It's very hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner. I ran into Target the other day and it was already decorated in all things green and red, which seems to happen earlier and earlier every year. I felt the need to start getting my gift list in order for family, friends and customers! In business, there is no better time to show your gratitude toward your established clients than during the holiday season. In my head, that runs from Thanksgiving until New Years Day. Extending the timeline through the actual season helps alleviate the pressure of doing everything for everyone at every holiday over the course of 5 weeks (from Turkey Day to New Years Day). This year, it's going to be especially difficult for many of us to have a hefty gratitude budget for the holidays. It's no secret, we've been experiencing a transition year in the notary world and it's been felt by all, but that doesn't mean we can't express our thanks to the people who have kept us going over the last 365 days. So, how do you say THANK YOU while staying on budget? I thought I'd make a list of ideas for you can choose from to make this holiday season bright on a tight budget. These are all things I've done in the past that were well received. The first thing you need to do is rank your client list. I do this by how many signings each has provided me over the last year. Then, I match my available gift funds to each office by choosing how I want to express my thanks. What that means is, I don't do the exact same thing for each office. That may seem like more work, but it helps me keep my budget in check and allows the opportunity to give more gratitude to offices that have fed me more business throughout the year. Make a breakfast buffet for a top office. I will make a large batch of scrambled eggs, mixed fruit, biscuits and sausage gravy (each in their own aluminum pan) and deliver it to my #1 office at an agreed upon day to serve breakfast to the office .on holiday themed plates. I'll bring along some salsa, chopped chives and cheese on the side for them to top their eggs. My clients love this personal touch, but if you're uncomfortable cooking I recommend buying a hearty breakfast or lunch to express your appreciation. Purchase wine in bulk at Costco or Sam's. Replace the store label with a personalized one purchased online. It's an easy process of just soaking the bottle in tepid soapy water for a bit then pulling the label off. I create fun things to say on my personal labels to them like, "In case I'm the reason you drink," or "Cheers to making the naughty list." You can purchase customized labels on Amazon or Etsy (or just google, "custom wine labels"). I will give these out to my next top 12 clients (there are 12 bottles in a case of wine). Here are more ideas.... Homemade salsa in 4 oz mason jars (did you know your InstanPot will allow you to can items?) and small bag of tortilla chips ordered from Amazon. Just pop these into a cute bag and you've got a really affordable, homemade gift! I use The Pioneer Woman's chipotle salsa recipe and it is always a hit! Here's the link to the recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/chipotle-salsa-2632852. Consult the owners manual of your InstaPot for canning directions. Holiday themed wine or cocktail glasses at The Dollar Tree (get them in November as they'll be gone by early December) stuffed with individually wrapped candies like Hershey kisses in holiday colors. Small, live pine trees (6") purchased at my local nursery. Add a red bow for holiday flair and perhaps a small, custom ornament (The Dollar Tree has great ornaments). Mason Jar gifts (just search Pinterest or Google for ideas, but a favorite of my clients is my homemade sugar scrub). You can find the receipt here: https://www.eatingbyelaine.com/easy-homemade-sugar-scrub/ I add essential oils to mine so it smells divine. Mint, Lime and Lavender are favorites of past recipients. You can sponsor a side dish for an office's Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. Just ask your favorite offices when they plan to celebrate together and ask if you can donate your special holiday dish. You're not inviting yourself to the party, just offering to bring a side dish or dessert. If you love making Christmas cookies, this is a great way to offer them to clients. I did this one year for a couple of offices and they were so appreciative. I left recipe cards with my special macaroni and cheese recipe for anyone who wanted to take them and make it for their family (with my business card attached, of course)! Does your family have a special holiday treat they make every year? Buckeye Balls are a favorite of mine (https://dinnerthendessert.com/buckeye-balls/) and always go over well. I love packaging up the finished candy in a fun holiday tin for delivery. Whatever you decide to do this holiday season, be sure to show your heartfelt gratitude with a handwritten note or card when you deliver your gifts so your clients know how much you appreciate them and their continued business. And if you choose one of these ideas for your holiday marketing plan, drop me an email and let me know how it went: SAM@SigningAgentMarketing.com.

Today is my bonus daughter's 20th birthday. She's no longer a teenager and is flourishing in school and life at the University of Arkansas. I've known her for half of her life, and it's been a privilege to watch her grow into an intelligent, beautiful young woman who knows how to take a bite out of life. Today, I am reflecting on how unbelievably fortunate I am that my family is in such a good place. It's not easy to combine families, which is what my husband and I officially did in 2016 when we got married. Together since 2013, our road to creating this family was free from the horror stories I've heard from other couples who are in their second marriage. That, in and of itself is something to be grateful for, but how our kids embraced our new family was really something incredible. We do not refer to each other as "step" anything. We're a BONUS family. The word "step" has so many negative connotations and I did not want the (wicked) step-mother moniker hanging over my head. Also, it wasn't a reflection of how we felt about each other. We all truly feel that it's a BONUS to have each other in our lives. There's more love and more friendship among the four kids because of that and I never feel the need to explain my family's situation. When people ask me how many kids I have, my answer is always four because I love my bonus children as my own, and they know that. I am so privileged to be the bonus mom to my now 20-year-old bonus daughter! She's taught me so much, including how to be a better parent. As she was growing up, I could be her friend because she already had a mom and a dad, and it wasn't my place to play that role for her since both of her parents are incredible at parenting. What she needed was someone she could talk to without fear of judgement or punishment. It taught me a lot about being a better confidant to all my kids and how to lead with patience and kindness. I'm far from the perfect mom, but I am better because my of my bonus daughter. I hope your day is amazing, kid! Today and every day, I am beyond grateful for having you in my life. I love you!

Today is National Apple Day. Apples are just one of the things I love about fall. The snap of a Granny Smith as you bite into its green flesh, immediately followed by the pucker of it's tartness. And then there are caramel covered apples dipped in chopped nuts. Or homemade applesauce with cinnamon or a fresh apple pie or....wait. What was I going to write about again before I got lost in thoughts of yummy apples? Oh yes, a FREE MARKETING TIP on this beautiful fall FRIDAY! Everyone is marketing with Halloween items right now, and that's great, but why swim in the sea of sameness? Don't you want your marketing efforts to stand out? What if you incorporated APPLES into your marketing plan for the day? Here are a few ideas for a quick Pop-In visit. I challenge you to visit 3 new places today. Go ahead and commit to it. Right now. You can do it!!!! And don't forget to leave your business cards, and ask for theirs so you can follow up after your 3 Pop-In visits. Pick up an apple pie at your local bakery and drop it off at your town's administrative offices for the office staff to share. Buy some caramel covered apples (or make some) and drop them off at an attorney's office you've haven't worked with yet. Purchase a few bags of apples and drop them at your local food pantry, compliments of your business. Bring a bag of apples to your local school administration building for the staff to share. Bonus points if you pre-wash them so they can enjoy them immediately. Drop some cinnamon apple muffins off at your local funeral home. Yes, they need notaries and Apostilles regularly. Let me know how your apple themed Pop-In visits turn out for you!

Today is "Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce" Day! This is a great reminder that your local Chamber can be a huge benefit to your business. If you haven't looked into your local Chamber of Commerce (CC), I encourage you to call them up today and inquire what they do to promote small business in your town. CC's are there to help you grow your business and it's perfectly OK to "interview" them before you join. Here are a few great questions to ask: What are the yearly fees and what is included in those fees? Do you have specialized groups that meet regularly? Is there an additional fee? Do you offer learning opportunities to grow my skill set? Is there an additional fee? Are there ways for my business to get involved with different sponsorship opportunities throughout the year? How many networking opportunities do you have each month? Which are the most attended and why? If you're already a member of your CC, take a moment to reflect on how you've participated so far and whether or not it's helped you grow your business. Maybe it's time to dive deeper and join a different group inside your CC or volunteer to be a CC Ambassador. Does your local CC offer specialized groups like Women in Business or Over 50 in Business? Maybe they have an event that interests you and you could volunteer to be on its committee? Whatever you choose, just be sure you're maximizing your CC membership by getting involved. Being a member without attending regular meetings/networking opportunities/events is pointless and a waste of your money. Getting involved equals more opportunity to meet new people and establish yourself as the go-to mobile notary in your community! And who doesn't want that?

Does it bother you as much as it bothers me when things don't go the way you anticipated? I made a commitment to start blogging three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) for a few reasons, not the least of which is I really enjoy writing to share my experiences with others. Yesterday, I dropped the ball. I broke a promise to myself, and believe me I spent HOURS beating myself up about it. After spending the weekend with family in Tulsa, OK my husband and I drove home to Dallas on Monday morning. We stayed over Sunday evening so we could watch the Cowboys game with my sister-in-law. On the way home yesterday, I started getting a headache that morphed into a migraine. We got home after 4 hours on the road and I went right to my bed to take a nap knowing full well I had about 5 hours before my Orientation & Sorting Ceremony call for Notary Business Builder. My intention was to come home and get my blog posts completed for the week (as well as several other things), but that didn't happen. I did not move the needle on my business yesterday at all. The only thing that did happen yesterday was I beat myself up and made myself feel guilty for not doing what my calendar said I should be doing. I could power through, I thought. Have you ever had a migraine? There's no powering through it. They suck. Literally they suck all the energy out of you. So I canceled the Orientation & Sorting Ceremony call (more guilt), which I hate because it's truly a highlight in my week. I was complaining to my husband how bad I felt (about the migraine and the call cancellation) and he said something that changed my mindset immediately, "How would you tell one of your SAM members or NBB members to handle it if they had to cancel something they wanted to do because of a migraine? Would you say it's OK for them to beat the hell out of themselves and feel guilty because they're sick with something they can't control?" Then, of course I immediately heard Bill's voice saying "space and grace" in my head as a reminder to give myself space and grace as much as I give to other people. Isn't it sad how terrible we can be to ourselves even in our worst moments? Even after doing an entire series inside NBB about positive self-talk, I'm still practicing what I preach (and when the chips are down, I still need a reminder that I can be kinder to myself). The point here is this, we're all human. Stuff comes up that we have to handle, and it can throw your day out of wack. It's OK. I don't have to be perfect, and neither do you as long as we're doing our best (and yesterday, the best I could do was cover my head with my blanket and wait it out). So, give yourself a break the next time you find yourself throwing punches or tearing yourself down. You don't deserve that from your friends, family or yourself. Remember to be as kind to yourself as you would be to your friends. I'm glad I had someone remind me of that yesterday. If you ever need that reminder, just let me know. I'm happy to help kick your negative self-talk to the curb where it belongs!

Monday begins National Business Women's Week. It's an opportunity to focus on the accomplishments women have had on the business world (and if you're a woman reading this that includes you). I encourage you to highlight women-owned businesses in your community on your social media pages, including on your Google Business Profile. Is your local coffee shop owned by a woman? Post about them! What about your local bakery or gift shop? Write a post about their products and be sure to tag them! If you need more ideas on what to post or how to celebrate, please visit https://bpwfoundation.org/bpwf/about/national-business-womens-week-2/ There is all kinds of great info on this website including an activity guide that provides information, tips and tools for celebrating National Women's Week. Let's celebrate all our successes as women in business!

Are we still in a pandemic? It's so hard to tell now, but it was REALLY obvious in early 2020. Everything shut down. We stayed home. And no one knew what the next day would hold. Then, something crazy happened....interest rates dropped to historic lows and practically everyone in the country decided to refinance their mortgage. Cha Ching! Notaries were KILLING IT, and making money hand over fist. It was literally like business was falling out of the sky. There was so much business, we were turning jobs down because we simply didn't have the time. Ahhhhh.....the good ol' days. I joke about it now and tell people that if you were a notary in 2020 and 2021 you could wake up, roll out of bed, not even brush your teeth and still make an easy $10k each month. If you started out as a Notary Signing Agent in the pandemic years, let me be the first to tell you that it was not normal. Now that business is stabilizing, I hear a lot of notaries saying that the "business is dead." It's not. It never will be....people will always need homes and they will purchase homes no matter the interest rate. My parents first home mortgage was 19%, and that was standard back in the late 1970's. The notaries that established relationships with title & escrow companies will be just fine. The volume isn't a great as it was the previous 2 years, but it's very likely it never will be again. Those of us who focused on building relationships to grow our businesses will be the ones left standing after the "pandemic notaries" move on to another get-rich-quick opportunity. I don't say that to be harsh....I actually do have a point to this rant and here it is: learn from the lessons of the near past and be sure you're saving a portion of your income every month for when the market dips again. Today is National Savings Day, and it really got me to thinking about money habits. Most people spend what they make, but when you work on commission (and as notaries, we do work on "commission") you have to plan for the future that isn't always guaranteed. When times are good, be sure you're taking a larger than usual portion of your income and put it away for when times are a bit more lean. Imagine if you had done that over the last 2 years. Would you be as concerned about finances right now? Don't let that get you down...you can start saving immediately. Just commit to putting some money aside from every notary job you accept. Even if that means putting a few dollars in an envelope and hiding it from yourself (a trick I used to employ in my 30's). One of my friends, Selecia Young-Jones, owner of Rainbow Wedding Chapel in Jacksonville, FL has a trick that she uses to pay for the conferences she attends and any learning opportunities that interest her. Every week, she sets aside at least $25 no matter what so when something comes up she wants to be a part of, she has the money available to her. Another friend of mine takes 50% of every notary job and puts it into her savings account automatically. She pays herself first before anyone else, which is a money hack that Suze Orman recommends. Personally, I invest at least 30% of my income and put the other 70% into a joint account that pays our bills. I know that once the 3 kids I have in college right now have graduated, I'll be able to significantly increase that investment amount. I reevaluate my savings percentage every January. What works for me one year, may not work the next so flexibility is important, but so is being determined to save my money. Sure, I'd love to purchase all kinds of things but I know deep down that "stuff" doesn't make me happy. Not stressing over money makes me happy. So on National Savings Day, I encourage you to learn from the not so distant past and think about a money plan that fits your life, and be sure to include how to save your money in that plan. The smallest amounts add up over time with consistency and dedication. If you have a money hack that works for you, I'd love to hear about it! Just respond to this email!

What if you knew exactly what to do EVERY day to help you get more Notary clients, make more money, and boost your confidence? Bill Soroka’s new best selling book, The Notary Business Building Challenge offers you exactly that. Each chapter presents you an opportunity for deeper connection to your ideal customers, enhanced online presence so more customers can find you, and an advanced level of self awareness that can help you communicate better and identify additional ways to be of service. Get the ebook or the print editions in Amazon at https://www.notarycoach.com/books

If you want your business to succeed, you must have Google Business Profile. That's the minimum table stakes to play this game these days. And, while it's relatively simple to set up your free profile with Google, it can certainly help to have some expert guidance that can speak the Notary language. That's Jim Allen, the Marketing Notary. The 5 star reviews he's received from his training are outrageous...this guys knows his stuff! If you would like to join Jim's GBP class (and trust me, it's worth EVERY penny) here is the link: It's on October 17th from 10am to 1pm central time. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/idahonotarysigningagent/r/notary-coach

This Friday, October 7th is National Frappe Day. It's also World Smile Day. These two holidays got me thinking about something that happened to me a few years ago and it gave me an idea for today's post! Put your beautiful smile on Friday morning and go purchase a Frappe To-Go at a local coffee shop (support local businesses)! Let them know you're giving it away to your favorite receptionist at another local business (senior care facility, attorney office, school administrative offices, government offices, etc) and see what happens. Maybe they just look at you funny and wonder why you're telling them why you're purchasing a frappe. Or maybe they'll get in on the fun and give you a discount. Who knows! The last time I did this, my local coffee shop gave me the frappe for free and told me to come visit them any time I wanted to promote my business with their coffee. It was thrilling to feel like I was being supported by another local business, and it made me realize that just by talking to them, I was opening doors to potential new opportunities. So put Friday Frappe on your calendar now. Seriously. Set aside 30 minutes Friday morning and try it. Don't forget to deliver the frappe to your favorite receptionist in town, compliments of your notary business. Then, let me know how it goes via email: SAM@SigningAgentMarketing.com