Posted by Saul Leibowitz on 2/21/11 8:35pm
Msg #373601

additional, limited source of business

I got a call from a businessman who found me as a Notary in my suburb of Chicago using an online search, he was on his way to a local hotel for a meeting and needed 3 sets of documents signed(his signature, same doc, simply needed three sets for this transaction). I agreed on a small fee as the hotel was just a few miles from me and met him in the lobby.
After this simple transaction it occurred to me that while he had found me before he got there, other patrons might need a notary and not have made a prior arrangement so I had a short talk with the night manager and left a few of my cards with him. I am sure that during the day any patron would be referred to one of the nearby banks, brokers or lawyers' offices, but at night those notaries are not on duty.

Reply by John Schenk on 2/21/11 8:43pm
Msg #373603

Probably not a bad idea for some gas money.

JJ

Reply by Susan Fischer on 2/21/11 9:10pm
Msg #373606

Cool. Hotels are a great idea - the bigger the

"business-centers," the better.

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 2/21/11 9:29pm
Msg #373609

Yup... get to know the concierge staff at the bigger hotels, of you have them. Even the small ones can be handy. Some will, for a small fee, even put you in their room books that describe local services.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 2/21/11 10:04pm
Msg #373615

Don't forget the officers of Homeowners' Assns -

lots of times, they need a bunch of notarizations to change something in By-Laws, for example. Group rates?

Reply by BrendaTx on 2/22/11 6:51am
Msg #373629

Marketing for General Notary Work - You're right Susan...

I've done this (HOA work) and written about it. Some of my other suggestions for marketing general notary work:

Office buildings where there's a receptionist for the entire building, private schools and churches, any sports league where minors are involved, concealed handgun licensing class providers. (Of course, sports leagues and churches/private schools may hope for a free notarization session, but you can give them a discount or use the opportunity to hand out your cards and ask for referrals if it is your child's or grandchild's team...or not!)

Also any place you do business with a person/people on a regular basis such as the dry cleaners, coffee shops, the liquor store, restaurants, convenience store, and hair salons. Give them cards every time you patronize the storefront.

I do well with students who have gotten their cars towed. Sometimes they have unlimited budgets to pay a notary to come and notarize a form for them; sometimes they are looking for a "free" notary LOL. Hugh suggested here some time ago that 24/7 notaries hand out cards at local towing businesses; I had picked up this tip from the now practically defunct GMN years ago, too.

Then, there's always my personal favorite of going to medical treatment providers (docs, dentists, ambulance providers, medical appliance providers, and pharmacies) and giving them my card/business info. I tell them when they get a subpoena for records or other court-related documents to call me and I'll arrange for the requesting company to pay me. I've had as many as ten requests stacked up for me in one doctor's office. Charge a travel fee, plus cost for notarizations and bill all the companies that are requesting information what you believe is a fair fee. That's a chance to get your name out.

Pharmacies do an annual inventory that must be notarized. I have been blessed with repeat customers time after time over the years.

Happy marketing!

Reply by C. Rivera Chicago Notary Services on 2/22/11 12:52pm
Msg #373676

I do this for ALL of the hotels near me, and on the way to O'Hare airport, as I live and work near there.

Though not alot of general notary business comes from this source, it doesn't hurt to go and plop down a few cards every few months or so, as the conceirge of these hotels often change due to high employee turnover.

I do the same for hotels I visit downtown, and restaurants I visit...my business cards are everywhere I go!

Excellent topic Saul...!

Reply by Saul Leibowitz on 2/22/11 8:54pm
Msg #373746

Thanks for the compliment; I enjoy your posts. Sometime after next Wednesday I should drop by your office to chat provided we adjourn from there and chat at Super Dawg. What do you say?