Yes it is rather confusing... this BEA/BBA/PI thing...

Two observations and comments:

... and most often a bondsman is a one man show... no secretaries to do your detailed paperwork (although I do have a couple of pool girls) and as Johnathan Winters once said about pictures... "they are very pretty, especially to look at" and they don't type! ... and there is so much of that... that it often will overwhelm you... at least in the beginning... my learning curve was so crooked, I turned back on myself many times... every mistake is a learning experience if you are smart enough to let it be... there is absolutely nothing wrong with aiming high, but small steps up will probably get you there a lot better than giant leaps... not to say there are giants in this business but the bread and butter guys... like me (I'm actually more of a cornbread and shine guy)... are what make up the majority of the industry... I have written a few 100K bonds but frankly... most are under 10K... (I think I am gonna write a 25K today... hopefully it will come together... so I can pay my yellow page ads??!! ) bumping along IMHO is what gets you to the level you aspire to... Bill, all those things you mentioned are so important and are so often overlooked in the scheme of things. I could improve on my money management and stop buying toys?!!


I have said, as Scott and others who have been in this business for more than a few years.... "Do not quit your day job" number one and number two..."Develop multiple streams of income"... branch out as Ruffin said and put on a different hat as often as needed to maintain your direction.... and most important, your income.

PS: my avatar of the pretty little monkey... well, that is my secretary....

_________________
Bill Marx, Sr.
"FREE STATE BAIL BONDS"
"FREE STATE INVESTIGATIONS"
DCJS: 99-176979
Cell: 434-294-0222

"Endeavor to Persevere" "Lone Watie"

"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that , comes from bad judgment" "Will Rogers"

If I may add to Professor Marx's and all the others excellent posts.

Now I am very lucky. I married the Boss whos parents had started our bail bond agency in '95. When I came on board in 2000, it was already successful enough for them.

With another "partner" me, we needed to move it to a higher level. I put over $170K into it over the first 3 years. That went into increased ads, computers, taking credit cards, joining the Richmond Chamber, Kiwanis and all the bail associations.

We did grow to the point where we had to add a couple of agents. That lasted until '08 when the economy crashed and burned like the Hindenburg.

But I have been able to maintain a decent list of regular clients that provide us with plenty of referrals. We also have several lawyers that will refer some of their clients to us.

So, from the bail agent side, the years of networking and treating the clients right has kept us in business.

Some other things that I do that other bail agents think are crazy, we really push our notary public services. Very often a person that comes into our office for notary services, will ask how bail works and I am able to explain it to them.

Most of the time they will say that they know that they will never need to bail out of jail. Then I will ask if they have any children, siblings or co workers. The answer is usually yes. I hand them a business card and tell them to keep it just in case.

We have many bail clients that started as notary clients.

Now after years of pushing the notary business, I am the "official" notary for the City of Richmond Rehabilitaion Department. I notarize all their loan docs. I am now also the "official" notary for the local Wells Fargo Bank.

That all came about because I made myself available for a last minute "emergency" notary signing. And I did it for the normal $10 fee. No travel charges.

Most other notary publics will charge a minimum of $50 to travel even less than a mile. I do it for $10. Then client also gets one of my business cards.

Another potential bail client.

Finally about notaries, I am also the "official" notary for the inmates at our local counuty jail. Whenever an inmate needs a document notarized, I get the call. So now the inmate also knows that I am a bail agent.

Could that lead to me posting a bond or two? Maybe.

Another source of income is from attorneys looking for people. I have several attorneys that hire me to find some of their old clients that owe them money or people they are suing.

It usually only takes a couple minutes, maybe an hour to locate the person of interest. Then its a $200 pay check in the mail to me.

I also do the same for 2 different process servers. I help locate their targets and get any where from $20 to $50 per search.

Just like with bail agents, bail recovery agents can diversify and use the resources that they already have to operate a side business and make extra income.

Look at what your competitors are NOT doing and offer your clients more services at a decent price and you will grow your business.

Other than that, learn as much as you can about whatever business you do and be the most knowledgable in you field. Become the expert that people go to for answers.

Tony, I cannot say enough about your post. The information included in it is absolutely invaluable. That one post should be read and pondered by every BBA and BEA... lots of great stuff there... thanks.

_________________
Bill Marx, Sr.
"FREE STATE BAIL BONDS"
"FREE STATE INVESTIGATIONS"
DCJS: 99-176979
Cell: 434-294-0222

"Endeavor to Persevere" "Lone Watie"

"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that , comes from bad judgment" "Will Rogers"

Sad thing though is when my partner and I went to Tonys office I ask if he would post a bond for Marco ( my parnter). He told us NO and asked us to leave.

_________________
Mike
Norcal Bail Enforcement
San Jose Ca.
360 237 1721 efax
408 402 2710 work cell
DOI Bail Agent Lic 1844214
BSIS G1533544

Go hug a Tree

That was because these guys walked in decked out in all that camo and swat gear on. They scared all my customers away!

Then Mike started flirting with the Boss, again. It's bad enough when it was just Scott and Bill. Now I got to watch out for Mike too!

BTW Mike, my cabbie connection couldn't come up with anything on that skip.