Thumbtack for Notaries - Lead Generation

Okay. So good morning, Sierra. Thank you for booking a call with me. I do appreciate it. To be honest with you. I enjoy this stuff as much as y' all do. It starts my day off right without me thinking about crazy stuff, so.

Yes, ma'. Am.

All right, so tell me a little bit about what you do now.

Well, I am a notary public. Notary public loan signing agent. I was doing. I was thriving in San Antonio, but we ended up relocating to Houston. And.

I kind of been putting my foot in other areas as well because I was listening to the naysayers of, like, how the business isn't how it's saturated out here, but I ended up.

Actually getting a direct my first week out here. So I know I'm listening to Nate's hairs, but it has been a slow month as far as notary. As far as notary work for me in Houston. But other than that, I do weddings.

I just recently did a wedding for the Oprah Winfrey Network, like, last week here in Houston that brought. Wow. Yeah. So, like, I advertise my business a lot, and I. In this month, I also put out two ebooks for the notary stuff. So, like, I'm really big on my. Like, I absolutely love sleep, breathe, eat this stuff. I was actually working on my computer when you text me because I'm going into the str. The short term rentals. And I've been trying to get into that since business has been a little slower than normal this month. So, yeah, that's pretty much what I. What I've been doing.

You see this girl?

She is so cute.

Okay, so that's cool. So you said advertising. What do you do to advertise?

So I just set up my Google business page. So I can't say Google because I just set that up, but I use thumbtack and just my Facebook page. My Facebook business page, and pretty much word of mouth at this point. But yeah, my thumbtack has really put me on the map with certain people.

For weddings or for notary work?

Oh, both. Both. Yeah. It definitely has put me on the map in San Antonio. It did. Here it's a little different. But like I said, it did get me on that network from Houston, so By transferring over to Houston. So, yeah, that's my advertising. I just set up my Google page last Thursday, I want to say, and I've gotten two hits so far, but that's not enough. It's not enough. But it's definitely. I definitely did get work from Google already.

Awesome. So.

What was I going to Say.

As far as your direct client, did you. How did you do that? Did you just stop by or what happened with that?

So in San Antonio, pretty much 90% of my work is all directs. So I just basically reached out to all the title companies that I've already been working with and I let them know, like, hey, I'm transitioning over to Houston. And one come a lot of them is like, oh, we already have notaries. We already have this. But this one specific which is the builders here, which I work with. The builders in San Antonio, they always need notary. So they like, yeah, come on in. Like now.

Absolutely.

Pretty busy.

Awesome, awesome, awesome. So short term rentals, do you already have them or is this something that you're just interested in looking at?

So this is brand new, T.J. it's some. Well, it's not brand new, but it's something that I just started that I finally took the faith and stepped out. I stopped watching YouTube videos and I was like, you know what, let me just do this. And yesterday actually I reached out to about 10 complexes in my area and they, three of them gave me corporate applications to fill out and send in my information. So I'm just crossing my fingers and praying it can go that way. Otherwise I'm going to have to do the subleasing until I build my business credit up.

Yeah.

What area are you looking at doing it in?

So I live off of 99 and Gosling, so I've been looking at these apartments over here. But I really want to do it around the hospitals because I really.

I don't know, I guess I want them to take me a little bit more serious because my niche is doing traveling nurses. Well, not just traveling nurses, but any medical professionals. And they come out here a lot in San Antonio. Like I've done signings in hotels and I literally seen like a million nurses. Like they had buses taking them back and forth to the, to the hospital from a hotel. And I was like, wow. I did not know it was that many nurses from other areas. And I actually did closings for several of them because they were from like Oregon, Utah, New York, and they came down here to. So I was like, okay, I definitely need to find. Because they all in this hotel. I would like to do str for these nurses because they make bank number one and number two, I know they don't want to be like cramped up in a hotel with other nurses or whatever all the time.

Did you find out what organization they work with?

The agencies?

Yeah.

No, I didn't. I Didn't ask. I just saw they badges, you know, saying like Methodists and stuff like that, like the hospitals that they were getting transferred to. But I didn't look into the agencies. No, no, ma'.

Am. That would have been a good thing.

So, okay, what research have you done as far as the area?

As far as the area?

I don't. Could you be more specific?

Because like, so there, there's a platform called Air DNA. Air DNA.

Okay, let me write that down.

And you got a really. Okay, so this is what's going on in Houston. Not just Airbnb, but in apartment complexes as well. A lot of people are getting into the short term rental market and if you join some of the Facebook groups.

For Houston Airbnb, you'll see a lot of people are getting out of the market because particularly that area in the medical center is a guy that owns like 100. I just saw a post yesterday, like 100 properties and they're priced to $45 a night. Oh, like who can do that? So one right now in that area.

Unless you have some direct connects and you know how you're gonna get business. I can tell you my experience. I can't tell you, you know, the whole city's experience, but I can tell you my experience. I'm book solid on the weekends. During the week, it's tumbleweed.

Got you.

Okay, so it depends on how much.

It depends on.

How much your rent is going to be got.

You understand?

So my rent is 1600 per unit. I have nine units.

Okay.

I have two bedrooms, two bathrooms. And what it appears is happening is that groups are booking, so individuals. I have no. I mean every listing that I have is a group booking. They aren't booking one bedrooms and two bedrooms for me. Right. And from what I've talked to with my colleagues, they're booking mainly three bedrooms and up.

Oh, wow. Okay, I got you. So yeah, I definitely need to do. Because I was really looking at two bedrooms because I feel like. Because I watched some nursing videos, I actually listened to the travel nurses of what they're looking for and they said they go on this website called Nurse Finder or Finder, I forgot, Furnace Finder or something like that. They go in there to get their things. So I definitely was going to try to list on there. And they also said that they usually get. Grab another nurse and they split the costs. As long as they have, they are comfortable. As long as. Well, one girl was saying as long as they have their own bathroom and their own bedroom, she usually have a nurse that she travels with and they split the cost. And I was like, okay, so I was aiming for a two bedroom, two bathway. Okay.

And what price points do they pay? Because.

Most of the time. So say for instance, Your rent is 1600. The nurses that I've seen on furnace finder don't want to pay more than 2,000.

Got you.

So that's a $400 profit for you, right? Are you satisfied with that? Normally.

I don't know if that's relevant today, but from what my, my.

What I learned, and I don't know, he was bullshit. Excuse my friend, but he said that you should be making like a profit of $800 a month per door, per bedroom. So that would be 3200, right? So what profit are you, what profit are you good with? And so even if, even with that 400, you got to think you're paying utilities, you're paying to stock, and you're paying for cleaning, right. As well as insurance. So if your profit is just $400, you didn't, you didn't broke into that profit. You know what I mean?

Exactly. And I haven't seen any two bedrooms for 1600. I have not seen it. I like, literally where I live, the one bedroom is 15 something. And I'm like, this is ridiculous because it was definitely not this much wack from San Antonio, but I haven't. I wish I could find a two bedroom for 1600. Literally just seen a one bedroom for 17 something. And I was like, oh my goodness. So yeah, no, I definitely, I definitely. It wouldn't be worth my while if the profit was only a few hundred bucks. Most definitely not.

So what I would do.

I would.

Use air DNA and I would search for the most profitable areas in Houston.

Okay.

Okay.

What are the most profitable zip codes?

Okay.

Definitely gonna do that.

So I do have a question about the corporate leasing. They sent me this, these leases and they're literally like one page. One person sent me the corporate lease and the taa, the actual, like, application that you would give a resident. So I was not sure if I was supposed to do both or if they were just giving me that to give it to me. I don't know. But most companies I reached out to yesterday gave me a one page corporate rental application. So when you turn it in.

Which I've done, are they going to require more documentation? Because she just told me to turn in my W9, and I thought that was kind of rare. Another person told me to turn in my W9 in my bank, my business bank. Account and my tax. My taxes for last year. And so, like, everybody have. Is that what you ran into? Like, everybody have different. Like, different requirements?

Yeah, everybody. I mean. Yeah. There's no one answer to that. Everybody has different requirements.

Okay. Okay.

And some people are flexible. Other people are not so flexible, you know?

Gotcha. Okay. Well, I definitely. I definitely want to do it, but I definitely want to make money doing it.

Absolutely. And I have a recommendation for.

I believe in paying for services.

Right.

So I have a recommendation on a super duper awesome lady who could be a good coach, and I think she may have a special going on right now. Her name is Coach for the Host. On.

Instagram.

Coach for the Host. Okay.

Her actual name is Kiara. K I E R R A. Okay. Coach for the Host.

All right. I'm definitely gonna put her.

I.

Somebody told me about somebody named Nikki Nicole yesterday.

Is she in Houston?

Huh? The Side Hustle Queen or something like that?

Her name is Vicki Nicole.

Nikki.

Oh, yeah.

So I saw she had also had a course that you can. But her course was monthly. It was a monthly fee of 500amonth or something like that.

But yeah, that's a Nikki Nicole, huh?

Yeah, it's her. I know her second name. Nicole. N I, C H O L E. Spelled different.

Yep. And, like, actually, two people recommended me to her yesterday, but I wasn't trying to pay that 500amonth for three months for the course.

Tell her name one more time.

So her first name. Well, I don't know if it's her first name, but it's spelled N I C K I. And her second name is N I.

C H O L E. Okay, gotcha.

The Side Hustle Queen. Yep. Oh, yeah. I'm taking this real, real serious. I also.

Went on score.org and I have a business mentor, and that changed my whole world when I came to Houston. So I make.

So they're. They're doing. You're doing. They are really good.

Oh, man. Yes, they definitely. I think it's because they're successful, and they've been successful at what they've been doing for so long that they're retired. And it's a volunteer program, and they're just basically volunteering the information.

And I told him I'm a notary, and that's been our main focus was like. Like, for example, he told me that he has another notary. That's probably why he got. Was. Was selected as my mentor because he already have a notary under him. And she went to every storage unit in League City. And she told them that she was a notary, and now she has four storage unions that she goes on, like, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, you know, she all have a set day and she have a set time, and she offers notary services for a who. And she has a lot of business that come for that hour at every storage unit that she goes to. And just so, like, he just kind of opened my mind to, like, not just loan signings, title companies. He just told me a lot. Like, just kind of expanding my brain, I guess you could say.

That's awesome. Yeah.

So, yeah, I do. I. I like it. And I didn't tell him about the Airbnb at all. He's a commercial. He buys a lot of commercial real estate. So I don't know. I'll bring it up to the next meeting, but. Yeah, he's in Houston. Yes, ma'. Am. He lives in my area.

Okay.

Yep, it's. It's good. But, oh, you know what? I wanted to ask you because I was in a Zoom meeting with you guys, and I redid everything you guys told us to do on that list. I got me a domain, I got me a professional email, and I set up the Google. And my thing is, I do not have a paydex Score. I don't have it. And I've been having Quill.

So from my understanding, you're supposed to have three net 30 accounts reporting three times.

Okay.

So I don't understand why I don't have Payday Score.

So this will be a good question for Asia on our next call. But.

You know what? I heard something about Quill not reporting anymore.

But you said you have other vendors as well. And there is a place on where you can edit your profile, and I think you can add vendors on.

Dun and Bradstreet.

Oh, Dun and Bradstreet. Okay.

Now, you may have to pay that $36 in order to do it. I'm not sure. But.

Yeah, well, it's worth it because I need the business credit.

I know, right? Yeah. You're getting into big things. It sounds like you're a business owner and you are headed towards good things. I mean, I'm looking at Nikki Nicole. I don't know about her. See, she's a notary public loan signing agent. But I know Kiara is the truth.

Got you. Okay.

She's very well connected, and she's the truth. So I personally wouldn't go into this endeavor without a mentor in Houston for this. And if I were getting a mentor, she'd be the one to do it.

Okay, perfect. I know they say don't pay to play, but that's all I've been doing in this business, and it's been getting me far.

Okay. I don't know. Her fee just right off hand. I'm not sure.

Okay, no problem. I can add. I definitely need.

But she's affordable. I mean, for what she offers, man, she. She crazy affordable.

Okay. And she's in Houston, you say?

Yep, she's in Houston.

I'm definitely gonna have to link with her because I'm so serious. Like, who wants my mindset?

It's a wrap for these people.

Oh, I get it. I get it. I'm the same way.

Yeah. But that. That's been mainly just, like. I think the most I need help with is probably my business credit because I'm tired of using my own money.

Yeah, absolutely. You're going in the right direction toward everything. That's a good. That's a good deal.

Okay. And that's good to hear. I've just been slaving since I've been here, and, like, I took the. You know, I've been looking at the glass half full instead of empty, because as soon as I transition here and I transferred, you know, like, amrock all that stuff over, I really haven't been getting, like, the volume that I get, you know, in San Antonio at all. And so I've been taking this time to just explore other avenues if, like with the Airbnb and the.

The wedding officiant that has been like, everybody's trying to get married on Valentine's Day.

I don't know why. Yes.

But it's definitely. I mean, I'm definitely being in more calls for that and stuff. Are y' all still gonna be meeting on Saturday at the fair? State fair.

Yeah, I was about to send an email out. Yeah, I still want to. At noon.

Absolutely. Because Saturday. Also, just between me and you, my commercial airs on Saturday, so I want y' all hear it.

Oh, okay. You're a commercial for what?

Notary. It's. It's gonna be. But it's on a gospel radio station.

Hey, girl. That day, gospel people need notary, too.

Yeah.

Blue. No.

Yes.

She's over here destructing the ball. No, come here. Come.

We have bully puppies, so.

Oh, really?

We trying to get rid of that. Well, I'm trying to get rid of.

Hold on one second. Okay.

She didn't destructed the ball. And you see all kind of stuff in her stool stomach. Stay toe up because she always eating something. Go away. Bye. To lose A.

Okay.

Well, I have another meeting coming up, but I thank you for this. I thank you. And if you have any other questions for me, don't hesitate to ask.

Do you have any.

Anything else right now?

No. My main hurdle is the business credit. That's just something I'm have to. I'm gonna go on DMB right now and see how I can add my own vendors, because I. I really am tired of digging in my own pockets.

How many weddings do you have on Valentine's Day? So far?

So. So far. So. So far, I have one that's booked, that's already put. They deposit down. The other people just kind of ask, like, they just like, are you available? But they haven't, like, booked me, but hopefully they book me because I don't mind. Okay.

And that's on. You got those through thumbtack?

Yes, ma', am, through Thumbs.

That's huge. That's good.

Yes. I know it's a lot of people that say negative things about thumbtack, and I agree with. Agree with them all. But if you stick through it, good things happen on there. Like, I got contacted through three radio stations there, through the tv, two TV networks.

Like, they.

And I don't even know how they even contact me without even selecting me as the notary, but somehow they have. Somehow on their end, they can see my phone number and call me directly. Wow. Like, that's why I'll be telling people, yeah, you may have paid $10 for that lead and they chose another notary, but I promise you, it's gonna come, like, tenfold. Like, well, that's just what I've been seeing.

So. But yeah, well, that is awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Okay. And so per lead is $10 per lead.

So when you first start, it's like $3 or $4. That's how they get you in. But then once you've done like, a hundred, like, I think. I think I have. I don't know how many I have. I think I've done over, like, a hundred signings through thumbtack in weddings. And so it starts to get more pricier. They like, okay, we giving you all this business. So now my leads are more pricier. Especially when I get booked for a wedding. It's anywhere from 10 to $20 per lead because my minimum fee is 160. You know what I mean? So they. They trying to get their money off even if they don't book you, but they select you on the app, Thumbtack is going to charge you. And that's why people don't like, thumbs up.

Yeah, gotcha.

Yes. But I look forward to seeing y' all on Saturday, and I. Yeah, it'll be fun. It'll be fun.

I'm gonna send an email out. Right. Right before we got on the phone, I was looking at sending an email out. So I'm gonna send an email out to everyone so that y' all can come. We just gonna be chilling, nothing special.

Yes, ma'.

Am.

I'm okay with that.

All right, I'll see you then. Thank you for booking with me.

Yes, ma'. Am.

All right, have a good one. Bye.