Originally posted 3/17/23

Are you thinking about becoming a Notary Public? Awesome, I love being a Notary Public and it's been an amazing experience over the last two-plus years. So, if you are on your journey to joining the notary public ranks then I want to welcome you and I want to share some simple suggestions with you today. Let's talk about Notary Supplies. Supplies you need to get started and supplies that can wait.

Journal:

Every state has different regulations regarding notary record keeping. In California, we are required to keep a record of all notarizations. So I want to share my two favorite journal, California-compliant journal options.

1. The Integrity Journal- This journal is extraordinarily helpful as a paper journal, especially when doing loan signings. It's a two-page spread per notarization appointment. One signer signature and thumbprint.

2. The Notary ejournal is a digital journal by Nick Colvill and Juratinc. You can use your phone or tablet to handle your signings. You do need to buy an additional digital thumbprint reader but you can find that on the Notary e Journal website.

Those journals are awesome but you don’t NEED either of them. If you are just getting started then a standard notary journal for your state is all you need. I will link one here.

Stamps:

As a Notary your whole identity is held in your stamp. You are required to stamp all documents you notarize so having a functional stamp is of the utmost importance. When you receive your commission you should receive a letter from your secretary of state that allows you to get one or two stamps made. It will also include a list of approved vendors. What I want to suggest is that you get two stamps. A bigger one and a smaller one. Some documents you will notarize don’t always have enough space for your bigger stamp. Also if something happens to your main stamp, having a second backup stamp can be a lifesaver.

You don’t NEED an embosser right out of the gate. Generally, embossers will be used on adoption paperwork. If you are a brand new notary it probably won’t be a necessary expense as your first two stamps.

Pens:

Finding and keeping pens in stock will be one of the priorities in your business. No notary should go to an appointment and ask the signer for a pen. No way. Keep on hand a good number of blue and black pens. Those are the only two colors you will ever need to sign with. Here are some of my favorites.

Planner:

If you are a new notary and you're starting a new notary business then you will need a way to organize your time, your day, and your appointments. There are tons of options out there in the form of paper planners. I will tell you what I use but this will be a personal decision and it doesn’t have to be an expensive one.

I use the Full Focus Quarterly Planner from Michael Hyatt. You can find a bunch on YouTube if you want a video walk through this planner. I will insert a link to a playlist of them here.

In addition to my Full Focus Planner, I use my google calendar. That's a free option for you if you want to stay digital. I set my google calendar with different colors for different actions. I use this calendar for business and personal, so you will see various colors in my appointment calendar on google for signing appointments, marketing, networking, admin days, and for my son's school schedule or doctor appointments. If it's not in my google calendar it’s not going to happen. Whichever direction you go, having a tool to help organize your time is incredibly necessary.

Business Cards:

So if you are starting a business, you're going to want business cards. As a new notary, it's one of the ways to leave a reminder behind when you market yourself. This doesn’t have to be expensive. You can get Avery business card printable packs and use the online Avery software to design and print your business cards. The total cost is somewhere between 10-15 dollars. You could design one with Canva and print it on Avery cards. You can also design on Vista Print and pay to have them printed and shipped to you. Simple and effective.

Thats it. These are the most essential Notary supplies you will need as a new notary.

I am so excited for you to start this new journey. As with any new career when you start searching for answers to these questions you will be undoubtedly overwhelmed. My advice is to take a breath and go slow. There is no rush. Notaries have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years, and the need for them isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

If you are a new notary and you have questions about how to set up your notary business, I will be offering an online course very soon that will help walk you through the steps that you need to take to set up your business. If you are interested in that course and would like to be notified when it opens, send me an email and put (Notary Biz Course) in the subject line here.

Of course, if you have any questions or want more information about any of the products or supplies I listed here today please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Until Next Time- Go get your biz!

Jennifer K Cooper

JKC Mobile Notary