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Notary News

Why Individuals Need Notary Services

Face it. On occasion, individuals need notary services.

Securing a notary for your documents can instill confidence in ensuring that your transaction will be conducted correctly. But, it isn’t always easy to get a notary to your home on short notice. And, if it’s after hours or on the weekend, you may not be able to go to your local bank, your local UPS store or another location to find a notary to help you.  This is where mobile and online notary services step in.

According to the National Notary Association, as far back as 2012, the number of notaries began to decline. While there are still many of them, they are becoming harder to find, especially on short notice.

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A Notary Business and Why Your Business Should Use One

No matter what type of business you operate, one of the things you probably need to do is make sure that you can get documents signed, sealed, and delivered as necessary. That’s very important to keep in mind, especially if you don’t have a traditional, nine-to-five schedule with your business hours. Unless you employ a notary on a full-time basis, and most businesses don’t, you will need to make sure you can get paperwork notarized after hours and on weekends to keep your business moving forward. One of the ways you can do that efficiently and effectively is through the use of a mobile notary business.

How a Notary Business Helps Your Business

There are some great ways that a mobile notary can save you money, as well as help your business advance. For example, you don’t have to employ a notary of your own. If one or more of your employees happen to be notaries, you have to watch that there isn’t a conflict of interest depending on the type of work they do. When you choose a notary business you no longer have that conflict risk, and you don’t need to worry about hiring someone who is a notary so you can have that convenience. That saves you money and reduces stress, both of which are very important to your business dealings.

A Notary Business and Why Your Business Should Use One

Growing a Business Takes Time and Effort

If you’ve started a business, you know what it’s like.

You know that there’s work to be done, and that you sometimes have to work very long or irregular hours in order to make sure you keep advancing.

A notary business knows that as well, and they grow their business by being there, when you need them, to help you grow your business. It’s an excellent way for your company to get your notary needs met.

By finding out more about Sunshine Signing today, you can get the mobile notary and certified signing agent you need to keep your business on track in all of your transactions. Then you can have lower stress levels and focus on other important aspects of your business, instead of worrying about document notarization.

Sunshine Signing Service

Your Nationwide Notary Signing Service

Increase your efficiency and bottom line with Sunshine’s Mobile Notary Services and Online Notary Services. Sunshine is always there when you need us.

GET STARTED

Or Call us at (727) 817-0000

Signing Service – 5 Things to Look For

Title, escrow, and other companies are always in need of a quality and convenient signing service. But, finding that service on time and on budget can be difficult. But, it is not difficult when you use Sunshine Signing.

Fortunately, our notary services offer fair prices, mobile, and online signing options, and other great perks that can help companies get what they need.

Better yet, Sunshine can aid you in your quest to increase productivity and profitability.

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Four Ways Notaries Can Avoid a Dip in Business

While doing outreach and marketing yourself is vital for a notary when business gets slow, it’s simply not enough.

You can’t really wait until things slow down to decide it’s time to get started bringing in more clients. By that point, you’re already behind. Rather than let that happen, there are some specific ways you can market yourself on a consistent basis, so you keep your income as steady as possible.

By having a gameplan each and every month, and adjusting that plan as necessary when you see what works and what doesn’t, you notary business can achieve its highest level of success.

1) Reaching Out to Local Title Companies

Do the local title companies know about you? If not, why not? Make sure you have a good list, updated periodically, of the title companies in your local area. Decide how far you’re willing to travel to offer your notary services, and then get on the databases of all the companies in the area that could possibly use those services.

The more companies know about you and have your contact information, the higher the chances that you will have consistent work all the time. That can help you build your business, so you don’t see those dips in income during slower times of the year.

2) Touching Base with Companies That Haven’t Called You Recently

Full-time notaries can earn $36,000 per year or more, and part-time notaries often earn between $10,000 and $15,000 per year, on average, though their are ways to make more money.

With that in mind, it’s clear that you need to keep working and expanding your business if you want to be successful. Keep track of the companies you work with, and how often they contact you.

If you haven’t been contacted recently, you need to reach out before too much time passes. There could be a specific reason they haven’t contacted you. If there is, you’ll want to find out what you can do to get them reaching out to you more frequently.

Four Ways Notaries Can Avoid a Dip in Business

3) Spend Time Regularly Updating and Improving Your Listings

There are directories for notaries, just as there are for many other types of professionals. You want to be in those directories, but make sure you’re listed the right way.

Think about what you would want if you were hiring a notary. What would you look for? When you know what your clients need, you can offer them the things that matter. Your listing needs to have that information, so people who are looking for a notary know that you’re the right one for them. Some databases allow you to input more information than others, so it’s a good idea to have several variations of your information.

Make sure that all of your information is up to date in all databases, and that includes the correct spelling of your name and any company name you might use, your address and phone number, your email address, and your website. The more ways people have to contact you, and the more consistent you keep your presence across all directories, the easier it will be for you to avoid business dips, slow seasons, and waning times in your notary service. Marketing yourself is a full-time job, and should be treated that way as a big part of your business. By contacting Sunshine Signing today, you can get a notary that will give you prompt, courteous service and make sure your documents are correctly signed. That can give you peace of mind, as it’s important to use a notary you can trust. With the right notary and the ability for them to come to you, your individual or business needs can be met more easily, allowing you to get on with your day.

4) Diversify

The more different types of signings you do, the better prepared you will be if there is a dip in the market. They say don’t put your eggs all in one basket, and it is true here. Adding diversity to your work helps to level out any changes in business in one sector.

Sunshine Signing Service

Your Nationwide Notary Signing Service

Increase your efficiency and bottom line with Sunshine’s Mobile Notary Services and Online Notary Services. Sunshine is always there when you need us.

GET STARTED

Or Call us at (727) 817-0000

How to Set Yourself Apart as a Mobile Notary

Like banking and related fields, notarizing documents is generally a Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 type of job. If you are not at the bank during those hours, whatever you need notarized will simply have to wait.

That can be very problematic for people who need something notarized on the weekend or after hours on a weekday. Fortunately, there are options beginning to appear that will forever change the notary business. With a mobile notary signing service, for example, you can have documents notarized anytime, anywhere, on a 24/7/365 basis. But, most people do not know about mobile notaries, and getting the word out is important.

If you really want to succeed as a mobile notary, there are some specific things you can do to build your business.

Get Certified to Help People Recognize Your Skills

The National Notary Association offers certification options. These are not required for a notary, but they can set you apart from the pack.

Being certified may also help increase your business, because it indicates that you are actually able to do the job you are offering. You would not have the certification without passing requirements for a governing body, which can put people’s minds at ease when they are considering hiring you for their notary needs.

Make sure you prominently display your certification on your website, so people will notice you have attained it. If you do not have a website, a service like Google My Business is probably straight up your alley, as it is easy and free. You should have a listing there no matter what, even if you do not use their website builder.

How to Set Yourself Apart as a Mobile Notary

Reach Out to Title and Real Estate Companies

If you create relationships with title and real estate companies that have regular needs for signings, you can increase the level of business you do. Most of these signings will be on a 9 to 5, Monday through Friday basis, but that is not a bad thing. It simply gives you more business and frees up your weekends and evenings to work with other clients.

As a mobile notary, you can go anywhere at any time, so traveling to title companies and real estate companies around the area can be a great way to create consistent work.

Always Answer Your Phone, or Call Back Promptly

If you are not going to answer your phone or call people back quickly (for example, if you are in the middle of a signing and cannot answer at that moment), you may not get far as a mobile notary. People will be calling you because they need your services at that particular moment in time, or because they need information about your services quickly.

When they do not get a response, they may decide that they are just going to move on and look for someone else. While it is possible they will not find another mobile notary to help them, it is also possible that they will work something out that does not involve you. If you call back hours later, it could be far too late to get their business, so make a fast response a continued priority.

Be Ready for Those 3 a.m. Phone Calls

Providing service after hours and on the weekends is one of the main ways a mobile notary can be successful.  We know even the thought of being a 24 hour notary is rough, but even if you are not sure why someone would need anything notarized at 3 a.m. on a Saturday, you should still be available.

That can be difficult, and the on-call life can be stressful, but the odds are low that you will get many of these types of phone calls. Regular business hours, early evenings, and weekend afternoons will likely be much more typical.

Still, being prepared for any eventuality can make all the difference when it comes to success and setting yourself apart as a mobile notary.

Sunshine Signing Service

Your Nationwide Notary Signing Service

Increase your efficiency and bottom line with Sunshine’s Mobile Notary Services and Online Notary Services. Sunshine is always there when you need us.

GET STARTED

Or Call us at (727) 817-0000

6 Notary Errors to Beware as They Can Lose You Clients

Notaries offer clients the convenience of having a professional notary travel to them or meet them in virtual space. While clients greatly appreciate this level of convenience and flexibility, they still will lose faith if critical notary errors are made.

When this happens, it is likely that the notary will lose their client.

Here are 6 mobile notary errors you need to avoid in order to retain the majority of your clients. And don’t forget our other article on notary mistakes, which this article builds on.

Some notaries prepare for every signing as a hard signing, so they get their preparation checklist filled out for every notarization.

6 Mobile Notary Errors to Beware

Scheduling Mistakes

Few mistakes doom a mobile notary quite like making a scheduling error. Whether the mistake is showing up too early, late, or missing a scheduled appointment entirely, this is a mistake you cannot afford to make.

After all, much of the appeal of a mobile notary is that their professional service revolves around the client’s schedule and needs. When that schedule is violated, expect a client to look elsewhere for their notary needs.

Beware these 6 Mobile Notary Errors

Being Overly Opinionated

A mobile notary has one job function above all else. Namely, the job is to have the qualifications, credentials, and equipment needed to legally function as a client’s notary public.

Please avoid this most heinous of notary errors, and avoid putting your nose into the client’s business. Don’t have strong opinions on matters that do not concern you. A common example is giving a strong opinion on a loan. For example, if the notary looked at a loan’s interest rate and mentioned that the interest rate was too high, expect a client to get annoyed.

As a mobile notary, you cannot know the signer’s credit rating and financial specifics. Those terms may have been the best rate they could receive. Regardless, keep the strong opinions to yourself and don’t make one of these notary errors.

Failing to Follow Instructions

Failing to follow instructions leads to trouble in many client-based professions, and the same holds true for mobile notaries. Ignoring important instructions may lead to missing important deadlines that prevent a loan from being properly funded on time. When the blame on such matters is traced back to a notary who did not do as they were instructed, a client is probably going to find a notary who will follow instructions.  This is one of the notary errors that will lose you clients quickly.

Lack of Professionalism

Mobile notaries who fail to dress the part or speak professionally will give clients reasons to doubt their choice in notary.

A suit and tie may be overkill, but simply dressing professionally, demonstrating good hygiene and being well spoken will do wonders for a mobile notary’s reputation. And, when the alternative is losing clients, behaving professionally and looking the part is the clearly correct path for a mobile notary to take.

Poor Social Media Behavior

In today’s online world and socially driven era, businesses and professionals must also ensure they appear professional in their online interactions. Rude and insulting online interactions will lead to a potential client looking for a different notary. There is no reason to sabotage your professional prospects when searching for clients because of hostile discussions on platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn.

Overbooking

Finally, you may think that having a healthy book of business is a good thing, and in most cases, it is. However, notaries must pay close attention to their appointments to avoid notary errors. Cutting appointment times too close can lead to late appearances and last-minute cancellations.

Before long, you may find your big book of business became much smaller, because you did not space out your appointments accordingly. Be smart with your scheduling and give yourself the time and flexibility needed to provide punctual and professional notary services to all clients.

Sunshine Signing Service

Your Nationwide Notary Signing Service

Increase your efficiency and bottom line with Sunshine’s Mobile Notary Services and Online Notary Services. Sunshine is always there when you need us.

GET STARTED

Or Call us at (727) 817-0000

Mobile Notaries Can Save You Money

Most people understand that mobile notaries offer unparalleled convenience to your business. What can be surprising is how their services can be money-savers, as well. Here are a few of the ways that choosing a mobile notary can keep more cash in your pocket:

1. Mobile notaries cut your travel needs

Gas, tolls, and the wear on your vehicle can get expensive. A mobile notary can meet you at your location, or any location, saving you the trip and the expense.

2. Mobile notaries cut opportunity cost

When you are spending time waiting for a notary’s office to open or traveling to meet one, you can miss out on other chances to increase your profits. By having a mobile notary at your disposal, you are able to spend less time waiting and more time working with other clients.

3. They get you access to clients someone bound to 9 to 5 hours can’t service

If someone whose needs will include notarization contacts you in the evening or on the weekend, you can say yes to the business. Telling them that you have to wait for a notary to open can mean losing the client and their fee.

Mobile Notaries Save You Money

4. Mobile 24/7 service isn’t an extra

Often, a notary in a 9 to 5 business will only offer to travel or to provide service after hours only for an exorbitant fee. By choosing one whose service is already mobile and available after hours, you avoid any premium charges.

5. Increased productivity for your staff

Paying members of your staff to travel to a notary means that you are paying for idle time waiting or time spent on the road. When the notary comes to you, your staff members can dedicate their paid hours to other services, making your office more productive.

Need a notary now? Sunshine Signing can connect you with notaries nationwide, anytime day or night.

Sunshine Signing Service

Your Nationwide Notary Signing Service

Increase your efficiency and bottom line with Sunshine’s Mobile Notary Services and Online Notary Services. Sunshine is always there when you need us.

GET STARTED

Or Call us at (727) 817-0000

7 Cold Calling Tips for Mobile Notaries

Cold calling is a sales and marketing technique that is often avoided because many people are uncomfortable picking up a phone and making calls. We have found much success with this tactic and even included Cold Calling in our list of ways mobile notaries can earn more business. When done correctly and consistently cold calling is very effective at helping mobile notaries find business. Here are our 6 tips for you can improve your cold calls.

Set a goal

Set a goal for the overall objective of your cold calling campaigns such as getting added to the list of notaries for Title Companies and Signing Services. Setting a goal will give you structure and allow you to evaluate the performance of the campaign.

Have a Script

It is hard to ad-lib on the spot, especially when you are trying to get new business. It gets easier as you gain experience, but you still need to make sure you hit the big spots.

Having a script gives you something to stick to. Someway to explain your services succinctly and effectively. You may sound a little robotic at first, if you are nervous, but you will get over that very quickly.

Having a script seems simple, but it can be an important part of your marketing plan.

Cold Calling Tips for Mobile Notaries

Have a Plan

Before you pick up the phone, make a plan that will lead you to your main goal. That may include smaller goals for each phone call such as finding the name of the person you want to talk to. When you plan make sure you consider the following:

  • Use research and past success to create a list of companies to call to add to your call list. Look for areas where you have established accounts that you can use as referrals.
  • Plan what you are going to say if you get sent to voicemail. Your message for a voicemail should be just as polished and focused as your main message. Good voicemails spark interest.
  • You should also plan what time of day to make your calls. Test different times of day and see when you have more success.

Don’t Talk Too Much

Once you have met the goal of that call be careful not to oversell yourself. Be comfortable sticking to your plan. Once you get your “ask” don’t worry about pushing for another in this call, your plan is already taking care of the next ask.

Know Your Value Propositions

Are you available for notary services 24/7? Do you speak another language? Do you have expertise in a certain market? All of these are examples of what some of your value propositions may be. Make sure you have your value propositions ready to answer questions are likely to receive from the companies you are calling. Through your research, you will know which of your value propositions align with the companies you are calling.

Watch Your Tone of Voice

The more you make cold calls, the more you will be yourself. In the beginning, it is good to be aware of the tone of your voice. You don’t want to seem shy or too pushy. You want to be affable and business like. You know your value propositions and their needs. Your voice should mirror the confidence that you are helping them fill one of their needs.

Keep Records

Of course, you are going to record the leads you find but don’t forget to keep track of all the valuable info you are learning. Note the time of your calls and the days of the week and see if any patterns emerge that will help you with future planning. Keeping records can help you improve the efficiency of your cold calling campaign.

Staying consistent with your cold calling plan. Focus on building relationships and providing value. Your success as a mobile notary depends greatly on people trusting you and relying on you. Your cold calls should promote that same brand of reliability and comfort.

Sunshine Signing Service

Your Nationwide Notary Signing Service

Increase your efficiency and bottom line with Sunshine’s Mobile Notary Services and Online Notary Services. Sunshine is always there when you need us.

GET STARTED

Or Call us at (727) 817-0000

A Notary Services Company Mitigates Your Liability

Often when there’s a need for a notary’s services, that need is urgent. When a deal needs to be closed, the opportunity may need to be secured at any time and anywhere. Fortunately, with a notary services company, your problem is solved.

A mobile notary company offers you peace of mind, convenience and flexibility to get crucial documents signed when you need them. As importantly, having a notary available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year helps you reduce liability risks related to legal agreements and documents.

A Notary Services Company Reduces Risk

One of the primary functions of a notary public is to protect clients from risk related to fraud and identity theft, which is becoming more prevalent each year.

We want to assume that people with whom we interact in various negotiations have integrity and are honest. However, the financial, legal and personal risks associated with many transactions means that often there is a need to verify the identity of a document signer in person.

A notary is an impartial third party used to verify the signatures on documents, verify the identity of those signing documents and ensure that those documents were signed willingly and not under duress.

Having documents notarized is a deterrent to fraud. Having documents notarized adds another layer of verification that the people who are signing documents are who they say they are. For clients of a notary, signed documents provide self-authentication, meaning that in court matters, signers do not need to testify to the authenticity of their signatures.

A Notary Services Company Mitigates Your Liability

Protection in Cases of Litigation

With the increasing litigiousness of today’s world, when a business deal goes sour, all too often courts get involved. When a deal goes south, either for genuine or fabricated reasons, emotions can flare, allegations are made and lawsuits are filed. From a litigation perspective, notarization is an important safeguard. Providing notarized documents that clearly spell out the terms and conditions of a negotiated, agreed-upon and, most importantly, legally signed business agreement is crucial in protecting financial and business interests.

For example, in contractual disputes involving multiple copies of documentation related to an agreement, a judge is likely to give far more weight to documents that have been signed and witnessed by a certified notary public. In addition, for certain transaction types, having documents notarized is not just prudent business sense, but also legally mandated.

Some states even require the recitation of an oath administered by a notary public for certain documents, such as affidavits and applications.

What Needs to be Notarized, What Should be Notarized

While the standards vary from state to state, the most commonly required documents for notarization are:

  • Trusts, wills and other documents related to estate planning
  • Title conveyance documents related to real estate transactions, including mortgage documents and other agreements related to a sale between a seller and a buyer
  • Structured settlement documents
  • Prenuptial agreements
  • Health care proxy and power of attorney documents
  • General and property power of attorney documents

In addition, there are a number of other business deals where it may be prudent or a requirement to involve a notary public, including:

  • Online purchases related to large purchases of products, goods or services
  • Personal loan agreements
  • Car purchase title transfer documents
  • Partnership agreements

A Mobile Notary Company in Your Moment of Need

Many companies, banks, financial institutions and mortgage firms have employees who are certified notaries public on staff. However, small companies, individuals, or those living and working in rural and remote areas may find immediate access to a notary public near them difficult to secure. In such cases, a mobile notary company is an excellent option that allows for flexibility, availability and accessibility.

Frequently attorneys, title companies, lenders, real estate agents, or structured settlement companies find a need for a notary services company that provides services after hours, on the weekend, in a remote location or at the spur of the moment. By using a mobile notary company, professionals in need can be confident that real estate documents, loan modifications, mortgages and deeds, structured settlement or power of attorney documents, and walk-through recordings are verified and notarized quickly without interruption or disruption of regular business practices.

Make a Sunshine Signing Connection

With Sunshine Signing, your notary service company needs are met. We work hard to find the mobile notary public who best fits your needs. Our reach spans most rural areas across the United States.

Sunshine Signing notaries undergo a rigorous background check prior to hire, have error-and-omission liability insurance coverage, protecting you further from liability related to your business transactions. All our notaries are certified and are qualified to meet all your notarizing requirements. What’s more, our notary services are a phone call away and available at any hour of any day year round. We have a commitment to quality service and guarantee all our work. We commit to expediting orders and filling them efficiently and will partner with your internal processes to meet your needs.

Business transactions are innately complex with varied twists and turns, ups and downs. Take some of the uncertainty out of your business transactions by partnering with Sunshine Signing Connection for your mobile notary public needs.

Sunshine Signing Service

Your Nationwide Notary Signing Service

Increase your efficiency and bottom line with Sunshine’s Mobile Notary Services and Online Notary Services. Sunshine is always there when you need us.

GET STARTED

Or Call us at (727) 817-0000

4 Ways A Mobile Notary Can Protect Nonpublic Info

Handling sensitive nonpublic information can be a daily occurrence for a mobile notary. Don’t let your daily tasks get routine. The safeguarding of NPI (non public information) is one of your most important responsibilities as a mobile notary. Here are four ways a mobile notary can protect nonpublic information.

1. Secure Physical Access to Information

As a mobile notary, you are out of the office, often in situations where there are not locked filing cabinets or safes readily available. Storing information in your vehicle is generally a bad idea, but a trunk or another locked part of your vehicle is much better than leaving documents or electronic devices sitting in plain view on the backseat of your vehicle.

Plan your day so you are not leaving important information in less secured areas for long periods of time. You may even want to consider the new notary model and office in your plans, as that leaves the possibility you may have sensitive information on you longer.

Be sure that your laptop bag, tote, or briefcase does not have any branding about your profession as a mobile notary stitched on the bag. Carry a plain, unbranded bag. There are times to brand yourself and other times you do not want to draw attention to yourself and the information you may be carrying.

Make sure all confidential information, including your notary journal, are stored in a locked filing cabinet, desk, or safe when you are at home or in the office. Consider contracting a monitored alarm system for your home or business. Locks and alarms are proven measures in preventing theft.

4 Ways A Mobile Notary Can Protect Nonpublic Info

2. Secure Electronic Access to Information

Using electronics, software programs, and apps are a must for running an effective business in today’s world. Here are some ways to keep your electronic devices protected:

  • All computers, tablets, and smartphones must be password protected.
  • Make sure your passwords are strong and follow best practices.
  • Protect your passwords, do not write them down and leave them laying on your desk. If you need to write them down use an encryption and keep them locked with your other important papers.
  • Keep your operating system and all programs updated – this will reduce the risk of cyber attack from viruses and worms.
  • Follow Email best practices and be on the lookout for spam and phishing.
  • Stay off public WiFi. Instead, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or use your cell phone to launch a mobile hotspot.
  • Use an app that can locate all of your devices.
  • Do not share use of your computer or the electronic devices you use for your notary business with your family.

3. Maintain Responsibility

“Loose Lips Might Sink Ships” was propaganda during WWII. The message was that sharing too much information can be detrimental. As a mobile notary, a good rule of thumb is to treat all of the information you are responsible for as NPI. The more careful you are with the information you share the less chance there is of making a mistake and sharing information that another party does not need to know.

Make sure you are properly and promptly sending signed documents through an authorized carrier and requiring a signature receipt. Return or destroy any documents that are not part of the signing. Do not leave documents unattended before, during, or after a signing that may find the eyes of another party.

You are responsible for the security of this information. If it is ever compromised, alert the party immediately. Immediate notification is your responsibility and can help the party handle the situation and limit damage. The protection of sensitive information by a notary is so important that you may be held liable for any damages caused from information not taken care of.

4. Have a set of policies and procedures regarding NPI

Policies and procedures are not just for large companies. Make sure you have your own policies in place. Determine how you are going to receive information, protect information once it is in your care, and how you are going to return or destroy information. Make sure your policy meets all of the guidelines legally required. Here is a great checklist from NationalNortary.org that you should be sure to include in your policy for handling NPI. Once you have your policy stick to it.

Sunshine Signing Service

Your Nationwide Notary Signing Service

Increase your efficiency and bottom line with Sunshine’s Mobile Notary Services and Online Notary Services. Sunshine is always there when you need us.

GET STARTED

Or Call us at (727) 817-0000