Originally posted 3/10/23

As a notary and loan signing agent, I am acutely aware that business has slowed down to a crawl, and some weeks, it has come to a complete stop. I have shared on this blog site my struggles with professional burnout as well. With all of that, it would be so easy for me to just quit. Give up this dream of being a successful entrepreneur and go find a job. That might be the right thing to do for some people, and for some, they may be the only ones bringing an income into the home, and having an income is vital. There are always difficult decisions to make about being a business owner when the going gets tough. Today, I want to share with you one of the greatest pieces of advice I got when I was feeling like throwing in the towel.

“One Step at a Time.” That's it. That was the advice. And it came from my husband. Now, I have the luxury of living in a two-income household. Meaning if business slows down, we don’t necessarily starve. I realize that's not the same situation for everyone. Still, even if you are a one-income earner, or you have a second supportive income and you are having to decide between keeping your business and going back to work, I want to tell you - it's not one or the other. If needed, you can do both.

“One Step at a Time”

No matter what your situation is, to keep moving forward all you have to do is take one step at a time. That's it. Will you have momentum growth doing it that way? Maybe not. But what you will have is a slowly rebuilt foundation, one step at a time. One of my favorite quotes about this is from Confucius. “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” No matter how insurmountable a rebuild or a restart may seem, it's with the continued small steps, one at a time, that allows you to scale that mountain.

I have spoken about small steps when I outlined my burnout recovery plan. That plan applies to anyone and everyone who has a difficult situation ahead of them. One step at a time, small steps, small stones, small successes, and small goals. Small, but mighty, small but continuous. As a business owner, I know there are hundreds of small steps I can take on any given day to continue to move my business forward. Here are some examples of small steps forward that can help keep you in business.

1. Adjust your google business schedule to reflect your new availability - if you had to take a job.

2. Find some training that you can take online that will help you build strength in your weakest areas. Maybe it's networking or, like me, the follow-up.

3. Reach out to some of your past clients to check in and see how they're doing. That small step helps keep you ‘top of mind.’

4. Get up every day and get ready for work. For women, this might mean doing your hair and make-up and getting dressed. Maybe you are still wearing slippers, but a quick change of shoes won’t slow you down if you get an appointment!

5. Implement morning and evening routines that include small tasks that support your business.

6. Go to some free networking events. Our local Fresno Women's Network does a coffee meet-up every week. I'm sure where you live has something like that.

7. Read a business book. You can buy one, listen on Audible, or check out from the library. Do a Google or Pinterest search on the best books to read for business and find one you think you’ll like. If you're a notary, I have suggestions for excellent books to read.

8. Sign & Thrive: How to Make 6 Figures As a Mobile Notary and Loan Signing Agent- Bill Soroka

9. Super Charge Your Notary Business with Linked In.- Bill Soroka and Sandra Long

10. Discover ways to diversify your business. As a notary, we have the ability to use our commission in a number of different ways. Take some time to research some of the options and check them out.

11. Clean up and declutter your filing and paper storage. If you have time, why not get organized?

12. Remember that you are not alone in this. Business owners around the world go through slow and painful seasons. Some fail, but many use the struggle to innovate and adapt and grow.

There are hundreds of other options for small tasks or small steps to take. No matter what they are, as long as you wake up every day and keep taking those steps, you will never have to look back on this time and feel as though you didn’t try hard enough. If for no other reason than that, I encourage you to keep taking one step at a time.

If you are struggling with your business and considering calling it quits before you do I would strongly encourage you to wait for a beat. Take a breath and reevaluate what your business would look like if you scaled it down to small daily steps.

I hope you found some help and encouragement in this blog post. And as always, I would love to hear from you. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email at jcooper@jkcmobilenotary.com.

Until Next Time- Remember those small stones that can move a mountain.

Jennifer K Cooper

JKC Mobile Notary