aren't making any money. I know I harp on this a lot and have often posted this...but it bears repeating. These companies do not set your fees. YOU set your fees. They can choose to meet your fees or not. You can choose to reduce or increase your fee if you choose, but it's YOUR decision. If they say, "This job pays $X," It's up to YOU to change their perspective. What they are really saying is that they only want to pay $X. It's up to you to set them straight. I often post this video to put this in perspective... and it's totally accurate:
If you are an independent contractor, you are the boss. They are your clients. You are the vendor of services, they are the customer buying your services. You are not their employee.*
So, how do you set your fees? That's entirely up to you. This is also a process that requires an entirely different post or book. A lot of people here avoid mentioning specific fees because they are afraid it is looked upon as "price-fixing" -- well, not necessarily. It's all in how you to present it. It's not price fixing for me to say, "My minimum loan package fee is $155 and goes up from there based on job specific requirements. On average, my clients are paying are $195 to $245 to complete a job." That's MY price and MY average invoices. I've never made this a secret. Fees aren't secret. It's not illegal for me to post my fees for services --- in fact, in some circumstance, it's required by local ordinance to post fees for consumer information. However... My price doesn't have to be YOUR price, and I would certainly hope that nobody see that and think that's what they should be charging simply because I do. My circumstances are different, just as everyone's are different. For instance, I live in a remote desert area where 40-75 miles one-way drives are the norm rather than the exception. I charge a premium for what I do and I don't apologize for it. The newbie notaries taking the $65 jobs are not my competition. The companies paying those notaries are not my target client. In other words... I don't ever worry about them. Does the dealership selling new $80,000 luxury cars care about the used car lot down the street that only sells cars $15,000 or less? Probably not... because their client base, as a whole, probably aren't the same.
I came up with my fees because I did the research. I know what it costs to operate where I am. I do not care one whit what these companies "want" to pay... that's their issue. If they want me or my services, they will meet my fee, or make a good faith effort to properly negotiate. BTW... promises of exclusivity or future bulk work do not count as negotiating. You negotiate THAT job, not future jobs unless you get it in writing with a guarantee.
Before you can even start to set your price, you have to understand the concept of a profit margin. I've gone over this in several posts that I suggest you read:
Msg #488879 "C'mon kids... put your big pants on and learn how to make $$"
Msg #531029 (An example of a ridiculous request I received this year)
Msg #494913 (A humorous example on the topic of price fixing but also advice to a newbie)
If you don't know what a profit margin is or how to properly run a small business. Do yourself a favor. Stop and educate yourself. There are many free training programs available through the SBA. Local community colleges offer business programs. Take a basic accounting class. 'Profit' is not a bad word -- it's necessary in order to keep your business running. Once you have that 'a-ha' moment and realize that taking jobs that don't meet your profit margin requirements are killing your business, it's a really, really good feeling -- and that desperation feeling of taking those lowball offers goes away. It can also shift your perspective in how you market yourself, how you work...everything. Bur seriously, if you haven't read the first of the 4 links above...go do it think hard. Work smarter, people. You are working to earn a living, act like it.
*Unless you've entered in to an employee agreement, and that's an entirely different circumstance and not common in our industry -- though it probably should be more than it is because of the behavioral control issues... and that's a different rant.
A lot of people here avoid mentioning specific fees because they are afraid it is looked upon as "price-fixing" -- well, not necessarily. It's all in how you to present it. It's not price fixing for me to say, "My minimum loan package fee is $155 and goes up from there based on job specific requirements. On average, my clients are paying are $195 to $245 to complete a job." That's MY price and MY average invoices. I've never made this a secret. Fees aren't secret. It's not illegal for me to post my fees for services --- in fact, in some circumstance, it's required by local ordinance to post fees for consumer information. However... My price doesn't have to be YOUR price, and I would certainly hope that nobody see that and think that's what they should be charging simply because I do. My circumstances are different, just as everyone's are different. For instance, I live in a remote desert area where 40-75 miles one-way drives are the norm rather than the exception. I charge a premium for what I do and I don't apologize for it. The newbie notaries taking the $65 jobs are not my competition. The companies paying those notaries are not my target client. In other words... I don't ever worry about them. Does the dealership selling new $80,000 luxury cars care about the used car lot down the street that only sells cars $15,000 or less? Probably not... because their client base, as a whole, probably aren't the same. 
