5 Common Ways New Notaries Undervalue Themselves (and How to Stop)
Starting out as a notary can feel overwhelming. You want to build your business, get experience, and make clients happy. But in that process, many new notaries fall into patterns that cause them to undervalue themselves. The sooner you recognize these pitfalls, the faster you can establish a strong, professional foundation.
I’ve seen it over and over—smart, capable notaries who have every tool to succeed but hold themselves back by falling into habits that scream, “My time isn’t valuable.” The good news? These mistakes are common, and you can correct them before they turn into long-term roadblocks.
Here are the five most common ways new notaries undervalue themselves, and how to change the story.
1. Charging Too Little for Services
The temptation to undercharge is real. You want clients. You want experience. You might even tell yourself, “I’ll raise my rates once I get more confident.” But if you start off by charging below market value, you set an expectation that your work isn’t worth what others charge.
Think about it this way:
If your state’s maximum notary fee is $15 per signature, why charge $5?
If you’re driving 20 miles each way, why not account for your mileage, gas, and time?
If you spent months studying, getting certified, and buying equipment, why act like it didn’t cost you anything?
Low rates might land you a client or two, but those clients often become the hardest to deal with because they don’t value your time either. Instead, research what mobile notaries in your area are charging. Talk to other professionals. Don’t be afraid to position yourself as worth the industry standard—or more—if you provide outstanding service.
To help you calculate fair pricing, I’ve created two free resources:
Hourly Rate Calculator – figure out how much your time is really worth.
Minimum Fee Worksheet – set a baseline for what you should charge to cover your costs.
Todo:
Write down your state’s max fees, your travel expenses, and the time investment for an average job. Use the calculators above to guide your pricing, and then stick to it. No apologies.
2. Saying Yes to Every Job
In the beginning, every phone call feels like gold. The instinct is to say yes—no matter the distance, the time, or the pay. But here’s what happens when you do:
You spend two hours driving for a $20 job.
You miss out on a higher-paying appointment because your schedule is clogged.
You end up exhausted and resentful.
Valuing yourself means understanding that not every client is your client. It’s okay to decline a job that doesn’t align with your pricing, your schedule, or your boundaries.
One notary I mentored once accepted a last-minute call at 10:30 p.m. She drove across town, waited for the signer to “find their ID,” and got paid less than $40. By the time she got home, it was nearly 1:00 a.m. That experience taught her a powerful lesson: she wasn’t running her business; her business was running her.
Todo:
Set boundaries for your hours, travel radius, and minimum fee. If a job doesn’t meet those criteria, politely decline or refer it to a colleague in your notary network.
3. Overextending Without Systems
Another way new notaries undervalue themselves is by trying to do everything by memory or on paper scraps. They take appointments without a calendar system, track mileage by guessing, and send invoices late—or not at all.
That disorganization costs you time, which costs you money. A missed appointment? That’s lost income. A forgotten mileage deduction? That’s lost tax savings. A delayed invoice? That’s money sitting in someone else’s account instead of yours.
Professional tools exist to make your life easier. A simple scheduling system like Notary Calendar or Calendly can help clients book without endless back-and-forth. A mileage app can save you hours of tracking come tax season. A bookkeeping system like Notary Assist keeps your finances clear.
When you invest in systems, you communicate to clients that you’re not just dabbling—you’re running a real business.
Todo:
Pick one system this week that will save you the most time. Whether it’s online booking, mileage tracking, or digital invoicing, put it in place now.
4. Ignoring Professional Development
Your commission is the starting line, not the finish. Too many new notaries undervalue themselves by thinking, “I’m just a notary public.” The truth is, this field has endless opportunities for growth:
Loan signing certifications
Estate plan signing training
Apostille facilitation courses
Field inspection side work
Advanced classes on notary laws and compliance
By refusing to invest in training, you limit yourself to basic, low-fee notarizations. When you expand your skills, you expand your value—and your income.
For example, an estate planning signing may take 60–90 minutes and pay $150–$200. That’s a very different revenue picture than a five-dollar acknowledgment at someone’s kitchen table.
Here are some excellent training resources:
Trust and Estate Plan Signings: CNTDA Program
Marketing Your Notary Business: Jen Neitzel’s Marketing 4 Notaries
Core Notary Training & Mentorship: Laura Biewer’s CoachMeLaura (free call and trainings available)
Ongoing Free Training: Tuesday Notary Titans, every Tuesday at 12:15 pm Pacific
Todo:
Decide what direction you want to grow in this year. Research a course, certification, or mentorship program that aligns with that goal, and set aside time and budget to pursue it.
5. Forgetting the Bigger Picture
Finally, new notaries undervalue themselves by forgetting they are business owners. They think of themselves as “just doing notarizations,” rather than professionals providing a critical service.
Here’s the bigger picture:
You are protecting clients from fraud.
You are ensuring legal documents are executed properly.
You are a trusted professional who shows up on time, prepared, and reliable.
When you minimize that role, you make decisions from a place of scarcity instead of confidence. You accept low-paying work. You avoid marketing yourself. You hide behind the idea that your job is “small.” But clients notice when you show up as a professional. Confidence is contagious.
Todo:
Write a short mission statement for your notary business. It should reflect your value, your professionalism, and your commitment to serving clients. Keep it visible as a daily reminder that you are more than “just a notary.”
Here’s a ChatGPT prompt you can use to write your mission statement:
Act as a brand strategist for a mobile notary business in [your city and state]. Write a clear one-sentence mission statement that defines:
who I serve,
the core problems I solve,
how I deliver the service,
the standard I hold myself to.
Voice: professional, confident, warm, service-oriented. Avoid buzzwords. Give me five options. Then recommend the strongest option and a 20-word tagline.
Final Thoughts
If you recognize yourself in any of these five undervaluing habits, don’t feel discouraged. Every notary has been there at some point. What matters is that you see it now—and you can take steps to correct it.
Charge appropriately. Protect your time. Build systems. Keep learning. And most importantly, never forget the professional value you bring into every appointment.
Your notary commission is not just a stamp. It’s the foundation of a business that can grow as far as you’re willing to take it.
