Lisa Joy Phillips

Reflections on 24 Months of Being a Traveling Notary in Philadelphia

In March of 2020, I started an online business in the travel space just as the world shut down due to the COVID-19 Virus.  I quickly realized that travel was going away for quite a while. 

When 2021 rolled around, I learned about the role that notaries play in the execution of real estate closing documents. I was looking for a flexible work schedule, and becoming a traveling notary signing agent fit the bill. 

Pennsylvania requires a three-hour course followed by an exam overseen by the Secretary of State. Once I passed the exam it was on to take my Oath of Office at my local County, which just happened to be at Philadelphia’s City Hall. I also left a sample of my very illegible signature at the Office of the Prothonotary!

Before jumping into the business, I took additional training with Mark Wills’ Loan Signing System course. I knew early on that education would be an important piece of my notary journey. It was helpful in preparing me for my first real estate refinance appointment in late January 2022. 

That first appointment put me through the wringer. The lender documents needed to be redrawn due to a mismatch with the signer’s name on her ID.  The package also had 15 notarizations. Talk about a trial by fire!! Luckily, my training came in clutch. I managed to scan all 300+ pages (don’t ask why so many) at the signer’s dining room table. My work was error-free. Now, I was off to the races, or was I?

In early 2022, when I started in the business, real estate notary signing appointments were declining as interest rates were climbing. I knew that there would be less real estate work, especially for newer notaries like me.  With this in mind, I claimed my Google Business Profile online and began to put my notary skills out there for work outside of real estate closings. In the business, this type of work is often referred to as General Notary Work.

I remember my first call from my Google Business Profile. I met the signer at my local FedEx store a few blocks from my Downtown Philly home and charged $20. It was with a sense of accomplishment that I deposited the $20 bill into my business bank account. It wasn’t much money, but it showed me that it was possible to get paid for using my stamp outside of real estate. I knew that with experience, confidence would surely follow, and I’d start to charge higher fees. And, I’m happy to say that’s come to fruition. 

Early on, I created the habit of asking every client for a review on my Google Business Profile.  I knew that reviews matter to people searching for a traveling notary. Reviews also matter to the Google algorithm.  Many clients were kind enough to rate and review my fledgling business. Many did not. And that’s ok. There are always more reviews to come. 

I kept asking, and people kept reviewing. By the end of 2022, I had received 112 Five Star Reviews!

All the while, I added photos of my happy clients to my Google Business Profile. I also started posting updates about my business. The more I fed Google, the more Google started to feed me with phone calls from prospective clients. 

Along the way, I learned that not everyone wants a traveling notary. For those folks, I have a list of local places they could visit for a less expensive notary option. For me, it’s all about service. If I’m not the right fit, I’ll suggest someone who is. Ultimately, it’s about people getting the notary service they need at a price that works for them.

In notary work, every document tells a story. My clients share so many life experiences with me in the short time we spend together. At one appointment, I met 4 generations of one family. There was so much love and laughter in the room. Being a small part of their journey is both an honor and a privilege.  It’s one of the greatest gifts of this work for me. One of the other parts of this work that I adore is the many pets I meet on a daily basis. From dogs and cats to exotic birds, it’s a little something extra added to each day. 

As I shifted away from real estate into General Notary Work, I joined a great notary community called Notary Business Builders. In this community, there are coaches for every aspect of my notary business. I’ve learned so much and count so many notary colleagues around the country as  friends.  I’m also part of two small notary Mastermind groups that not only lift me up but serve as a great source of accountability as I continue to grow my business. Having a group of fellow Notaries who “get it”, the business and all that it entails, is a great source of support. 

As a notary, I see documents that span the natural cycle from birth to end of life. That means that many of my clients will have reason to reach out multiple times in the coming years. And, already, many do. Sometimes it’s 12 months or more between appointments. This is a very gratifying part of my business. It shows me that my striving for providing exceptional service for every client is paying off. 

I believe there is plenty of business for all notaries, no matter how saturated the market. That means I never hesitate to refer appointments to my fellow notary colleagues when I am unable to assist my clients. It’s a luxury to have back-up Notaries to support what I do in my business. 

As my business has grown, I have picked up clients in the real estate space even though we’re in a slower market. That means I still assist clients with closing documents. While it’s not a big part of my business at less than 10%, it helps my bottom line. 

Speaking of numbers, in my second year of business, my revenue increased by 64%. My first year was not too shabby to begin with! I share this to show that it’s possible to build a business that thrives in any type of market. If you put yourself out there and offer great service, people will love working with you. And they’ll refer you to others needing traveling notary service.

One thing I’m proud of is that I have a strong understanding of the numbers of my business. At any moment, I can look at my sales, total dollars received and deposited, money still owed me, and my total expenses.  Each of those numbers is broken down further for me in my Notary Gadget bookkeeping software. The software is easily accessed through an App on my phone as well as on my laptop computer. I do 95% of all bookkeeping in real time on my phone!

In the past year, I lowered my expense ratio by 8% of gross receipts to 22%. That means more money in my pocket, even allowing for a slightly higher tax bill. I often hear Notaries talk about spending money in their business as a tax write-off. Certainly, there are many types of expenses that qualify for a tax write-off. Of course, we have to have more than enough money coming in to support those expenses. I carefully consider each and every expense before spending a dime. 

As I write this, I’m approaching 400 Five Star reviews on Google. This is a milestone I did not envision back at that $20 notary appointment just two short years ago. It’s remarkable what we can achieve by doing a few things really well.  For me, the most important thing is to provide exceptional service to every client. That alone is paying off for me on my notary journey.