Notary Biz Blog

It happens to all of us. We work endlessly to build our customer base and to keep our clients happy just to feel burned out and under appreciated.

If this sounds like you, chances are your business is working you, rather then you working your business. Until you change this you won’t feel any better. Actually, things will probably get worse.

Let’s take a moment and get up to speed on what the differences are between running your business and it running you.

When you’re running a business like a mobile notary service it’s your operation. You have a systematic approach to your business process that can be duplicated by anyone. A way to take orders, a way to invoice, and a way to communicate with your clients.

When it’s running you, it’s a completely different thing. Most days are spent jumping from one thing to another all day and sometimes all night. You’re not sure who owes you money or who you owe, how to build or how to market. One thing is for sure: when your business says jump, you say how high. You’re on your way to burning out, if you haven’t already.

This problem affects all small business owners at some point; it’s not just something exclusive to the mobile notary industry.

And while some mobile notary signing agents quit and give up, others are able to turn things around and begin to enjoy life again.

Here are 3 tips to help you avoid burn out in the mobile notary business and get your life back.

1. Take one day off a week

Once a week you should take a day to yourself. Turn the cell phone off, don’t run any appointments and go do something you love to do. Taking time out for yourself is one of the best things you can do to help avoid burn out. It can help rejuvenate you and give you a different perspective.

2. Don’t answer your phone after 6PM

This one can be hard to get used to because most mobile notaries feel they need to be available for every phone call that they get in order to build their business. But it is simply not true. Sometimes a company will want to work with you more because you are not available or not picking up the phone. It shows that you have limits and that you run a business; your business is not running you.

3. Help someone every day.

Take time every day to help someone. It’s good for the soul, and it will help you avoid mobile notary burnout. So go out there and open the door for a stranger, compliment someone you’ve never met before, help a newbie notary get started. It will always come back your way.

Remember to put yourself first. You’ll gain more clients, make more money and be a happier person overall.

Many mobile notaries are out there right now wondering why they ever got into the mobile notary signing agent business. Lured, no doubt, by fancy advertising promising easy money with flexible hours, they have come to find that mobile notary money doesn’t comes easy. Flexible means that they are available to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, not like that “rigid” Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 gig they used to have.

It’s not that the mobile notary business is all bad. In fact, it can be quite rewarding, fun and profitable. But is it right for you?

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before starting up your mobile notary business.

1. Am I willing to work long hours for very little to no money?

It’s not fair but it’s true. When starting out your mobile notary business be prepared to make very little money for the first few months while working 12 to 16 hour days. From marketing to sales to taxes, there is always something to be done when starting out as a mobile notary, and you won’t be paid for it. In fact, the only time you will make money is when you make a sale, which leads to my next question.

2. Do you enjoy sales?

If you don’t, you’re going to have a very hard time getting your mobile notary business off the ground. As a mobile notary you are in the business of selling a service, and when you’re selling your services as a mobile notary public, you’re really just selling yourself.

3. Do you have a fuel efficient vehicle?

Being a mobile notary means putting a lot of miles on your car, sometimes 5000 or more. On top of that, gas prices are through the roof. Estimate your miles per month at about 2,500. Divide that by the miles per gallon your vehicle gets, for example, 12mpg comes to 208 gallons of gas. Multiply that by the cost of gas, $3.30 in some areas, which comes to a grand total of $684, out of pocket, before you collect a dime.

4. Got Commitment?

What happens if you make 75 bucks as a Mobile Notary in your opening month? Are you going to quit? What if all you make is 75 bucks for the first 3 months as a mobile notary, what then?
Being a mobile notary is not easy. At first it’s all work all the time, but after a while you might take a full weekend off and even make some money. Ask yourself, do I have the commitment to get through the worst of the worst just to see it get worse, because the truth is it does and it will. Like with everything, in time you learn to love it and become good at it, if not great.

Spend some time talking with friends and family about your plans and be realistic about what to expect when first starting out as a mobile notary.

One of the challenges facing the mobile notary business is trying to keep costs down, a feat not so easily done with ever rising gas prices and 200 page E-doc files.

What follows are 3 cost cutting tips that will help your mobile notary dollars go further.

1. Buy a Laser Printer
When making a purchasing decision with a printer, don’t go out and buy the cheapest ink jet printer you can find. It might seem better to save yourself a few hundred bucks by buying that $99.00 printer over a good quality laser printer but the truth is your cost per printed page is cheaper with a laser printer. That all adds up when you’re printing a few thousand pages of loan documents each month.

Plus there is nothing like the speed and ease of a dual tray laser printer when printing out e-docs at the end of the month. Just ask any mobile notary signing agent that’s been around for awhile.

2. Get a new phone service
There are many choices in phone services these days for a mobile notary and VoIP is one of the most cost effective solutions available, however it’s not for everyone and you’ll need a high speed internet connection.

Some local phone companies are offering good discounts for bundling services. Give them a call and see what options are available to you.

If you take the time to research what options are available in your area, you could save hundreds of dollars each year.

3. Buy a Hybrid car
$3.60 a gallon! Say no more. Gas is one of the largest expenses that we incur as a mobile notary. Buying a hybrid vehicle makes sense. This is a long term purchasing decision, and if you know that you’re going to be a mobile notary for years to come, a hybrid car could be quite a benefit to your long term business objectives.

Being a mobile notary can be a very costly business, but if you take the time to think ahead when making purchases you will see more mobile notary service dollars in your pocket.