Posted by DMOH on 2/15/10 8:46am
Msg #322832

Super slow this month...is everyone?

This is the start of my 3rd full year in business; 2008 I spent building a clientele and training. In 2009, Jan and Feb were my slowest months but then I quickly picked up and had a great 2009. 2010 has started off incredibly slow. Since I don't have much to measure by, I was wondering about all of you who have been doing this a long time. Are Jan and Feb typically slow months? Last month and so far this month I've done half of the business that I had been doing in the months of 2009. I'm somewhat of a perfectionist and workaholic, so when I don't have the volume that I'm used to I start second guessing myself and it drives me crazy! Any feedback anyone has would be appreciated! Thanks for your time...

Reply by SReis on 2/15/10 8:56am
Msg #322834

SLOOOOOWWWWW here. n/m

Reply by Margie Pratl on 2/15/10 9:13am
Msg #322835

I was busy in January but this month has really been super slow. Hope it picks up.

Reply by snowflake/PA on 2/15/10 9:23am
Msg #322836

Very slow Feb. January was awesome.

Reply by JanelWI on 2/15/10 10:13am
Msg #322840

Terribly slow here too. January was slow but I kept my head above water. Not enough to make up for a slow Feb though. Like I said a few posts down. Good time to market like crazy. Of course there is tax time to prepare for. I am still getting 1099's from companies. My office is the cleanest and most organized it has ever been in awhile....LOL!

Reply by Mdene_AZ on 2/15/10 10:29am
Msg #322843

I was O.K. in Jan. This month VERY slow.

Reply by cntrlcalntry on 2/15/10 10:45am
Msg #322847

Generally Feb. is slow for me. If I take a vacation I do it the first week of February.

Reply by Jim/AL on 2/15/10 10:50am
Msg #322850

Jan and Feb of 2009 almost had me looking for a 9 to 5, but the rest of the year picked up. Jan. 2010 was slow here and Feb is picking up just slightly better than Jan.

Hope that it gets better for all!

Reply by Alz on 2/15/10 10:40pm
Msg #322951

I would be terrible upset

if I had to give up being self-employed and return to being a full-time worker. I have nothing against it and say "God bless you", if you choose to work full-time....it is just not for me at this stage of the game.

Reply by 101livescan on 2/15/10 11:01am
Msg #322853

January was robust, February so far has been too. It's a holiday weekend. I'm grateful to have a day of rest, because I spent Saturday posting foreclosures and I was so beat up at the end of the day, I had a glass of merlot and fell into bed! I rested yesterday, and today I'm driving into town for lunch with a friend. Strategizing for growth and increased revenue in 2010. The title companies have slowed up, but I'm working mostly for remote lenders/title for REO properties nationally.

Meanwhile, I'm sitting here and getting calls left and right from credit card consolidations companies who want to "help me". I don't understand why if you have subscribed to DONOTCALL.org and you don't have cc debt, these people get our numbers and bug the crap out of us for this piece of business. Any one else getting calls like these?

Reply by SheilaSJCA on 2/15/10 11:14am
Msg #322854

...about those calls, if you registered for the "do not call list" several years ago, like I did, The original registration was only valid for 5 years. Last year I started to get telemarketing calls, and sure enough I had dropped off the list. I re-registered and within a month or so, the calls stopped. Registration is good indefinitely.

Reply by TedG/AZ on 2/15/10 11:18am
Msg #322856

It is meaningless to discuss slowness on a national basis. Signing activity for individual notaries varies significantly by state and by the way each notary markets his/her services. Here in the greater Phoenix, AZ market business activity in February has been fantastic. The bulk of the activity is coming from the large national signing firms that I have had a ongoing relationship with over the past 6-7 years.

Reply by LKT/CA on 2/15/10 11:56am
Msg #322862

5 Star Statements TedG/AZ !!!!

<<<It is meaningless to discuss slowness on a national basis. Signing activity for individual notaries varies significantly by state and by the way each notary markets his/her services.>>>

I really don't see the point in a "Slow this month..." or "Is it just my state or slow everywhere" posts. One Notary will be busy in their area while the next Notary won't. Someone else wrote something similar to your post but it was awhile ago I cannot find it to repost the msg #. You nailed it in those two sentences. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's sick of these "Is it slow" posts.

Reply by DMOH on 2/15/10 12:36pm
Msg #322876

Re: 5 Star Statements TedG/AZ !!!!

Well Ted, I'm really sorry that you're "sick" of these "types" of posts. If you're so sick of them and they're so "meaningless", then why should you even be bothered to respond?? And meaningless to whom, because quite frankly, I appreciate the positive feedback and I'm the one who asked the question...it is not meaningless to me! I've worked very hard to get to where I am today and damn proud of it! Being relatively new to this business I still sometimes don't know what to expect and appreciate others thoughts on the topic. So Big Ted from AZ, the next time you feel like responding...don't. As my mother would have said, if you can't say something nice (and maybe encouraging), then don't say anything at all because nobody wants to hear from you!

Reply by DMOH on 2/15/10 12:38pm
Msg #322878

Oops, my bad. I meant LKT/CA, not Ted. And for everyone else who was so kind to share your thoughts and encouragement, I really appreciate your thoughts!

Reply by LKT/CA on 2/15/10 1:37pm
Msg #322887

DMOH

Ted DID say: "It is meaningless to discuss slowness on a national basis."

He also said: "Signing activity for individual notaries varies significantly by state and by the way each notary markets his/her services."

I agree with both statements and I'm glad someone had the temerity to write it. Slowness or busyness for one Notary has absolutely no bearing on slowness for the Notary next door, down the block, in the next town, in the next county or in the next state. Notaries don't have the same availability, cover the same territory, work with the same clients, or charge the same fees. Those Notaries accepting lowball fees will most likely get more calls than those Notaries charging a professional fee. And as Ted stated, it depends on the individual marketing efforts of each Notary.

So for those reasons - IMHO it IS meaningless to discuss slowness (or busyness) and I am sick of those types of posts. This is a public forum and anything posted may be responded to so if you expect people to keep quiet when they don't agree with you, then I suggest you find a forum where there are butterfly and flower posts, where everyone agrees with everything posted - 'cause it sure ain't here.

Reply by JanelWI on 2/16/10 12:47pm
Msg #323001

Re: DMOH

How on earth did this turn so ugly? While I agree that things are different and no matter the marketing efforts for some, things ebb and flow depending upon the area. I don't think anyone has rose colored glasses on, in that respect. However, I do not feel conversation on this topic is pointless. There is obviously a trend that can be seen for some that Feb is either a typically slow month, or for many this Feb is slower, beyond what some expected. I know that for all my marketing efforts this month took me totally by surprise. It is the same with housing, unemployment, construction, outsourcing, etc....it varies. Is it also pointless to talk about those as it relates to our potential profit margins? What on earth would the news have to report on......:-)

They may not have said it so many words, but I think that is all anyone is really talking about here. Not butterfly and flower posts. Just human beings talking out loud about what is affecting them at the moment. We have all worked very hard, I am 13 years in, and know very well how very fortunate I am to be as successful as I am. I had no indication from June of 09 to January 31st of 2010 that Feb was going to drop off the map like it has. I think now that I read the others who have posted that this may be a wider trend than just for my area. I would not dream of considering someone's words pointless. Discussion is never pointless, it is the direction that one chooses to take discussion that can be positive or negative to the conversation as a whole.