We were lucky to catch up with Betty Krachey recently and have shared our conversation below.
Betty, appreciate you joining us today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.
I got into the loan signing business when a friend, who’s a realtor, asked me if I knew a notary to notarize her client’s documents on a weekend. All the notaries I knew were unavailable. So, I got my notary commission to help her out if she was ever in that bind again. The day I got my commission and supplies I called my friend to let her know I could help her out the next time she needed a notary and she had me a loan signing that very day! That was back in January 2016. From that day on I kept getting busier and busier, from word of mouth and referrals only.
I never imagined I’d be a full time notary but that’s what happened and that’s why I formed Smoky Mountain Notary, LLC.
I was already familiar with different types of loan documents, long before I started my business, I’ve been involved in real estate since 1995.
Betty, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Since I started Smoky Mountain Notary, LLC I’ve signed over 5,000 loan documents (I didn’t start keeping track till the middle of 2017) and thousands of general documents, some of which include wills, power of attorneys, health directives, bill of sales, adoptions, affidavits, and many other documents that require notarizations.
Some of the services I provide at Smoky Mountain Notary is mobile notary services in Knox and surrounding counties. I offer jail visitations to get documents notarized by inmates. I also go to hospitals and assisted living facilities to get documents notarized.
If a title company or attorney has a client who can’t come to their office during business hours I can meet with their client at a convenient location to get their documents signed and notarized.
I also offer online notary services. I’m available to meet clients anywhere they’re located, online, to get their documents signed and notarized. I’ve met with clients all over the world online!
Other services I provide at Smoky Mountain Notary are Apostille Services, Mobile Fingerprinting, Identification verifications for I-9 Forms, Field Inspections for commercial, new construction, and residential properties, Real Estate Photography, and I also swear in clients for remote court sessions.
For the last two years I’ve been the National Notary Association (NNA) Brand Ambassador© for Tennessee.
So far, I’ve gotten 34 people into the notary business and mentor many people getting into the business. I stay so busy and can’t get to everyone who needs a notary – I like to refer those clients to notaries I have personally trained so I know they know what they are doing before they meet with people to notarize their important documents.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
2020, during the pandemic, was my busiest year to date! While some notaries were price gouging title companies and the public, changing “hazard fees” or “COVID fees”, I NEVER did that! I always charged my regular fees during the pandemic. If I were afraid to go out in public there would be no amount of money that would make me go out, charging “hazard fees” seemed ridiculous to me!
I was signing over 100 loan closings a month plus many other types of documents people needed a notary for. During 2020 the interest rates were very low, all the title company offices were closed to the public, people were updating their wills or making one, most people were working from home – so I was meeting with people back to back to get their documents signed and notarized. I picked up a lot of new clients, who still use me to this day, during the pandemic.
I also became a commissioned online notary in March 2020. I was able to notarize documents online for US Citizens who were stuck in other countries and couldn’t get back to the US or travel to get their documents notarized. I also do many online notarizations for clients who are in the military.
The online portion of my business has picked up tremendously. I use and am familiar with several online platforms to provide a smooth online session for clients. I’m able to notarize documents worldwide 100% online and the client can use their smartphone, tablet or computer to sign their documents. They will receive their fully executed documents directly after the online session, which also saves them on shipping costs and the risk of the documents getting lost or delayed.
Let’s talk M&A – we’d love to hear your about your experience with buying businesses
I’ve bought and sold several businesses over the years.
I use to own convenience stores and I sold my last one in 2014. I first got into the convenience store business back in 1986 when I lived in Florida. I’ve owned and ran several convenience stores in Tennessee, also.
At this time, besides Smoky Mountain Notary, I have several successful online businesses, which include online stores, marketing & web design, affiliated marketing, and I buy & sell domain names. I have also sold several of my online businesses.
I’ve been a small business owner all of my working life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://smokymtnnotary.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smokymtnnotary/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmokyMountainNotary
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettykrachey/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmokyMtnNotary
Image Credits
Zack Waszak