Anyone Can Be an Apostille Agent: Top Four Reasons To Learn About International Document Authentication

I am midflight, returning from a whirlwind trip to Philadelphia, celebrating notaries of the northeast at The Notary Hotel (You have to see it), as well as celebrating the release of my latest (6th) book, "Your Passport to Apostilles: 116 Tips to Build a Thriving Business as an Apostille Agent." 

Two years ago, I would never have believed you, if you envisioned for my future, that I'd have a bestelling book about international document authentication. But, as these ideas tend to do, it began with a breakfast conversation with my friend, and now co-author, Judi Lawrence, in Texas after an event we both spoke at. 

"What if...", I asked Judi...

What of we wrote a tip book that helped anyone start or grown an apostille agent business? What if...we write a book together that serves as the perfect complement to the book she wrote with Matt Miller, "The Apostille Agent's Survival Guide."

What if...

Two dangerously magical words that open the doors to possibility. 

And that's exactly what was born of that conversation, a book of 116 tips that is so packed with education and value that our advance reading team actually suggested we taught too much. It's all here, everything you need to know to grow. 

Get it here

But's that's just how we roll. 

My mission, as "Notary Coach, is to help you serve more customers, make more money, and build a business that thrives, no matter what. That means, I need to instill the skills and plant the seeds that can be harvested year after year, without reliance on mortgage interest rates. 

Look, loan signings are good...when they're good. When they're not, this business is dry as the Mojave desert. To survive, you must diversify. And the two most lucrative opportunities you have under the notary umbrella, that are completely untethered to the housing industry, are working as a trust delivery agent with estate planning documents, and working as an apostille agent for international document authentication. 

You can learn about trust delivery here. For the purpose of this article, I'll focus on why apostilles deserve your attention right now. First, let's define what an apostille agent is. 

An apostille agent is a professional who assists the public in facilitating and processing international document authentication, independent of any government agency, office, or authority. It’s essential to know that apostille agents don’t work for the government. We work for our clients.

Why would someone from the public need help processing apostilles? That's the million dollar question! Document legalization can vary depending on the country the document will be used in, as well as where the document originates.

An apostille is kind of like a passport for a document to enter and be used in a foreign country. There was a whole treaty, called the Hague/Apostille Convention in 1961 that laid down some rules and guidelines, so there's a framework to help, but not every country signed the treaty (Canada & China just recently joined), so it can be confusing to members of the public who aren't familiar with bureaucratic processes. That's why a little training and insight can serve you well as an apostille agent. 

There are four reasons you should consider being an apostille agent:

1. You get to help people, being a beacon of light in a confusing bureaucratic process.
2. There's no formal education or certification requirements (helpful, but not necessary).
3. You can work from anywhere in the world! This is NOT part of your notary commission, so you are not bound by geographical boundaries.
4. And that means, you can charge fees based on the value you bring to the marketplace. You have unrestricted fees! 

What this means is, you can be anywhere in the world, with a global network of apostille agents and couriers, facilitating international document authentication for clients located all over the world, and you can charge a fair fee for your services. 

Working as an apostille agent should be on your radar. 

And our new book, "Your Passport to Apostilles: 116 Tips to Build a Thriving Business as an Apostille Agent," will give you access to starting or growing your business today. 

Get the book here