Posted by Mark Latner on 5/29/13 6:46pm
Msg #471656

signing up with Hospitals for Notary work

What does one do to sign up with a Hospital for Notary work?

Reply by Belinda/CA on 5/29/13 7:11pm
Msg #471658

I have found hospitals don't like referring people to a specific notary for liability purposes. The same goes for most banks.

I have left my cards with hospital information desks and others. Then, I checked back later, as though I am looking for a notary, and my card isn't there. When I inquired about this they said they take them to be nice but throw them out. They can only refer people to the phone book and some keep that handy. They have printed out phone book pages of various services professionals to show the client and so they can copy numbers off of it. They also refer to the internet.

Clients find me for hospital work by the same means they find me for any other GN work.

Reply by LKT/CA on 5/29/13 8:05pm
Msg #471660

I respectfully disagree with you, Belinda

I am on the list of notaries at a hospital near me, the primary notary called for two other hospitals, and have 4 rehab/nursing homes that refer me directly to clients. When I get the call, the callers says, "I was referred to you by _____________<insert name of administrator OR the facility name>. A lady from the main hospital called me two years ago - the head of nursing - and said she went online searching for a notary - for a patient's family member - asked a few questions and learned I was 10 minutes from the hospital. Then she asked if I wanted to be on their list of notaries that they hand out to the family who is in need of a notary. I said yes, and the rest is history.

Initially, I was found by the client via web search. Since, then I have left a stack of business cards at each facility and those facilities willingly accepted my cards and have continued to refer me when a patient or family member asks for a referral. One of my regular GNW clients was a hospital patient. That has been my experience.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 5/29/13 8:13pm
Msg #471661

I've had good results leaving business cards at

nursing homes and the VA Hospital.

The local hospitals/medical centers? Zilch. Never heard anything from there. I have gotten calls from patients there but they didn't come from someone telling him the facility gave them my card. The patient or their family member found me online.

Reply by Roger_OH on 5/29/13 8:19pm
Msg #471662

Absolutely, Lisa - I do a ton of GNW in hospitals...

and nursing homes. Leave cards with the social workers, and they will be happy to refer you to patients/families in need.

The facilities don't want the liability of their own staff people doing notarizations, so they are happy to have mobile notaries to refer their patients to, especially when they will come to that location.

Reply by Belinda/CA on 5/29/13 9:24pm
Msg #471666

Interesting how areas differ in practices. n/m

Reply by Notarysigner on 5/30/13 12:18am
Msg #471678

Ditto, there's more

If you also contact the Social worker they will thank you,,NOT the front desk.

Reply by jba/fl on 5/29/13 8:26pm
Msg #471663

When I am in a hospital, I go to the nurses desk and ask if they have a need. I give them a stack of cards. I also leave them on different floors and at the main desk in the lobby. I don't get work every day, but enough to make it worth my while to visit from time to time when I am in the area.

I do the same with banks, nursing homes, etc. Taking credit cards is a big plus as well...I stress this feature.

Reply by Belinda/CA on 5/29/13 9:29pm
Msg #471667

You sure are right about taking credit cards. I got

a Square and it has made a big difference. People like using a credit card. They don't want to stop and get cash and I don't want to accept checks. Paypal is handy for clients outside of my area hiring me for remote signings. They do not have to have a Paypal account themselves.

Reply by Sandra G Holland on 5/29/13 11:04pm
Msg #471671

Re: You sure are right about taking credit cards. I got

I have been interested in PayPal since it has been mentioned on the forum before. I have it for other things, but have never mentioned it when notarizing. My business card is so full of details that I don't think I could add payment methods. Do you find that most people have PayPal accounts?

Reply by Susan Fischer on 5/29/13 11:38pm
Msg #471677

I find cluttered business cards useless. Maximize Essentials

Rule #2: KISS

As posted, payer doesn't need a PayPal account, right?

Reply by jba/fl on 5/30/13 7:59am
Msg #471685

Neither party needs Paypal acct - only email address.

Square and Intuit Go are free - credit cards really maximize ones capabilities. Eliminate checks wherever possible.

Reply by SheilaSJCA on 5/30/13 12:30pm
Msg #471706

taking credit cards is great, they are not free of costs n/m

Reply by Teresa/FL on 5/30/13 12:46pm
Msg #471707

There is no charge for the card reader, but there is a small

% deducted from each transaction as a processing fee.

Reply by jba/fl on 5/30/13 4:18pm
Msg #471729

And only when they are used. No monthly, no quotas.

I did not mean to imply usage was free - the device is though.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 5/29/13 11:29pm
Msg #471676

Love PayPal, Belinda. Another easy-peasy mobile service

to offer.

Reply by Sandra G Holland on 5/29/13 11:08pm
Msg #471673

My local hospital said they have two notaries so they "don't need anyone". I usually use the argument that if someone is absent, I can be the backup. That seems to work with banks, which often refer people to me. I signed in as a merchandiser at the hospital in order to go door to door to hand out my cards as they wouldn't let me do it any other way. A few weeks later, I gave a woman a card only to hear that she had been looking all over for a notary a few days before. She works at the hospital. Go figure. I guess she didn't want her coworkers knowing her business.

Reply by TJS/CT on 5/30/13 9:23am
Msg #471689

I work full time in a hospital as manager of information desks and operators. I can tell you from the experience at my hospital that contacting the case management and legal departments of the hospital is your best bet. As was mentioned before, leaving the cards at the front desk some would consider solicitation which is against some hospital policies, thus why they may take the card but later discard them. I know in my case it would be helpful to have a list of notaries for them to choose from since the hospital policy prevents me from assisting during work hours. The paralegal in our risk management calls me often but a lot of times I can not accommodate as I normally am booked in the evening hours. Hopefully this will help get your foot in the door.

Reply by ikando on 5/30/13 11:50am
Msg #471703

Another source - In home nursing provider companies

I often notarize documents for people who have help from in home nursing providers. I always give my card to the care worker, but also contact the company they work for to offer my service should their clients need it. I approach it as an add-on to their services.

On another note, I've discovered Payza as an alternative to PayPal. I've had some issues with PayPal and trying to talk to a person is next to impossible. After the third round of the same generic reply, I gave up using them for my business.

Through Payza, I asked for payment from a client in Belgium. He did not understand that he needed to respond to their request to verify my invoice so they could complete the transaction, and I was able to actually call and speak to someone who explained the hangup. Payza is based in Canada, not wherever PayPal is based, which is an added benefit as far as I'm concerned. If you're interested in more info on Payza, PM me. I get a referral fee if you use my code.

Reply by Sandra G Holland on 5/30/13 3:34pm
Msg #471721

That is good information. Thanks.

Reply by Sandra G Holland on 5/30/13 3:37pm
Msg #471723

Well, I meant the thanks to go under TJS's response but it went under ikando's. I like that response, too. Thanks, all.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 5/29/13 11:23pm
Msg #471675

It's not so much "signing up with" facilities, it's finding

the patient advocates; patient services coordinators; social workers;, volunteer staff, etc.

Retirement centers appreciate a local mobile Notary, and, oddly, funeral homes on occasion.

As a long-time gorilla marketer, it pays to do one's homework; and network, network, network; and among all the Hats we wear, never take off one's Marketing Hat.

Find the people who help people who need our services find us.

Another poster brought up technology for GNW, which is so smart. Take plastic, cash, check, a promise and a prayer, but get paid, unless I waive or adjust any fee, as is my right in my state: I choose not to charge Veterans or the struggling for instance.

Rule #1: Make it EASY to pay, and hammer the check. Investing in mobile 'swiping' is fast becoming the norm. Now, you can just take a pic of a check and poof, it's deposited. [I understand there's an App for instant synching of specific info between devices.] How cool is that?

Anyhoo, best of luck, Mark. Your neighborhood's your oyster for General Notary Work.