [NSAs] who are also seeking out Signing Orders OR if you have a family member who works at a Title/Escrow Company [T/EC]. …

[Crystaljfranklin]

The threads provided above, I will make sure I visit those for insight. Need NSA here, but I have been a notary since 2004 when it was requested by the partners at a firm I worked as a paralegal.

[letdidoit19]

Hi Princess,

You don't need nor want to have any SS involved in your GNW (general notary work). What I did was get a free Google business web page and a bunch of business cards. The web page took years to really take off but that is because I became a notary/NSA in 2020 when everything was booming for the next 2 years. I didn't devote as much time to the web page during those 2 years, though I did have some people find me through it. 

But now that real estate signing have gone down, I’m putting a lot more time into my GNW. I made $260 this week in notary jobs where people found me off my web page. I live in FL so we can charge any travel fee we want as long as the client knows up front what it will be. I usually charge $35 for travel within a 10 mile radius of my home. And we can charge up to $10 per stamp. I hope your state is notary friendly as well.

GNW is great because is gives you a chance to learn a lot about the notary laws in your state and you’re exposed to a wide variety of situations. For example, I just did a “Signature by Mark” for a man in a nursing home today. He was so appreciative of my coming and me being able to supply 2 witnesses (whom he paid for) to come as well.

You’ll meet the best people doing GNW because they are so happy for you to come to them!

All the best,
Di

[cfletcher]

Yes, there are services that generate business for you. There are a ton of directories you can join, be ready to pay some type of a fee. Bottom line, it’s hard work to build your general notary. Marketing your business is the key to the bank. So, learn your what is going on in your area! What is the competition like in your area? How do you structure your business to be competitive? Identify your target market? Do you choose to target a niche market to serve? Find yourself a mentor that can fasttrack your journey.