March 2023 - Notary Blog - Signing Tips, Marketing Tips, General Notary Advice - 123notary.com
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March 24, 2023

Best Apps for Mobile Notary Services

Filed under: Business Tips — Tags: , — Tom Wilkins @ 10:00 am

If you’re a mobile notary, arriving at your notary jobs on time is essential. Navigation and other vehicle-related apps can streamline scheduling and reduce costs when driving to different cities.

A great app can help you avoid traffic jams, find a restaurant that serves your favorite food, pinpoint a place with the cheapest gas or an EV charger, and so much more. Here are the best apps for mobile notary services that will make your life easier and save you money.

Waze

Waze is a reliable traffic navigation and alert app that uses real-time traffic data to bypass accidents, avoid speed traps, and be routed to your destination using the quickest path. The app can save you time and frustration, especially if you drive through heavily congested areas.

Plug in your starting point and destination to see how long it will take so you can plan your day accordingly. If you have flexibility, the Waze app will take historical data and tell you the ideal time to leave to avoid traffic.

GasBuddy

GasBuddy helps drivers locate nearby gas stations and find the best gas deals to plan a cost-effective trip. The app also offers pricing stats so you can see at a glance if gas prices are rising or falling, so you can fill up when it saves you the most money.

Gas Buddy also has a handy feature that can estimate fuel expenditure if you’re planning a road trip which can help you plan a budget.

PlugShare

The PlugShare app is a must-have if you own an electric vehicle. The app highlights the locations of over 230,000 EV chargers and superchargers across the US, with data updated regularly. Zoom in on your area and click on any tab to learn the charger location, address, business hours, and the number of charger spots they offer.

The best feature of PlugShare is that the information is in real-time, so you can locate an open charger in your area without having to drive there and check the status, saving battery power. There is also a chat feature to connect with a technician if you have any questions or issues.

BestParking

BestParking is one of the top apps for mobile notary services, as it can be a lifesaver when driving to appointments in urban areas. The app can find available parking, lets you compare fees, and even allows you to book a parking space so you can quickly park and go.

The app is very user-friendly. You can find a spot immediately or pre-pay and reserve a parking slot on a specific date and time, which can significantly reduce stress. A bonus is using the app can save you up to 50% off posted parking rates.

FIXD

When you rely on your vehicle for work, keeping it maintained is critical. The FIXD app is a monthly subscription that uses a sensor on ICE cars and trucks after 1996 and diesel trucks built after 2008 to diagnose your engine.

Pop the FIXD sensor into the OBD2 port under the steering wheel, start the car, open the app, and scan your vehicle’s condition. Instantly receive data on your smartphone about issues that need attention, especially when the check engine light is on. The app also sends alerts when your vehicle needs oil changes, tune-ups, and other routine maintenance that can slip your mind.

The app stores your vehicle history and comes with on-call support from FIXD mechanics, who can guide you through repair solutions.

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March 17, 2023

How to Be a Successful Mobile Notary

Filed under: Become a Notary,Beginners Corner,Notary Public 101 — Tags: , , — Tom Wilkins @ 4:17 pm

Working as a mobile notary is an attractive option for those who find the idea of clocking 8 or 9 hours daily at the same location with the same people more than a little stifling. Mobile notaries get to work with a diverse group of people and aren’t stuck at one location constantly. Of course, the drive is only one part of the answer to being a successful mobile notary. Read on for some key tips on turning that dream into a practical reality.

Develop a Plan

People don’t open a restaurant or even launch e-commerce stores without making a plan first. Being a mobile notary isn’t a traditional business, but it most certainly is a business. You should treat it that way and make a business plan.

You can find templates for business plans in many places online, such as the Small Business Administration. Minimally, you need some ideas about what services you’ll offer, the service hours you’ll keep, your expected expenses, and a fee schedule.

Give particular thought to where and how you’ll market your services. Will you get yourself listed in an online notary directory (you should) or focus more on local publications to advertise your services? You’ll probably want a mix of online and offline marketing.

Diversify Your Service Offerings

Many new mobile notaries will focus all their attention on the loan signing aspect of notary services. While these assignments can prove profitable, the payment timeline is extended. You can wait up to 45 days before you see any money.

Consider offering other services directly to consumers in your community. For example, you can offer signature witnessing or copy certification, assuming there is enough work and you can charge enough per notarization to justify it. If nothing else, these other services can help you maintain a positive cash flow

Make Strategic Alliances

New notaries often view other notaries or businesses offering notary services as their competition. There is a kernel of truth in that, but it also limits your business unnecessarily. For example, you’ll want to limit the distance you will drive to offer your services. You can set up an informal agreement to recommend that people use a different notary if they’re outside your driving radius and vice versa.

Pick Your Customers

A common mistake that many new business owners make is that they assume every customer is good. That’s not always the case. For example, a customer that wants you to make a long drive two or three times a month for a low-paying service isn’t a good fit.

As a rule, you must balance your costs and the value of your time against what you get from a customer. Spending an hour round trip for a job that only pays $25 isn’t profitable. You want customers who make it worth your while to make the trip by getting higher-paying services or bundling together several lower-paying services.

How to Be a Successful Mobile Notary

The question of how to be a successful mobile notary requires several things from you. Minimally, you need a business plan to focus your efforts. You’ll want to offer a mix of services to capture immediate profit from consumers and higher-paying work like loan signings. Think about making strategic alliances. Finally, pick customers that value your time and make it worthwhile to make the trip.

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March 10, 2023

Notary Business Pros and Cons

Filed under: Notary Public 101 — Tags: , , — Tom Wilkins @ 11:00 am

Even though the Internet offers plenty of convenience in sending documents worldwide, the need for notary services is greater than ever. In fact, notary services are even more important these days because of the Internet. Businesses, government organizations, legal professionals, and more all need ways to verify the authenticity of signed documents, and notaries provide a way to certify these documents for their clients.

Whether you offer notary solutions as add-on services to a wider array of professional services or pursue a career focused solely on notary services, there are many opportunities to make money and help others. Of course, following this career path isn’t for everyone, and there are benefits and downsides to becoming a notary. If you’re thinking about offering notary services, consider the following notary business pros and cons.

Pros of Becoming a Notary

You Often Set Your Own Hours

Most notaries enjoy a flexible schedule that allows them to set their own hours. This added benefit is one of the biggest reasons people enter the notary profession: your time is a valuable commodity. If you haven’t worked outside of a traditional office environment before, getting used to it may take some time, but with some practice and planning, you’ll find your own rhythm.

Notary Professionals Can Travel

While you can provide notary services from an office, many notaries find success working as mobile professionals. A mobile notary service means you travel to client locations to perform notary duties, and this kind of work can be a fun way to meet new people and discover new areas. If you provide mobile notary services, include your travel expenses in your pricing, as you need to get paid extra for your convenience.

You’re Able to Help People in a Time of Need

One of the most rewarding aspects of becoming a notary is the ability to help people in a time of need. Clients who seek out your services often have very pressing matters to attend to, and your services help these individuals navigate complex situations. Whether these situations involve loans, immigration, marriages, or other important matters, you can sleep each night knowing you’ve provided a service that has made someone’s life better.

Cons of Becoming a Notary

Income May Be Inconsistent

You receive a paycheck on a set schedule when you work a traditional job. However, working for yourself as a notary means your income could be more consistent. This is often more of a concern when starting out as established notaries tend to stay busy after building a reputation in their areas. You can overcome this challenge by paying close attention to your budget and doing everything possible to earn business from clients in your area.

Notaries Usually Need to Handle Their Own Marketing

If you plan to pursue a full-time career as a notary, you’ll likely need to handle your own marketing. This can be challenging since marketing in the digital age requires a lot of time and dedication to the process. Thankfully, you can make things more efficient by getting listed in various notary directories on the web. These directories are usually sorted by location. You may also be able to offer your contact information, hours of operation, and more when you get listed in a notary directory. Notary business pros and cons are no different than when starting any new business. A notary business’s key benefits are flexibility and work-life balance.

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March 3, 2023

7 Time Management Tips for Mobile Notaries

Filed under: Notary Public 101 — Tags: , — Tom Wilkins @ 11:00 am

Setting your own work schedule is a wonderful thing, but it can also be a challenge. Unless you’re naturally self-motivated, you might struggle with time management, especially at first. Here are a few useful time management tips for mobile notaries that help you stay on task.

1. Choose Your Working Hours

When working remotely, it’s important to structure your day just as you would in a traditional 9-to-5 setting. Otherwise, it’s too easy to fritter away your time.

That’s not to say that you must adhere to those hours exactly. After all, one of the benefits of being a mobile notary is setting your own hours.

For example, if you’re most productive in the morning, consider working from 6 or 7 AM until 2 or 3 PM. On the other hand, night owls might prefer starting the day at 10 AM and working until early evening.

Notify your clients and colleagues once you’ve set up your work schedule so they’ll know when you can be reached. Applications such as Google Chat allow you to set the status to “Away” or “Don’t Disturb,” making it easier to adhere to these guidelines.

2. Make Yourself Available

While it’s important to stick to your set working hours, you want to ensure you’re easy to reach.

When you’re getting started, you should set up a social media page and print out business cards to distribute to potential clients. You might also consider adding your name to local notary signing agent directories.

Once you’ve done that, respond to any calls, voicemails, and emails as soon as possible. Consistency and availability are key to maintaining good business relationships. Moreover, staying on task will help you remain focused, which is a great time-saver.

3. Be Prepared For Travel

When one of your clients calls and needs something notarized, you should be ready to head out at a moment’s notice. Keep your supplies together in a safe location so you can access them whenever you need to head out the door in a hurry.

On a related note, maintaining your vehicle properly is one of the most important time management tips for mobile notaries to prevent service interruptions. You might not have to punch the clock at a second location, but you’ll still need reliable transportation if you expect to service your customers on time.

4. Use Invoice Reminder Software

If certain clients don’t pay you on time, chasing them down can distract you from your other projects. Use a program like InvoiceOcean to set up automatic reminders when customers are late on their payments. It will allow you to set up the time span just once, so there’s no need for continuous adjustments.

5. Track Your Time

Mobile notaries aren’t paid hourly, but that’s no reason to neglect this step. Tracking your time can help you understand how much time you spend on certain tasks and how you might manage projects better. Consider using a tool such as Toggl or Indy to help you make the most of your work time.

6. Keep Skills Sharp

Becoming a mobile notary is a huge step forward, but there’s always more to learn. Consider setting time aside to pursue new lines of work or even take a class or two. This might mean turning down jobs that need to be a better fit for you personally, but developing a niche will help you strengthen your business.

7. Take Time Off

Pay attention to your personal time, as doing so can lead to burnout, making you less productive in the long run.

Take at least one day off every week, and schedule vacations occasionally. You’ll need to plan ahead on the practical and financial levels, but you’ll come back from the breaks refreshed and with a clearer focus.

In Summary

Effective time management is essential for any freelancer, including mobile notaries. These time management tips for mobile notaries should help keep your business on track while improving your work-life balance.

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