Bilingual, mobile notary business is making an impact 

Sara Román believes deeply in serving her community. A certified notary public, she decided to embrace a mobile model to make her services more accessible to clients. 

Román opened a trailer, the Notary Kiosk, to house her business in June. It is usually parked in a Tampa lot near the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court, at 946 E. Twiggs St. 

She will be hosting an open house Nov. 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to honor Notary Public Day. 

A native Puerto Rican, Román moved to Tampa when she was 19. She began her career in healthcare services, and worked at Moffitt Cancer Center and the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital as a bilingual patient navigator, among other roles. 

In 2011, Román became a notary public to help her fellow church and community members translate and notarize documents. 

Román would incorporate her business, iCommunity Multiservices, in 2017 after taking workshops at the Helen Gordon Davis Centre for Women in Hyde Park. She rebranded it as the Notary Latina in 2023 to reflect on her heritage. 

“I understand the people that come to me and the culture of the Latino community,”  Román explained.

“The idea of the kiosk was born last year when I knew I wanted to do something different, accessible and quick.” 

Román eventually had discussions with Seven One Seven Parking Enterprises leaders, who gave her the opportunity to park it conveniently near the courthouse. 

Acquiring a trailer has allowed Román to reach more people. To exemplify, she spoke about how she works with the Orlando-based Mexican Consulate when it does events in Tampa. 

“Mobility in these times is everything,” Román explained. “I can also go to other counties that are not so urban like Hillsborough.” 

Beyond notary and translation services, Román offers fingerprinting, copying and faxing, and will ship documents to Tallahassee to help customers get special certifications such as apostilles, which authenticate documents for use in other countries. 

For Román, it’s about providing services while also helping individuals connect with other community resources. Additionally, she can be a “bridge” for Spanish-speaking people. 

Unfortunately, Román has seen the impacts of deportation firsthand. 

In August, she said, she had to assist when a couple was sent back to Mexico by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Unfortunately, their two young daughters were left behind. 

Román drove to Tallahassee to get apostilles for the children’s birth certificates, so that they could return to their parents. 

A proud Latina, she is also a proud American and the daughter of a Vietnam veteran. 

“People profile people too easily. They don’t know the education and experience that I have,” she said. “I’m not afraid to be profiled because I know the quality of my work and that speaks volumes about how I speak, my accent or how I look.” 

Román hopes to franchise the Notary Kiosk concept in other cities, or open an office in Tampa’s courthouse or airport.