One of the best ways to get new customers for your Notary business is positive online reviews from your signers. In this article, NNA Social Media Coordinator Ashley Valera answers questions about the best approach to getting good reviews from customers, and what are the best review platforms for Notaries. 1. What are the best places online for Notaries to get customer reviews and why are those review sources good for Notaries? We recommend Yelp and Google Reviews as places for Notaries to post their business information in order to get reviews. Yelp and Google Reviews are among the most reliable and the most viewed review sites and are among the top online recommendations when researching a business. 2. Do any review sites require Notaries to pay a fee or subscription to set up a listing or get preferred business status? If so, what are the pros and cons of getting a paid business listing vs. a free listing? A Yelp business page and Google business profile are free to set up and manage. For a fee, you can also use these sites to place ads for your business, which may get you more exposure. But you cannot buy reviews for your business on any site. 3. Do you have any suggestions or tips to help Notaries get good customer reviews online? My number one tip would be to ask. When you're done completing a service, remind your client to leave you a review. Make your business easy to find by including your business name and your name on any online profile so clients can find you later if they chose to write a review. Also, some businesses have seen success when asking their followers on social media to leave feedback if they've received a service before. 4. Is it appropriate to ask customers to leave a good review for you after performing a notarization for them? If not, are there other recommended ways to encourage customers to leave a good review? It's appropriate to mention it to clients before you leave. Repeat clients may be more inclined because sometimes people who don't know you or your business don't feel comfortable leaving a review based on a one-time notarization. But it never hurts to ask, especially if you know you've given them great customer service. 5. What if you get a negative review online? How should Notaries handle this and what steps should they take? They should try to reach out to the customer and remedy the situation and see how they could do better moving forward. Ask if there's anything you could do to make up for the bad experience. Most sites won't let you, as the business owner, delete negative reviews but they do allow clients to edit them so that if the Notary resolve the issue the signer may be willing to change or update their original review. 6. Do you have any other tips or suggestions for Notaries regarding customer reviews? On the topic of bad reviews, sometimes even when you feel you've given your client exceptional service they might give you negative feedback. It's all a learning experience. Don't take it to heart — just make some adjustments and learn from it and allow your business to keep moving forward.

In terms of numbers, the U.S. Notary population hasn’t changed much in the past 5 years. But while the numbers remain stable, the demographics of America’s Notary population are showing unprecedented evolution. The total number of Notaries today remains stable at 4.4 million, close to our count 5 years ago. But due to the COVID pandemic’s impact on the U.S. job market and the growing visibility of social media influencers in the industry, a new generation of Notaries is coming into the fold — younger, often college-educated, and drawn to the potential income of working in the “gig economy” as full- or part-time mobile Notaries and Notary Signing Agents. The total number of Notaries today remains stable at 4.4 million. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau & NNA Research) How the pandemic shook up the Notary status quo Every 5 years, the NNA collects data from state officials and survey participants for a census of the state and nationwide population of U.S. Notaries. As of 2017, the demographic makeup of America’s Notaries had remained consistent for decades. Most said they obtained commissions to perform notarizations on behalf of their employers. Because so many Notaries pulled double duty as employees, the first place many customers went to get documents notarized was a bank or other business where notarization services were open to the public. How Notaries compare to other professions in the U.S. As The National Notary Bulletin has reported, the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed how to find Notary services. As the pandemic forced cities to lockdown through 2019 and 2021, employee Notaries were no longer readily available to the public. Banks and companies shut their doors and sent their employees home either to wait out the crisis or telecommute. Businesses no longer had Notaries available to walk-in customers. But the public’s need for Notaries didn’t slow down—in fact, demand for Notaries in 2020 reached an all-time high. With so many brick and mortar businesses out of action, the public turned to independent mobile Notaries for help — and as a result, mobile Notaries saw demand for their services skyrocket. “Refis, wills, power of attorney documents were more plentiful because of COVID. Normally they wouldn’t ask me for those types of notarizations,” said Virginia mobile Notary John Wonsik. “A lot of signers had documents relating to their elderly parents, or a spouse who is working in a high-risk environment.” At the height of the pandemic, Wonsik was so busy he was turning away 20 notarizations a day. While it will likely take years to develop full picture of the pandemic’s impact from available data, there are clear signs that COVID-19 shifted many Notaries to mobile services and Signing Agent work. According to data from the NNA’s “Find a Notary Public” page, searches for mobile Notaries shot up 1,750 percent in 2020, with 187,500 people visiting the page in a single year. The pandemic-driven demand thrust Notaries full throttle into the gig economy, with more and more Notaries working for themselves instead of employers. More people are considering notarization as a full-time or part-time career. Florida mobile Notary Jonathan D. Rexford said, “Being a Notary gave me a life purpose at a real low moment in my life.” “I retired from being an HR Personnel Officer and needed to continue keeping my mind sharp and focused,” said Jerry Knoester of California. “Being a mobile Notary Public and Signing Agent allows me to continue that ‘iron sharpens iron’ skill.” Younger people are being drawn to Notary work in 2022 As the pandemic affected Notaries, so does the nation’s aging population. In past years, many Notaries identified themselves as age 50 or older. As the “Boomer” generation ages, they’re retiring from the workforce as reflected by our numbers. In 2017, 42 percent of Notaries surveyed described themselves as age 56 and older. This year, it’s down to 32.8 percent. And more young people are joining the Notary ranks, with 27.4 percent of those surveyed listing themselves as 35 years of age or younger, up from 12 percent five years ago. 63% of Notaries identify as female. (Source: NNA Research Center) Apart from Notary work helping younger people jump-start their work careers, Notary influencers on social media are drawing more attention from younger viewers looking for income options. Today, many people use platforms such as YouTube or Facebook to find information when looking for new ways to earn money or change careers. Some younger Notaries have their own YouTube channels where they talk about being a Notary, answer Notary-related questions and even give money-making tips and business strategies. One of these influencers is Sharelle Evans, who hosts “LoveLee Notary” on YouTube and has almost 15,000 subscribers. “I went to YouTube University and didn’t find enough Notary information, so I decided to get a channel and share my journey and mentor others along the way,” she said. Thanks to influencers like Evans, more people are willing to try working as Notaries today. More than one-third of the Notaries surveyed by the NNA in 2022 said they, like Evans, have become Notaries within the past 5 years. And Notaries reported coming from careers as diverse as healthcare, education, entertainment, hospitality and students. Over a third of those surveyed had become Notaries within the past 5 years. (Source: NNA Research Center) Texas concierge Notary Angela Yvette retired from the military and wanted to start her own business. “Becoming a Notary/Loan Signing Agent allowed me to manage my own schedule. I get to meet and provide a service to an array of different people from different cultures and walks of life,” she said. Many of our survey respondents report having a college degree. (Source: NNA Research Center) Looking to the future for U.S. Notaries Looking ahead, the next 5 years holds new opportunities for Notaries that may lead to changes as dramatic as those between 2017 and 2022. Due to the necessities of avoiding face-to-face contact during the pandemic, more than 40 U.S. states now authorize Notaries to perform remote notarizations where Notaries and signers communicate through live audiovisual communication instead of meeting physically in the same location. But despite the rapid enactment of laws in many states, remote notarizations remain rare compared to the millions of traditional notarizations performed each year. 27 percent of Notaries we surveyed this year — many who are certified Signing Agents or mobile Notaries — said they are authorized to perform remote notarizations. However, nearly half of those reported they have only performed 5 or fewer. It remains to be seen how these new technologies and business trends in the coming years will impact the work of Notaries. But with the need for Notaries and their services still high, it is reassuring that a new generation of Notaries is as ready and willing to serve the public as those that preceded them.

When you are in business as a mobile Notary, it's very important to get repeat customers — including those that need notarizations regularly such as title companies, signing services, local attorneys and hospitals as well as consumers. Repeat customers can become great advocates for your business. A steady flow of repeat customers can also help keep your marketing budget within sensible means. Here's how you earn their business: Building a loyal customer base In order to maintain that steady flow of repeat customers, it helps to invest time and energy into building your reputation through customer service and some commonsense activities. Here are some suggestions: Know what’s important to your customer. Each customer is different. Some customers, for example, want a lot of communication via text while others want all communication to take place via a website. If you don’t know already, find out what you can do to make your customer's job a little easier. Ask for a glowing review. If you are doing great work for a company and they are constantly using your service, sometimes it is as easy as simply asking if they would do a review for you. In addition, Notaries that offer mobile services to the general public can really take advantage of this tip. Customers that need mobile Notary services often just need one or two documents notarized. These customers usually use the internet to find a great dining experience, home contractors, electricians and, of course, Notary services. These customers also are more likely to rate the convenience of using your services, which in turn will yield you more business. Write a glowing review about the companies you want a review from. I have interviewed several scheduling managers from title as well as signing companies. The great ones read reviews of their companies at least once or twice a month. If one of your clients is treating you well, giving you lots of assignments and paying you in a timely manner, write a glowing review about them. You would be surprised at how many glowing reviews about your service will pop up everywhere. Build great professional networks. Under the right circumstances, this is a great way to get referral customers. If you spend the time to network and build professional relationships with businesses in your community, they will refer their customers to you. I have notarized documents in post offices, shipping and photocopy stores, banks, hospitals and more, all from referrals from these companies. Sponsor a charity event in your area. Every year a group of Notaries in my area sponsors an event where the general public donates to a local food bank. We advertise this on social media pages as well as on our websites. One Notary I know has offered free notarizations to federal employees during government shutdowns. This is a great way to give back to your community and standout in your profession as a business leader. People want to do business not only with great businesses but with great people. I have personally received referrals from clients who have told me that they love our community consciousness. Invite your customers to your Social Media Business Page. Keeping an active positive presence on your business social media page (such as Facebook or LinkedIn) will help to keep your brand top of mind with your customer. Posting short videos about the importance of using a Notary in transactions is a perfect way to brand along with educate your customers about using notaries. Make sure to link your social media page to your website. This really helps with your rankings as a Notary service provider in your area. Give outstanding service. What does it mean to give outstanding service as a Notary entrepreneur? First, you must know what your customers’ basic expectations are when using your Notary service. Once you know what their basic expectations are you must then work to exceed those expectations. Common mistakes seasoned Notaries make is assuming they already give outstanding customer service and not making simple adjustments to how they provide their current service. If you keep making small improvements to how you service your customer you will see the positive effects to your bottom line month after month. Walmart founder Sam Walton once said, “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.” Staying connected with your customers and understanding their “customer experience” will play an important part in building a stable business that you can be proud of.

SECRETARY OF STATE OF NEVADA COMMISSION LETTER H2H NOTARY LLC BUSINESS LICENSE NEVADA CERTIFICATE OF GOOD STANDING H2H NOTARY LLC NEVADA H2H NOTARY LLC BUSINESS EXEMPT LICENSE NEVADA CLARK COUNTY NOTARY BOND LETTER NEVADA NOTARY BOND NNA BACKGROUND CHECK NEVADA