Becoming a Notary Signing Agent was one of the best decisions of my life — but it wasn’t easy. Changing jobs from a full-time truck driver to a full-time Signing Agent took a lot of effort.
When I started as an NSA, I worked my full-time job from 2 am. to 11 a.m., and would then take loan signings from noon to 8 p.m. I almost quit after 2 months. But I stuck it out, and soon I was making more money from loan signings than I was from my day job.
I decided to become a full-time Signing Agent, and today I’m also the co-owner of a successful nationwide signing service that works with Notaries across the country. Becoming a full-time Signing Agent was a great choice for me. But leaving a full-time job for the uncertainty of a new mobile Notary career can be intimidating.
There's a BIG difference between running a full-time business and having a “side hustle” or a “side gig.” Working part-time doesn’t take a lot of effort, but if you want your full-time Notary business to succeed, you must be ready to work harder and smarter. If you treat this only as a side gig, it will only pay you like a side gig. If you treat it as a business, it can reward you with a successful full-time profession. If you’re thinking of making the leap, here are some success strategies to follow from my own experience:
1. Actively market your Notary business.
A lot of Notaries complain that they don’t receive work offers. Maybe they’ve dropped off a few business cards at title companies or sent a few emails to signing services. They’ve updated their listings on directories like SigningAgent.com or Snapdocs. While these are important steps, they are what I call “passive marketing.” If you want your full-time Notary business to succeed, you can’t rely solely on posting your information and waiting for someone to offer you work. You must actively market yourself.
Active marketing helped me make $4,800 in my first month as a Notary Signing Agent. I didn’t just sit around and wait to hear from companies — I actively reached out and spoke with them every day.
Here’s an important tip many Notaries and Signing Agents don’t realize. You may call a signing service at 9 a.m. and speak with someone who tells you there are no signings available in your area. But Notary work can pop up unexpectedly any time — another Notary may call the same company later in the same day and get a signing that just came in. So, when I started out, I not only called several companies each day to check on assignments — sometimes I would call the same company in the morning, afternoon and evening of the same day. So, if a company you want to work with accepts phone calls, follow up often.
2. Show companies your value when you contact them.
When you contact potential clients looking for general Notary work or loan signing assignments, you must show them the value you offer them as a Notary and what can you offer them that other Notaries can’t.
Here are some examples:
- Let them know if you are available to work outside normal business hours. Be sure to tell them you are willing to commit extra time to correct any notarization errors that occur. Inform companies if you have customer-facing skills, such as fluency in sign language.
- While most Signing Agents have some form of certification, background screening and E&O insurance, let companies know if you have other licensing, training or background that is helpful during loan signings, such as experience working with a real estate or mortgage company.
When you introduce yourself, explain that you are looking for ways to help their business and customers. Remember, let companies know you are offering something to them — not just looking for work.
3. Don’t bring an ‘employee’ mindset to your Notary business.
If you want to quit your job and run a full-time Notary or Signing Agent business, you cannot bring the mindset of an "employee" to your business.
Working as an employee brings a steady paycheck and benefits, and leaving that security can be intimidating.
To successfully run and operate your own Notary business, you will have to face and overcome the fear of not having traditional job security.
You will have to push yourself to step outside your comfort zone because you — not an employer — will be responsible for the management, growth and success of your Business. And you must be prepared to let go of the traditional benefits of being a full-time employee.
As a business owner, you will have to make decisions, such as how to incorporate your Notary business, what insurance your business needs beyond Notary errors and omissions coverage, and manage your finances and income tax.
A lot of Notaries love the idea of starting their own business but are simultaneously terrified of letting the safe, steady paycheck and benefits go. I made the leap because I hated my old job and wanted a better life for myself.
Working full-time as an NSA allowed me more quality time with my family. And I didn't have to ask another person for permission to go on vacation. I wanted this change enough to let go of the security of my old job, to completely step outside my comfort. The moral is that your desire for independence has to be greater than your fear of failure to succeed in a full-time Notary business.
Gordon Collins is a Notary Signing Agent, the co-owner of Precise Signing Solutions with his wife Andrea Collins and the author of “5 Keys to Becoming A Preferred Notary in 2022.”
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