Reply by Susan Fischer on 3/23/11 11:52pm Msg #377328
Hi, Elizabeth. Think of it as a start-up business expense;
without marketing/advertising, there's little hope of growing your business.
We all started out; dipped our toes in the waters, and worked hard to learn the ropes.
Networking is a tried-and-true necessity, and in many ways belonging to professional organizations, whether on the Web, or one's community, is the lifeline in this big ocean.
I'm an old Mobile Notary salt, and have this to offer Newbies:
Buy the Advertising: Remember to Edit to refine your Profile often, as you gain experience, because you've paid for marketing ~you~ in that oft-visited "Find-a-Notary," that river of income flowing into to the sea of survival.
The forum has a wealth of information to glean, and, (while there are often "interpersonal exchanges," if you can get past the drama,) excellent minds from all over the country post here. Plus, you can "search" till the cows come home. 
There are tons of resources for start-up businesses to explore, because, even if part-time? It's a serious business with serious consequences, which, leads to my second point:
Learn your State's Notarial Laws, like lyrics of songs.[jk] If your State has a Notarial Handbook: study it, dog-ear and highlight - always refer to the Law when you have a question of Law. (Google Oregon's Handbook, for instance - it rocks.)
Anyhoo, Elizabeth, once you dip your toe in the waters, so more choices must be made, aren't there?
Do I give of myself to learning this odd and yet completely insane profession [jk]?
Do I love meeting new people in their homes and businesses, or at camp grounds, or worksites?
Do I have the tools and equipment to fulfill an assignment?
Do I have a budget?
Do I know the cost of my expenses for transportation, printing, faxing, bookkeeping, insurances, advertising, education, etc?
Can I afford to wait 15 (few) - 45 (some) - 60 (alot) - 90+ (some) days for payment?
The ripples of questions just seems to grow after dipping a toe...
All the Best to all Entrepreneurial Newbies, so well represented by you, Elizabeth.
[Disclaimer: Been at Notary Rotary going on, good grief, almost a decade, so it's all just my *old* humble opinion about this enterprise.]
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