The Department of Homeland Security has identified sixteen pieces of critical infrastruture for the county and provided guidance in support of rediness in light of COVID-19.

The guide states that financial services and specifically, the provisioning of credit and liquidity to customers is one of the sixteen pieces of critical infrastructure during the COVID-19 outbreak. Without the essential services provided by title insurance sompanies attorneys and notaries, the extension of credit and the ability of homeowners to tap into their home’s liquidity in this time of emergency would cease.

To ensure the safety of signers and ourselves, we will take appropriate actions, such as implementing social distancing, requesting a limit to the number of individuals present to only those necessary, gloves or masks, alternate locations, or other actions as recommended by the CDC or local health officials.

Please note: Robin’s Desktop will NOT perform notorial services in a manner that violate West Virginia State Code.

Recently, signing services and lending services have suggested the use of “door delivery” or “curbside/window signings.” These type of signings attempt to reduce the exposure of all parties by using a physical barrier – a glass door or window. We do not believe, even with verification of identification, this is legal under West Virginia law.

Clients, or potential clients, are encouraged to reach out to us if they have a need for notorial services and discuss the situation and signing arrangement options.

When I started mobile Notary work I focused on real estate; buying, selling, and refinancing. I never thought I would be so busy doing so many other types of work

I received a call a few days ago asking if I could help a couple groups of nurses get their Nursing Board applications completed. Sure thing!

I find my clients prefer the blue stickies. It helps them find the signature lines. It also helps them understand how much work we have to do, keeping them focused and less chatty.

#MemorialDay #2019 #honor #freedom

Annie Lowery, writing for The Atlantic, sees the gig economy differently in her article, The Gig Economy Isn’t Really Taking Over.

“Wild predictions aside, it was always clear that many gig workers were taking on these kinds of jobs as a temporary stopgap or as a way to supplement their income, rather than as a substitute for a full-time position. A comprehensive look at the Uber workforce by Krueger and Jonathan Hall, the company’s internal head of economic research, found that “most of Uber’s driver-partners had full- or part-time employment prior to joining Uber, and many continued in those positions after starting to drive with the Uber platform.” Other surveys showed that most gig-economy workers were on the job only intermittently. The gig economy was providing a lot of work but not a lot of jobs, in other words.”

(Read More Here)

As an independent contractor myself, it is important to understand how the IRS determines if someone is, in fact, and independent contractor or some classification of employee. I decided to refresh my understanding of the differences.

According to the IRS Website:

Two key points for small business owners to keep in mind when it comes to classifying workers:

1. Control. The relationship between a worker and a business is important. If the business controls what work is accomplished and directs how it is done, it exerts behavioral control. If the business directs or controls financial and certain relevant aspects of a worker’s job, it exercises financial control. This includes:
    
   • The extent of the worker’s investment in the facilities or tools used in performing services
   • The extent to which the worker makes his or her services available to the relevant market
   • How the business pays the worker, and
   • The extent to which the worker can realize a profit or incur a loss
      
2. Relationship. How the employer and worker perceive their relationship is also important for determining worker status. Key topics to think about include:
    
   • Written contracts describing the relationship the parties intended to create
   • Whether the business provides the worker with employee-type benefits, such as insurance, a pension plan, vacation or sick pay
   • The permanency of the relationship, and
   • The extent to which services performed by the worker are a key aspect of the regular business of the company
   • The extent to which the worker has unreimbursed business expenses

For more detailed information on determining if you are an independent contractor, an employee (common-law employee), a statutory employee, a statutory non-employee, or a government worker check the IRS website page Independent Contractor (Self-Employed) or Employee?

John Frazer has an excellent write-up on the gig economy in his Forbes article: How The Gig Economy Is Reshaping Careers For The Next Generation. In it he concludes: that “Task-oriented work has already gathered tremendous steam, which suggests that in the not-too-far-off future we’ll see an economy that has rebuilt itself on hundreds of millions of small businesses rather than hundreds of millions of 9-to-5 jobs. Then the “gig economy” will just be “the economy.” “

She points out, “From flexible hours to the ability to work from anywhere: The gig economy is attracting more and more people, and it’s no wonder.”

“West Virginia’s economy enjoyed its strongest year of growth in nearly a decade during 2017, emerging from several years of severe economic weakness. Most of the bounce back in the state’s economy is connected to the energy sector, not only from the increased production of coal and natural gas but also as a result of a massive build-out of new natural gas pipeline infra – structure throughout the state..”

WV Economic Outlook 2019-2023 (PDF file)