Posted by nashiem on 8/25/04 10:08pm
Msg #6708

should i

iam making 42,000 a year and thinking bout leaving rertail and take on the notary business full time what do you think

Reply by Loretta/Maryland on 8/25/04 10:15pm
Msg #6711

Don't even think about it. Maybe as a side job for evening closings but with the amount of notaries out there and more and more joining the field, it is harder than ever to get the business and keep it and not be undercut by someone else.

Reply by Andy_WA on 8/25/04 10:36pm
Msg #6722

Notary pay is good for a side job or supplement income.

Reply by sandi_CA on 8/25/04 11:04pm
Msg #6726

I agree with other replies....great extra income. Too unpredictable to depend on for your only full-time income.

Reply by CaliNotary on 8/26/04 1:26am
Msg #6729

I did

I did it part time for about 8 months. Couldn't stand the job that I was at, wasn't making very good money anyway, so I decided to take the plunge and try it full time. I quit my job at the end of January. Not the greatest time to do it, things were just barely beginning to pick up from the dead holiday season.

I expected to be terrified for the first two months and I was. I figured that if things didn't pan out I'd start looking for another job, maybe a part time job. I signed up with a ton of signing services during that time and things started to gain steam. I turned out to be right on with my 2 month prediction, after about 2 months I was doing pretty well. Since then I've averaged $3700 per month. Not getting rich, but that's a few hundred more than I was earning at the last job. It probably just about covers the additional gas I've been using. However, I'm working 25-30 hours per week to earn it vs. 40 hour weeks at the old job.

There were several factors in my decision to leave the old job. I wanted more time to pursue some creative endeavors. I wanted to avoid getting trapped into a dull career in cubicle hell which would have been really easy to do there. I wanted to take the time to figure out what direction I really wanted to go careerwise.

I'm single with no kids so it was definitely easier for me to take the risk of doing this full time. I don't regret doing it at all. My goal is to be hitting $5000 + per month on a regular basis and I definitely think that's within the realm of possibility in the near future. And even if I don't, the intangible benefits I've received from going full time have made it well worth it for me.

But there is also definitely that understanding in the back of my mind that I could be in trouble if the market changes drastically. But if it does, there are plenty of jobs in my previous industry and it wouldn't be too difficult for me to get another mind numbing cubicle job if necessary.

Reply by Fay Hudson on 8/26/04 12:30pm
Msg #6750

Where are you? In California, there is a notary public on every block in every city in each of the 52 counties. Leave a good paying job to enter a field that is so crowded, you cannot elbow your way in, is ludicrous.

Reply by Tess/ME on 8/26/04 4:26pm
Msg #6759

Re: should i - By all means, yes

$42K is "petty cash" compared to what a full time signing agent makes.
And if you ever figure out who you are, you may even make more.

Reply by CarolynCO on 8/26/04 6:50pm
Msg #6768

Re: should i - By all means, yes

***Tess/ME said: And if you ever figure out who you are, you may even make more.***

Actually by not finding out who he/she whoever is (or 'are' because we're dealing with multiple ID's), this person will be able to make 4-5 times as much as one of us posting with only one name -- they will just have to learn to be at 4-5 places at the same time.

Reply by joe/nc on 8/26/04 10:15pm
Msg #6786

depends on how hard a job you have. $42000 is not bad. Signing is independent, some days you may have work some none. there are no benefits, fortunetely for me I took this on full time this march when i was downsized from a full time job, prior I was p/t
I am lucky to have a wife who makes good money in a hospital and has gone back to full time 1st shift. I now have to pick up the slack a bit around home.

everyones situation is different and it depends on the saturation in your area.

Joe/NC

Reply by Loretta/Maryland on 8/26/04 10:54pm
Msg #6796

I don't think that it would be a good idea to jump into this full time without getting enough clients to not sink. After reading the posts here for a while, there are tons of notaries in CA.
You have to get several companies to use you enough to make the 42k. I don't think that you will do that starting out, not for at least a year or more. That's just my opinion, I have only been doing this 7 years.

Reply by Tess/ME on 8/27/04 6:36pm
Msg #6847

Re: should i - Loretta....look...

Reply by Tess/ME on 8/27/04 6:40pm
Msg #6848

Re: should i - Loretta, look (first posting hit wrong key)

Look at the posting numbers by the names of these last few "people" there are 4 or 5 names with the same routing number that it is from...someone is trying to be funny to see how many people they can get to answer them when they probably are no more a signing agent then Bugs Bunny. They are the ones that say "help" - "I need help" etc..

Reply by mimi_NJ on 8/27/04 7:16pm
Msg #6849

Re: should i - Loretta, look (first posting hit wrong key)

Tess said: Look at the posting numbers by the names of these last few "people" there are 4 or 5 names with the same routing number that it is from...someone is trying to be funny to see how many people they can get to answer them when they probably are no more a signing agent then Bugs Bunny. They are the ones that say "help" - "I need help" etc..

How can you find the routing number?

Reply by CaliNotary on 8/27/04 11:14pm
Msg #6862

Re: should i - Loretta, look (first posting hit wrong key)

It's the number on the second line below.

Posted by Tess/ME on 8/27/04 6:40pm
Msg #6848 from 24.48.242.146