How Much Money Can I Make?

Victoria Ring---Bio

I get this question all the time from beginners: How much money can I make working as a notary signing agent or a bankruptcy forms processor? Immediately I know this person is a beginner.  How do I know that? Because if the person had done a little reading and research on their own, they would have understood this question is impossible to answer.  I cannot tell you how much money you will make, just like I cannot tell you when you will feel hungry or need to lay down and get some sleep.  Every single person is unique. Every single person has the ability within them to make as much or as little money as they want.  It just depends on how hard you want to work. And that is not something I can answer for you.

But since I get this question on a frequent basis, I decided to do a little research and try to determine why people continually ask this question that is impossible for me to answer.  Beginners who are starting their first business have worked for employers in the past. This means, they are paid a certain salary and that salary is discussed before the employee is hired. For those of you who have worked for employers all your life, you know how much you are going to earn each week - but when you start a business, you don't.

Next, I took into consideration that people are bombarded with money-making ads that claim they can make $4,000, $10,000 and even one informercial claims you can make $60,000 in one month.  If you call up the company making this claim and ask them, How much money can I make when I buy your program?; the company will probably give you some astronomical income figure.  But the only reason they are giving you this figure is because they want you to buy something.  They know that you probably won't make that much money and they don't care. They only want to sell you a program filled with hype and promises that will never come true because they know they will never hear from you again after you see what they are selling.

A couple of years ago, when I was first marketing my book, How to Start, Operate and Market a Freelance Signing Agent Business, I wrote some of my ads with a headline of: Make $5,000 per month or more.  I wish now that I would have never used that figure, but when I made this claim it was very valid.  I had started my notary signing agent business on a part-time basis when I was working as a full-time bankruptcy paralegal.  Within about 90 days, I was making $5,000 per month doing signings in the evenings and on weekends.  So I could truthfully make this claim in ads for my book because I had first-hand knowledge and proof it could be done. I was not making astronomical claims that were unobtainable by the majority of the population.  In fact, I have met 100+ notaries who still make that level of income and much more.

But earning $5,000 per month as a notary signing agent is not all the glamor you may think it is.  Again, people who have worked for employers all their life are used to getting a paycheck after all the overhead (taxes, insurance, etc.) are deducted.  The money they receive in their paycheck is all theirs to keep and pay their personal expenses.  But when you own a business and earn $5,000 per month -- that is BEFORE the overhead expenses are deducted.  So when all was said and done - the $5,000 per month that I earned actually turned out to be about $2,500 in my hand. And out of that $2,500, I had to take a portion of it and invest it back into the company (such as advertising and marketing) which normally left me with about $1,200 that I could actually spend on personal expenses.  So you see, the $5,000 per month isn't quite as exciting as $1,200 per month.  Keep that in mind, the next time you hear claims made by entrepreneurs of how much they earn.  What they earn and what they end up putting in their pocket are two completely different things.

However, if you work hard and dedicate your time to research, education and networking, you can earn a great deal of money as a notary signing agent or bankruptcy forms processor.  But I cannot tell you how much money you will make.  It would be totally impossible. The amount of money you make is what YOU determine to make and no one else.

If you are beginner and this is your first attempt to start a business of your own, I strongly urge you to get a copy of my new book, How to Protect Yourself from Home Business Scams and Frauds.  This low-cost ebook was written to help YOU.  Not only does it expose almost every known type of scam and fraud in the industry, it offers in-depth information to help beginners understand the world of marketing and how fraudulent companies use psychology to try and force people to buy shoddy products.  Once you understand these concepts, you will be in a position not only to avoid them but to structure your new business on solid ground.  Starting a business should be something you want to see grow and prosper and last for years to come. This can only be achieved through honesty, good customer service and hard work.