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PART II - Figuring a Reasonable fee for You
Posted by  BrendaTx of TX on 6/19/22 12:15am Msg #640829
Here is how I teach it to new notary signing agents. I refuse to tell anyone what to charge or what they should not go $$ under. If someone will learn how to do this, they will be able to stay in business or decide to leave with a clear mine. This will show someone how to start without going into the red but remaining competitive. It is not perfect, but it's a starting place of how to think it through. A notary who "gets it" will put their own finishing touches on it.

It is probably better when I have my spreadsheet up and covering it with them on Zoom, but here's a text version.

STEP 1 - EXPENSES - Make a list of all the expenses you anticipate except paper/toner.

STEP 2 - SIGNINGS - What are your anticipated number of signings in your first year?

Maybe when you start, you can use a number like 5 per week (5 * 52 = 260 per year).

STEP 3 - Divide EXPENSES by SIGNINGS TO GET EXPENSES PER SIGNING (EPS)

So, if you anticipate your expenses are going to be $8,000 for your first year just to start up, each assignment is going to cost you at least $31. ($8000 / 260 = $30.76 is EPS--round it up to $31.)

STEP 4 - MILEAGE COST (MC) - So now, you need to have a chart for your mileage and what that costs you for an assignment 10 miles away, 15 miles, 20, etc.

Let's say you can cover your vehicle expense on $1 per mile or whatever you want to use ($1, $1.50, $2.00--up to you).

10 miles - round trip is $20. (10 mi. x 2 = 20 x $1 per mile) So that's your "MC" for 10 miles $20)

Figure your MC out for each number of miles away like 5 miles, 10 miles, 15 miles, 20 miles, etc. Keep that chart handy if you don't calculate numbers in your head quickly.

STEP 5 - Let's total it up to see where we are. So, now you you have

EPS + MC = $31 + $20 = $51 EPS (Expenses per signing)

STEP 6 - PRINTING COSTS (PC) - You need to know how much your printing costs are. Make another chart.

You should know how many pages various types of assignments take. (Perhaps a small chart would help?)

Let's say it costs $.03 per sheet. If you have a seller's package, that's going to be 45 pages x .03 = $1.35. Round it up to $2.00. That will cover price fluctuations.

STEP 7 - Get your total again. Now you have EPS + MC + PC = $31 + $20 + $2 = $53

STEP 8 - GROSS FEE Chart = GF- Let's project gross fees you will be offered for assignment. (Yep, I recommend another chart for EACH type of assignment.) Make a list of possible fees you might be offered for each type of assignment and do projections based on EPS + MC + PC.

Let's use Seller Package GF projections here (and do this for all types of packages you handle).
GF
$150
$125
$100
$75
$50

STEP 9 - Let's get our total again to get our Net Profit BEFORE taxes.
GROSS FEES [GF] LESS (EXPENSES PER SIGNING [EPS] + MILEAGE COST [MC] + PRINT COST [PC]) EQUALS NET PROFIT [NP]

Let's neaten that up:

GF - (EPS + MC + PC) = NP

Your projected NP before taxes on a seller package 10 miles away.

If paid what is in the first column, your NP will be in the last column.
$150 - ($53) = $97 is your NP
$125 - ($53) = $72 is your NP
$100 - ($53) = $47 is your NP
$75 - ($53) = $22 is your NP
$50 - ($53) = -$3 is your NP

STEP 10 - TAXES - This step is to remind you there will be taxes. What do you need to put back for that? I don't care if you make another chart or not! Smile

I think that's probably enough to answer the question at hand. I have more calculations that I use, but by this time, there's likely a nice glaze over the eyes of anyone who stayed with me this far.

It is eye-opening, isn't it?
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Messages in this Thread
 How did you prepare to become a LSA? - Mobile1/PA on 6/14/22 8:07am
 There’s only one consensus opinion. This is a dying biz. - grapebed on 6/14/22 12:14pm
 Re: How did you prepare to become a LSA? - aanotary on 6/14/22 2:15pm
 Re: How did you prepare to become a LSA? -  ladyknc on 6/14/22 3:16pm
 Not only that... -  JanetK_CA on 6/14/22 4:30pm
 I totally agree, Janet. It is happening faster than I would - grapebed on 6/14/22 4:39pm
 Re: I totally agree, Janet. It is happening faster than I would -  JanetK_CA on 6/14/22 5:52pm
 None of you answered the question! n/m - Mobile1/PA on 6/14/22 6:38pm
 What is your break even fee? - Mobile1/PA on 6/14/22 6:49pm
 "My time is worthless", then that's exactly how much you - grapebed on 6/14/22 8:12pm
 Re: What is your break even fee? - Lee/AR on 6/15/22 11:15am
 Agree with Lee/AR. No one-fee-fits all. -  Yoli/CA on 6/15/22 12:20pm
 Re: What is your break even fee? -  JanetK_CA on 6/15/22 6:09pm
 Answer your own question then?? n/m - PaigeTurner on 6/16/22 7:06am
 Re: Answer your own question then?? - Mobile1/PA on 6/16/22 7:51am
 Wrong again... - PaigeTurner on 6/16/22 2:22pm
 PS...We are NSAs not LSAs. n/m - PaigeTurner on 6/16/22 2:24pm
 wow n/m - Mobile1/PA on 6/16/22 7:04pm
 Re: How did you prepare to become a LSA? -  Expeditor on 6/15/22 12:10pm
 Re: How did you prepare to become a LSA? - Mobile1/PA on 6/15/22 1:27pm
 something better'n nothing contributes to declining fees - Lee/AR on 6/15/22 1:39pm
 Re: How did you prepare to become a LSA? -  Expeditor on 6/15/22 6:26pm
 Re: How did you prepare to become a LSA? - Mobile1/PA on 6/15/22 7:00pm
 Re: How did you prepare to become a LSA? -  Yoli/CA on 6/15/22 12:35pm
 Re: How did you prepare to become a LSA? - Mobile1/PA on 6/15/22 1:38pm
 Re: How did you prepare to become a LSA? -  Yoli/CA on 6/15/22 1:56pm
 Re: How did you prepare to become a LSA? - Mobile1/PA on 6/15/22 2:39pm
 Lifeguard jobs (both outdoor and indoor) pay $23 an hour - grapebed on 6/15/22 7:47pm
 5 years ago,if you were earning $100-$125 for an assigment, - grapebed on 6/15/22 1:53pm
 Ok. A fee of $125 for a standard refi is unacceptable to me. - grapebed on 6/16/22 10:55am
 Re: Ok. A fee of $125 for a standard refi is unacceptable to me. - ananotary on 6/17/22 7:02pm
 Part 1 - LSA v NSA -  BrendaTx on 6/18/22 11:53pm
 Re: Part 1 - LSA v NSA - Mobile1/PA on 6/20/22 2:39pm
 There is no debate here. I am sure of what I said. n/m -  BrendaTx on 6/20/22 3:01pm
 PART II - Figuring a Reasonable fee for You -  BrendaTx on 6/19/22 12:15am
 I hate not being able to correct a typo! -  BrendaTx on 6/19/22 12:17am
 Re: PART II - Figuring a Reasonable fee for You -  BrendaTx on 6/19/22 12:23am
 Great stuff, Brenda! [I've added this to Msg #630000] n/m -  JanetK_CA on 6/19/22 8:32pm
 Re: Great stuff, Brenda! [I -  BrendaTx on 6/19/22 9:16pm
 This is called a Budget - Mobile1/PA on 6/20/22 2:40pm
 Re: This is called a Budget -  BrendaTx on 6/20/22 2:59pm



 
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