Finding new customers and coping with COVID-19 restrictions were among the leading challenges Notaries face today, according to the results of our January 2022 Notary Trends survey.
According to comments from survey participants, one reason it’s tricky finding new customers is because face-to-face marketing is harder due to COVID-19 restrictions. For example, venues like nursing homes and hospitals where Notary services are often needed commonly limit visitors, which makes introducing yourself and offering Notary services more challenging.
One Notary, Phyllis Denison, says she is not performing notarizations for unvaccinated signers due to health concerns for herself and her husband. “I am 84 and my husband is 86,” she said.
Marjorie Hunt said she has been offering to perform notarizations outdoors to help reduce COVID risk. “I got a portable bar table to do a Notary job outside. I just need something to weigh the papers down so they don’t blow away and a clipboard to make sure I have a smooth writing surface.”
Some Signing Agents said online signing services — agencies that offer loan appointments to multiple NSAs at the same time via bulk texts or emails — are their biggest challenge to finding new customers. Because these offers are first come, first serve and go to the Signing Agent that responds fastest, NSAs said they often can’t reply in time because they are driving or in the middle of another assignment.
“It seems so strange that a company would rather take the first response from a new Signing Agent instead of calling or texting an experienced NSA directly,” said Signing Agent Shelly Dyer.
You can check out the survey results in the graph above. If you’re challenged finding customers or dealing with COVID concerns, you may find the following Notary Bulletin articles helpful:
How to find new customers and build your Notary business
Where do you start looking for Notary Signing Agent Work?
COVID-19 safety and information articles for Notaries
If you’d like to talk about the challenges you face or share ideas for overcoming them with other Notaries, please post in the Comments section below.
David Thun is the Assistant Managing Editor with the National Notary Association.