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Small business owners and staff must frequently notarize vital documentation about their business operations, such as legal contracts, forms, and agreements. A notarization proves and verifies the identity of the individual signing the documentation. Only a licensed notary of your state is authorized to verify your identity and sign off on it.
Notaries traditionally needed to see individuals in person to notarize their documents. However, the modern age of digital technology has changed how notarizes are conducted. Small businesses now have the option to use online notarization services rather than in-person notaries to notarize their documents. It provides several benefits to businesses that they didn’t have before.
Here is an overview of the top 8 benefits of small businesses using online notarization services.
No Travel Required
Time is money for small business owners. Many don’t have the time to drive to a notary’s physical address whenever they need to notarize some documents. Using online notarization services is much more time-efficient because no travel is required.
The way it works is simple.
- The individual and notary connect on a video call through an authorized secure platform.
- The individual uploads a digital version of their document in PDF or another acceptable file format for the notary to see.
- The individual holds their government-issued identification in front of the camera for the notary to review for identity verification.
- After verifying the ID, the notary will apply their electronic notary seal and signature to the document and send it back to the individual.
The process takes less than a couple of minutes in most cases. However, remember that different states and jurisdictions have varying rules and regulations regarding online notarization services, so the procedure may slightly differ depending on where you are located.
Access Services 24/7
Traditional notaries only offer services during regular business hours, such as 8 AM to 5 PM. Unfortunately, this puts some businesses under time constraints when they receive documents to notarize after hours.
Online notarization services are available and accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. If your small business needs notaries done at night or during non-business hours, you can do them anytime through a secure online notary platform. An online notary is always on standby to perform the service day or night. I like the Notarize network on Proof because they’re a leader in the industry, having completed over 3 million notarizations, and are accepted in all 50 states.
The best part is that online notarization services are accessible from anywhere as long as you have Internet access and a mobile device or computer. You don’t need to be in the office or at home.
Environmentally Friendly
More small businesses today care about conducting environmentally friendly operations. Part of this effort is to digitize everything that previously required paperwork, such as contracts and documents. The days of printing several pages of documents for notarization are over.
You will save on paper and protect the environment by never needing to print your documents again. Just create digital documents or scan existing paper documents to turn them digital, so you don’t need to make paper copies. Then, you can notarize the digital documents online and store them on your computer for safekeeping.
That will save plenty of paper and trees, helping to protect the environment. Your small business will also build a reputation for being environmentally friendly.
Maintain Productivity and Reduce Downtime
Traditional notarizations can affect your productivity if you take time from running your business to get something notarized. To maintain productivity and reduce downtime for your business, use an online notary service whenever you need a notarization.
An online notarization service, such as Notarize with Proof, ensures you will never miss another business appointment or opportunity again. It lets you remain at your place of business while getting the notarization done, which will most likely improve your business productivity.
Safe and Secure
Safety is one of the biggest concerns that business owners have about online notarizations. They want to ensure that no unauthorized users have access to their sensitive business or financial documents.
You’ll be happy to know that licensed online notarization services conduct their transactions through encrypted servers to prevent unauthorized access from third parties. The digital signatures can’t be forged or altered.
In addition, online notary platforms utilize several identity verification methods to confirm the identities of those signing the documentation, such as knowledge-based authentication and biometric verification. Therefore, because it is virtually impossible, you don’t need to worry about someone stealing your identity by forging a notarized signature.
Scalability for Improved Customer Satisfaction
Every successful small business prioritizes customer satisfaction. The last thing that your customers want to do is wait for you to process their documentation. They would appreciate it much more if you could speedily process their documents by getting them notarized as soon as possible.
Online notarization services can help your business improve customer satisfaction by reducing document processing times. They also offer scalability for notarizing many documents for multiple customers. Many online notarization services allow you to upload unlimited numbers of documents to notarize without any limits. That’s perfect for satisfying several customers at once.
Close Deals Faster
Many small businesses must notarize documents to close deals with customers or partners. The faster those deals are closed, the quicker the revenue and profits will roll into the company.
Online notarization services will enable you to close business deals faster allowing you to boost quarterly revenue and reinvest in your operations. Essentially, expanding your business from the time saved.
All Industries Accepted
Some traditional notaries won’t notarize certain documents, such as real estate deeds and leases. However, you won’t have that problem with licensed online notaries because they accept all industry-specific documents associated with industries like real estate, healthcare, financial services, e-commerce, and legal services.
As a result, you don’t have to scramble to find a notary that accepts the type of documents you need to get notarized.
Conclusion
Online notarization services are fast, efficient, and affordable for small businesses looking to boost their speed and productivity. You will never have to drive to a traditional notary office and wait in long lines for a notarization service ever again.
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Meds is an attorney currently residing on the East Coast, where he practices law. While his primary focus lies in criminal law, he also has experience in family and personal injury law. His legal background enables him to navigate a variety of legal challenges and provide comprehensive assistance to his clients.