According to the National Safety Council, children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year. With everyone getting anxious about getting out after shutdowns during the pandemic it is likely to see more people as well as children out during this season. Lack of visibility because of low lighting at night also plays a factor in accidents during this season.
Here are a few tips for any notary that will be on the road during trick-or-treat hours:
Watch for a child walking on roadways, medians, and curbs
Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully
At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing
After completing an assignment in a new neighborhood walk behind your vehicle to ensure kids are not playing or have left toys or other objects there
Ensure you don’t text and drive especially during this period
When driving into a neighborhood turn the radio down or off
Don’t drive tired
Ensure to space your assignments adequately to give yourself time to prepare for each assignment and not feel rushed
Communities have been affected by COVID-19 in several different ways. Stay safe this Halloween and make sure you adapt to what works in your area. Follow the recommendations from the CDC like washing your hands regularly, social distancing and wearing a mask when distancing isn’t possible. By following these suggestions, you can keep your Halloween safe in your community.
Daniel C. Lewis was named in 2010 Notary of the Year by the National Notary Association. He was also named in the same year as an Honorary Secretary of State by the Indiana Secretary of State in that same year. He resides in Carmel, IN, and is currently the Executive of Lewis Training Services, an approved education vendor by the Indiana Department of Insurance. Daniel is also an entrepreneur, writer, video editor, and Managing Partner of Lewis Notary Services Inc. Check out these other blog posts by this author
It is essential for professional notaries to choose a bank with excellent checking account features that will keep their business running efficiently as well as effectively. Getting a business checking account is usually one of the first steps for a notary entrepreneur. It gives you easy access to your cash as well as many other advantageous features.
With so many options out there (credit unions & banks), where do you start if you are a new notary or if you are a seasoned notary that wants to compare options? Let’s first start with a basic question:
WHAT IS A CHECKING ACCOUNT?
A checking account is a type of bank account that allows you to easily deposit and withdraw money for your daily transactions. Conveniently having access to that money through writing checks, paying with a debit card connected to that account, getting cash out at automated teller machines (ATMs), or transferring money online is essential to notary entrepreneurs. Checking accounts are typically insured by the federal government through the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). This means if for any reason your financial institution fails, the FDIC will reimburse you for the money in your checking account up to at least $250,000. Because of this, a checking account is one of the safest places you can put your cash, as long as the financial institution you choose is insured by the FDIC.
WHAT DO I CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A CHECKING ACCOUNT?
FEES
Financial institutions need to cover their expenses, and one way to do so is to charge fees. Like most financial products, checking accounts charge various fees to access your money. Fee can range from monthly service/maintenance fee, overdraft fee, non-sufficient (NSF) fee, and ATM fee. Don’t assume that all banks and credit union fees are alike (this is a common mistake made by notary entrepreneurs). Compare policies with several financial institutions before making a decision on a business checking account. Some checking accounts work in favor of how notary entrepreneurs conduct business. Doing your research could save you thousands of dollars each year.
MINIMUM BALANCE REQUIREMENTS
Many checking accounts require you to maintain a certain balance in order to avoid fees. This minimum monthly balance can vary widely depending on the bank and the features associated with the account, so make sure to only sign up for a checking account with a minimum monthly balance that you know you can safely maintain.
ATM NETWORK
Most checking accounts come with a debit card that allows you to withdraw cash from ATMs throughout the country. If you often pay with cash, you’ll need to use an ATM and/or visit a branch location to withdraw money. While this is an incredibly convenient way to get money quickly when you need it, there’s a good chance you’ll be charged a fee for withdrawing cash from an ATM that isn’t part of your bank or credit union’s own network of ATMs. Make sure you have a good understanding of the financial institution’s ATM policies on where you can conduct your transaction and what the fees are.
INTEREST RATES AND REWARDS
Checking accounts aren’t built to hold large amounts of money for long term goals so interest rates on these accounts are typically quite low. Checking accounts that do earn interest usually come with higher minimum monthly balances or fees. It may pay off to find out if opening a checking account at certain institutions have rewards like a cashback program that you can take advantage of.
MOBILE APP FEATURES
Choosing the right checking account is about more than just the financial terms. As a notary entrepreneur, you should also consider what mobile app features are offered. If you do a lot of general notary work, oftentimes your customer may want to pay you with a personal check. Having a mobile app that can help you seamlessly deposit checks right at the signer’s location in front of them is a huge advantage as a notary entrepreneur.
Amplify Your Notary & Signing Agent Business
By Daniel C. Lewis & Jocelyn Waters
In this exceptional Ebook, the authors give you the tools to market and thrive in the notary industry. It is masterful writing for anyone considering to go into this field as well as anyone that is a seasoned notary entrepreneur. This amazing Ebook has it all.
Checking accounts are safe, easy to open and easy to use. Checking accounts do have some drawbacks — they earn little to no interest, and fees can be quite high if you’re not careful. They do, however, provide a major convenience in today’s modern world when it comes to paying bills or getting cash. Do your research and open a checking account that will provide you with the best options and make your life easier.
Developing financial literacy is critical for the successful notary entrepreneur.
The cost of gas can be a major daily expense as a Notary Signing Agent going from appointment to appointment each day. Gas prices can fluctuate weekly or even daily in some areas. Here are a few tips that can help you save on this expense.
Whenever possible, the night before route your assignments
If you are like most full-time Notary Signing Agents that have multiple assignments each day it is a great investment to plan the night before on which route you will take to travel to each assignment. When I first started as a Notary Signing Agent one of the mistakes I made was to not plan out the next day travel. Doing this can cut down on unnecessary traveling to and from your office or FedEx & UPS drop off locations. Proper planning prevents poor performance.
Use Gas Saving Apps
Thanks to smartphones, we can now download an app for just about anything, including saving gas. Here are a few of the top gas-saving apps that can help you save on gas expenses daily – Gas Buddy, AAA Mobile, Gas Guru, Waze, and GetUpside.
Use Reward Programs
One of the best ways I have found to reduce the weekly gas expense is to become familiar with your rewards programs for gas at your local gas stations, grocery stores, etc. Fortunately for Notary Signing Agents, the competition is fierce among gas stations, grocery stores, etc. to have you come into their location to become a repeat customer. As an incentive, these merchants use different types of reward programs to entice you to come into their doors weekly and daily. Make sure you take advantage of this to keep lower the fuel expense weekly.
Know the Best Days of the Week to Buy Gas
According to a recent study of GasBuddy, depending on what part of the country you’re in, Mondays offer the lowest average price.
According to GasBuddy, depending on what part of the country you’re in, Saturday and Sunday is the day to avoid filling up. Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy says that as the week progresses and our excitement builds for the weekend, gas prices also have a tendency to rise.
Don’t Wait Until You are Near Empty to Fuel Up
Waiting until your fuel light comes on will not only have you stuck paying for whatever gas is readily available in the location near your assignment but it can be even dangerous and inconvenient, according to Consumer Reports.
Daniel C. Lewis resides in Carmel, IN. He was named in 2010 Notary of the Year by the National Notary Association. He was also named in the same year an Honorary Secretary of State by the Indiana Secretary of State. Daniel is currently serving as the President of the Indiana Notary Association. Daniel is an entrepreneur, writer, video editor and Managing Partner of Lewis Notary Services Inc. Daniel has recently obtained a license as a Financial Advisor.
There are a lot of discussions nationwide about wearing masks during this pandemic. Just this week, for instance, while out on assignments, I have had some signers state to me prior to arriving at their location that they will only meet with me if I have a mask on. While other signers have stated that they will not be wearing masks during the transaction and would prefer I didn’t wear one because they don’t believe the pandemic is real. No matter where you are on this issue, we recommend you implement systems to keep yourself safe.
For those notary entrepreneurs that wear masks during this pandemic, here are a couple of tips.
Invest in a More Breathable Mask
Masks can be uncomfortable, especially when it’s hot and humid. Experts say, however, that wearing a mask reduces transmission, helping to curb the spread of coronavirus and to quite literally save lives. Choose a mask that has more structure than those that lie flat against your mouth. Ensure that the material in your mask doesn’t cause heat rashes. The latest recommendation is to use multiple layers of fabric to produce the most effective protective barrier to the virus. So, instead of using a thick cotton, consider a thinner cotton fabric, but layering it.
Bring Backup Masks
Wearing masks consistently can make them literally sweaty and stinky. This can also cause acne breakouts. Make sure to pack a few extra fresh clean masks daily. Put these in a sealable baggie so it won’t be exposed to any germs before you slip it on your face.
Be Aware of Overheating
According to experts, wearing a mask over your mouth and nose can make it more difficult to breathe, especially for people with existing conditions, such as asthma, claustrophobia, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. That can actually lead to shortness of breath and allow heat to build up in the body, resulting in illness like heat exhaustion or heatstroke. Avoid being outside in the direct sun for too long and stay hydrated. You may need to drink more water than usual during this time of year to make up for increased sweating.
Whether you’re a seasoned notary veteran or a first-time notary applicant, it’s critically important to keep track of all the new guidelines, resources and requirements in Indiana. Here are just a few of the changes over the last couple of months.
All applicants must take a notary education course and pass an exam. The education course and exam are available after paying the application fee. Once the exam has been passed, your application will be submitted to the Indiana Secretary of State’s office for final review. Allow 5-10 business days for processing. If you’d like to learn more about becoming a Indiana Notary Public before submitting the application fee, please review the Notary Guide.
REQUIRED CONTINUING EDUCATION
All Notaries Public are required to complete a continuing education course every two (2) years. You may access the course by clicking the link below. The fee to complete the continuing education course is $50.00. You will be required to complete 3 continuing education courses, for a total of $150.00, over the course of your 8 year commission. Failure to complete the continuing education course will result in the expiration of your commission. Click here for Continuing Education Course
UPDATED LIST OFAPPROVED REMOTE NOTARY TECHNOLOGY VENDORS
Indiana Remote Notaries Public may only conduct remote notarial acts using an approved vendor. When applying for Remote Notary Authorization, you will be required to select at least one vendor you intend to use. Once the vendor has given their approval, your application will be processed by the Secretary of State’s office.
Here is (as of August 8, 2020) an up-to-date list of approved Indiana Remote Notary Technology Vendors with their website.
Notarize Inc. 745 Boylston Street, Suite 600, Boston, MA 02116 www.notarize.com
As of July 1, 2020 all Indiana Notary Public Applicants and all Indiana Notaries Public wishing to renew their commission, must submit an Indiana Criminal History Record with their application. This process is handled electronically through the Indiana State Police (ISP) online service.
What this means is that the State of Indiana is no longer accepting outside background screening vendors reports from commonly used vendors like the National Notary Association Background Screening to process applications. The only authorized background screening vendor as of now in Indiana is the Indiana State Police online service.
NOTE:If you are a Notary Signing Agent you may still need to obtain an additional background screening from national organizations like the National Notary Association to meet requirements from your vendors.
The Indiana State Police Limited Criminal History Record can not be older than 30 days from the date of application. After running the limited criminal history record, you will have 14 days to download it from your profile you create on the site. There is a $16.32 fee for obtaining this record. See the instructions below.
OBTAIN AN INDIANA STATE POLICE LIMITED CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD
These vendors have ben approved by the Indiana Secretary of State’s office as a remote technology vendor. To prepare for the statewide exam on RON check out our Approved 3 CE Hours Course toward your Title Producers license at Remote Notarization Self Study Course.
Notary Entrepreneurs are not only essential but truly the backbone of our nation. We are on the front lines of all transactions. That alone can be stressful but then add:
A Pandemic – New Accelerated Remote Online Notary Laws – Clients that Demand you meet Face-To-Face with their Signers(despite Stay-At-Home Orders)
All this can be quite jarring in this emotionally charged atmosphere that is full of dread and panic around the world. With that in mind I took a break from the fear-based and negative headlines everywhere and decided to put pen to paper (or just typing it out on my laptop) some tips that may help us all cope with this pandemic.
1. Be aware of your thoughts and talk to someone you trust about your feelings. As a Notary Entrepreneur you will have several demands on you. Professionally as well as personally. Remember that your duties as a notary is different than any other career. Sometimes it is good just to network and talk with other notaries that know what you are going through. This has helped me a great deal over the years.
2. Limit the amount of time you are watching, reading or listening to the news. News cycles are on a 24 hour loop. It’s very tempting to try to keep up and watch every second of what’s going on. Experts say constantly checking for updates is not good for your mental health. Try to check, if needed, only once or twice a day to keep up with important updates and be firm with yourself to leave it at that.
3. Practice Self-Care. Make sure you are getting plenty of good sleep at night. Meal planning is also very critical for the notary entrepreneur because of the go, go, go schedule we usually keep. Also make sure you are hydrating well by drinking plenty of water throughout your day.
4. Set proper boundaries with others. Make sure you keep negative people at bay. This is critically important at this time in the world. When you go out on assignments, even if they are remote online notary assignments, you may encounter people that have been in quarantine for a couple of weeks and may want to share with you every opinion they have about the pandemic. Set boundaries and explain (in a professional manner) that you are trying to take care of your mental health and you’d like them to change the subject.
Professional Notary Kit
“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” -Bobby Unser
This Professional Notary Kit is for the notary entrepreneur that wants to get all their notary supplies in one place. This kit includes you need in order to do General Notary Work as well as taking on assignments as a Notary Signing Agent. It includes:
5. Monitor your mental health. Make sure you are keeping an eye on your thoughts and moods. If you notice signs that you are struggling try some self-management tools like going on a walk, meditation, breathing exercises or praying.
If you do find that your mental health is declining and you are not able to cope well, call someone that you trust like a love one, a medical professional or a psychiatrist. Remember, your mental health is just as important as your physical health.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1 800 273 8255
Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs. – Henry Ford
Daniel C. Lewis was named in 2010 Notary of the Year by the National Notary Association. He was also named in the same year as an Honorary Secretary of State by the Indiana Secretary of State in that same year. He resides in Carmel, IN, and is currently the Executive of Lewis Training Services, an approved education vendor by the Indiana Department of Insurance. Daniel is also an entrepreneur, writer, video editor, and Managing Partner of Lewis Notary Services Inc. Check out these other blog posts by this author
With the current pandemic we will be experiencing some very dramatic changes to our laws across the country. Record hospitalization, death, unemployment along with new standards for social distancing is ushering a new era. With new social guidelines happening across the country it is a smart choice for the professional entrepreneur to have the proper legal protection against looming legal issues.
Here are 4 reasons that professionals should carry some type of a legal service plan in their toolbox
1. Legal Service Plans can give you access to an entire law firm. Imagine if you, as an entrepreneur, had access to a Contract Attorney, Tax Attorney, or Estate Attorney. Imagine being able to talk with an attorney about how to help you lower legal risk of operating your business. Imagine even if in the process of going to each of your assignments you receive a traffic ticket and having an attorney represent you in court. Would that be a benefit to you?
2. Laws are becoming more and more complicated. If you are not a lawyer it probably a mistake to try to interpret the laws on your own without the counsel of a trained and license attorney. Would it be a benefit to have an attorney to consult on business decisions?
3. Not having a legal service plan will cost you. As an entrepreneur you will be dealing with companies in a different states which means contracts that will be under the jurisdiction of that state. Sometime you will even be asked to sign documents that is not quite clear to you and may even seem like it is in a different language. If you are an employee you may be asked by your employer at times to sign documents that you would consider questionable. If an unintentional mistake is made on documents by you, would you feel more confident in the outcome of a legal proceeding if you had an attorney to help you through the process?
4. Having a Legal Service Plan helps you operate an Efficient/Effective Business. Using a Legal Service Plan effectively helps to keep you out of litigation and becoming a Defendant in a court case. Remember the old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Could you benefit with consulting with an attorney about lower risk factors to your business?
Daniel C. Lewis resides in Carmel, IN. He has had more than 43 years of business experience. Daniel is a Navy Veteran and is the Director of Lewis Training Services. He was named in 2010 National Notary of the Year as well as named Indiana Honorary Secretary of State. Daniel is the co-author of the business guide MAKE YOUR BUSINESS OUR BUSINESS. You can contact Daniel at admin@lewistraining.online.
