Today’s article is about developing a niche for general notary work and contains 

What does “niche business” mean?

The word “niche” means a hidden spot, hollow place, or hidey-hole. You already know what the term “business” means.  Niche notary work for most notaries frequently includes several people or businesses who have rare but similar needs. They are often under-served and aren’t glaringly obvious to other notaries in your community.   

How would one go about finding niche notary business?

Notaries may stumble upon a niche population of several or many citizens who need the services of mobile notaries, or they may develop skills to help them ferret out niche work. However, as you might guess, waiting to “stumble” into something is usually not very fruitful, so the purpose of this article is to help you think in a way that will help you identify additional opportunities for your mobile notary business.

Tip #1 – Go where other notaries are not going.

The way to find niche businesses in your community is to market to groups that others aren’t targeting.  Members of niches aren’t obvious.  Below are tips that may help you identify niches in your own service area.  These tips, if followed, may help you become known by ignored, random sectors of the population that you’ve never considered.

Examples of niches that I have discovered and nurtured–

• Beauty contestants
• Citizens of China located in the U.S. who want to get married in China
• Executives who need visas because they are traveling to foreign countries, but need someone to go collect the visa for them.

ALL of these citizens have documents that need to be notarized.  It’s likely that you’ve never thought of those people and many others as  “niche” customers.   But, doesn’t it stand to reason that both of these types of people would know or share characteristics with other people who need the same thing? 

Tip #2 – Try hitting one stop with many targets.

Is there a place where you can go and give out your business cards to several businesses or individuals who will occasionally need a notary public?  For instance, what about doctors who need to pull medical records when a subpoena has been served to them. They will require the services of a notary at some point.  Find an area like a medical office building or location where there are multiple medical offices. Go door-to-door handing out your business cards.  Do it once per month and figure out a way to make your drop-in pleasant–maybe drop off packages of candy, a fresh flower, tiny succulent plant, individually-wrapped cookie, pen, or other give away.   You’ll soon get calls.

Tip #3 – Learn from every assignment.

Suppose while using Tip #2, you notarize medical records that were subpoenaed by an attorney.  There are two things to look at when thinking like a niche-seeking mad-marketing notary business owner.  One is the name of the attorney or litigation firm who is subpoenaing records. The other thing to learn is whether there’s a class action lawsuit going on because of a malfunctioning device or medication.  If so, you may want to use that information to target attorneys involved in this lawsuit or others–let them know about your business.  That’s who may be able to use you again in your service area.

Once you know about the lawsuit, you may be able to look it up and identify other attorneys seeking records in your area and sending out subpoenas to other clients for medical records.  I am not saying that you should use the patient’s information or other private information.  Never do that!  I am saying that IF the case has been filed with a court clerk, you might be able to identify pertinent information about the case by looking at the  heading on the documents you are notarizing.  You may be able to tell if there is a drug or device manufacturer being sued.  If the lawsuit has been filed and shows up in a heading, it is pubic record.  If this is already a matter of public record, look for information in publicly available court records to find names of litigation support firms or attorney’s offices who are issuing subpoenas or record requests.  Let them know you are available. 

You may have to go to the brick-and-mortar clerk’s office.  And, yes, it can be a pain.  However, actually digging in like this where no one else digs is how you can learn about opportunities. 

Tip #4 – Reach out to groups.

Don’t stop with the medical profession.  Develop relationships with athletic teams, dance teams, livestock competitions, and other pockets of individuals who need items notarized regarding liability or minor permission slips.  Engaging  these and other sectors of your area’s population and offering discounts for many notarizations at one time can help you develop a niche with groups. 

One more tip is to look for are fairs and festivals where you can make contacts and advertise referral discounts and group rates.

When you make these contacts, ask for them to refer you to others in their situations.  

Tip #5 – Target Referral Sources

Is there a type of business or person who could be a referral source or connected to a niche stream of people who need a notary on occasion?  The more of these kinds of referral sources, the merrier! 

What about individuals or businesses who work directly with a sector of people who might need wills or powers of attorney signed?  Also, consider these as referral sources: assisted living businesses, home health workers, hospice workers, and hospital staff.  For hospitals, you can try the techniques listed in this article that lists 10 strategies for marketing your notary services in hospitals.

Tip #6 – Hang out in the community “hub” parking lot or near the lunch truck line.

Picture this:  It’s Saturday morning and the first week of cool weather has arrived to break the summer heat.  You are in a parking lot with high traffic and your car is decked out with signage.  You are visible.  People see you.  Maybe you are giving out refreshments or pens with you name on them.

In rural communities, I see business vehicles and tents parked at corners of farm-to-market roads with highly visible signs.  

In my area, Walmart stores seem amenable to just about any kind of business setting up shop at the outlying area of the parking lot as long as it’s legal.  For instance, knife and scissor sharpening, locksmiths making keys, and fixing dings in windshields, so why not notary services?

Would it be worth it to you to park and provide notary services at certain times each week?  Or each month?   Or just enough to make sure you are seen?

Whether this is valuable or not depends on the population. In my area, there is a high population of university students and faculty.  It’s a good niche to break into any way you can.

Is there a place where food trucks congregate to sell food on certain days? 

If you set up in that area on a regular schedule or partner with a food truck, you will be seen if not actually hired.  

Tip #7 – Ask for unappealing work!

Finally, ask yourself if there is a type of notary work that no one else wants? The first thing that jumps out to me are those weekend calls from towing companies. I won’t do those, simply because of the hour and I am not a 24/7 notary.

How about all night printing businesses? Perhaps they would like to refer night owl business clients to you.

Who else is awake at 2:30 a.m.? Make sure they can find you if you like this kind of work.

Did any of those ideas help?

Being in places that other notaries aren’t is one way to find and connect with a sector of the population you may be missing. Hopefully, these ideas will help you come up with even more strategies. Brainstorm on unusual ways and places to reach people and run with your ideas!

Start looking at every gathering of people as opportunity to find pockets of clients with similar characteristics who may need a notary or know such a population.  

Become a notary star in your own community!

Please comment below if you have something to add!