If ever there were a job with built-in longevity, it's working as a notary public. Many major undertakings in life, whether it's buying a house, making a will or starting your own business, eventually require that a notary get involved to make sure everything is signed, sealed and legal.

There are 4.3 million notaries across the country, and the overwhelming majority of them are employed and perform notarizations as part of their regular employment. "They are, for example, secretaries or legal assistants who notarize for their bosses," explains William Anderson, vice president of Best Practices and eNotarization for the National Notary Association.

In addition to those who notarize as part of their regular job, Anderson adds that there is a smaller subset of the notary population with notaries that work for themselves. "This is an ideal job to have if you're looking to supplement your regular income with a second job," says Anderson, who shared with eHow the steps anyone can take if he'd like to set up his own side business notarizing everything from deeds to power-of-attorney documents.