(Originally published in the April 2016 issue of The National Notary magazine.)
The NNA recently polled more than 600 Notaries of all kinds to find out what their most common anxieties were. You ranked these issues on a “scale of concern” from 1 to 5 (1 being low, 5 being high). Here’s what you said:
Results Specific To Notary Entrepreneurs (Mobile Notaries, Signing Agents)
1. Keeping updated on my state’s Notary laws and regulations (Average Rating: 4.49)
2. Protecting myself from lawsuits/liability (Average Rating: 4.40)
3. Knowing how to perform notarizations properly (Average Rating: 4.12)
4. TIE: The amount I can charge for my Notary services/Finding new business offerings and revenue sources (Average Rating: 4.10)
5. Lack of support from my state regulating agency (Average Rating: 3.64)
6. Dealing with upset, angry or threatening signers (Average Rating: 3.12)
7. Other people trying to coerce a signer against the signer’s wishes (Average Rating: 3.27)
8. Immigration or “Notario” fraud issues targeting immigrants (Average Rating: 2.94)
Results For Office/Retail Notaries
1. TIE: Knowing how to perform notarizations properly/Keeping updated on my state’s Notary laws and regulations (Average Rating: 4.66)
2. Protecting myself from lawsuits/liability (Average Rating: 4.45)
3. Signers who don’t know what type of notarial act they need (Average Rating: 3.89)
4. Signers who don’t understand what I can and can’t do as a Notary (Average Rating: 3.77)
5. Lack of support or information from my state regulating agency (Average Rating: 3.44)
6. TIE: Other people trying to coerce a signer against the signer’s wishes/Increasing costs of Notary supplies and renewal (Average Rating: 3.08)
7. Pressure from my boss or co-workers to ignore or break state laws (Average Rating: 2.60)
8. How to use my Notary commission to earn more income (Average Rating: 2.48)
Related Articles:
What’s Keeping Notaries Awake At Night
Helpful Information Resources For Notaries