Posted by Pahoua Quality Document Services on 9/1/05 10:47pm
Msg #63396

New Notary Question

I am announcing my newbie status here on NotaryRotary! Of course, I, the newbie, have tons of questions for you old-bies with all your professional experience. About how long after you became commissioned and ready to start doing loan signings did it take for you to get going? I am thoroughly discouraged b/c Golden State Notaries (my notary and loan signing company) made it seem like there was a large amount of work available (loan signings) that would leave me speechless and overwhelmed. I am sitting at my office desk each morning with no calls and very little heart left. I have signed on to different sites, sent out marketing letters to lenders and still nothing. I am a full time law student and I really do not want to have to get a full-time desk job. Please help! All your suggestions are much appreciated.
Pahoua

Reply by bee on 9/1/05 10:58pm
Msg #63399

Dear Pahoua:
We are in the same situation. One question did you start Network in your community?
My experience is I have to go door to door to offer my services. Sometimes I am dissapointed but what can I say? NETWORK! NETWORK! NETWORK! and that takes time and effort.

Reply by Anonymous on 9/1/05 11:06pm
Msg #63401

Hi Bee:
Thanks for responding. I am going to meet with a few lenders tomorrow to network and drop off my business cards. I really hope that works.
Pahoua

Reply by Evangelina Arvizu on 9/1/05 11:32pm
Msg #63409

You got that right!

Reply by Iris_WA on 9/1/05 11:03pm
Msg #63400

As has been said here before many many times (and will undoubtedly be repeated ad infinitem), use the orange SEARCH button and pull up message thread #33325. It contains a WEALTH of information that will answer many of your questions before you even think to ask them. Use the SEARCH button on keywords that DO occur to you, too.

I am not the one to really answer your question about how long it takes to get going because I do this only very part-time. However, I do want to tell you to NOT lose heart! It does take time to get going. So, hang in there ... and if you do as many others here have suggested, that is, to contact large numbers of the signing agencies that are NOT on the No-No lists (and they are too many to name here), eventually, you will start getting calls. Make sure your profile here is filled out nicely, as a kind of mini-resume, so when services do a search in your zip code, your name may come up.

I would, however, also add that my membership here has brought me FAR more business calls in just a few months than has my almost 2-year listing at another well-known site. As soon as I can, I will be upgrading my membership here.

Good luck to you!

Reply by Pahoua Quality Document Services on 9/1/05 11:14pm
Msg #63405

Thank you Iris! That was extremely helpful.
Pahoua

Reply by Iris_WA on 9/1/05 11:17pm
Msg #63406

P.S. read the posts here from beginning to end!! - N/M

Reply by Evangelina Arvizu on 9/1/05 11:31pm
Msg #63407

Pahoua. Take heart. It takes, on average 3 to 9 months to make any money! I have been a notary since 1980, and worked full time for family law and criminal defense attorneys throughout Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles, and logged only about 25 notarial duties. I moved to New York, and let my term expire, then when I returned, and moved to Ventura County, renewed my commission in May 2005. Only one job with two signatures logged, and made more money charging my mobile service/mileage fee. YOU HAVE TO GET OUT AND MEET AND TALK AND NETWORK WITH PEOPLE, GROUPS and BUSINESS NETWORKING CLUBS; but be very careful, do not spend any money to join these groups, unless you are comfortable laying out $200 to $600 a year with the possiblity of no referrals or business for 6 to 9 months -- that is how most people do business; with people they have met, and talked to, and feel comfortable with through those networked or established relationships. Then again, there is always the exception!

Reply by Joan Bergstrom on 9/1/05 11:49pm
Msg #63415

Re: How to get business

Hi
Lets start with some basics; in your notaryrotary profile you have professional spelled wrong. A misspelled word in a profile is a deal breaker with most signing & title companies, it shows you don't have the "attention to detail" most companies want in a notary. Also its the National Notary Association not Org.

If you haven't signed up with over 300 signing companies you really haven't begun to market yourself. You should include a picture of yourself on this site.

I will tell you what you are doing correctly: you at least have a profile although it needs work, and most of the signing agents don't have anything in their profile and they wonder why they are not being hired! No Profile, No Work!!

I have always posted on both chatlines my first & last name and I have gotten tons of work from it and I am always surprised how few signing agents do this.

Okay, I have given some free marketing tips and I hope this helps everyone!
Joan Bergstrom
www.joanbergstrom.net

Reply by Iris_WA on 9/2/05 12:03am
Msg #63421

Thanks, Joan

Thanks for the tips, Joan.... adding them to my own arsenal for a future time.

I am currently have a free membership, and I've never found a way to find profiles just based on the name. Is this a feature of the Premier membership?

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 9/2/05 2:55am
Msg #63444

Joan, I am going to have to give you a plug ..

Don't know if you remember me, but I was the retired retail manager that was only going to do a few signings per month to fill some down time and have some extra spending money and then go fishin' the rest of the time. I only did a couple of things that you told me to do and the business has really taken off. I had 4 edoc sigings today (just got home) from direct calls from title companies. And those are the ones that pay the best. So the business is there if you work a little. Thanks for your advice, Joan.

The biggest error that I made, though, is not put enough thought into a printer early on. The Brother 5140 double tray that I now use as my main printer seems to be a real workhorse.

Reply by Joan Bergstrom on 9/2/05 12:58pm
Msg #63509

Re: Joan, I am going to have to give you a plug ..

Thanks Glenn

I remember you and I am not surprised your business took off. I go back to what I have posted before: the business is out there if you know how to market yourself.

Calif has the lowest ratio of notaries per capitia and yet there are people who post that we are over saturated with notaries in this state.

My son's loan signing business has taken off like a rocket here in the Inland Empire! I kid him that for once he listened to his mother!!

Reply by CaliNotary on 9/4/05 9:21pm
Msg #63727

Joan is spewing nonsense again


"Calif has the lowest ratio of notaries per capitia and yet there are people who post that we are over saturated with notaries in this state."

And the complete and utter lack of logic in this statement has been pointed out to Joan over again, but she just chooses to ignore it because it doesn't serve her purposes.

Perspective :

California has about 232,000 notaries, a per capita of 1 per 146 people, for a service that most people use extremely infrequently at best.

California has about 50,000 police patrol officers, a per capita of 1 per 677 people. The police force is working 24/7 doing a job that is infintely more difficult and dangerous than notary work, basically maintaining a civilized society.

The United States Postal Service has a total US workforce of about 640,000, a per capita of 1 postal worker per 462 people, for a service that is used 6 days per week, every week by every residence and business in the country.

So, unless anybody out there believes that it is necessary for there to be 4 notaries to every 1 police officer in the state of California, I think it's quite reasonable to assume that our state is extremely saturated with notaries.

Reply by SpyDOC on 9/2/05 2:48pm
Msg #63528

Re: How to get business

Joan you seemed to be a very well-experienced/professional notary, do you have any suggestions for a marketing letter.

Do you recommend mailing out the letters or personally dropping business cards and/or resume.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Reply by Cynthia Lanning on 9/2/05 8:03pm
Msg #63572

Re: How to get business

Hi Joan, I took your signing class and I loved it. Have a problem though. I recently signed 3 loan docs for one person. I gat a call today that the wife was supposed to sign two disclaimer deeds both of which her name is now where to be found. So they want me to go back and have her and her husband sign. They sent me new disclaimer deeds and still no name. The title co. told me they fill in her name later. I am really angry because they probably wont pay me. What would be your advice for this situtuation? I appreciate your input. Mind you, this is on a friday and everbody is close. The title co. also informed me how mad the borrower is, and I should would need good luck for him to be polite? Should I tell him that I cannot notarize an imcomplete doc and this wasn't my fault? Thanks

Reply by Joan Bergstrom on 9/2/05 8:40pm
Msg #63574

Re: How to get business

Hi Cynthia

This doesn't sound good at all!
Fax me over the this deed so I can look at it; 951-346-3186.
Also send your phone number.

One advice I will give is don't delete any email loan package for at least 3 weeks, thats assuming that this package was emailed, and that way you can go back and check and see if the document was actually in the loan package.

Reply by PNW_Notary on 9/2/05 8:50pm
Msg #63575

Hit orange Search button; Read msg #33325

This message and all other posts in the thread of message 33325 is THE place for newcomers to start.

Good luck!

Reply by DogmongerCA on 9/3/05 11:49am
Msg #63635

Sounds like you got sold the typical bill of goods

I work in the same market that you are attempting to work in. If you not have signed up with a minimum of at least 200 SS's than you are wasting your time sitting at your desk waiting for the phone to ring. Their is a LOT of competition in this market. But it takes time and a continuing effort to BUILD a business. If you don not have funds to live on for at least 9 months, my suggestion is to get employment now, and do this in your spare time. I am not trying to discourage you, but am trying to give you a realistic response. Pay heed to all the info on message 33255, I believe. It is chucked full of information that will build and sustain your business. Best of luck