Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing Tiffinie Nelson-Julien. She is a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and a lifelong public servant. She is a Notary Signing Agent and owner of TNJ & Associates, Mobile Notaries.
Hi, Please introduce yourself and tell us about your journey
In December of 2019, my work experience wasn’t what it used to be, and I wanted more. I looked for other positions, but no one was really hiring in my field, which is public service. There was a moment where I really felt God leading me to entrepreneurship. I was excited about it for the autonomy that I knew that I would have as a business owner. I told my family, and they got on board, and we all kind of embarked on this journey together.
Please tell us about your Company.
My company is TNJ and Associates, Mobile Notaries. We offer mobile notary and loan signing services in the Chicagoland area. A lot of what we do involves: refinance, HELOC, and reverse mortgage closings. We also notarize estate planning documents as well as structured settlement documents. In the short time that we have been in business, we have notarized 30 different types of documents. Every week I learn of some new types of documents. We visit homes, places of business, medical and correctional facilities, truck stops, public parks, and pretty much wherever our clients want us to come.
What are the strategies that helped you become successful in your journey?
I built relationships early on. This business is about relationships. I networked with a lot of notaries, real estate professionals, and attorneys, and I still do to this day. When I first started, it took forever for google to approve my business listing, and then the pandemic happened. I depended on referrals for the first couple of months. Eventually, I started letting signing services and title companies know I was out there, and then when I saw that I couldn’t keep up with the demand and have a full-time job, I decided that I needed associates to make this work. My business line would be ringing while I was working at my day job. Still, I couldn’t answer, and that was money I was losing, so I updated my website to allow for 24-hour online scheduling. I partnered with other notaries to become TNJ and Associates. Now when a customer calls during the day, someone can answer the phone and serve their needs.
Any message for our readers
If you are thinking about entrepreneurship, I would say go for it. If you have a great work ethic and are providing a service that people want or need, you can certainly be successful. Start small. Don’t spend too much on the website or the logo right away. See if people want your product or service before you invest too much upfront. Also, be patient. The first couple of months were like blah, and then all of a sudden, the business was booming.
Fantastic! So tell us, how can people find out more about you?
I am not a huge social media person, however, since starting the business, I have a LinkedIn, and I have a Vimeo and Pinterest page. These are new. I haven’t really done much with these pages, but I am active on LinkedIn. I also have a Snapchat. You can certainly visit my website at TNJNotary.com and scroll down to connect with me on the social media platforms that I mentioned.
Thank you so much for giving us your precious time! We wish you all the best for your business venture!
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