There are lots of online notary directories out there right now. Many of the most relevant directories will have a free (or cheap) profile level to get started with. I’ll share a few that seem to pay off, should you decide to pay for a premium listing too. 

But, if you’re going to invest the time and money into having online profiles, do it in a way that makes you more appealing than the same old boring profiles that 70% of notaries throw up on these directories. 

Make it pop. 

Stand out. 

Get hired. 

There’s No Such Thing as “Too Many” Directory Profiles

You already know that your customers are going to come to you from two places, and two places only:

• Your online visibility;
• And your network of relationships.

Online directories help with both, IF you optimize your profiles correctly. 

When done well, there is no such thing as having too many online profiles on professional directories. 

When you’ve optimized each listing with some of the tips I’ll share below, yo...

Tired of spending money on business “essentials”?

I get it. For such a small, simple business, you can feel nickel and dimed as you’re in start-up mode as a mobile notary.  Luckily, one of the most lucrative marketing campaigns you can implement right now can be done for $7 or less. 

And it’s easy too!

The hardest part is just getting out of your own way and hitting the send button…again and again. 

The 7-Step Marketing Plan for Mobile Notaries

You can start this today, and your total expense, outside of time and energy, is $7 (or less). 

Step One: Get a Domain Name

Invest $1 for the first year of a domain name that matches your brand name, or is similar. Don’t worry, this isn’t for building a website. This is for sending emails only. If you already have a domain name, you can skip to Step Two.

How I Do It: I use GoDaddy for all of my domains. Sometimes they cost more than $1, but there is always a promo or coupon code on the internet. Also, sometimes current customers don’t...

Clients Devastated, Ignored by Unwitting Notaries

Imagine with me for a moment, would you? 

You’ve just closed on your dream home, and the experience was smooth, efficient, and even enjoyable, thanks in large part to your amazing real estate agent, referred by a colleague of yours. 

You loved working with her, and really “hit it off.” You might even be friends after this. 

You get the keys, decorate, make it yours. 

And then you run into your real estate agent at the grocery store. There she is in canned goods, in front of the stewed tomatoes. Can you see her? 

You run down the aisle to catch up with her because you just have to tell her what a difference she made. 

You share your thoughts, just loud enough that a few passersby can overhear. They might want to work with her too. She was just that good. 

And then, as you complete your word-shower love-fest on your new favorite real estate agent, she simply turns and walks away, without so much as acknowledging what you’ve said. ...

This is an ad for advanced notary training.

It’s called Notary Business Builder (NBB) and it costs $58 per month. 

If that turns you off, you can stop reading and go about your day. 

If you appreciate value, a supportive community, and honing your craft, then please read on. 

What is Notary Business Builder?

NBB is the world’s largest collaboration of experts from a variety of fields committed to helping notary entrepreneurs succeed. We’ve brought together teachers of digital marketing, content creation, personal branding, notary skill sets, networking, marketing, sales, apostilles, and even government affairs to create a one-stop-shop for your business building needs. 

Say goodbye to “subscription-fatigue.” 

Everything you need is here, included at no additional charge:

• Loan signing training with Bill Soroka’s Sign & Thrive Notary Training Course and Community;
• Specialty & General Notary work training with Laura Biewer’s Real World Notary Training Replays and her Laura B...

One of my favorite things to do is to refer prospects to people I know, like, and trust. 

I consider myself a loyal person (sometimes to a fault). 

Loyalty is a quality I appreciate in others as well. 

What I’ve learned through the years as a super connector is that loyalty has to be about more than just personalities. 

Quality over Quantity When It Comes to Referrals

You can’t just refer prospects to people you like, even if they’re freakin’ amazing at what they do. 

Not everyone is a good referral match. 

So instead, be loyal to bringing value to your relationships, not just to one certain person. 

It does no one any good if you refer a mismatched prospect to your favorite attorney, just because you like him. It just wastes time and it costs you credibility in two relationships (or more). 

You Can Never Have Too Many Referral Partners

That’s why you can never have too many partners on your referral list. 

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to any problem. 

Look at how...

Last night, on our weekly NBB Accountability call, I shared an accidental strategy that ended up working quite well for me in my business relationships. 

I’ve never been great at mailing cards and letters on time. 

Birthday cards would sit on my counter, or in my glove box for months until they were so late I may as well have used them for the recipient’s next birthday. 

I was especially bad with holiday cards for my clients. 

Always Late With Holiday Cards

At first, I’d be so embarrassed at how late the cards were that I wouldn’t send them at all, even after signing and addressing them. 

And then one January, after missing another season, I said, “screw-it, I’m sending them anyway.” I decided I would pop-in to my clients and drop off cards and good spirits six weeks after everyone else, and something interesting happened. 

As they were taking down the swarms of holiday cards they had received “on-time” from their shelves and bulletin boards, they were putting mine up, where the...

I’m still shocked by how much I don’t know. 

More shocking still, is how much I don’t know about how much I don’t know. 

There’s always something new to learn. Especially, it seems, as a small business owner. 

It feels impossible to know everything you need to know about running an enterprise. And, without a budget to hire someone else, it’s on us to figure it out. 

Everything is Figureoutable (Marie Forleo)

When I have something I need to figure out, I have a process:

• First, I buy a book or six on the subject. 
• Second, I buy a course or six on the subject (sometimes, I actually take the courses). 
• Third, if I need more, I hire a coach/teacher/mentor on the subject. 

But I didn’t always have a budget that supported that process. 

As I was pulling my head out of my rear-end, learning habits, routines, mindset, and practical business applications, I had zero fundage for luxuries like education. I couldn’t even pay my rent (although that didn’t always stop me from buying a c...

Once you’ve accepted that consumer reviews are important to your mobile notary success, the next question you probably have is about how to ask for reviews and when to ask for them. 

Right? 

(And if you're still not quite sold on the idea of review-getting, read two of my previous articles here and here)

You can get as creative as you want with this, and you can find a style that matches your personality. 

If you’re uncomfortable asking for reviews, consider that 70% of consumers have left reviews before, and 90% of consumers use reviews to make buying decisions. That means you’re not asking for something out of left field here. They’re used to it!

More than that, most people want to help small business owners when they’ve had a positive experience. 

So let’s talk about it.

When to Ask For Reviews:

As a rule of thumb, you’ll only ask a client for a review when you’ve delivered five-star service and there is no question that the review you’ll receive will be four or five star qu...

Thanksgiving weekend is what I call my Sacred Weekend.

Nearly ten years ago, these four days were going to either represent my death, or my legacy. 

I was so depressed after the collapse of my remaining businesses (save this one, as a mobile notary), that I was ready to off myself completely. 

I mean, after 26 business failures, there’s only so much a man can take. 

Or, is there?

I could have done the deed. Sure, it’s possible. Aside from a bottle of vodka though, I really hadn’t made any plans for my departure. Pills? I had them. Drugs? I had them. Guns? I had them. 

And yet, I didn't need them. 

Gratefully (hence my “Sacred Weekend”), instead of taking my life, I decided to make my life. I had to figure out WHAT it was that stopped me from achieving the results I wanted. 

If not WHAT, then, WHO?

I won’t keep you in distress. It was ME! 

I was in the way, as usual. 

Limiting beliefs. Excuses. Poor habits. 

When I went down the rabbit hole of success, I learned so much from...

If there's one thing I've learned in life and business, it's that you can't avoid the problems and challenges. You have to face them head-on. 

As we approach 2024, I see a few problematic areas for our industry. We can't ignore them, even if we wanted to. 

At best, we adopt and adapt. 

At worst, well, maybe it's back to the call center we go. 

Three Blindspots for Notaries

1. Relying on a single source of revenue. We can't keep pretending that loan signings will come back, looking the same, and with the same volume we had during the pandemic.
2. Giving up your voice. Not participating in legislative movements and government affairs.
3. Ignoring tech trends. We must keep tabs on emerging technology and not only how it impacts our role as the notary, but how it may impact our clients. 

Rather than stick your head in the sand, shine a light into these three blindspots. I know it's overhwelming, especially if you're just starting out. But it's better you have one eye on the future of yo...