Member-only story
How I Earn $600/Month in Just 4 Hours a Week
A Practical Guide to Starting a Notary Side Hustle
After my employer laid me off in January 2023, I realized that relying on a single income stream left me vulnerable. Determined to secure my financial future, I started working even harder to diversify my income.
The mortgage lending industry has taken a significant hit, with interest rates climbing from a low of 2.65% in January 2021 to a peak of 7.79% in October 2023, according to the CFPB Office of Mortgage Markets’ report, Data Spotlight: The Impact of Changing Mortgage Interest Rates (September 17, 2024). This shift has created uncertainty in a market I’ve worked in for over 24 years.
While exploring other income options, I found that starting my own notary business has been the most rewarding and profitable side hustle. One of the best aspects of a notary business is its flexible hours and the ability to add related services over time.
I took the California Notary Exam in February 2023, and after about three months, I received my notary commission from the state of California.
Once licensed, I registered a fictitious business name through the OC Clerk-Recorder Department and named my business Lee’s OC Notary. I created a website using WordPress and Bluehost to keep startup…
