Four Spheres For Innovation in Your Notary Business

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Innovation is about changing things, making them better. 

Our ancient industry, as notaries public, is ripe for innovation. Look around and you can see observant and courageous notaries sowing this harvest, as well as visionaries from beyond the notary commission, like tech entrepreneurs and more. 

Look at Nick Colvill, a mobile notary and loan signing agent that changed the way electronic journaling could be done AND found a way to capture the digital thumbprint when required. 

Look at Clyde Heppner who completely redesigned the paper journaling experience to not only be compliant, but be more efficient for loan signing agents. 

Look at Amy Seitz who combined her many years as a notary public with her outstanding technology skills and built the most notary-friendly Remote Online Notarization platform to date. 

And look at EscrowTab, a company that has completely revolutionized In-person Electronic Notarization (IPEN) with their proprietary software that provides a forensically verifiable signature on a tablet. And legal in all fifty states!

It's times like these, when you're not as busy as you once were and the pains of this business suddenly present themselves in different ways, that the opportunity for innovation is at its peak.

Fortunes are made in down economies.  Now is the time to think and do differently. 

Here are four spheres of innovation you can consider:

1. Your Service and/or Product
2. Marketing Strategies
3. Your Business Model
4. Service Delivery and Processes

How could you do things differently in each of these spheres of innovation? How could you help more people? Or how could you be better positioned for the market? What will your prospects be most concerned with next year? Or the year after? And how can you help solve that problem...better? 

Let's dive a little deeper to get those notary wheels turning. 

Your Service and/or Product

Pan up and get clear about the real value you bring to the table here. It's not just a notary stamp. The convenience you bring as a mobile professional with a background check and certifications gives people more of their most valuable asset- time. What other services or products blend well into this more expanded definition as a credentialed professional?

Marketing Strategies

In a sea of sameness, how can you make yourself stand out with your marketing messages, style, or delivery? The most creative wins here. Your ideal customers are inundated with advertisements and gimmicks. You've got to find a way through the noise and kick open the door. What could you say and how could you say it differently? 

Your Business Model

Look closely here, fellow solo-preneur. How you make money now is an endless sky of possibilities. One of the traps of an ancient industry like ours, is that we quickly slip into old-fashioned thinking. We're surrounded by other notaries who do things the same way they've always done it because, well, "that's how it's always been done."

We now have attorneys that offer subscription services, cable companies that offer bundles, and service-based companies that offer add-ons, upgrades, and partner products. How could you boost your own revenue plan? 

Service Delivery and Processes

You have the most immediate control over your own service delivery and processes. We're an important component of commerce AND convenience. Our systems and processes, how we deliver our service, should reflect that. What could you implement today to make it easier to book you or work with you continuously? 

Keep your wheels greased and keep moving. This is a turbulent time for us, filled with fear and opportunity. I've found that those two rascals tend to travel hand-in-hand. 

What are your initial thoughts on innovating your business? Share in the comments below. 

Right here with you,

Bill

Bill Soroka is the founder of Notary Business Builder, an elite community of professional Notary entrepreneurs that are committed to building a successful business in any economy by leveraging authentic sharing technology and cultivating deeper relationships.  He is also the best selling author of three books (and counting) designed to help notaries build their dream business. 

Connect with Bill on LinkedIn here.