Stop Apologizing! 

You never have to apologize to anyone about how you choose to operate your mobile notary and loan signing business (outside of notary integrity/legal issues-that's a different story). 

This is your baby. Or as I say, my business is my masterpiece. 

It's the vehicle that is taking you to your dreams. You do not owe anyone an explanation about how you choose to fuel that vehicle, or what color you choose to paint it, what you decide to pack inside it, or who you take along with you, the route you decide to take, or the destination you are headed to. 

This business is yours. 

The dream is yours, no matter how big, and no matter how small. 

This business as a mobile notary and loan signing agent is powerful because it can be anything you need it to be. 

You don't have to apologize to me because you don't want to work 14 hours a day, make three hundred grand a year, and drive an average of 6,000 miles per month. I get it. Maybe I...

The Need For a Website

Here's what is real:

If you want to create a notary business that will last through time and thrive, regardless of the economic environment, you're going to need a website. 

This is especially true for those using General Notary Work (shifting toward Specialty Notary Work), as a revenue stream. 

Do you love this work? Do you love the lifestyle this business allows? Are you enjoying the income, or even just the possibility of unlimited income? Do you love helping your customers, on both their best days...and their worst?

Then you might say that by not taking the steps to create sustainability, like building a website so your customers can find you, is doing you, your dreams, and your customers, a tremendous disservice.

And, if you've already bought-in to the importance of a website, how much thought have you given to your site structure and the customer's experience on your website?

If you're like me, I originally put about...

No matter how long you've been a Notary Public, you won't want to miss this completely free training presented by Laura Biewer.

Laura has been a Notary Public for 16 years, and a Certified NNA instructor for 14 of those years. She also still works her business full time as a high performing mobile notary and loan signing agent and coach to notaries all over the country.

I'm proud to call Laura a friend, and a collaborator, partnering on several projects designed to help notaries be of service and build the business, and lifestyles, of their dreams.

In this presentation, Laura shares insights on why your notary journal should be your new BFF.  Even if you are in a state that does not require a journal, it is in your best interest to do so.

And, if you are an NNA certified loan signing agent, you have agreed to maintain a journal as part of the Code of Conduct.

Now, if you're already among the millions of us that have embraced the importance of the Notary Journal,...

One of the beautiful parts of owning your own mobile notary and loan signing agent business, is the flexibility you have to grow additional streams of revenue. 

There really are so many different services we can provide!

A favorite for many notaries is to become a wedding officiant. It is rewarding, because you are helping couples on their happiest days. And, it can be lucrative as well, especially if you do it right. 

Taken seriously, being a wedding officiant can be an excellent source of income. What does it mean to take it seriously?

• Get trained and deliver a magnificent ceremony. 
• Have a website and professional presence. 
• Take pride in the part you play on a very special day. 

No, not every state automatically makes you eligible to be a wedding officiant just because you become a Notary Public (Some states do!). 

But, just like any other human being that wants to become a wedding officiant, there is a process to become one, and ...

 Welcome to the National Notary Association's annual conference!

Due to Covid19, this year's conference is 100% online and the festivities kicked off Monday, June 15 with a presentation by Laura Biewer and I.

You can watch the full replay of "Grow Your Business Through Collaboration" with the link above, courtesy of the NNA. 

It's such an honor to be able to share with you the strategies and mindset for collaborating, because I got to do so with on eof my absolute favorite collaborators, Laura Biewer. 

Collaborating really is an art form. It's an art that requires some fumbling around, and figuring some things out for yourself, your vision, and what it is exactly you want, and don't want, in a collaborator. 

Laura and I are able to share our experiences, tips, and some ideas on what you can do to create your own opportunities. Hopefully, this will be a guiding light on your journey.

Enjoy the show and thank you for all your support!

Resource Links:

NNA...

Do you ever wonder where all your dream clients are hanging out? 

Do you wish there was just one place you could go to find people that need your services? 

LinkedIn is about as close to that as you can get! It's like a round-the-clock networking event jam packed with your potential customers.

But how do you use it effectively?

If you're like me, the last thing you want is yet another social media platform to have to manage. Especially one that works differently than the others. Who has time to learn another thing???

But the reality is, as mobile notaries and loan signing agents, we must  find the time to learn LinkedIn. 

To help, my friend and fellow author, Sandra Long, popped in to see us last week and delivered a powerful presentation about how to use the platform. 

Sandra not only wrote the book, "LinkedIn for Personal Branding: The Ultimate Guide," but she also delivered the first-ever TedXTalk on the subject!!

I've included the full replay for...

Our Profiles in Ink series highlight the "origin stories" of mobile notaries and loan signing agents. I LOVE origin stories! 

I find it fascinating to hear why others have become notaries. And even more, I love to hear why they stay notaries. 

For the right person, this business can be a source of joy, passion, freedom, and unlimited income. 

Lisa Robinson is one of those people! She is clearly passionate about people and has found success within her first year, even after her first signing went south in a hurry. 

If you're reading this, and you haven't had your first signing yet because you're just getting started, or because you're terrified, you'll want to hear of her experience and she was able to overcome. 

Lisa shares a lot of her journey, as well as some resources she uses, and the links to which are down below:

Notary Assist Accounting Software for Notaries

The Daily Do's from Bill Soroka's Morning Mastery Program

The Sign & Thrive...

It was October of 2018. This was the first time I've ever cried openly on the internet. Probably won't be my last either. Not if everything goes right, that is. 

These are not tears of regret. In fact, I would say it is just the opposite. These are tears of gratitude. 

Just prior to this video, I had completed notarizations for a gentleman that was preparing to die. Let's call him Bob. He had a Last Will & Testament, some financial papers, and even a deed for property transfer, so I was thinking this was a standard estate planning appointment. 

Yay for responsible adults! 

So many from my own family have passed away without their affairs in order, so I always hold in awe people that plan this stuff ahead of time. 

But that wasn't Bob. He had not prepared ahead of time. And time was something he no longer had. He knew that, but they surprised me with that news when I arrived. 

Bob's house was filled to the brim with smiling faces and laughter....

The Not-So-Secret Way to Increase Your Loan Signing Income WITHOUT Driving All Over Town by Leveraging the Power and Possibilities of "In-house" Signing Appointments.

When I am in full "hustle-mode" as a mobile notary and loan signing agent, I've been known to drive 300 to 400 miles per day. I even remember a few times where I had to get TWO oil-changes in one month because I drove over 6,000 miles in a 30-day time period.

That's all fine and good for someone like me, that loves to drive. But what about you? Do you want to drive that much?

Chances are, you don't. And that's okay!

As a small business owner, you get the final say in what works for you and what doesn't. Afterall, there are lots of reasons that driving a lot may not work for you.

Top Reasons Notaries Don't Like to Drive

After talking to notaries all over the country on my daily mentor calls (book for free here), I hear all kinds of reasons y'all don't like to drive. Here are some of the most common:

• Wear and tear...

On this latest episode of Profiles in Ink, I interview California notary Matt Miller.

Matt is an experienced mobile notary and loan signing agent that has built his business with general notary work. 

He lends part of his success to automatic appointment scheduling software, like Acuity. This is allows his customers, or even potential customers, to book his notary and fingerprinting services when it is most convenient for them. 

Learn all about the strategy he uses to manage those appointments, and hear even more about the passion Matt has for helping the notary industry in this video.

Click here to explore Acuity