January 2017 - Notary Blog - Signing Tips, Marketing Tips, General Notary Advice - 123notary.com
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January 31, 2017

Can a Notary be an officiate at a Wedding or marriage?

Can a Notary perform a marriage or be a wedding officiant? There are four states that currently allow Notaries to perform weddings. A Notary can solemnize a marriage if they are commissioned in:

Florida
South Carolina
Nevada
Maine

However, there are some additional qualifications, requirements and authorizations needed from your state. Please contact your state notary division to see how you can qualify to officiate at weddings. It is common for states to accept you as a wedding officiant if you are a Priest, Rabbi, Ordained Minister, Imam, etc.

Many Notaries add being a Wedding Officiant to their list of services. It is easy to make $100 to $250 for each wedding. Just don’t show up late, your you’ll create a bad memory that the married couple will keep with them for life! Many Notaries market their wedding services on websites, web directories such as 123notary.com, or by networking. We even met one Notary who specialized in gay marriages (who ran into trouble when he tried to get a wedding cake made in Indiana.)

The Notary needs to check wedding licenses, official name changes which often accompany the marriage, and then fill out a bunch of forms, get them notarized, and then send them in the mail, or preferably by Fedex. Loan signings typically end at the Fedex box, but that is where Marriages begin!

You can Google the term, “How to become ordained” to learn more about becoming a Minister in your state. Becoming ordained is normally non-denominational, but check with your church just to see if that will affect your relationship with them.

Joke:
A Priest, a Rabbi, and Imam, and a non-denominational Ordained Minister walk into a bar. The bar tender says, “So, what will you be having?” The Imam says, “A ginger ale on the rocks. Drinking alcohol is against my religion.” The Rabbi says, “I’ll have half a glass of Manichevitz Concord Grape if you’ve got it. I can do a blessing on your stock of it at no cost either — this week only.” The Priest says, “Yes brother, I’ll have white wine and a piece of bread.” The bar tender was confused and thought it should be red wine to symbolize the blood on the cross. The Priest explained, “It needs to be white wine to symbolize the color of drapes my wife forced me to buy that I can’t stand.”

So, the Bar Tender asked what they were all doing there.
The Ordained Minister said, “We’re here to perform a marriage — I guess they double booked.”
The Imam said, “Double booked? Quadruple booked! This couple is crazy. But, this ginger ale is excellent, must be one of those boutique brands!”

Q&A
Can a Florida Notary perform a wedding?
Yes, if they have the proper license.

Can a South Carolina Notary perform a wedding?
Yes, if they have the proper license.

Can a Maine Notary perform a wedding?
Yes, if they have the proper license.

Can a Nevada Notary perform a wedding?
Yes, if they have the proper license.

You might also like:

Can a Notary perform a wedding or marriage?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=1891

My big phat geek wedding
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17053

Seinfeld: George’s parents get a vow renewal
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15132

Notary Dating & Romance from A to Z Compilation
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17451

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January 28, 2017

WFG National Title Insurance Company

Here is a condensed version of the more interesting comments about this company on our forum.

(1) Penny
“I have not received payment since my assignment and invoice to WFG on November 28. Despite numerous emails saying it’s in the mail, or will be in the mail, zero.
Penny 1-17-17”

(2) Joan
“WFG in Westlake Village, CA is giving me the run around with my fee being received. Completed signing on 9-30-16, it is now 11-29-16. Unacceptable. They claim they are going through a transitional period since Michael Crowder is no longer with them. What has that got to do with A/P getting my money to me?”

(3) DanNotary
“May not be dealing with them again. Huge packages, lots of work, difficult to get through to anyone and get a response. They pay $125 but if I do anything again its going to be $150.”

(4) 29993
“I have noticed that the loan packages are getting very large…so I have begun to notify, particularly WFG whose files average 170 copies…that my minimum fee is increased by another $20.00..As I mentioned before I have had no problems getting paid and have asked each time if the file is larger than 120 pages to add in another $20…but I’ve had to followup to make sure that it was…..so this week I am sending out notifications to most of the companies I work for to increase my minimum fee to include the $20. Whenever I accept a signing…they will need to include it in the order or I will return the assignment right there and then………We all have to begin to hold the line on our fees or if you accept less then you only have yourself to blame….Good Luck!”

(5) Garyw148
“I agreed to perform a signing for WFG for 10:30am the next day. At 8am I had yet to receive any documents. WFG did not answer any of the 4 phone numbers I called. Nor did they respond to the emails I sent to 3 different people. My last email was that I was going to call the borrower and let them know the signing was cancelled. Moments later (10am) I received a response not to call the borrower that the documents were coming. Then I got an email stating the day would be changed. I called the borrower and basically said to stand by. I requested to be paid via PayPal. I got a call from Mike stating they never pay via PayPal and he would remove me from there list of notaries. I said fine. Be carful here folks. Read the other reviews.”

You might also like:

See our string on WFG on the forum
http://www.123notary.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5117

See our string on NEW signing companies
http://blog.123notary.com/?tag=new

National Preferred Notary
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16669

Are you a Yes-tary or a No-tary?
http://blog.123notary.com/?cat=3241

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January 24, 2017

Quit Claim Deed

A Quitclaim Deed is a legal instrument used to transfer interest (ownership) in real property. The Grantor is the entity who is transferring its interest to the Grantee who is the recipient. The owner or Grantor quits or terminates any right or claim to the property by signing this form.

No Title Covenant
The Quitcliam Deed includes no title covenant and offers no warranty as to the status of the property’s title. The Grantee is entitled only to whatever interest the Grantor has in the property — if any. As a result, the Grantee has no legal recourse should the Grantor not be the legitimate owner on title, or if their share of the property is less than expected.

Warranty Deeds
Warrantee Deeds on the other hand often contain warranties from the Grantor that the title is clear and that there is no encumbrance against the title.

Common Uses
Quitclaim Deeds are most commonly used to transfer property from one family member to another or to take one family member’s name off title for the sake of a notarized loan signing. Quitclaim Deeds are not usually used to to transfer property from a buyer to a seller as Grant Deeds are a much more common form of official property transfer instrument.

How do I notarize a Quitclaim Deed? How do I get a Quitclaim Deed Notarized?
If you need a notarized Quitclaim Deed, find a Notary on 123notary.com. Any commissioned notary public can notarize this document in less than three minutes assuming you have current ID and a complete document.

You might also like:

Index of information about documents

Index of information about documents

See our string on all different types of documents (completely up to date)
http://blog.123notary.com/?cat=2074

TRID information courtesy of Carmen
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18932

Good Deed Bad Deed — Ken’s guide to every type of Deed
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16285

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January 19, 2017

Geographic Notary Business Names

Filed under: Advertising — admin @ 7:23 am

The classiest business names I have seen Notaries do involve some referencing to geographic icons. Here are some ideas I had, or existing business names. I’ll mix them together. If you choose a business name, make sure to check with your county clerk to make sure the name is not already in use!

Golden Gate Mobile Notary
Bay Area Mobile Notary
Golden Coast Mobile Notary
Hollywood Sign Mobile Notary
Sunset Strip Mobile Notary
Gaslamp District Mobile Notary
Puget Sound Mobile Notary
Columbia River Mobile Notary
Rocky Mountain Notary
Yellowstone Mobile Notary
Grizzly Bear Mobile Notary
American Eagle Mobile Notary
Lakota Notary Services — you might get in trouble with the tribe for jacking their name!
Everglades Mobile Notary
The Alamo Mobile Notary
Saguaro Mobile Notary
Grand Canyon Mobile Notary
Hoover Dam Mobile Notary
Salt Lake Mobile Notary
Windy City Mobile Notary
Iroquois Mobile Notary
Vacation State Mobile Notary
White Mountains Mobile Notary
Blue Hills Mobile Notary
Smokey Mountains Mobile Notary
Beacon Hill Mobile Notary
Harvard Square Mobile Notary – Geographically limiting
Sequoia Mobile Notary
Minuteman Mobile Notary — Good in Massachusetts
Plymouth Rock Mobile Notary

I’m having a brain freeze, so I’ll end the list here. Not all of these would make good business names, but it gets you thinking at least.

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You might also like:

Compilation of posts about notary business names
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21760

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January 18, 2017

Snapdocs grew tremendously in 2016, but NotaryRotary shrank!

Filed under: Advertising — Tags: — admin @ 7:21 am

I took a look at the stats of Snapdocs, NotaryRotary, and 123notary over the last few months. Here is what I noticed.

1. Snapdocs got increasing amounts of traffic during 2016 while 123notary & NotaryRotary lost traffic. My stats indicate that this December I got about 17% less visits to 123notary than last December for example. Alexa.com showed a huge increase in site rank in Snapdocs while showing a small decline in 123notary’s and NotaryRotary’s site rank which is based on overall traffic.

2. In September 2016, based on similarweb.com 123notary experienced a huge surge in traffic while Snapdocs & NotaryRotary experienced a huge decline. My Google Analytics showed a surge in traffic on 123notary, but in August, not September. So, perhaps similarweb.com is a little bit off (or completely off) in its reporting.

My personal stats show that 123notary lost 8% of traffic in 2016 as a whole compared to 2015 as a whole. Part of that is due to Snapdocs. But, Snapdocs traffic grew a lot over 2016 which means that we lost more during the last few months of the year. According to one stats site, Snapdocs traffic was double what 123notary’s was. However, their traffic is low-ball where 123notary gets a lot more high quality traffic.

On the other hand, Alexa.com shows that 123notary’s rank is roughly equal to Snapdocs. So, which source of information is the most reliable? In my experience Google Analytics is the most reliable and detailed source of web stats information. Unfofortunately, I do not have Google analytics on my competitors’ stats.

New Profiles
I’m trying to make sense of what is happening, but it is so complicated. 123notary added several hundred new profiles in August which could have lead to a rise in stats for us in September. But, our stats show that our spike was in August, not September which leads me to feel that there is a lag in the reporting on the other stats site

Social Media
Our social media took a huge dive in clicks starting around August and our Facebook performance affects our general web traffic.

What to do?
I am looking at this information completely baffled. I work hard every day to ensure the best quality search experience on 123notary. We get traffic that pays notaries well on 123notary. But, the total clicks matter to me as well, and clicks are far down. Do I add more profiles? Do I do more on social media? Do I create a better mobile site experience? Should we try to get more reviews? Or should I emphasize different information than I do now? I think the answer is all of the above!

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You might also like:

See our string on Snapdocs posts
http://blog.123notary.com/?tag=snapdocs

Which directories get the high paying signings?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19201

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January 17, 2017

Notary vs. Signing Agent

Filed under: Popular on Linked In,Popular on Twitter,Technical & Legal — Tags: , — admin @ 12:21 am

We write about this topic every so often. It is so basic and so critical that all new Notaries should understand. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans become Notaries. As Notaries they can perform tasks such as Acknowledging signatures, performing Jurats, administering Oaths, and other tasks which might be state specific. Notaries can hold their heads up high as their function is to identify signers, keep good records (in most states at least) and deter or prevent fraud. But, that is only if they are doing their job correctly — and most states do not vet their Notaries well enough to know the difference.

What is a Notary?
(1) A Notary Public is a state appointed official that is authorized to perform particular Notary functions. All states allow Notaries to perform Acknowledgments, Jurats, and Oaths, while some states allow Notaries to act as an official witness, safety box opener, proof of execution, protests, take Depositions, and more.

(2) A Notary receives a formal certificate of commission from their state, and a commission number.

(3) Many states require a Notary to have an official notary seal that has the Notary’s name, commission number, expiration date, state andcounty.

(4) Many states require the Notary to keep a bound and sequential official journal of notarial acts.

To be short, a Notary can perform certain basic Notary functions that their state allows them to function. Their state offers them a formal certificate of commission, and normally allows them to get one or two official Notary seals with their name, commission number, expiration date, city and state, etc. Notaries use prescribed state specific wording for particular Notary acts and that wording can be used on loose certificates that they can purchase from businesses who sell Notary supplies. A Notary is a public official, although most Notaries don’t understand that on an emotional level. They are appointed by their state as an official who will uphold (or at least are supposed to) the laws of their state at all costs.

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You might also like:

Would you accept a signing without a confirmation?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22588

Notary Public General Information
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20075

10 rules for negotiating notary fees
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19620

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January 16, 2017

Notary Notes Makeover…

Filed under: Popular on Twitter,Your Notes Section — Tags: , — admin @ 12:10 am

BEFORE
With over thirteen years of experience as a certified notary signing agent, exceptional customer service, attention to detail, reliability and professionalism are what you can expect. With thousands of loans signed, I guarantee a flawless mortgage loan closing from start to finish. Conveniently based in Long Beach, I cover both Los Angeles and Orange Counties. I have extensive experience with both commercial and residential loans in the areas of e-documents, purchases, refinances, helocs, second mortgages, piggybacks, and reverse mortgages. All notarizations for living trusts, apostilles, medical records, title transfers, foreign adoptions, prenuptial agreements, and power of attorney documents will be completed promptly and efficiently. I am fully GLBA compliant and background screened. For premier mobile notary services, give me a call to get started!

AFTER
13 years signing agent experience; 1000+ loans signed;

I have extensive experience with both commercial and residential loans in the areas of e-documents, purchases, refinances, helocs, second mortgages, piggybacks, and reverse mortgages.

All notarizations for living trusts, apostilles, medical records, title transfers, foreign adoptions, prenuptial agreements, and power of attorney documents will be completed promptly and efficiently.

I guarantee a flawless mortgage loan closing from start to finish. Excellent customer service, attention to detail, reliability and profesionalism are what you can expect. For premier mobile notary services, give me a call to get started!

NNA Certified
NNA Background Screened
High Speed 3-Tray Printer (65 pages / minute)

I cover Los Angeles & Orange Counties with an emphasis on the Long Beach area.
Thanks for visiting my listing on 123notary!

NOTE
The way I normally try to organize notes has a particular structure. First of all, information is separated into paragraphs. The top has punch points which are quick points that have a strong selling feature. An unusual service like Weddings, or a high amount of loans signed, jail or hospital signings might go on top. Last minute signings or a wide radius are also good and quick pieces of information to put on top.

After that, I like to talk about experience. Many Notaries bury their valuable experience under inexpensive claims of how “reliable” and “professional” they are. The least professional Notaries stress how professional they are, so why cheapen yourself by emphasizing what makes you look like a chump? A list of loan types, document types, or who you are on the white glove list with really helps a lot. That way people know what you are capable of.

Next, a note about your personal style or what is unique to you is good. This is where you talk about how you put the customers at ease and triple check your work.

Bullet points come next with certifications, equipment, the fact you have an MBA, etc. Bullet points should be two to six words long otherwise they won’t look good as bullet points.

Coverage area comes near the bottom and try to make it easy to read without too much rambling. Try to avoid a long list of zip codes. A final note can come at the bottom .

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January 14, 2017

Jan New Signing Companies

Filed under: New Signing Companies — Tags: , — admin @ 9:03 am

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Barristers of Ohio
http://www.123notary.com/signco-idv.asp?sid=1252&Barristers+of+Ohio

Carteret Title
http://www.123notary.com/signco-idv.asp?sid=1254&Carteret+Title

Choice Notary
http://www.123notary.com/signco-idv.asp?sid=1248&Choice+Notary

Consumer’s Title
http://www.123notary.com/signco-idv.asp?sid=1249&Consumer%27s+Title

Elite Settlements
http://www.123notary.com/signco-idv.asp?sid=1255&Elite+Settlements%2C+LLC

Kopel and Spinner, LLC
http://www.123notary.com/signco-idv.asp?sid=1250&Kopel+and+Spinner%2C+LLC

Notaries Across the USA
http://www.123notary.com/signco-idv.asp?sid=1243&Notaries+Across+the+USA

Notary Cloud
http://www.123notary.com/signco-idv.asp?sid=1247&Notary+Cloud

Optimum Notary Signing Services
http://www.123notary.com/signco-idv.asp?sid=1245&Optimum+Notary+Signing+Services

Sombrero Capital
http://www.123notary.com/signco-idv.asp?sid=1253&Sombrero+Capital

Statewide Document Services
http://www.123notary.com/signco-idv.asp?sid=1244&Statewide+Document+Services

Tiago Title
http://www.123notary.com/signco-idv.asp?sid=1251&Tiago+Title

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January 13, 2017

The Notary Train

Filed under: Humorous Posts — admin @ 12:44 am

Welcome aboard the Notary (choo-choo) Train.
Today is going to be a busy day. We are traveling from Fort Stockton, TX to Tuc (choo-choo) son today. I wish you all a very nice trip. And since this is The Notary Train, if you need anything Notarized, you are in luck. We have in-house or in-train Notaries commissioned in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona just waiting to (choo-choo) help you.

10pm

ATTENDANT: Welcome aboard. May I see some ID please?

RALPH: Here it is. It is an official TX Driver License.

ATTENDANT: I’ll need a blood sample too.

RALPH: I thought you’d never ask. But, I don’t give that out to strangers. But, how about a thumb print?

ATTENDANT: A right thumbprint will do. I was just kidding about the blood samples. After all, a simple retinal scan would be just as good.

12:10am

RALPH: Hi, I need this document signed. And can you backdate?

TX NOTARY: Umm, isn’t that illegal?

RALPH: Never mind. I’ll ask the other Notary. HEY, I need this document Notarized.

NOTARY #2: When do you need it done?

RALPH: Yesterday!

NOTARY #2: No problem, we are about to cross through a time-zone change on our way to El Paso. Once we have passed it, it will be yesterday.

RALPH: So, you can backdate?

NOTARY #2: I won’t have to. In the mean time, let’s get some Notary snacks at the snack bar. How about a crepe with chocolate sauce that is dispensed from a leaky Notary Seal?

RALPH: Cool. Can I get bananas too?

NOTARY #2: Yes, but you cannot emboss them.

RALPH: Oh, too bad. So, who pours the tea around here?

NOTARY #2: Oh, we have an official TEA agent do that along with transporting blood samples.

RALPH: I love this train. I love it even more when you take a plane ride and arrive at your destination before you left your departure point. That’s a real brain teaser.

TEA AGENT: Can I offer you some tea, or a blood sample?

RALPH: Oh no, I stopped being a vampire years ago.

TEA AGENT: I didn’t, now you know why I love my job so much!

SALLY: Why is this train taking so long? I hope we get to Tucson before my commission expires.

TEA AGENT: Your commission never expires on The Notary Train baby! It’s good for life! By the way, you have a pretty neck.

SALLY: What kind of a psycho are you? Oh getting a phone call.

CALLER: I am trying to track down a particular Notary who did a signing for me in 1968.

SALLY: Well, on The Notary Train, we have lots of tracks if you want to do some tracking. But, you might have to call the Secretary of State. Good luck!

RALPH: I just love The Notary Train. It’s the only Notarial entity that is commissioned in one county and expires in an entirely different one. That’s a great concept — almost as good as reverse time travel.

NOTARY #2: Okay Ralph. Time to do your notarization without backdating. It’s 11:30pm Mountain Time on the 3rd now. Whip out those documents! It’s party time!

RALPH: Okay, let’s do the deed — I mean sign the deed. By the way, why is that guy staring at my neck still?

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You might also like:

Notary Airport
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17062

Notary Zoo
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15994

A Notary sees a UFO
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19929

Notary space station: In space, nobody can hear you sign!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18920

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January 9, 2017

You lose $333 each time you don’t ask for a review

What? How did you come up with this figure? Who does your math, or rather, where did you learn how to do math? Many Notaries claim that they just never “get around to it” when I ask them about asking for reviews. Most Notaries treat asking for a review as some chore like cleaning the attic once every four years. Asking for reviews is more like brushing your teeth. It takes only two minutes, but if you don’t do it, you’ll lose some of your business — or perhaps need a root canal.

Ask for reviews and floss after each signing
Think of 123notary as a Notary dentist. Most people visit the dentist once every six months for a cleaning and check up. But, how often do you go for a check up for your Notary business? We can give you a check up and tell you what you are doing right and wrong anytime — for free, and without the novacaine. We can also do a “cleaning” on your notes section to remove the plaque. The first thing we’ll tell you is to ask for reviews and floss after each signing. Also, get a check up with 123notary every six months, or whenever you feel you need help.

Don’t for a review ask unless complimented
Asking the wrong people for reviews doesn’t help, and asking unappreciative people is also a waste of time. Most Notaries make a list of all the signing companies they’ve ever worked for, ask them all for a review the same day and get nothing. Ask INDIVIDUALS for reviews and ask them the minute they say, “Gee, I love your work — you’re the best Notary I’ve ever had.” If you don’t get this type of compliments, try showing up exactly on time, dress impeccably, answer all of their questions with a smile, and offer a little extra at no charge. Be helpful, but not too helpful like the breakfast lady at the hotel last week who wouldn’t stop offering me yogurt to take to my room. Individuals could be signers for a single document who hired you directly, or perhaps borrowers.

5 or 6 reviews doubles your business.
Reviews are potent in the minds of readers for three years. If you have five or six that doubles your new business from 123notary statistically. But, getting those six reviews is not so easy. Most Notaries think they need to ask six people and they’ll get six reviews. Then there are the people you asked who said they would write a review, but didn’t. You might have to ask ten people who claim they love your work just to get one review. But, if you ask sixty people, you’ll get the six reviews (yes, six is the magic number) that will transform your business. The question is, how long does it take in minutes to ask sixty people?

Ask sixty people in the course of a year or two.
It takes a minute or two to ask for a review. There is some chit-chat, some gossip, and some technical how to regarding the review. You will need to take their EMAIL ADDRESS, so you can email them a link. Without a link to your review page, few if any people will go to the trouble to find it on their own. 123notary is not so easy to navigate even for our staff, so how will a stranger be able to find your page. Sending a link to the “write a review” part of your review page takes a minute. In total, you might spend about four minutes each time you ask for a review and send the necessary email. Asking sixty people will take 240 minutes total. If the average Notary on 123notary (no such thing) makes $20,000 in signings in a three year period, doubling that will be an extra $20,000 as a result of having spent 240 minutes asking for reviews.

Doing the Math
You need to ask roughly 60 people for reviews to get 6 reviews which is the magic number
6 reviews statistically doubles your incoming calls from 123notary (results vary)
It takes 4 minutes to ask for a review and send the email with a link to your review page
4 minutes * 60 people you asked is 240 minutes
You might make $20,000 extra over the next (3) years if you had six or more reviews.
$20,000 divided by 240 = $83 per minute you spend asking for a review
$83 * 4 minutes = $333 each time you ask for a review.

If you are “too busy” to ask for a review, ask yourself, is whatever I’m busy with worth $83 per minute? Even if you are a brain surgeon, the answer is probably no — unless you include the overhead for the operating room and salaries for assistants, clerical work, and costs of the plastic gloves.

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You might also like:

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

Notary Marketing 102’s guide to writing a comprehensive notes section
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19788

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