How a Civil Engineer Built a Thriving Notary Business on the Side

As a notary business owner and mentor, I love highlighting the many paths notaries take to success. Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing T. Harley, a civil engineer, mother, and owner of TYH Notary Company in Maryland. Her story is proof that building a thriving notary business doesn’t require leaving behind your career or sacrificing family life — it’s about balance, persistence, and creativity.

From Civil Engineering to Notary Work

T. Harley has spent over a decade in the construction and public transportation field, working with major projects under the Federal Transit Administration and Federal Railroad Administration. Like many professionals, she first encountered the need for notarizations at her job. When a colleague’s commission expired, she stepped up and became the go-to notary for her company.

But instead of stopping there, she realized this skill could open doors for a business of her own. Soon, TYH Notary Company was born.

Notarizing in Construction: Big Numbers, Big Responsibility

One unique angle of T. Harley’s work is the type of documents she notarizes. Payment applications, subcontractor agreements, lien waivers, and delivery confirmations for multi-million-dollar projects all pass through her hands. These documents often represent hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, making accuracy and compliance absolutely critical.

As she explained, “To avoid fraud and make sure everything is done correctly, these documents have to be notarized.”

Balancing Dual Roles and Family Life

Running a business on top of a demanding full-time engineering career isn’t easy, but T. Harley has found her rhythm. She offers in-office notary hours during the day and mobile services in the evening. On top of that, she’s a mother to a toddler and manages scheduling with her husband, who is also an engineer — and a DJ on the side!

Her August numbers say it all: she tripled her income, booked 10–15 clients per week, and surpassed her initial monthly revenue goals — all while working 40+ hours a week in engineering.

Marketing, Growth, and Community

In her first months, T. Harley leaned on tools like a Google Business Profile and Facebook posts. She later invested in Yelp ads, which gave her a surge of clients. She also started hosting free workshops for other notaries, offering a VIP package with resources like a bookkeeping spreadsheet, a notary dictionary, and starter guides.

What stands out most is her commitment to collaboration over competition. She even launched a local notary networking chat for referrals and support, proving that community is just as important as marketing.

Looking Ahead

T. Harley envisions scaling her business with a DMV-area notary directory and expanding into specialized services like apostilles. Long-term, she hopes to continue excelling as a civil engineer while growing her business to give her family more flexibility and financial freedom.

Her story is a reminder that entrepreneurship isn’t one-size-fits-all. For some, it’s about leaving a career behind — for others, like T. Harley, it’s about building a business that complements and strengthens the life you already love.