(Originally published in the December 2015 issue of The National Notary.)
For Kamilla Lucero of Ripon, California, the road to success as a mobile Notary and signing agent meant making some big life changes — and in the end, this stay-at-home mom was able to take her Notary career from “making ends meet” to securing a solid monthly profit.
After working over 20 years as a retail store manager, Lucero found herself at a crossroads: Would she continue working long hours and tackling a grueling two-hour daily commute, or quit her job to start a family?
The decision to quit meant a major cut to the family’s income, so she and her husband worked to pay off their existing debt before she transitioned out of the full-time work force.
After a year at home with her daughter, the new mom found herself in need of a job that offered flexibility as well as enough income to meet the needs of their expanding family. A few short years later, with the help of a mentor and her own business experience, Lucero now has a profitable career as a Notary signing agent
The value of mentorship
It was a dream that first inspired Lucero to become a Notary — one in which she envisioned herself as “the person who showed up at our door when we refinanced our mortgage.” Without even knowing the name of the role, she knew that’s what she wanted to become.
The brand new mom embraced the challenge of balancing family and work from the get-go. She booked a room at the hotel where she attended her very first NNA Notary training course in Modesto, California. “I’d run up to my room during each break and nurse,” says Lucero.
During this very first training session, she got to know the course facilitator, Laura Biewer, who quickly became a valued mentor.
“At the beginning of that first course, she asked each student why they were there,” says Lucero. “I told her it was to be a stay-at-home mom, and she validated my decision by giving examples of how it could be done. There was not even a pause.”
Later, Lucero went on a ride-along with Biewer to a hospice facility. Lucero watched notarizations being performed first hand and gained confidence before booking her first assignments. Having a strong mentor has proven invaluable in shaping Lucero’s career. She received everything from hands-on marketing tips to a list of recommended loan signing agencies. “The number one signing agency that I get work from now came from that list Laura gave us in class,” says Lucero.
Marketing — and expanding — her business
Lucero’s experience with customer service helped when she launched her new career. She understood the value of professionalism in attire and attitude, and didn’t approach her new profession as an afterthought.
“You have to treat it as a business,” says Lucero of her Notary career, “and I’m always setting new goals, creating new plans, and watching my profits.”
Lucero’s pathway to profitability was built on slow and steady growth — and hard work that included some creative marketing techniques. She advertised with her local Chamber of Commerce, created eye-catching signage for her car, handed out magnetic calendars containing her contact information (easier to hold on to than a business card), and created a website through Vista Print, that only cost her $4 a month. This has helped expand her online marketing reach. A minimal monthly fee further ensures her name shows up first in search engines.
“Almost all of my mobile signing work is in my small town,” says Lucero. “So I wanted to make sure that when someone does an online search for a local Notary, mine is the first name that comes up.”
By the time she started performing loan signings, Lucero had built a strong reputation in her town, and transitioned smoothly into working for major signing agencies.
Juggling work life and family life
One of the biggest motivations that Lucero had for transitioning from full-time work to a “work from home” signing agent, was that she didn’t want to place her daughter in day care. Joining a local MOMS group quickly ensured her a network of trustworthy sitters, and even some potential new clients. “If I get a call for a signing, I can generally drop my daughter off for a play-date with one of the moms,” says Lucero. “I’m often back in 20 minutes, and I’ve made up to $75. I return the favor when they’re in need.” Her MOMS group, along with her husband’s flexible work schedule, offers plenty of time, Lucero says, to take on last minute appointments and loan signings.
“In all my years at this, I’ve never had to hire a babysitter,” says Lucero. “I am able to still keep my family as my number one priority, and I love being able to help the companies I work for and the clients I serve.”
Increasing her profit margin
These days, Lucero makes enough money from general Notary appointments to pay the expenses — printer ink, office supplies, etc. — associated with her loan signing business. So the income she makes performing loan assignments is pure profit.
“I get offered about 40 to 50 loan signings in a given month,” says Lucero. She has been accepting about 30, in order to continue her role as a stay-at-home mom. But that may change soon. “My little one is in school now, and I love it,” says Lucero, whose five-year old daughter just started kindergarten. “I’m ready to take on more work!”
Words of advice to new Notaries
While business is strong for Lucero at the moment, she acknowledges that the industry is cyclical in nature. She warns Notaries that it’s not unusual to hit dry spells, but to always remain prepared and ready for the next big workflow to come along.
Another bit of advice Lucero has for new Notaries is to find a mentor to help guide them through the early part of their career, as Laura Biewer did for her. “Laura helped me transition from a new Notary to a Notary with a successful and confident business.”