Happy New Year! I hope everyone had an amazing holiday season. A new year brings renewed enthusiasm about our businesses and the opportunities that lie ahead, and I don’t know about you, but I am definitely feeling the buzz of excitement in the air!
Then, there’s the shock of a new year…After a couple of weeks off to spend time with my family, I am also feeling a bit overwhelmed by my very lengthy to-do list. That’s a very common feeling. One lesson I learned last year is reminding myself that overwhelm happens when I am putting pressure on myself, so deep breathing helps keep my brain from spiraling out of control. I also remind myself daily that as long as I complete my top 3 tasks for the day, then I’ve made a positive difference in my business. If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, stop and take 10 deep breaths (7 seconds inhale, hold for 1 second and exhale for 8 seconds/ the exhale has to be a beat or two longer than the inhale). Then, focus on the top 3 things you can achieve before the end of the day.
Back to the point of this blog post…
I want to encourage you to spend some time looking at networking events happening in your community this month. In my experience, January is an excellent time to get out and meet other business owners. Just like you, they are renewing their commitment to their business and that involves networking with like-minded people. I recommend attending at least 2 client-getting events in January because you are likely to meet more people in January than you might later in the year.
Here’s a quick guide to help you locate events in your area. Visit any of the websites below (I didn’t link Facebook and LinkedIn because those are personal to you) and search for your notary specialty. For example, if you are a new Certified Notary Trust Delivery Agent and you want to mix and mingle with estate planning attorneys, search for “estate plan” in your city. If you live in a suburb of a large city you may want to change the location to that larger city. I found more results with that strategy.
These are the top 4 social calendars I use to identify networking opportunities.
LinkedIn search bar at top left of screen next to the logo
I am also a very big believer in identifying notary-related events, but I didn’t always see the value in it. Many years ago, I (falsely) believed that it was a waste of my time networking with other notaries. I didn’t see the value in it. I thought other notaries were my competition. Man, I was green!
And then my business took off after I began working the 5 Point Marketing System. Suddenly, I was having to turn jobs away, and I quickly realized that had I been spending time with other notaries in my area, I could have identified someone to refer my customers to when I was already booked with another appointment. It became clear that I needed to find some trusted notaries in Dallas that I could rely on, and who could rely on me when needed. You see, even if I refer a job to someone else, I am still serving my client. I am saving them time by filling their need with a trusted referral partner. For the record, something wonderfully unexpected happened in seeking out other notaries…I found some amazing new friends! I encourage you to identify at least 2 notary networking events in 2024 to attend to begin identifying new potential partnerships (and hopefully, supportive friendships).
To help you make that decision, I am hosting a call inside Notary Business Builder (NBB) on January 10th at 10am central (8am pacific/11am eastern) to review all the upcoming notary-centered events in 2024. My goal is to help you identify which event meets your specific needs so you are spending your money wisely (y’all know I don’t like wasting money). You’ll hear about everything from the National Notary Association conference in May to the Philly Social in October. I’ve done all the research so you don’t have to!
Have a great rest of your week, friends! I’ll see you on tomorrow’s zoom call!
P.S. If you didn’t know already, 2024 is a leap year so we all get an extra day to accomplish our goals!