Getting The Word Out/Business Cards

We just put our first names - Steve & Regina. First, it sounded more approachable, second because it provided us with a small margin of anonimity and safety. HTH, Regina, AMom to Ryan Joshua Thomas

this is such a great idea! we are trying to get the word out and i was just looking for some good ideas. what did you put on the cards and where did you post/put them out? any tips or ideas would be great! Marian

I got alot of ideas from the Forums. Most of them came from Regina (Thanks Regina!). On our cards I put our first names and "loving family wishing to adopt". Then I put our agency name, phone number and website. I also added a line saying "please let them know that you are calling about us". Because Ohio law prohibits "advertising" I didn't think it was a good idea to just post our cards. I gave them to family and friends that would come in contact or know someone that would come in contact with possible opportunities (church leaders, hairdressers, attorneys or doctors offices, etc.). You will be amazed how people just want to help. It is very touching and humbling. Good Luck! Amy

I was at a blues concert held on the campus of a university in our area, and struck up a conversation with a young co-ed. For some weird reason, i decided to give her a card, the first I had handed out. I experienced a great sense of release when i did so, as if i had come out of the closet, so to speak, as a PAP. It takes quite a bit of nerve, i think, to cross that threshold for the first time and expose yourself to the world when you begin your adoption journey. But once you do so, the rest of the journey seems so easy. Perhaps it is because, as that young girl did to me, people tend to embrace your efforts with support, understanding, and encouragement. Cards didn't do much for us, outreach-wise. But this one expereience was transformational.

Nelson, It is interesting the transformational quality of it - the first card I gave out was at a professional conference. I was chatting with a colleague and thought 'what the heck' while at the same time my heart was pounding! The warm reception and good lucks I got from that (not to mention others ASKING for cards at the same meeting) were quite a happy jolt. It's also amazing how some people have marvelous results with one method, while others using the same have zip. For instance, we had no luck advertising in newspapers, but others we've met connected this way in a week. All the more reason to 'cover all the bases'. My favorite card handout was at a restaurant - we put the card with our payment and handed it to our server. She got halfway to the register, whipped around on her heel and came back to us, card up in one hand. She asked 'whos is this?' We raised our hands kinda sheepishly. She then proceeded to tell us that her best friend had just found out she was pregnant, didn't know what to do, and this was just the most unbelievable thing that the day after she meets us! This card didn't turn into our connection that brought Ryan, but it was amazing. :-) Regina, AMom to Ryan Joshua Thomas

What a great story. thanks for sharing it. I'm going to repost it as a new thread called "Netwroking Breakthrough Experiences" because it's a great subject and i'd like to hear more such stories.

I also read somewhere that a couple was putting their cards in with their bills that they mailed. I'm not sure how well it worked, but it couldn't hurt!

Yes we put them with our bills we mail and those we take into the business- also I always give one to our server when we are out to eat- post them on bulitian boards all my friends have them in their bags even ones that live far away! My hubbys co-workers have them too! The BIG thing is to talk about it and give your card to anyone you meet- I got a call from my dog groomer the other day- has not turned into anything YET but you just never know- word of mouth followed by a business card is GREAT!

Hi, I am just starting to network. I live in a small town in texas. I am not using an agency so what should I put on the cards? What about a phone number? I dont have a 800 number. What do I do? We have tried to do the foster adopt thing and its nor working. Any Ideas? I need all the help I can get. Thanks.

Our cards read something like this: Active, fun loving couple hope to adopt. We're ready to provide a safe, stable home full of music, laughter and love for a newborn or twins. Please contact us anytime! Steve & Regina (local number - we set up a separate unlisted 'baby phone' number we forwarded to our cells when needed) (toll free number - directe to unlisted #, also forwarded when we weren't at home) email address website Now, a word of advice: Make sure you're always able to answer the phone number you advertise - forward if necessary. Friends of ours just came home with their second child Friday (8/13). How? Bmom gave birth, decided she couldn't take care of baby, called every ad in the paper that day. Our friends' ad was the 5th ad BUT they were the first to answer the phone. Bmom basically called and said 'I have a baby. Do you want it?' Since they answered their phone they got the opportunity, both families decided within a day it was a connection, and now they're parents again. Bmom didn't even consider anyone else she called b/c she figured if they didn't care enough to answer the phone # they advertised, they really didn't want her baby that much. So, in a nutshell, 4 other families didn't even get considered BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T ANSWER THEIR PHONE. So be sure you can ALWAYS answer it. HTH Regina, AMom to Ryan Joshua Thomas

I was just counseling a friend about networking. She owns a neighborhood bakery/coffee shop. I suggested that she put up a poster on her bulletin board announcing her intention to adopt, and then keep copies of her letter behind the counter with instructions for her clients to distribute them if asked. I thought this was a very cool way to connect with the extended "community network," and might work for all small business owners. Send cards with your invoices to clients, or hand them out when your bidding jobs in the field. Not only will it help get the word out, but it also might help business. The Gen Pop is tremendously sympathetic to adoption, and people love to do business with people they can connect with. I've also heard of lots of people posting their cards on corkboards in places like my friend's coffee shop, the local supermarket, dry cleaner, etc. Anywhere the community looks for that kind of person-to-person connection that is profoundly local.

I didn't put our names (even our firsts) on our cards. I put a graphic of baby blocks with the word BABY printed on them in the upper left corner and the words "If you or someone you know is pregnant and thinking about adoption...A loving couple would like to meet you! Check out our website!" and then the web addy on the bottom. On our website, we have our first names and we will have the agencies that we're working with (when we finally find some). I've already handed out some to coworkers and posted some on the public bulletin board at the local library (we work in a college town!). I still go to an infertility forum and have asked if anyone would be willing to take some cards to post or hand out today, and have already had one of the members contact me requesting some! I also just got off the phone with one of my best friends who lives in WI (I'm in NM now)...she works for the American Diabetes Association and is the president of a Women in Communications organization and seems to be a "natural" networker...she wants me to send her 100 cards! I also have a couple of other friends around the East Coast that I plan on asking...so...networking isn't as difficult as one would think! Kat!

Did any of you make your own business cards? If so, how? Or is it better to hire a professional to print the cards? Thanks for the advice.

We made our own cards. We just bought a pack of cards and it had free software in it. it's so much fun making your own stuff! we put our first names and what we were seeking and our email address. if we had've had an 800 number at the time we would've put that as well. 800 numbers shouldn't cost you anything to start up, it's the call in that will cost ya. but isn't it worth it? our phone company wasnt going to charge anything for the 800 number. we put our cards in every mailing that went out.....bills, letters to friends and family, christmas cards, anything and everything! we told everyone we knew! we included a little blurb at the bottom of our email signature w/ a link to our free webpage that described us. we sent out updates every month or every other month on what we were up to and how things were going. every forward that we send gets that little message about adoption and our link sent w/ it. i called the colleges in the area and spoke w/ couselors and various departments heads (teachers/nurses etc...) i emailed ethnic groups in our area and church leaders. i spread the word far and wide! we've heard about a few who were/are pg and were considering adoption but we are interested in older kids and siblings. it's a bit of a different situation for us. good luck to all of you! and be careful! Rain

Very easy to do yourself with a computer and a color printer. Avery and other lable manufacturers make a variety of biz cards that go in your inkjet printer, and you can use any software you are familiar with, including Word, to lay them out. you will need a high resolution photo portrait of yourselves in digital format, and that's about it. Do get an 800 toll free number, and use it instead of your home number. A card doesn't haven't to say much. "Looking to Adopt," or "We're Looking to build our Family through adoption." or something simple like that. Best of luck.