Marketing any business is tough. But when you are in a mobile or niche business it can be even harder. Especially if you don't have any experience in marketing what-so-ever. Don't worry though, all is not lost to business owners who are just getting in gear to market themselves! Let's take Mobile Notary Services for example. When customers of a mobile notary service reach out, they are generally looking for a Notary in the very near future. Face it, thinking about having a document Notarized for yourself isn't something even you think of often. And to top it off, lots of times the services mobile notaries provide consumers often involves stress. And please, don't say that buying or selling a home isn't stressful. So how do you market a business to people when they either don't want to think about buying your product or service or they won't need your services often? Here are 5 important things to consider when you are marketing your Notary Business: #1) Ask yourself what is the first-place people turn to when searching for your business? When a consumer needs a Notary Public the first place they turn to is a search engine (Google). Google holds 90+ percent of all searches for everything. Fact Check Me. This may not be new information for you but please keep reading because there's a small rabbit hole here. And, if you didn't know that I hope you find your way out of whatever rabbit hole you are currently in. #2) People Generally Need Notaries Quickly, Not on Advanced Appointments. This means that you will always need to be able to be found on the sites where people search for a Notary public in quickly if you don't have your own website: Google My Business Yelp Notary Stars 123Notary Notary Rotary Online Notaries Public #3) If you don't have a website you need to start one and focus on: Search Engine Optimization Landing Pages for Specific City Searches Landing Pages for Specific Services You Offer You will hear a lot of people (lazy people) say that all you need is a Google My Business listing to get business. But this is so, so, so very wrong. Google My Business only list the first 3 listings on search results and since there are so many listings it often rotates the listings on a variety of factors. One of the factors is distance. Just because you see your listing come up while sitting at your business address doesn't mean it will come up down the street. Google may be serving the next neighborhood over a totally different listing. Having a great website, an optimized website, can even beat Google My Business listings in rankings. And it can definitely give you the 4th position on the page when other businesses don't answer their phones. And well written meta descriptions for webpages can also pull people into your business instead of others. I've done it a few times and always strive to optimize. #4) Social Media plays a huge role in letting people know you are out there! I know it sounds scary to most but that is the world we are living in today. Social media is where most people spend their time these days (not in front of the television). And attention spans have gotten shorter too. Now this doesn't mean you need you, your family, or friends trending on TikTok for the latest dance crazes. It just means you need to know how to reach your local audience with a good public service announcement that would make them want to a) follow your account b) visit your website or c) store your number in their phone. Social media is much easier than you think, and you don't have to put your face on it at all. You can use your brand! LOL, you don't even have to use your voice now a days thanks to A.I. Technology and voice-overs. #5) If you don't market your business no one else will and no one will find you.

Have you played around with ChatGPT yet? It's pretty cool, right? Right now, there's a big rush to use A.I.to help create content for social media and websites and although these tools can very helpful there are some things you really need to know. If you thought that Google was just going to step aside and allow A.I. generated content start taking over its search results- you would be wrong. Google just updated it's policies and there are some things you really need to know. Especially, since one of the biggest booms in trainers right now is to teach you how to use ChatGPT or even just to introduce you to it. It's so enticing, I know, because creating content is hard work. Especially content that ranks, gets found, and converts customers. But before you go investing hundreds or thousands of dollars for the easy path, please keep your eye on what is really happening with A.I. One of the biggest things that stand out in the policy update which you can see for yourself is: Automated Content: We (Google) do not allow reviews that are primarily generated by an automated program or artificial intelligence application. If you have identified such content, it should be marked as spam in your feed using the attribute. I have to say I personally appreciate that update. Because you shouldn't be able to cheat your way into reviews. Especially if you are working hard at your job! According to Niel Patel, one of the marketing geniuses I seriously look up to, "Google has generally taken a stance that they are ok with content written by A.I. as long as it benefits people and isn’t focused on manipulating search results." His article goes on to explain how A.I.'s content is not always correct. In fact, it seems to be getting worse and worse according to Popular Science (JUNE 2023). Now, of course, popular science is going after heavy hitting topics like math and medical questions - but aren't all fields of work interest important? For instance, a Notary Public is a pretty serious career choice as what we say and do can alter someone's path in life. I'm not saying that you can't use A.I. to generate content, I do. However, you can't use A.I. just yet to do the job for you entirely. When I am building websites these days, I do in fact use A.I. Technology, but you have to really weed through fact and fiction. You also have to take into consideration that computers don't have feelings or understand social norms at the moment. For instance, I was recently working on a website for a massage therapist who offers mobile massage. And ChatGPT returned this sentence that was rather creepy: "Hiring a mobile Massage Therapist is so much more secure than going to a salon where prying eyes may be watching you undress for your massage." Whether that is true or not, why would you put something like that on a website trying to attract clients? In my professional opinion at this point and time, ChatGPT is really just a prompting tool for your brain. I am also in agreement with Neil Patel who believes that Google is already finding ways to block A.I. content. I wouldn't be surprised if don't' find ways to penalize 100% A.I. generated content in the near future. Remember: GOOGLE looks for authoritative, nearly living, brilliant information to serve their webpages. And believe me, after holding the title of being trusted with 98% off all Internet searches, they aren't going to just start serving up any old computer-generated content. I'll be touching on this in my upcoming SEO Conference on August 12th. Where I'll be teaching you what Search Engine Optimization is and how anyone can do it. I hope you'll join because I'll also be covering these topics: Understanding Search Engines & How They Actually Work Choosing The Best Website Builder (And Why It Is So Important) Why You Don't Need Any Design Skills What-So-Ever to Achieve High Rankings Choosing The Best Keywords For Your Website Geo-Tag Your Website for More Local Traffic Thinking Like Your Customer So You Get Found Making Pages For Your Users, Not Search Engines- And Search Engines Will Deliver Unique Content Is Your Very Best Friend Timing (How Long Will Someone Spend On Your Website) How Many Times Can You Organically Use A KeyWord Anyway Sneaky Ways To Use Images as Keywords for SEO Boost H1 through H5 Text Tags (or Labeling Text) Localizing Your SEO Searches by Zip Codes What About Services??? Meta Tags & Meta Descriptions Hard Coding Key Words (No Coding Experience Required) Your Website Speed (Desktop Vs. Mobile) Setting Your Favicon & Social Media How Social Media Plays Into Your Business & What You Need to Do - Facebook - Twitter - Instagram - Next Door AI ChatGPT Notaries using AI for Content Google VS AI How Google Reads AI Google Policy Updates

Many of you who found, or are finding their way, into the Notary & Loan Signing Agent industry today in 2023 are far worse off than myself, or any of my training colleagues, were as we found our ways into our successes. The reason is because there is an informational overload going on today that is just never going to stop. Now, I started NotaryStars.com in 2019 as a passion project because I own a Nationwide Signing Agency and I wanted to correct a great deal of things I saw going wrong in our industry. And I needed to make sure in order to scale my own business that I had Notaries who could conduct any type of signing. The only way for me to do that was to ensure to provide them quality education on every loan product or document type they could encounter- which means I would also be helping them grown their own Notary Businesses as well. Now, when I started in this industry over 13 years ago, as many of you may know, I got a part-time job at a Title and Escrow office so that I could learn how to conduct signings properly. My agreement with them is that I would learn the documents and after a certain amount of time I would handle any outside closings just for them. It was a great thing at first, however, as I wanted to branch out and actually grow my Notary Business, I realized there were more variances between Title documents and Lender Documents than I had anticipated. Which meant, in order to grow, I had to continue learning. This business just wasn't as turn-key as I'd hoped for. I literally dug through Internet forums (which were not as pleasant as one would hope) and I asked questions left and right to hiring agencies. Sometimes I feel like I clawed my way to the top. Now here we are today, and despite the downturned market in late 2022, things are turning around, and we are still seeing new Notaries come into this industry left and right! And there seems to be a new kind of boom within our industry as well- THE NOTARY TRAINER BOOM. It does make me chuckle a bit as this boom is what is propelling our growth and sometimes hurting us more than helping us. Recently, on a Clubhouse chat, I was informed there is actually a course that is having Notaries come in, take their test, and then telling them to go out and become trainers themselves even before they have experience as a Notary themselves. I just can't help but chuckle at this because for someone who has had longevity as a Notary Loan Signing Agent, a Signing Agency Owner, and a Notary Trainer, this baffles me. Here are three tips I would like to give every Notary Loan Signing Agent to help you with your career and fight the informational overload that is out there: #1) You do need to take training and in the beginning of your career and you will need support. The cost of the programs you choose should be affordable and chosen in succession by pricing of needed. For instance, you must take the National Notary Assocation, Certified Signing Agent exam to become a Notary Signing Agent. But where you go after that is really important to your personal and business budget. The National Notary Associations certified Signing Agent Exam is a great start, but it will not prepare you for today's demand as a Notary Signing Agent. It is more a test of ethics if you ask me and less about what you'll actually be doing as a Notary Loan Signing Agent. If you are serious about becoming a Notary Loan Signing Agent, I would highly recommend the following: NotaryStars.com NotaryCoach.com Notary2Pro.com SigningAgentBasics.com CoachMeLaura.com These courses actually prepare you for Notary Work & Loan Signing Agent Work. And all of these course owners often provide free education even if you aren't a paying member of their courses or sites because they care about you whether they know you or not. Please write this down: QUALITY BRINGS SUCCESS AND LONGEVITY AS A NOTARY SIGNING AGENT! #2) You should expand your knowledge beyond this list as you grow your business. There are more costly programs out there where you will still learn things, but you should be very careful in vetting additional trainers. There are also a few "trainers" coming about out there who take everyone's course, simply regurgitate the information they learn, and charge you more money for learning it with them. Often times, nowhere as much as you would learn in the original course. So, look for the original trainer's course. Ask your potential trainers where they trained, how long they've been doing it, and even why they train. This is currently happening in more in niche training courses, so we wanted to give you a few of the most trusted go-to's for training when it comes to expanding your business. Apostilles - Judy Lawrence Estate Planning - Bill Soroka Trust Documents Laura Biewer Live Scan and Ink Card Fingerprinting - Lisa C. Duffy Wedding Officiant Training- Mark Groleau Permit Running - Cynthia Alexander #3) Last but not least Notaries today need to learn how to take back the term Notary on the Internet & social media as the Notary Trainer Boom is killing your potential to get clients. When someone Googles Notary or looks for something on social media, they should not always get a Training Course or a Notary Talking about how much money they make. Do you really think that anyone wants to see a Notary bragging about how much money they can charge? You should get very comfortable learning how to make YouTube, TikToc, and Instagram videos educating your local market about who you are, what you do, and directing your clients to call you! Notary on the Street is a great steppingstone to start this process. And Notary Stars + Marketing is now going to be adding a heavy influence within its course on doing this as well.

Are you a Pigeon? Wait, what the flock did you just call me?!? Did you just call me a pigeon? Are you accusing me of being a rat with wings?? Before you fly off the handle, I'm not suggesting you have wings, a knack for statue-squatting, or an uncontrollable appetite for breadcrumbs. I'm actually referring to a concept known as 'pigeonholing.' It's a term derived from the tidy little compartments (or pigeonholes) people at one time used to store mail in. These days, it has come to represent the process of labeling and categorizing things, or in our case, people. Now, don't get me wrong. Labels can be super helpful – especially when you're trying to find the right tube in the medicine cabinet (wait…is this the toothpaste?). But when it comes to your career as a Remote Online Notary (RON), pigeonholing can be a very uncool bird indeed. Let's say for instance that you're known in your RON circle as 'Debbie the Divorce Notary.' Now, that's not necessarily bad. You're the go-to person for divorce documents, and that's a reputation to be proud of! But what if Mr. and Mrs. Newlyweds pop in to get their first house deeds notarized? They might hesitate. "Debbie, the Divorce Notary, for our new love nest?" they might wonder. "That's a little ominous, isn't it?" And there goes your potential client, flying away faster than a pigeon dodging a frisbee. And then there’s ‘Larry the Loan Signing Legend.' Larry, like many other RONs, found a comfy perch in the world of loan signings. And why not? The breadcrumbs in that particular sector can be quite delicious. He became so well-versed in loan signings, that he could identify a refinance packet in his sleep, spot an error in a deed of trust from a mile away, and could probably sign an acknowledgment with his wings...I mean, hands tied behind his back. Larry was riding high in the clouds of his success until the mortgage industry began to dip, as it tends to do. Suddenly, his phone wasn't chirping with notifications from new clients. His once plentiful bread crumbs started to dwindle. Had Larry nestled himself too comfortably in the loan signing pigeon coop? As Notary Loan Signing Agents, the temptation to specialize solely in loan signings can be a strong one. It's a rewarding field, both financially and professionally. However, putting all your eggs in the loan signings basket is much like our friend Larry's predicament - it leaves you vulnerable to market fluctuations. When the mortgage industry cools down, your steady stream of loan signings might cool down too. Pigeonholing can limit your business growth and diversity, because people may assume you only do one kind of notarization. It can prevent you from tapping into other potentially lucrative markets, like general notary work or medical documents, which are quite the golden eggs in the notary world. So how do we escape this pigeonholing predicament? Here are a few flight plans: Spread Your Wings: Show the world that you can handle any document that needs notarizing. Celebrate your versatility on your website, on social media, and through word of beak... I mean, mouth. Preen Your Image: If you're already pigeonholed, don't panic. You can rebrand! Remember: you're not just a 'Debbie' or ‘Larry.' You are ‘Debbie’ AND ‘Larry’. Soar to New Heights: Regularly upskill and train in different areas of notarization. **There is a site called Notary Stars that I hear is EXCELLENT for this type of continued education and training! The more you know, the more valuable you are. No one puts a knowledgeable bird in a corner... or a hole! More Eggs, More Baskets: Diversifying your services is like having eggs in multiple baskets. You'll be less dependent on one source of income and more resilient when market shifts occur. Ruffle Your Feathers: Shake up your routine. Offer services medical documents or immigration papers. Expand your offerings to include more things like I-9s, fingerprinting, permit running or being a wedding officiant. There's a whole world of notarization needs and related fields out there, just waiting for a bird with your skills! Squawk Loudly: If you've diversified your services, don't forget to tell the world about it! Advertise your wide range of skills on your website and social media. Let your clients know you're not just a one-signing wonder! So, before you find yourself roosting in the pigeonhole of 'only doing this one thing,' remember that variety is the spice of life – and business. You have the capability to be a majestic notary bird of paradise, spreading your colorful wings across all types of notarizations. Pigeonholed? More like pigeon-**hold** the entire notary spectrum in your talons! By recognizing and avoiding the pigeonholing trap, you'll ensure your notary business doesn't end up 'cooing' itself into a corner. Now, fly free and explore those broad horizons! You're not a one-trick pigeon, after all. In the end, it's all about flexibility. Being an exceptional Notary Loan Signing Agent is fantastic, but don't let it limit your full potential. By avoiding the narrow pigeonhole of specialization, you'll ensure your notary business soars, no matter the weather. Remember, you're not just any bird - you're a bird with an impressive range of notary skills. Don't let yourself be caged! Now, flap those wings and fly towards your next notarization adventure! #findthecheese

Do you want to be the Best Notary & Loan Signing Agent you can be? Or do you just want to do your job & get on to the next one? What’s the difference? Being just another Notary or Loan Signing Agent means. You only answer your phone when you want to You don’t engage with your signers (that’s not my job) You are a point and sign LSA – you only read the title of the document and point to the signature line. You do your best not to waste time at the table and rush your signers along. You never get a bad review, but only a few good ones as well. And none of them say you are stellar. You believe because they are paying you such a low amount that you can short cut the customer service. (They don’t pay me enough to do anything other than my base job) Your profiles are set up to look exactly like everyone else’s because that’s how it’s done. You have a website, but don’t really want to spend money on advertising your business. You don’t invest in your education because it’s not that hard to do your job. You don’t learn loan documents or loan variations because you’re not supposed to be an escrow officer. You get enough income to pay your bills or believe this is just a good side gig. Being the best you can be means; Going above and beyond your basic duties (still staying in your lane as a Notary) Being a problem solver when things go sideways. Knowing more than you really need to know about a loan file so that you present yourself more professionally. You geek-out on every possible variation of a loan file so that you are not caught off-guard at an appointment. You know what the critical and common documents are for each loan package and can spot when something is missing or an error on a file. Able to find and point to the answers in the documents when they arise instead of wasting time making a call from the table. Able to deliver a brief description for each document while pointing to those words on the document, all while reading upside down. Allow your signers plenty of time at the table and make them feel like they are your only concern. Engaging with your signers and putting them at ease with the process You invest in your education on a regular basis with trainers that you know have the knowledge and have been in the business long enough to provide the right guidance. Not someone with less than 5-years in the field. You get plenty of great reviews that let other consumers know you care about your job and go beyond the point-and-sign model of doing business. Your profile is set-up to deliberately avoid the ‘buss-words’ that everyone else is using and deliver real information about you and your company. You have an inter-active website and budget monthly (time or money or both) for advertising. You get repeat business from clients that are willing to pay you for your expertise and professionalism. You are in high demand and remain truly grateful for every opportunity. It takes a little more effort to be a great notary/signing agent. You might get by for a while on your good looks or sparkling personality. But that might not carry you as far as you want to go. If you take the time to learn as much as you possibly can about the documents you will be handling, and how to market yourself on your website and social media platforms, I promise you that you will be in high demand for as long as you want the business. The reputation you build now will follow you even beyond retirement. So is that going to be a stellar reputation? One that says ‘OMG she/he was awesome and helped us out so much’. Or a mediocre one that says,‘yes he/she was ok’ or ‘I never had a problem with him/her’. Which one do you want to be- comment below to let us and others know. Invest in yourself. Believe in yourself. Be the best you can be and then do it again!!!

Resources for finding your state regulations As Notaries, the more we educate ourselves the more legitimate questions we have. And consequently the line of the law blurs just a bit. To get information you will have to dig and cross check. You would think that all our regulations would be tied-up in one nice neat little package. But that’s not always the case. We have Notarial regulations – Real-Estate regulations – Probate regulations -Financial Institution regulations. All of those regulations can potentially effect our duties. Start with; Your state handbook – Make sure you have the most current version and Keep it digital so that you can use the ‘ctrl +F’ option to search key words. Keep looking for different key words that might relate to your search. Ex: Foreign Language Documents Search; Foreign – Language – English – Communicate - Read or write – translate When you find what you are looking for, see if there is an actual regulation number somewhere in the text. That number often can be plugged into a Google search page. Read the law. Sometimes our regulations end with “subject to the Administration Code set forth by the Secretary of State”. That could actually change the way the law is administrated or carried out. Make a call to your Secretary of state or your licensing agency – sometimes you have to make a couple of calls to see if you get the same answer. Make certain they understand your question. Using words like ‘Hybrid Certificate’ will not mean anything to most of our offices because they are not a creation of the notary industry – but instead a creation of the real-estate and lender industry. Limit those questions to Notary stuff. Don’t ask them Signing Agent questions like is it required that I print loan documents on mixed size pages? Don’t ask them Business owner or Tax accountant questions like can I claim mileage on my tax returns. If you get an answer, don’t stop there– ask for the corresponding regulation so that you can look at it for yourself and stash that away as your ‘get out of jail free’ card. If it is opinion, then ask for that opinion to be sent to you via email so that you can have it as a future reference. Sometimes we get lucky and they will do this for us. Tap a Colleague – Mentor – Instructor; Good source for immediate information, but check into it further for yourself. Facebook University – with extreme caution Google – don’t stop when you get the answer you want – keep looking as there could be mis-information out there. Don’t ask an attorney unless they specialize in Notarial Law. DO USE GOOGLE to Find and Bookmark your Legislature page; ex; AzLeg.gov Your legislation page will have the most comprehensive compilation of all sectors of law for your state. Public Law Libraries are a good resource; Ex; California SacLaw.org www.Findlaw.com; Bookmark that page after you set it for your state as an easy reference. www.AzRE.gov; Arizona Real estate law www.AzCourts.gov; Probate law www.nolo.com – Legal encyclopedia www.difi.az.gov – Banking and Financial law - Arizona www.DFPI.ca.gov - Dept of Financial Protection and Innovation - California

A great deal of the articles we bring to you are real life examples we either deal with at Notary Stars or at Unlimited Ink Notary (our sister company/signing agency). We start this article off this way because sometimes the titles may not seem to apply to you, but this particular scenario could happen to anyone going through renewal and we want you to know how to deal with it. With that said, we want you to know that just because someone, even your Secretary of State, tells you that you can do something that you have to think ahead and ask the what if's. Especially if you are a Loan Signing Agent because working with Loan Transactions often depend on what a lenders underwriters (or attorney's) will accept. This particular case came out of New York. We had a Notary who accepted a Signing in SigningOrder.com as usual. Her Notary Commission was showing up to date because she manually changed the date in Signing Order, even though she hadn't physically received her Notary Commission via mail yet. DO NOT DO THAT AS IT MAY LAND YOU IN HOT WATER. Always wait until you have your physical commission in hand to update any of the websites you are listed on. Now, she had applied for her renewal two months in advance, but her expiration date came and went, and the new commission didn't arrive. When we assigned her the signing, she was 4 days past her commission date expiration. Now someone at the Secretary of State's office told her that she could just strike through the commission date on the Notary Stamp and write her new expiration date. We all also know that our stamps expiration date is inspected prior to closing but she can't get a new stamp from anyone without her physical commission. No stamp maker is going to make one for a Notary until they have that and can verify it. This just happened to be a late Thursday evening, scan and ship, signing that was closing on a Monday (end of Month). The buyers would not be able to resign and could lose money if they didn't sign on time. The package was flawless except for the strike throughs on the commission date in her Notary stamp. Our scan back team caught it but the damage was done. The Notary signed the entire package with two people who were going in two different directions and wouldn't be able to resign again together- and then it was up to Unlimited Ink Notary and the Title Company to sort things out. The wait time to speak to anyone at the New York Secretary of State that day was 192 minutes. And we started working on this around 9 am PST, meaning that it was already 12 pm EST. The lenders are also located on the East Coast, and we all know if they can't fund right away, they may not get to fund. The Notary was in absolute heart break as she thought she was doing a good thing. She also didn't understand why they wouldn't accept it since she was told by her Secretary of State that she could do this... and that would be fine if she had proof at all. Why would a lender allow $500,000+ dollars to exit their account if they could run the risk that the Notary would be denied their commission for any reason at all? Again, there was no proof she would actually be able to get her commission as it was in process. Luckly, we had just presented the New York Notary Alliance at Notary Stars Unlimited the same month and we had someone we could reach out to verify the New York processes with. New York is currently 4-8 months behind in processing Notary Commissions. However, we were told that the Notary if applying in person can get an official letter head to prove they can notarize. When we spoke with the Notary on this advice, she did have an email that did tell her she was going to get her commission and what date to use but an email isn't good enough. She had to drive about 30-45 minutes to her local office (which isn't a luxury for most) and ask them to write this letter and sign it. Now, here's what we want you to know if you are in between for commission renewal. 1) Do not update any commission expiration dates until you have your commission in hand, or valid proof that you are indeed approved (official letter head from your Secretary of States Office and not just an email). If your State doesn't offer that, please don't risk it! 2) If you have physical letter head proof that you are renewing your stamp then you need to let your assigning parties know BEFORE you process any transactions as a Loan Signing Agent. This is because the lender you are working for may not accept a stamp like this. If this lender hadn't been willing to make an exception, we don't even want to know what could have happened to the Notary.* 3) For general Notary work you also need to explain to your clients before you charge them and put them through this kind of stress what could happen and allow them to decide if they want to take that chance. More than likely a large bank would not accept a Power of Attorney like this. *In this particular instance we made it through closing with the letterhead but if for any reason she doesn't actually get her commission, and anything goes wrong- she actually could get sued and that wouldn't be good as Errors and Omissions insurance only covers you for Notarial Acts when you are allowed to preform them. Remember, all Insurance companies are just that, insurance companies. This means, they aren't your friend, and they don't have your back if you make a mistake like this. So, the moral of this story is if your State takes a long time to process renewals but allows you to continue to Notarize you need to make sure you have physical proof readily available, on hand, and talk with your clients ahead of time.

The heat is on! As summer kicks into full gear, life may seem like a sunny poolside barbecue for many. But for Remote Online Notaries, it's the season of grilling, not on the barbie, but over client identifications. While the world is sipping margaritas poolside, we're busy playing detectives on the digital frontier, validating identities. Just as the sun doesn't take a day off in summer, neither does the responsibility of ensuring a client's identification. Think of the identification verification process as preparing a poolside BBQ meal. The ingredients: signer name, photo, and expiration, must all pass the freshness test. Firstly, let’s grill the client's name. Just like ensuring the meat at your BBQ isn't past its sell-by date, it's crucial to confirm the authenticity of the client's name against all the documents provided. When verifying a signer's identity, imagine it's like figuring out if the pool's water is warm enough for a swim. Your job is to dip your toes in, using the provided ID, and decide if the person is really who they say they are. Just like each summer day has a different temperature, there's no one-size-fits-all rule for every situation. Sometimes, you'll need to make a judgment call, like deciding if it's ice cream or popsicle weather. When in doubt, you can always ask for an alternative form of ID that your state deems acceptable with the correct information. The next ingredient is the photo. But this isn't as simple as throwing the meat on the grill and coming back a few minutes later. Pictures may look straightforward, but you need to look deeper, sort of like checking that your BBQ chicken isn’t just seared on the outside but raw in the middle. You want that meat thoroughly cooked inside. Look for features, aging effects, or changes that may suggest a mismatch. Does the signer’s birthday say you should be seeing a “Baywatch Babe” but instead you are looking at a “Bengay-watch Babe?” Use your best judgment. And for the libations, don’t overlook the expiration date on the ID, like forgetting to chill the beverages for your BBQ. Different states have different "best before" rules, just like how some like their steaks rare and others well-done. Ensure you're following the regulations for the state in which you are licensed. One tip that's as refreshing as a summer lemonade is to make verbal commentary during the audio/video recording about the ID. You might say something like, "We're both July babies, it seems," or "Don't forget your ID expires at the end of this year." This practice not only helps to encourage friendly banter, but also ensures thoroughness and leaves an 'audio notation' in your electronic recording that you did your due diligence in checking the ID. But remember, while poolside chitchats are fun, don’t let any sensitive information slip once you leave the party. In the end, when the sun sets and the BBQ embers cool down, remember this: the ultimate responsibility falls on your shoulders as the host of the BBQ party. The RON platforms provide the tech, like the grill and the patio chairs, but you're the one flipping the burgers and mixing the drinks. If there is a party foul, YOU as the Notary will ultimately be held responsible. As notaries, we bring the human touch to this online gig. We're like the lifeguards in this vast digital sea, ensuring each notarization swims safely back to the shore of integrity. So, let's roll up our beach towels and meet this summer with sunblock levels of diligence. After all, it’s not just any old season, it’s the sizzling summer season of identity verification. Let's keep the beach vibes high and the fraudulent IDs low!

Office space rentals, equipment rentals and purchased business equipment: When it comes to tax deductions for office space and equipment here are some general guidelines to consider. 1 – Office Rental Space – Rent Expenses can usually be deducted as a business expense. The amount will depend on your lease agreement and local tax regulations, but usually the full rent paid is deductible as a business expense. 2 – Equipment Rental Fees – Rental fees for business equipment such as computers, scanners, or machinery are also deductible as a business expense. So similarly, to office space rent, the full rental fees can usually be deducted. 3 – Purchased Equipment – when you buy equipment or machinery for your business, you to need to spread the deduction out over its useful life, known as depreciation verses deducting the full cost in one year. Depreciation reflects the equipment’s gradual loss of value over time. * NOTE – Tax Rules in regard to depreciation vary, so it is very important to work with a tax professional to ensure compliance for your specific jurisdiction. 4 - As with all Business Expenses – Keep Accurate Records of documentation such as all Lease/Rental Agreements, & Receipts to support your deductions! Tax Tip June 2023 edition from Glen Hill, 20+ year CA Tax Professional and NotaryAssist Software READ ALL OF THIS YEAR'S TAX TIPS BY CLICKING HERE: https://www.notarystars.com/blog/notary-tax-tip-space-equipment-rentals-purchases https://www.notarystars.com/blog/can-signing-agents-write-off-meals-on-taxes-yes-and-it-pays-to-eat-in-2023-as-long-as-you-do-things-properly https://www.notarystars.com/blog/mileage-for-notary-business-owners https://www.notarystars.com/blog/bad-signing-agencies-unpaid-signings-tax-tips https://www.notarystars.com/blog/tax-tips-from-sue-hope-glen-hill https://www.notarystars.com/blog/tax-tips-from-sue-hope-glen-hill-january-2023 https://www.notarystars.com/blog/your-notary-loan-signing-agent-business-tax-time

This week during general mentorship we got on a topic that is near and dear to my heart and may be on yours as well, anxiety. Feel free to watch the full replay here. Maybe you aren't diagnosed with anxiety but 30% of people suffer from anxiety and with the stresses that can come along with owning a small business you more than likely face it at some point in your daily life more than you wish. In fact, I personally take at least one to two calls a month from Notaries around the country who are suffering from anxiety related to their Notary businesses. And because I've dealt with clinical anxiety most of my adult life (overcoming it without medication) I love helping my fellow Notary Business Owners with what I've learned over the past 13-14 years. Some of the most common things I hear are: Do You Think I'll Make It? What If I Don't Succeed? I Don't Think I'm Cut Out for This? I Feel Like I Don't Know Enough! No One Seems to Understand What I'm Doing Here. I'm Afraid I'm Going to Let My Family Down. These are just a few of the things I've heard on the Notary Stars' support line in the past year- especially after the downturn and even more now that we are starting to level out. Before I go any further, if you feel these things you need to know you are not alone! When I became a Notary Public & Loan Signing Agent there was really only one or two mentors out there, the National Notary Association and Notary2Pro was getting off the ground. At that time, I was in California, which has some of the strictest Notary laws of all 50 States. And I was absolutely fed up with Corporate America because I was tired of being the responsible one who showed up to work on time, did the most work, and got absolutely the least recognition for it. I wanted this career to work for me much like many of you do because I just couldn't go backwards. Funny story: I wanted it so badly that I wound up in the ER several times trying to convince nurses and doctors that I was having a heart attack. I even wore an expensive at home heart monitor for 30+ days because I convinced doctors they just hadn't found what was wrong with me. Or, they wanted to humor me? That's neither here nor there anyway. The fact of the matter is that I get how stressful it is to become a business owner and although Unlimited Ink Notary and Notary Stars does very well for itself, a decade later. I will never forget where I came from or how hard I had to work to get here. Which is why I want to give you some of the things I've learned over the years to deal with anxiety as a business owner that have really helped me. Here are my top go-to's to alleviate anxiety: Create a Happy Place Play List and Keep It on Hand If You Have Pets Play with Them Pets Generally are Comforting. Do Things You Did as a Kid/Teenager Go to the Mall/Movies Play Video Games Ride a Bike Swing on a Swing Set Color in a Coloring Book Call an Old Friend to Catch Up Identify Outload What is Wrong and if Anything is Actually Wrong If you'd like to add to the list of ways to get rid of Anxieties, We'd love for you to comment on this blog article:

There's a lot of talk about what you can copy certify as a notary public. And there’s a little more to this than meets the eye. Not all states authorize notaries to copy certify or they limit what you can copy certify. Most state handbooks tell you exactly what you can or cannot copy certify. So, everyone please check your handbooks FIRST. Those who have state handbook have been linked here for you: State Handbooks & Reference Manuals Copy Certification is verifying that a copy is a true and accurate reproduction of the original document. Some states require that the Notary make the copy. Other states simply state that the notary is to inspect or compare the copy to the original for accuracy. California limits you to copy certifying your journal entries and original powers of attorney only. Hawaii notaries can only copy certify their own journal records. Maine has the distinction of restricting notaries to only providing copy certification services for private records. New York, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee do not allow you to copy certify any document. (not a complete list) New York doesn't accept a copy certification of any kind unless it's from a government office, like a certified copy of a birth certificate from the Vital Statistics Bureau. That is an important distinction. Some common state-defined limitations include; Vital records, public records, publicly recorded documents, or anything that's recorded in county records. So let’s figure out what those document are. What is a vital record? Think of this in terms of our government holding a record of important life events. If they collect data on this event and hold it in their authority, then it is considered a Vital Record. This includes, birth certificates, marriage licenses, civil Unions, domestic partnerships, separation agreements, divorce decrees, and death certificates. Only the government that issued the record can guarantee its authenticity. What are Public Records? A Public record refers to any document with information that has been recorded or filed by a public agency. So that COULD be any Vital Record but can defined further as Trial Transcripts, Depositions, Bankruptcy, Civil or Criminal Judgements, (almost any kind of court record), Corporate Minutes, Electoral rolls, Records of accounting for Banks, Conveyance Deed, Deeds of Trust or Mortgage, Motor Vehicle Records, Police reports. This is not a complete list, but you get the idea. What are Publicly Recorded Documents? That would include everything that was just noted in the above paragraph. But it goes further than that because in some counties, we can request just about anything to be recorded at our County Recorder’s Office. Last Wills, Powers of Attorney, Assignment of Corporate Stock Ownership, and other miscellaneous documents. So, if you have this specific restriction in your handbook and the original document presented to you has a County Recorder’s stamp in the upper right-hand corner, then you cannot copy certify this document…No matter what type of document it is. Some states allow copy certification by document custodian. This is a legal process where the original document holder signs a statement that the copy is identical to the original and that statement is then notarized. So really, it's not certifying a copy of the original by the notary, it’s notarizing a statement by the document custodian. See the difference? The document custodian is verifying the authenticity of the document and not the notary. What is a Tangible Copy Certification? Tangible means information that is contained in electronic or other tangible forms and capable of being ‘papered out’. This is for RON notaries who have completed an online notarization and might print out the document, signature page and notarization page and certify it to be a True and Unaltered copy of the original electronic document. RULONA provides that every state adopts the provision to allow RON notaries to copy certify their electronic notarizations. So, there you have it. Get out those state notary reference manuals and look up what is authorized for you to copy certify in your state. Commit that information to memory because you never know when you will get the request to certify a copy of something.

If it hasn't happened to you already, it is going to at some point. You will be asked to provide either one of your Signing Agencies or Direct Title Clients and additional Acknowledgement or Jurat "incase anything happens." But you have to ask yourself a good question here, "what could happen?" Well, in most cases your clients will ask for them just in case one of your Notarizations is incorrect so they can swap it out. You know you don't want to be the cause of delaying a loan closing, but you also don't want to violate your State laws either (at least we hope you don't). It seems innocent enough, right? They would never do anything wrong to hurt you or someone else, right? Right??? But what if they attached it to a document you weren't even sent with the signing package? And what if that document wasn't necessarily in favor of the signer? Or what if they attached used it on another file. If you don't think that escrow officers or title officers are human beings that also do things wrong- you really need to think again. There are actually some Signing Agencies that will tell you if you don't provide additional certificates, they can't work with you. That is okay, you don't need to work with them. A good Signing Agency would never ask a Notary Loan Singing Agent to break their State laws or best practices. Now we forewarn you to be polite about this as some of those agencies still have access to Blacklist you and/or tell others a different reason why they wouldn't work with you. So, as much as you should want to throw up a middle finger at them- don't! Simply tell them that you aren't able to take their assignment because you aren't comfortable with that specific request and it's not a good fit. Leave it with, "If that ever changes, I'd love to work with you." For Title Companies and Direct clients you can let them know that you will always double check your work. Really lean into your training and remind them that you have trained countless hours (at NotaryStars.com) to hopefully not make a mistake but if you do that you will promptly fix it. And you need to mean that. Notary Business Advice: In our industry previous business should always come before future business. When you make an error, you have to remedy it as soon as possible. Not after your next signing but before it. Always check with your client to see when it is acceptable to have the correction. Mistakes are going to happen. Breaking the law is no way to prevent it. Just remember these words from the late, great, Carol Ray from Notary2Pro: "It is not the mistakes we make that people will remember but how quickly we remedy them." Reference: NNA | Signing Agent Tip: Sending Extra Notary Certificates | 2023