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November 16, 2021

Your photo is worth 1000 words… misspelled words

Filed under: Advertising — admin @ 8:43 am

As I go through the other directories looking for Notaries to add, I notice a correlation between the quality of your photo and the quality of how you do in real life on my site. I cross-reference data on my site to photos on Snapdocs for example. Here is what I noticed.

1. A good photo shows your face clearly. Some mediocre photos show a person far from the camera, and perhaps with other people.

2. A good photo has a good background. If you show a photo of you in your messy house, or in a neighborhood with lots of trees, cars, and buildings, it is disorienting to the person looking at the photo. If you show the wall of an attractive building behind you, or one where the background doesn’t distract from the main point of the photo (you), then that is a good point. Those with professional photos often have a solid color background behind them. Additionally, if you are wearing a dark shirt or have a dark skin tone and have a dark background, you blend into the background. If you wear dark, have a light background. If you wear a white shirt, perhaps a darker background.

3. Some people come across as very beautiful or sexy. That might be nice for a dating app. Remember, you are on Notary apps, and your clients probably don’t want to date you, and probably don’t want to date them — although you never know. After a few drinks the game changes completely. Try to look professional.

4. Try to look like someone who works in a bank or office who handles paperwork. Some of the people on SnapDocs look like lowlifes, or like people who work at the corner store. People who are serious about hiring a Notary want someone who looks like a professional clerical type. You don’t have to look that smart, but you do have to look responsible and conservative. So, if you drink a lot, or do drugs, or are tired, don’t have your photo taken until you can appear sober, alert, well dressed, and presentable.

SUMMARY
Most of the Notaries on Snapdocs and NotaryCafe look like people I wouldn’t hire even if it were to save my own life. Many people look like they have attitude problems, or look unprofessional, or worse. People who don’t eat properly or who take drugs or too much alcohol develop an air of haziness and have a faded appearance. You can spot these types very easily. They look like people who are mentally slow, and who will not get things done correctly or on time — and above all, will not care. If you want to get hired — don’t look like that.

I can sense a lot by tuning into people, and their photos. Some women look like they have anger problems. Others look depressed, terrified, or something else. When you are handling half million dollar loans, you need to look like a methodical clerical type who is pleasant, but not too emotional. Try to fit the part so to speak when you are having your photo taken and in real life.

People with good photos have a one in three chance of being acceptable to 123notary after we are done talking to them and quizzing them. Those with no photo or a mediocre photo are in my experience not worth adding as they are more like a less than 10% chance of worth keeping.

SUGGESTIONS
If you want to do well as a Notary, most sites have the option to post a photo. 123notary does not do this as we focus on information and not a fashion show. However, a photo reveals a lot about your soul and who you are, or at least who you are pretending to be.

1. Investing $100 or more on a professional photo shoot makes sense. Being well rested, wearing professional attire and having someone top notch take 50 photos of you in different poses and backgrounds makes sense. You choose the best ones and work with those. I did this for dating apps and got tons of responses from my top notch photos. The photo worked miracles, although I didn’t meet anyone compatible. But, married life is like a prison I hear, so I am happy that I have my freedom. But, as a Notary, you want clients, not freedom, so get a photo taken by a pro.

2. Spend time having photos taken of you with different professional looking outfits and backgrounds and then compare them. You will do much better with photos if you can pick the best one out of several dozen or several hundred. The average guy just takes some sub-par photo and upload it and then wonder why nobody calls them. Don’t be that guy.

3. Spend some time looking at photos of people who do look like professional clerical types and try to see how they portray themselves. I find that they are not too happy, not sad, not too fashionable, but neatly kept. They dress like they work at an office, but not too fancy usually. They keep their hair neat. Most of all, they look like they get work done in a timely manner.

4. SigningAgent.com has a much higher rate of professional looking people. Whether they are good Notaries or not remains to be seen, but most of the photos look like people I would not have an issue with at a minimum.

5. How you present yourself in general really matters. Having a clear photo where you can see your face easily when it is a thumbnail photo, and with a clear background is key. Most Notaries do not give much relevant information in their notes section. Having reviews from clients about your service is also critical and very few new additions to our site have even one review. Lastly, being certified by 123notary, Notary2Pro and LSS really helps a lot. If you have all the bells and whistles, your phone will probably ring.

But, if you have a bad photo, just remember this:
A mediocre photo is worth 1000 words — misspelled words.

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October 24, 2021

The Notary and the N95: Putting Covid info in your notes section

Filed under: Your Notes Section — admin @ 8:02 am

Notaries often like to indicate that they are vaccinated in their notes section. Others note that they take all of the Covid precautions. It is good to put this in your notes section. This matters to some people and could be a hiring decision. Being conscientious is generally a good thing unless you are conscientious in a way that backfires which can happen if you don’t think things through.

People got vaccinated because it was the only way they could feel “safe.”
Then they realized that they still didn’t feel “safe” because other people weren’t vaccinated.
Later they decided that the only way they could feel safe is it everyone else got vaccinated.
After that they found out that vaccines have a shelf life and are only good for preventing Covid for a number of months. Then they realized they had to take a booster, and then find a way to coerce the rest of the world to do the same.
In 2022, the Alpha variant will come out and then there will be yet another booster.

By 2023, we will each have to take about 20 different shots per year, each infused with 100x your daily recommended allowance of aluminum, lead and mercury (not one of my jokes, read the ingredients and see for yourself.) There will be compounds that genetically modify how your body works for better or for worse.

Don’t forget that the genetic engineer who designed humans in such a way that we have survived 180,000 years is named God. Whatever he did seems to have worked. If you let a few mad scientists tinker with your genetics to make it how they think would be good without any long term knowledge, you are likely be the next Frankenstein.

Then in 2024, the Alpha-Omega-Phi variant will come out — a variant that makes people want to do hazing on a daily basis.

In 2025, the Beta3 variant will come out that will only attack children and kill them, that is assuming people are not sterilized by the original vaccine — and that remains to be seen. Bad news for teachers if I am right — the teachers union will be out of business if everybody is sterile.

NEWSFLASH
You don’t need a single one of these vaccines or facemasks. 5000 I.U. of vitamin D3 per day (ask your doctor first) will raise your D levels in your blood or liver, or wherever they are. Lots of veggies, fermented foods, and shitake or maitake mushrooms will keep your immunity bullet proof. Socializing and being happy helps immunity too. It is your immune system that will save you from Covid, not some BS mask or vaccine. If facemasks were so critical, God would have had you born with one attached to your body. God is not an idiot, he designed the entire cosmos piece by piece. Let’s see Fauci do that!

Facemasks delay the spread of Covid, they don’t end it. That just means you will catch Covid and die in March instead of February. What is the long term difference? Vitamin D has been proven to keep you out of the hospital and prevent death by a factor of 96% if you have high D levels vs. low. Vaccines and facemasks combined do not reduce your risk of covid death by 96%

So, why does the media not tell you this?
Because they are owned or controlled by companies who profit from selling facemasks and vaccines.

It is remarkable that more than half of Americans put their trust in complete criminals. The stupidity astounds me. And no matter how many percent of the community has one of those worthless degrees from some university, they still cannot think critically. So, what good is it. I’m siding with the Amish. They end school at 14, but they know how to think normally. Plus I just love those horses and buggies!

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August 4, 2021

Kamala Harris proposes a $300 minimum fee for signings

Filed under: General Stories — admin @ 6:33 am

KAMALA: I suggest a $300 minimum fee for loan signings.

RAND PAUL: If you do that, then most Notaries will be put out of work. Hiring parties will still have the right to NOT hire people…. at all.

JEREMY: Stop making sense! If everybody made sense then nothing would get done.

KAMALA: I remember that 20 years ago, there was a little girl who dreamed about being a mobile notary, and driving a Mercedes C class on her way to signings. Every night after she came home from school she would study Notary journals. She had to look up every second word because it was written in legalese. That little girl would do anything to become a successful mobile notary.

JEREMY: Let me guess — that little girl was you.

KAMALA: Hey, I’m supposed to say that.

RAND PAUL: I think the “20 years ago” part is a bit of a stretch.

KAMALA: Stay out of it!!! — I’ve still “got it” and you know it. I saw you checking me out.

JEREMY: A point well made. But, during your debate with Biden you said that you thought mobile notaries only deserved $150 minimum fee. Why a sudden change in heart?

KAMALA: It was a debate…. (pause)… It was a deBATE… (pause). It was a debate!!!! It was a debate…………………………………… ha ha ha ha ha!!! It was a debate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RAND PAUL: Isn’t she supposed to say that exactly 12 times?

JEREMY: Does Joe check you out too?

KAMALA: (frustrated look). None of your business!!!!!!

JEREMY: You can buy a lot of masala dosa with $300 per signing. But, the price of sambar is going up.

KAMALA: Not if you make it yourself. And I know where to buy the best ingredients!

TUCKER CARLSON: It looks like you are creating an elite class of Notaries who get all the work while everyone else starves. Is that the goal of socialism? It’s sure not my goal.

KAMALA: No!!! I just want people to get paid what they deserve.

JEREMY: They already do get paid what they deserve. It is called a free market.

RAND PAUL: At $300 per hit it’s anything but free. And with the test scores people get on Jeremy’s test, I’m not sure if they deserve more than $30 per signing… on a good day.

JEREMY: Good point. I was supposed to say that.

TUCKER CARLSON: Well you can say that next time.

LAURA INGRAHAM: And that’s the angle!

BYSTANDER: AT $300 per hit, I would just notarize myself.

JEREMY: That’s illegal

TUCKER CARLSON: That’s correct, and that wraps it up. Now, on to peace in the Middle East, or the lack of it. We have an interview with Bibi Netanyahu…

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July 22, 2021

How to find a Notary mentor

Filed under: General Stories — admin @ 3:59 am

Many Notaries ask me how to find a Notary mentor. I used to know people who did teaching and mentoring. But, they are all getting so old. I don’t know who to recommend. There are several issues here.

ISSUES WITH MENTORS

1. If you get a mentor who is near where you live, you represent competition for them. Even if they are the best in the world and you are brand new, you will eventually get better and take some market share from them.

2. If you get a mentor who is far, then how will you ever be able to meet with them?

3. Ideally, you want a mentor who is about an hour away so you are not in direct competition with them.

4. When I call people who are being mentored, whenever I ask about their skill set, they immediately tell me all about what their mentor knows and how great their mentor is. That is all very wonderful if I am going to hire their mentor, but not if I am going to hire the new Notary. Answer questions about you based on you. If you know nothing, be up front about that otherwise you would be a very slippery person who knows nothing vs. an honest straight forward person who knows nothing. People who hire notaries can see through all of this type of BS and none of us have patience for it or like it. Real answers to real questions please.

HOW TO FIND A MENTOR

NNA used to publish a list of mentors. I don’t know if they still know people who do this.

You can call the most experienced notaries on 123notary and see if any of them will help you. You could call local ones, or people far away with high placed listings.

The NNA claims that social media is a good place to find a Notary mentor. Facebook groups, forums, etc. I tend to agree with that idea. However, people who are busy and successful don’t always show their face on social media because they are too busy working so that they can keep being successful. Meanwhile, people who are not at all successful often spend all of their time on social media, sometimes bashing other people who spend their lives being productive (especially in the notary world.) Carmen and I are very familiar with that type of social media user.

Carol Ray knows many people in the business and might be able to help. She runs Notary2Pro which is an agency that trains Notaries.

Asking leaders of notary organizations (other than myself) might be a great idea. I know people who teach or used to teach, but I don’t know if they are mentors. I just emailed a few to ask if they do it or know anyone who does it. But, the various leaders of Notary organizations might know all sorts of people doing all sorts of things and there are many organizations out there.

HOW TO SCRUTINIZE A MENTOR

Not all people are experts at all things and not all experts are available or helpful. So, how do you find a good mentor? You could find someone 1000 miles away who is good at answering questions. But, that doesn’t help when you want to shadow someone. On a brighter note, if someone doesn’t want you shadowing them, they have to tell you to your face as you can’t “shadow ban” someone who is with you in person. You should ideally either have a company who can micromanage you and walk you through your first several signings, or find a local mentor you can tag along with for three to ten signings.

The mentor should know:
1. Local notary laws
2. Signing agent procedure
3. How to handle situations
4. How to explain the documents, initialing, the right to rescind, document recording, and basics about title, escrow, and lending.

Since you presumably don’t know anything about signing work or situations, you can see if that person knows how to be a good notary at a minimum. But, you won’t know if they are a good signing agent since you don’t know what to ask them to verify that information. You can ask questions about various notary signing topics and see how thorough or intelligent the answers are. However if you are at the stage where you are ready for a mentor, YOU need to be an expert at your state notary law yourself. If you are going to use your stamp even once, you could end up in big trouble if you do something wrong — so know your stuff!

It would be a little like me hiring someone to be a rocket scientist — I wouldn’t know what to ask them since I know nothing about rocket science.

IF YOU ARE A MENTOR
If you actually are a mentor and are willing to deal with new people and their insecurities, you can respond to this blog post! Additionally, if you know where to find a mentor, shares your comments as well.

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April 3, 2021

The people who are supposed to be keeping you healthy

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 5:05 am

I forget if I wrote about this before. But, the people who are supposed to keep your healthy and not healthy themselves.

It is common knowledge that to be healthy you should:

Get enough sleep
Not work too much
Have a balanced diet
Get natural sunlight
Be happy and have a normal social and recreational life.
Not live under too much stress or distress
Believe in God (false Gods are equally good for health purposes) and have some sort of worship.

People who do the opposite are a lot more likely to get cancer, strokes, heart attacks, or die young based on what I have read and seen in real life with people I know!

However, the people who take care of your health
1. Had to go through a grueling experience going through medical school, going without sleep day after day, year after year, and cramming excessively under severe distress.
2. Before medical school, they study like crazy so they can get into medical school.
3. To survive medical school, they sacrifice their friends and family because their time is all zapped up.
4. Natural sunlight? Not unless it happens indoors while cramming.
5. Balanced diet? Does the “Mac N Cheez” they serve at the hospital lunchroom count as a balanced diet? I’m sure it must — otherwise why would they serve it at a hospital unless their goal is to keep us sick (or unless they are clueless or don’t care?)
6. Medical professionals work themselves to death doing long 12 or 36 hour shifts under miserable and grueling conditions.

If these people choose to devote their entire lives to living under inhuman, unhealthy and grueling conditions, should you be hiring them to keep you healthy?

I use holistic doctors and the doctor at the clinic who works 40 hours a week and doesn’t over do it. I hire medical staff who look healthy and kept me healthy. But, what about the rest of you?

We just ad a Surgeon join 123notary. His body just couldn’t handle the punishment of the 80 hour workweeks at his age. But, he loves driving around doing signings and he lives in an area with amazing scenery which makes the driving heaven. I talked to him about this issue of doctors being the least healthy people and he agreed with me. That is why he quit being a doctor. I think we need to redesign the way the world works.

SUMMARY
We should all live happy and well balanced lives and believe in God or Gods. According to Christianity and Judaism if you worship the wrong Gods you go to hell. But, according to long life research you can worship false Gods all day long and the more you do it, the longer you live. So, we’ve finally proven religious fuddy duddies wrong about something. However, there is no proof that after your happy long life of worshipping false Gods that you will have a positive after-life. The long life specialists don’t seem to discuss the afterlife other than the fact that some people believe or don’t believe in it. Hmmm.

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February 16, 2021

1 Million E&O vs. 25,000. How does that affect your popularity?

Filed under: Business Tips — admin @ 4:08 am

I analyzed click averages of many listings and found that if you have a lot of Errors and Omissions insurance, that will raise your click average. I only analyzed a few dozen listings, but found that those with 100K get about 5% more clicks than those with 25K E&O, and those with 1 Million get more, but there were too few to analyze and give a clear assessment of what the improvement was.

Some of the big title companies want a lot of insurance, but what they want is different from company to company and changes over time. It is kind of like me trying to explain to you what a cumulous cloud looks like in my area. By the time I describe it to you, it will have morphed again.

E&O is not really important, and is more of a fashion statement. I have never heard of anyone actually filing a claim on it. But, people hiring Notaries think you are more serious when you have more of it. So, if you are serious, or want to look serious, or at least act serious, or play someone serious on TV, then consider calling the NNA and upping your insurance.

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January 30, 2021

Warm and Fuzzy information about you

Filed under: Your Notes Section — admin @ 1:34 pm

It is very hard for me to teach people hard to write warm and fuzzy information about yourself. I would prefer to say, read other people’s notes sections and get a sense of what some people write that has a nice feeling to it.

I read a notes section written by a woman who loves her job and loves meeting new people. That came across as very sincere and warm. I don’t know if she is any good as a Notary, but I might be more inclined to try her (if I were in a hiring position which I am not thank God) than someone else who sounds generic.

Then there are the people who are “reliable” and “responsible.” Anyone can say that about themselves and it sounds phony and usually is. Say things that you can say about yourself that few others can. Most people do NOT like meeting new people, at least not random new people unless they work at Farmer’s Market in the nuts section — those macadamias are great, but $25 per pound? Ouchie!

And then there are the people who know where their nearest Fedex station is, and where the other ones in their general area, and when the cut-off times are at each location. This looks very prepared and thoughtful, and somewhat unique. Some people write about this, but only one or two percent of the total.

Next, there are the people who ramble on and one with inconsequential and meaningless banter about how the client is of utmost importance and how they will protect the information in the documents at all cost. This is a little like stating that you promise not to vandalize the borrower’s house when you get to the signing or park on their lawn. It goes without saying. But, some people will write five paragraphs of this type of nonsense.

Finally there are the people who talk about their hobbies and kids. Not sure this belongs on a Notary profile, but you could put it at the bottom if you keep it quick. People do want to know what you are a real person and have a personality.

HUMOR & CLASSY LINES
Humor and classy lines are another thing that few add to their notes section, but it adds quite a punch to someone’s listing.

One lady brought crayons and dog treats to the signings. That is pretty unique and might be appealing to people.

Former scientist specializing in test tube signings

Former police officer — call me for an arresting experience

Ex-Military, I like my notes section to have mostly bullet points. Oh, and I’m always on time. My motto is, “Hurry up and wait, but not in your
driveway because that would be creepy.”

I am also a clown, but I promise not to throw pies at the borrowers, unless you pay extra for that.

Former therapist. And yes, I promise not to ask the borrower how their APR makes them feel or ask them how their relationship was with their mother. And once again, when we finish the signing, I always say, “I’m afraid our time is up.” That’s my signature phrase.

My parting tips would be to look at the notes sections of some of the high placed notaries in the various large cities. They are paying the most and sometimes (but not as often as they should) put a lot of effort into their notes sections. As usual, I am happy to proofread your notes section, but I can’t do it if it is a one liner. You provide the content, I provide the reorganization and commentary. Sounds fair to me.

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November 27, 2020

10 reasons to get 123notary certified

Filed under: Certification & Communication Skills — admin @ 7:02 am

Back in 2004 to 2012, many people wanted to get 123notary certified and studied hard to get this designation. In the last few years, we retested our certified members and found that the overall skill level of people on our site had declined a lot and that most people were not willing to study. This is a huge mistake. Title and signing companies care about experience above any other qualification. However, they still reward people for knowledge and the clicks and jobs dispatched prove my point. If you want to have an edge over the other Notaries, 123notary certification is one of the most effective investments of your time — the other two being reviews, a stellar notes section and accumulating mass amounts of experience the old fashioned way. Below are some significant benefits for 123notary.com certification.

1. Get more clicks (but, not on route 66)
123notary certification currently gets Notaries an average of about 30% more clicks to their listing. It is one major factor of several that determines whether or not your listing will even get looked at. More clicks typically translates into more jobs, however, this relationship is not directly proportional. 30% more clicks in real life would translate into 40-50% more jobs. Many people will click once on your listing during a query. But, if they give you extra clicks, that means they are strongly considering hiring you which is why the click to job ration is disproportional and in your favor.

2. Get more jobs from Title
One Notary wrote to me after he failed his certification retest audit. He said that calls from title dropped altogether the minute I took his certification icon away from him. This is not true for all Notaries, but was his case which is why he studied many hours to pass the scrutiny of my questioning. People who work for title want solid Notaries, and they look at a number of factors including certification — and for God’s sake, please don’t have any spelling mistakes in your notes section on your listing or you can expect your phone to be dead.

3. Feel more confident about yourself
Many Notaries who master our materials like the fact that they know what they are doing. At the risk of sounding more like a deodorent commercial — many signing agents have told me that the feel happier and more confident talking to title and going to signings. Yes, they spend many grueling hours studying for our test, but they feel it was worth it and I respect their diligence.

4. Be one step closer to elite certification
You cannot just become elite certified at 123notary. You need to have a solid understanding of Notary procedure and vocabulary as well as a 123notary basic certification. Certification brings you one step closer to being ready to study for the elite test which is very different material and much more obscure.

5. 123notary certification is sought after by particular companies
I have gotten correspondence from Notaries who claim that 123notary certification is informally recognized by 1st American Title among others.

6. You will be a safer Notary
Many Notaries put themselves at legal risk because they do not know the legal significance of how they handle situations. Not keeping your journal correctly could end you up in trouble with the FBI or a Judge in court. Not keeping thumbprints could get you named as a suspect in an investigation as it looks like a cover up. Doing cross-outs when it is not necessary can get you in trouble with certain county recorders or Lenders. Knowing what you can do, and knowing what you can do that is prudent are two different questions. Learn how to please your client without creating liability for yourself by mastering our Notary materials. We have written blog articles where Notaries have gotten into legal trouble and had to pay up to $20,000 to defend themselves when they were innocent. Imagine how much easier it would be if you kept proper records and acted prudently at all steps along the way.

7. Multiple certifications make you look serious
As someone who deals with Notaries all day long, I can attest to the fact that I have a higher level of respect for Notaries who have three or more certifications. Those who just get the NNA certification and say, “That is all I need.” seem like underachievers to me. I have a higher opinion of those who took notary2pro, NNA, and 123notary certification, or Loan Signing System. When I was a Notary I got certified by five organizations to give you an example of someone who takes this business seriously.

8. Make $8 more per signing.
We did a poll many years ago and learned that our 123notary certified members average income made per signing (according to their claims after a mass email was sent asking them how much their average signing netted) was $8 higher than people not certified by 123notary. Elite members made $14 more per signing. Making more income per signing means that after expenses, you will be making a lot more per year. The extra income could add up to $5000 to $10000 extra per year for a busy Notary which might be $200,000 in their lifetime. It only takes ten hours to do a good job studying for our test. Is your ten hours worth $200,000? That’s $20,000 per hour. What else can you do that is worth that much even if you do brain surgery (or are a hitman) on the side?

9. Get perks from 123notary!
If we notice you are 123notary certified, you would be more likely to get opportunities for free or paid upgrades that the others might be overlooked for. Stop being overlooked and get certified today! If you are late paying your bill, we might give you a little longer grace period. And in general we will value you more because you represent knowledge, quality, and come across as being a serious Notary. Over all you will get better treatment from 123notary if you pass our test.

10. Be more fluent explaining things to borrowers
In real life there are certain things you can and should explain to the borrowers while there are others that you should refer them to a professional about. If you pass our test you will know where to find the prepayment penalty, how to explain the APR, what is on the HUD or CD, and when their first payment is due. You will have this information memorized. You will know that a signer can legally presign an Acknowledgment (in most states) whether the Lender “prefers” that or not and how to administer an Oath without falling on your face. You will be more professional and smooth in all of your transactions.

SUMMARY
Certification will help you get more clicks, get more work, make more per signing, be smarter, feel better, be a smoother Notary, and get on the good side of 123notary. It only costs a few hours of study and a small fee, so the only thing holding you back is lethargy. Get off your assets and get 123notary certified today!

You might also like:

Compilation of posts about certification & elite certification
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16264

123notary’s comprehensive guide to getting reviews
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16290

How to write a notes section if you are a beginner
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16698

Unique phrases from the Ninja course
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14690

The lady who studied 30 hours for her elite test
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21238

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November 15, 2020

Why Notaries don’t like Snapdocs and why companies do

Filed under: Signing Company Gossip — admin @ 8:37 pm

Originally posted in 2019

Let me go point by point about how Snapdocs is designed for those who hire, and not for the convenience of those who are Notaries.

1. Cattle Calls
Cattle call style mass texts make life easy for those hiring Notaries. They just input a few lines of text, click a link and a desperate Notary will come crawling to them. One minute of work for the signing company, but dozens of Notaries will have their life interrupted only to find that the job has been given to someone else.

2. Thumbs up or thumbs down?
The Notaries cannot see what the comments are about them. But, companies can get an idea of what other companies think about the Notaries. These comments do not compare to 123notary’s skill analytics. But, this game is no longer about skill, but price and not making any major blunders or leaving people high and dry. I tested many of the best Notaries on Snapdocs and the vast majority did not know how to follow instructions nor did they understand Notary Procedure well at all.

3. Downloading & Uploading
The process of downloading documents or uploading documents is easy for signing companies. It is also easy for Notaries, but designed more with the intent of convenience for those paying to use the system.

4. Record Keeping & Data
Snapdocs stores lots of data about who your connections are who you do signings with as well as job information. This is very convenient for those using the system except that your information about your secret clients will become known to Snapdocs for better or for worse. That was an issue for several companies I am acquainted with.

Personally, I prefer a system where you can get to know the notary in person over the phone before you use them. But, for the millennials out there, Snapdocs fits their cultural model. It relieves people of the necessity and burden of actually having to talk to others. Where has humanity gone? I have to post my latest selfie on Instagram.

You might also like:

What notaries don’t like about snapdocs
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21246

Snapdocs – when the texts stop
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21163

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October 26, 2020

California Assembly Bill 5 (2019) and how it affects Notaries

Filed under: California_Notary — admin @ 9:10 am

Someone emailed me about Assembly Bill 5 which is a California law currently. This bill limits the use of classifying subcontractors as independent contractors rather than classifying them as employees.

Employees are entitled to more labor protections such as sick leave, minimum wage, unemployment, workman’s comp, and more.

Companies such as Lyft, DoorDash, and Uber agreed to spend millions for a ballot initiative to oppose this bill.

As most bills that are socialist in nature, the premise is to “help” workers. But, the result is to make it very expensive and cumbersome to hire local workers. The advent of unions made it prohibitively expensive to hire domestic workers which resulted in lots of outsourcing. In the long run the unions did more harm than good for the workers. Assembly Bill 5 results in compromising American freedoms such as the right to form your own agreements and contracts with paid help. Many companies with particular business models will no longer have the freedom to decide whether to hire someone as a contractor or employee and face the risk of being penalized by the state.

So, how does this affect mobile notaries? Mobile notaries must now pass a strict level of qualifications to be considered independent contractors. They must meet all three conditions.

1. The worker is free from the control and direction of the hiring party in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for the performance of such work and in fact
2. The worker performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business
3. The worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, or business of the same nature as the work performed for the hiring entity

COMMENTARY
Title companies that hire notaries often hire more experienced notaries who do not need any hand holding. However signing companies are famous for micromanaging notaries, telling them what to do and how to do it, and requiring lots of fax backs. Signing companies are violating stipulation #1 in the list of requirements of having independent contractors. Additionally, signing agents, do signing work which is not outside the usual course of what a signing company does. That is their main type of work and not something outsourced like accounting or computer repair. As far as condition #3, most Notaries do Notary related work for many different hiring parties, so although they may or may not pass condition #1, definitely don’t pass #2, the will pass condition #3.

SUMMARY
Will this mean that Notaries in California can no longer function as signing agents without being put on payroll? Would this be good or bad? I think it is a disaster and this bill is another milestone in the end of American freedom and the onset of socialism or communism in America (boo). But, what if signing companies outside of California hire signing agents within California? Can the state of California still sue them or penalize them for not following local rules? Maybe companies will have to hire full time and part time on-call employees to do their bidding. There is a company in Missouri that already does this on their own free will — notice that I said free will. Forcing this business model on companies is just not nice. It might also be disastrous for the directory business.

On a brighter note, maybe most signing agents and signing companies will ignore this rule and not get into trouble. After all, to enforce this rule requires attorneys and they do not work for cheap.

Personally I feel this bill is intrusive, a violation of our freedoms, and counterproductive. It will lead to a lot of unemployment, poverty and misery all under the guise of wanting to make downtrodden people’s lives better by having lots of artificial restrictions on employment.

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