Resources to Help with Your Notary Business

I receive numerous phone calls and emails from notaries and other people who are interested in starting their own notary public businesses. These inquires come from all over the United States. They all want to know how to get their businesses started.

From what I've read on Facebook notary groups, notary directory forums, and Linkedin notary groups, many of us are operating as one-man/woman operations. There are numerous challenges associated with being a business owner. For sole proprietors, these challenges can seem overwhelming, especially in the beginning. Business News Daily provides an interesting article on the Unique Challenges of Sole Proprietorship.

When I initially started in this business, I had so many questions, and there was no one to ask. So I turned to the internet, and I am glad I did. There is a plethora of information to be found there, along with numerous resources for small business owners. Through internet searches, I learned about the Small Business Administration (SBA) and all the resources they have available for small businesses. SBA also offers certifications, free online training, and free local training for small business owners.

The SBA is a supporter of another organization that offers free resources, the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE). Score offers free mentorship, along with free local and online training.

A simple Google search will return a number of notary directory forums, as well as notary public Facebook and Linkedin groups. These forums and groups provide a wealth of information, and you actually get to ask questions and receive answers from some of the veterans and industry leaders. Also, when you join the groups and/or directories, you get access to a ton of information from years of past conversations. The information is easily accessed through a simple search once you become a member. Many questions can be answered by performing a keyword or phrase search within the forum or group.

There is no need to do this alone. There's a wealth of help and information available. I didn't even mention industry-specific professional organizations such as the American Association of Notaries (AAN), which also provides training and resources for notaries nationally. This is just a very small portion of what's available should you chose to become a small business owner in the notary public industry.

-- Phyllis Traylor, U.S. Army Retired is a Contributing Writer with the American Association of Notaries