I'm in a similar market, with tons of other notaries, so I think I understand what you're saying. And I interpret your comment about being a single mom as a statement that you're not playing around, and that you're looking for something proactive to do, because failure isn't an alternative. Is that right? So I'm going to give it a shot, and will probably get carried away, so my apologies in advance...
Surviving in times like this requires a very tough, objective look, imo. Applying one of the principles from Steven Covey's book, "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People", specifically to "begin with the end in mind", is probably a very good idea. And I'm going to assume that the desired end, or goal, is to achieve a certain level of profitability, in order to meet at least minimum living expenses. No? Further, it's essential to have a pretty clear idea of how much that will take (i.e. at least a budget, preferably a business plan).
Assuming that's been done, I think one of the first things we need to do is identify what is within our direct control and what is not. I realize this kind of goes against the premise of the original post, and while I'd do believe that people can have an influence major issues, IMO that approach isn't likely to solve the immediate concern or help achieve the short term goal.
Here's a list of some of the things I don't believe we, as individuals, can control: - The overall economy - The overall amount of work that exists - Fixed costs of doing business - What criteria another company will choose to use when hiring notaries - What kind of business model a tc or ss will use to manage their finances - and to try to survive in this shrinking market - What hiring parties expect us to do for the fees they're willing to pay - How many other notaries are trying to serve the same coverage area (unless we're able to relocate; willingness to relocate is separate issue - and that may not solve the problem anyway) - The cost of living in our community
There are probably many more.
Things we CAN control (to various degrees): - How we choose to spend our time - Who we accept work from - What minimum fees we will work for - Some of our business and personal overhead and variable expenses (e.g. toner, food, etc.) - How we *think* about our current circumstances (MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL!!)
These will vary by individual, but I'm sure we could all come up with more.
So while we'd all like to be able to stop low-balling tc's from working with cheap ss's, and ss's from hiring cut-rate notaries, the chances of succeeding with that approach are likely pretty slim. So then we have another decision to make. Do we want to go the route of those who feel they have no choice but to accept the unprofitable fees being offered in order to "work", or do we want to spend our time on activities that have at least a chance of allowing us to reach our goal?
I don't claim to have the answers and the solutions are a lot more complicated than I could get into, but I can at least lay out some things to consider. (Getting help from a free mentor at SCORE might be a better approach.)
First, as others have suggested, set minimum bottom line fees for various services you offer that take into consideration what your time is worth, then don't accept anything less than that. If someone contacts you with work that doesn't meet that minimum, let it go - in all sense of the phrase! Don't think of it as work lost, just think of it as a call to the wrong person - that the caller didn't meet your requirements. No different, IMO, than someone calling who doesn't have adequate ID. (BTW, lately I turn down lots more work than I accept.) That way, instead of spending time doing assignments with very little - if any - payback, you can spend your time on activities that will help you find work that *will* pay you what you want and need.
That can take the form of finding other clients or other types of notary business. I believe Florida is one of those states where GNW is worth doing. GNW has become a big segment of my business, but it takes time and effort to find it. (Others here have made some good suggestions along that line.) However, it may also mean facing the possibility that a notary business may no longer be a viable full time business option. This is likely the hardest part of this exercise. But if that's the case, the sooner you realize that, the better. The next decision, of course, will be to decide what kind of other activities you can pursue to bring in more income, whether that's another business, a part time job, or perhaps a full time job.
Tough choices...! But putting our heads in the sand and not facing the present realities is a sure road to failure. All we can do is focus on those things that ARE within our control, make some decisions and then take action.
Off my soap box now, so I hope this helps. (And FWIW, I'll be the first to acknowledge that this is easier said than done!)
