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A “Mobile
Office” is exactly what the idea sounds like, an office in your
vehicle. This includes a laptop, laser printer, legal paper and
possibly a copier or scanner. Anything you may need to receive and
print loan documents on the go. The purpose of a mobile office is for the
Notary Signing Agent to receive a call while on the road, download loan docs
and print them instead of having to go back to your home/office to do
the work. If you are getting calls that close to appointment time that
you need this feature then by all means don’t let this article stop
you. On the other hand if you are getting some calls that close to
appointment time, and you feel that a mobile office will be a of
benefit, then consider how many more assignments will you receive and
how much extra income you are
going to make once you set up your “Mobile Office”. There some key
factors to consider when setting up a mobile office other than your
standard equipment pricing. .
1. Have you considered your area and climate?
Electronic equipment is NOT designed to sit out in extreme heat and or cold.
Plastic will warp in extreme heat and crack in extreme cold.
In
extreme heat, in the sun, it is not unusual for temperatures to reach
as high as 140 F. and this will damage your electronic equipment.
Extreme cold will also damage your ink, paper (dampness) and drum.
Do
you have a garage to park your vehicle in at nights and or will you
have to haul all your equipment out every evening, for safe keeping?
Will every signing you do, have a shady spot for you to park your vehicle in out of the sun?
You will need some kind of cooling/heating storage compartment for your equipment
2. Is Your Vehicle Suitable For a Mobile Office?
Consider the type of vehicle you have, and how it will be used as your mobile office.
Will the vehicle have adequate storage space?
What items will you need to leave in on a regular basis - car seats, seasonal gear, and tire repair equipment?
How will these items affect the space you need?
While compact cars normally provide better mileage results, will you have enough space for work related materials?
3. Insurance Considerations
Speak with an insurance professional to learn what changes may be required for your vehicle insurance coverage.
When
you use your personal vehicle for business pursuits, you have changed
the exposure to the vehicle and you must report this change of use.
Failure to report a change in use can negate your vehicle insurance.
The equipment left in your vehicle will need to be insured.
Will the added business and profit, pay for the additional expense?
4. Organizing your vehicle - What you need, Storage solutions and Gadgets
There
are a wide variety of storage and organization solutions that you can
use with your vehicle to make it a more effective mobile office.
Having
storage insulated and padded storage compartments will help protect
your equipment from the elements as well as damage from being bumped
such as an accident.
You may need a variety of sizes depending on the types of supplies and equipment you need.
Rather
than using one large storage bin, use a variety of sizes, which will
hold your items more securely and keep them better organized.
5. Using a Leased or Rented Vehicle
If you lease or rent a vehicle, be sure to check the details of your lease/rental agreement.
Is
there a clause or clauses which may limit the type of use or
circumstances which you can use the vehicle such as mileage
restrictions?
If there are no usage or mileage restrictions, choose a vehicle, which provides you with optimum mileage and storage space.
6. Security
Now
more than ever it is important that you lock your vehicle and you store
your work materials in a secure manner within your vehicle.
Never
advertise nor discuss what you carry in your vehicle - you never know
who may be listening. Don't leave things in plain sight as you may be
creating a target for theft or vandalism.
Place equipment and documents in your trunk and out of site.
If
you have an in-vehicle storage organizer/laptop desk in the front seat,
stow it in the trunk when not in use or you are out of the vehicle.
Never forget to lock your vehicle when.
Purchase additional security features such as a vehicle alarm and locks for containers you store work materials in.
Make it more difficult for anyone to get at your property and you can decrease the risk of loss.
The
most important security feature to remember is the nature of your
business and the type of information that you will leave in your
vehicle.
How
many documents are you going to leave on your laptop, and if this gets
into the wrong hands, what will happen with the borrower’s information?
Preparing
your vehicle as a mobile office will not happen overnight. You may find
that you will need to try different filing systems and storage
solutions to find the method that works best for you and your vehicle to provide the best notary signing services.
