How Notaries Can Use AI and Automation to Grow Their Business

Running a notary business means handling more than appointments and notarizations. There's also marketing, client communication, scheduling, invoicing, social media, and all the administrative work that happens behind the scenes. When you're managing everything yourself, finding ways to save time becomes essential.

During a recent conversation, I caught up with repeat guest Alyssa Walters of Lindsay's Signature Notary. We talked about how she's using AI and automation to manage her business, why she started her weekly newsletter, The Notary Note, and how she's creating opportunities for other notaries and signing services to become more visible.

One thing that stood out to me was how intentional Alyssa is about using technology. Rather than expecting AI to run her business, she treats it as a support system that helps her handle tasks more efficiently while keeping the decisions and direction in her own hands.

Build a Foundation Before You Focus on Scaling

Business owners often talk about scaling, but Alyssa brought up an important point: it's difficult to grow something when people don't know who you are or what you offer.

She's been working on building trust in her parent brand, Lindsay Signature Notary, while also developing an educational product designed to help other notaries navigate challenging situations. Although her social media content has generated individual questions from other notaries, she shared that converting that interest into paying clients has been more difficult.

Instead of focusing only on selling, she's putting more effort into building relationships and establishing credibility within the industry. That includes sharing useful information, connecting with signing services, and creating opportunities for other notaries to showcase their businesses.

It's a reminder that visibility and trust are part of business development. Before people invest in your service, they need to understand what you do and feel confident in the value you provide.

The Notary Note: Building Trust Through a Weekly Newsletter

Alyssa started The Notary Note because she wanted another way to share information without relying entirely on video content. She explained that being in front of a camera isn't necessarily her preferred way to communicate, so a newsletter gave her a more comfortable and consistent format.

Her goal is to share factual information about the notary industry, including changes and updates that other notaries may not know about. She wants readers to have access to useful information they can check against reliable sources, such as state Secretary of State offices and the National Notary Association.

When we spoke, she had around 30 consistent subscribers opening the newsletter each week. She was also sharing the content with two mentorship communities, allowing more notaries to access the information.

But the newsletter has grown beyond educational updates. Alyssa began featuring individual notaries and signing services, giving them a chance to introduce their businesses to an audience they might not normally reach.

This creates a collaborative opportunity. The featured businesses receive additional exposure, while readers discover professionals, services, and resources within the notary community.

Use AI as a Support System, Not a Replacement

Alyssa described AI as a virtual assistant that helps her manage the many responsibilities involved in running a business.

Outside of her work, she is also a mother, wife, and caregiver for her disabled mother. With so many responsibilities competing for her attention, she needed a way to handle repetitive tasks without spending every available hour working behind a screen.

Before joining my mentorship program, she primarily used ChatGPT and Wix for some of her business needs. After learning about Claude, she started exploring how its features could help her complete more involved tasks.

She particularly appreciated Claude's ability to work with her existing software through its computer-use capabilities. Rather than simply generating suggestions, she could provide a framework and instructions, then have it help carry out parts of the task.

For Alyssa, this has saved hours. She can prepare instructions for a website update or content planning task and let the software assist while she's handling a closing, speaking with a client, or taking care of her family.

The important distinction is that she still provides the direction. AI helps execute parts of the process, but she remains responsible for reviewing the work and deciding whether the result is right for her business.

Connecting AI With GoHighLevel

Another tool Alyssa discussed was GoHighLevel, which she uses to bring several parts of her business together.

She moved her website to the platform and uses it for invoicing and other business processes. She also connected her newsletter email automation and social media planning, creating a more organized workflow.

One example she shared involved using Claude to help create website elements. She describes what she wants, and Claude generates the code she can add to GoHighLevel. This gives her more flexibility to customize her website without having to build every element manually.

She also uses AI to help plan social media content. She can provide her requirements for the next few weeks, have the content drafted and organized in her planner, then review and schedule the posts herself.

The benefit isn't necessarily having more software. It's having tools that work together so she doesn't need to repeat the same tasks across different platforms.

For notaries exploring automation, this is worth considering. Start by identifying the tasks that take up the most time, then look for ways to simplify the process using tools you already have or can realistically manage.

Better AI Results Start With Better Instructions

One of Alyssa's most useful suggestions was to be intentional when prompting AI.

She doesn't simply ask for a newsletter or a social media post and accept whatever comes back. She provides guidelines for her brand, including the tone, colors, fonts, and the type of information she wants included.

For The Notary Note, she specifically wants factual information that can be cross-checked against authoritative sources. She also gives the AI direction about what the content should cover and reviews the information before deciding what to use.

Another feature she finds helpful is asking AI to ask clarifying questions before creating a final draft or document. This helps uncover details she may have forgotten to include in her original instructions.

Instead of immediately producing something based on incomplete information, the AI can pause and ask what she actually means. That gives her an opportunity to correct the direction before too much work is done.

This is a useful practice for any business owner using AI. The more context you provide, the more relevant the output can become. But detailed prompts don't eliminate the need for human review, especially when the content involves notarial procedures, state-specific requirements, or other information that needs to be accurate.

Learn by Experimenting With the Tools

Alyssa didn't become comfortable with Claude by learning every feature before using it. She described herself as a hands-on learner who prefers to explore the software, test different functions, and figure out what works.

When she first started using it, she compared its responses with ChatGPT and explored the features that seemed useful for her workflow. One discovery was the Projects section, which allowed her to keep separate work and instructions organized instead of mixing everything into one ongoing conversation.

She also learned by asking the software what it could do and testing those capabilities herself. When she wanted to understand a feature, she would explore it, look for tutorials, or search YouTube for demonstrations.

Her advice is straightforward: don't be afraid to click around and experiment. You don't need to understand every feature before you can find something useful.

For notaries who aren't particularly comfortable with technology, start with one repetitive task. Try using AI to organize ideas, draft a basic email, outline a newsletter, or create a content calendar. Once you understand how it fits into your workflow, you can explore more advanced uses.

AI Can Help You Learn the Business Side, Too

AI isn't only useful for creating content or completing administrative tasks. Alyssa and I also discussed using it as a resource when learning unfamiliar areas of business.

For example, I mentioned how AI can help someone research outbound marketing. If a notary wants to reach out to law firms but doesn't know where to start, they can ask for a beginner-friendly framework, recommended tools, and important considerations.

Alyssa agreed that this can be helpful, particularly when you're trying to understand something you haven't encountered before. She also emphasized the importance of being specific about what you need and making sure the information is accurate.

This is where AI can serve as a starting point for learning. It can help organize a topic, explain unfamiliar concepts, and suggest areas to research further. However, it shouldn't be treated as the final authority, especially when the subject involves legal requirements, compliance, or industry rules.

Use it to help you ask better questions and identify what you need to verify, not as a substitute for professional guidance or authoritative sources.

Give Other Notaries a Reason to Connect With You

Beyond her own business, Alyssa is putting considerable time into creating opportunities for others through The Notary Note.

Each week, she communicates with notaries and signing services to learn more about their businesses. She asks questions about their accomplishments, new clients, awards, services, and other developments they want the community to know about.

She explained that some business owners initially don't know what to share about themselves. Once they understand that the feature is an opportunity to market their business and build connections, they become more comfortable participating.

The newsletter provides a short spotlight that businesses can also share on their own social media accounts. This gives them content they can reuse while introducing their work to a wider audience.

Alyssa sees this as her way of giving back to the industry. She isn't charging people to be featured, and she's using the platform to help other professionals become more visible.

It's also an example of how collaboration can create value beyond a direct business transaction. When you help other people get noticed, you create opportunities for relationships and partnerships that may benefit everyone involved.

Collaboration Over Competition

One of the things I appreciate about the notary community is the opportunity to collaborate rather than treating everyone as competition.

Alyssa shared that she enjoys showcasing other professionals and has seen those relationships benefit her business through partnerships and referrals. She also recognizes the value of creating opportunities for people who may not otherwise have a platform to share what they're doing.

I shared a similar experience from when I first entered the industry. I reached out to a notary I considered a direct competitor and invited her to lunch. Instead of being protective of her business, she welcomed me, shared advice, and helped me understand the industry. We still work together and attend networking events.

That experience changed how I viewed competition. Other notaries can become valuable professional connections, and there are opportunities to refer work, share knowledge, and support one another.

You don't have to build your business by keeping everyone else at a distance. Sometimes the relationships you develop with other professionals become some of your most valuable resources.

What's Next for Alyssa and Lindsay Signature Notary?

For now, Alyssa is focused on keeping The Notary Note consistent and continuing to build relationships with notaries and signing services.

She's also exploring potential collaborations and ways to connect her educational products with resources created by other business owners. She mentioned that learning more about what other professionals offer has helped her identify possible opportunities for partnerships.

Rather than rushing into the next project, she wants to keep building the foundation she's already working on.

That includes giving other businesses space to be seen, maintaining the newsletter, and developing relationships within the industry.

It's a practical approach to growth. You don't always need to launch something new to move your business forward. Sometimes improving what you already have and making it more consistent is the next important step.

Build a Business That Gives You More Room to Grow

Alyssa's experience highlights how AI, automation, and collaboration can support a notary business in different ways.

AI can help reduce repetitive work and make unfamiliar tasks easier to approach. Automation can connect the systems you already use. A newsletter can create consistent visibility and help establish trust, while collaboration can introduce you to professionals and opportunities you might not find on your own.

But none of these tools replace the foundation of a business: knowing what you offer, understanding your clients, providing reliable service, and building relationships.

You don't need to automate everything or use every AI platform available. Start with the areas where you need the most support, learn the tools that make sense for your workflow, and keep your own judgment involved.

As Alyssa demonstrates, technology can help you make better use of your time. What you choose to do with that time is still up to you.