Posted by Ash Garcia on 6/15/11 12:25am
Msg #386236

Help Me! Im a nervous wreck!

Hello all I'm Ashleigh, I am a newly certified Notary Signing Agent in Cali. I am so excited to get going and am trying to surround myself in ways to market but am lost in many ways as well. I'm also terrified of my first signing!! Anyone have any tips or useful info? .... honestly you have no idea how much i will appreciate anything ... Thank you

Reply by HisHughness on 6/15/11 12:36am
Msg #386237

I think I am just going to give up, without even a whimper

Anybody got enough energy left to ask how much he/she charged?

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 6/15/11 5:07am
Msg #386247

I'm with you Hugh...I said it Monday...Msg #386108 n/m

Reply by Frank/NC on 6/15/11 4:05pm
Msg #386385

Re: I think I am just going to give up, without even a whimper

Just one question. Is there anyone left in this business who has more than 4 hours experience?

Reply by Terrie Gillett on 9/1/11 9:43pm
Msg #396052

Re: I think I am just going to give up, without even a whimper

This reply just CRACKED ME UP. I'm still laughing!

Reply by JanetK_CA on 6/15/11 2:24am
Msg #386242

Hi Ash - and welcome to the board. I'm hoping you could help US out with something... It seems that we've been getting a rash of posts from newly commissioned or certified notaries and I'm just curious as to what prompted you to decide to get into this line of work. Is some party out there promoting it or did you just decide to do this on your own? I have my suspicions, but I don't want to make assumptions.

Unfortunately, contrary to what you may have been told, business volume has been waaaaay down in recent months and lots of folks who have been doing this as a full time gig are bailing or finding part time jobs to be able to pay the bills. Some of those folks - who may have been in this biz for years, and contributing to this forum for years - are likely in your same territory, so I'm afraid it's not terribly likely that a lot of support is going to be served up to you.

However, there IS an abundance of info available here, if you're willing to go dig for it. (You would have found that out if you'd even bothered to read the posts of the last day or two.) So I suggest you grab a notepad and start doing some searching and studying. Because if you don't do your homework first, you're going to get blasted here - and you're also likely to get taken to the cleaners by unscrupulous potential clients.

This is a very tough business these days and not something that should be entered into lightly, so I don't recommend you ask your potential competitors to teach you how to do a signing or how to run your business. There is zero incentive for them to do so - and lots of reasons for them not to. However, I've found that those who show that they've really made an effort on their own and bring specific questions here when they run into a roadblock or difficulty, do often get some great assistance. But chances are that any question you might come up with has been asked and answered here numerous times.

[BTW, what part of California are you from?]

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 6/15/11 5:13am
Msg #386248

Well stated Janet!

Hi Ashleigh and welcome to the board. The advice that Janet gave and reasons that you may/may not receive much help with broad general questions is 100% accurate. I don't say that, and neither did she, in an attempt to offend you but to give you a heads up on what you might encounter.

Use the Orange "Search" button, at the top of the "Discuss Work" page to search for information as well as using the "Previous" button to see the previous page of recent the most recent posts.

Read Msg #33325 and all the replies to start with. Some of the information is dated (check the date of each of the posts as the original message dates back to 2005) but overall it contains a lot of great information and is a must read, IMO.

I, like Janet, would be interested in how you came to your decision to start your business (for information purposes only).

As Janet said, and I'm sure others will add later today, business overall is down. Most would be happy, well maybe not exactly happy, if business was even half of what it was last year. Just as with any business, the amount of business anyone may/may not see come their way or even be available is dependent on many factors. As you do your research you will discover many of them.

Another additional piece of advice I can offer is that when a Signing Service (SS) or Title Company (TC) contacts you with a job request before you actually start the assignment, check the company out in Signing Central (SC). If you accept an assignment and then find that the company has a history of non-payment or very slow payment know that if you decide to turn that assignment back, you are well within your right to do so. If you do decide to turn it back you should do that as soon as possible. Beware of last minute signings (not all of them are from bad companies but some are). Always check the company out.

AND... stick to your fees. You are in business for yourself and not an employee that has to accept whatever the requesting company is offering.

It is not an easy time to start any business, including one in this field. Just remember, Bill Gates started Microsoft in a recession.

Good luck

Reply by MW/VA on 6/15/11 7:04am
Msg #386250

Janet's post is gentle, but direct. I can only imagine that

XYZ is still selling this profession as viable, since Ashleigh says she's "newly certified".
Frankly, it makes me want to scream, because it's so tough out here right now that most of us are teetering. This flood of new & inexperienced agents is not going to help anyone, especially people like Ashleigh that have put their money & hopes on this.
Ashleigh, I do suggest that you move slowly & cautiously. Try to determine how much business you might be able to get before investing in equipment like printers, etc.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 6/15/11 7:08am
Msg #386251

And where are they getting the idea in the first place?

"especially people like Ashleigh that have put their money & hopes on this. "

Is NNA having a major push to advertise the business? Are OTHER training sites advertising an easy way for a second income? WHO is giving these people the idea that there's great money and a great business to be had as a notary.

Someone is...SOMEONE is getting them to put out their money....

Reply by Notarysigner on 6/15/11 7:36am
Msg #386254

JanetK and Moneyman's post should be added to Msg #33325 n/m

Reply by jba/fl on 6/15/11 9:08am
Msg #386265

No - disagree totally!

That whole thread needs to be revamped and brought up to date. There is no point in adding more, IMHO, at this time.

Perhaps just start all over with a new one? Using the original as the lead off?

Reply by Notarysigner on 6/15/11 9:37am
Msg #386283

O K...Hmmm n/m

Reply by jba/fl on 6/15/11 9:56am
Msg #386292

Re: O K...Hmmm

Thinking of how to accomplish this? hmmmm!

Reply by Notarysigner on 6/15/11 10:10am
Msg #386297

Re: O K...Hmmm

Already did, thanks..update in the works.

Reply by MW/VA on 6/15/11 11:11am
Msg #386310

Should probably start out with a warning on XYZ.....

Like , "If you've been unfortunate enough to spend your money on a course promising "certification" in an industry that you have to be "certifiable to be in....." LOL

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 6/15/11 11:16am
Msg #386313

Any amending or updating to it has to be done with

extreme care to be sure to avoid deleting, skipping, misrepresenting, misquoting or changing the tenor of any of original posts and information contained in that thread.

Reply by MW/VA on 6/15/11 11:31am
Msg #386317

I say leave 33325 alone, because it is archival, but create

a whole new thread, new no., etc. to refer "newbies" to.

Reply by Notarysigner on 6/15/11 11:38am
Msg #386322

Re: Agree n/m

Reply by Notarysigner on 6/15/11 11:36am
Msg #386320

Re: Any amending or updating to it has to be done with

Is it copyrighted? I didn't see the disclaimer but I wasn't thinking
About "cut N paste" I would ask individuals to contribute so it
Would be today's view by today's notaries giving me permission
To use their comments on a friendly site.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 6/15/11 11:38am
Msg #386321

Then let them contribute to that "friendly site"

on their own - if they so wish to join...

JMO

Reply by Notarysigner on 6/15/11 11:42am
Msg #386330

Re: O K n/m

Reply by jba/fl on 6/15/11 12:22pm
Msg #386343

Re: Any amending or updating to it has to be done with

See that small print at the bottom of the page: Notary Rotary® is a trademark of Notary Rotary, Inc. Copyright © 2002-2011 Notary Rotary, Inc. All rights reserved.

To my way of thinking, I would have to quote my source material, and if there is very much, I would have to have permission to do so. You know how you see on works that reprints must be done by permission of so and so? Quotes too except for critiquinor reviewing the source document(s).

There is nothing wrong with cross-referencing, ie, Q: what is (whatever) A: give quote and or reference site (we do that all the time here, esp. in JP) I do believe though that a joint agreement for permission would be advisable. Ask anyone about their "intellectual property" and see what kind of answers you will obtain.

My question: do you not see this as a friendly site? That comment confused me.

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 6/15/11 11:17am
Msg #386314

Would probably help a lot of people & save them $$ too n/m

Reply by jba/fl on 6/15/11 11:22am
Msg #386315

Re: O K...Hmmm

If you don't mind me asking, who is/are doing this 'update'?

Reply by Notarysigner on 6/15/11 11:50am
Msg #386335

Re: O K...Hmmm

No update

Reply by desktopfull on 6/15/11 5:06am
Msg #386246

Try reading the forum for the last couple of days, your not

the only one in the last 2 weeks to ask the same questions. Also, avail yourself of the ORANGE search button and the Signing Central tab in the menu bar.

Reply by FlaNotary2 on 6/15/11 6:58am
Msg #386249

So tired of these posts

My pertinent responses are Msg #377683 and Msg #385653. Everything I have to say is stated in those messages.

Reply by CF on 6/15/11 7:30am
Msg #386253

Take an Ativan and look for a job w/ a paycheck!!!!JMO n/m

Reply by CapCityAgent on 6/15/11 7:54am
Msg #386256

Re: Take an Ativan and look for a job w/ a paycheck!!!!JMO n

Can post like this one these be fake post (SOMETIME)? Sometimes i wonder!!!!!!!!

Reply by Sha/CA on 6/15/11 1:56pm
Msg #386366

Where is she?

Ash hasn't responded yet. Maybe scared her away already. Maybe out on her first $50. signing?

Reply by Frank/NC on 6/15/11 4:01pm
Msg #386384

It gets worse as time goes on!