[djb_97]

Hi everyone -

DH & I plan to make our own business cards to hand out as part of our networking attempts, we're wondering...

What is the best way to word them without offending anyone?

Also, how much info to include? Agency info?

We do not have our profile on the web, but we do have an e-mail address for expectant families to contact us at, so we would include that on the cards.

Any of your ideas would be helpful and appreciated, thanks much!

Hugs,
Deb

[sarahraegraham]

I know this is a really old post, but I am wondering the same thing! If anyone could help I would appreciate it.

[paigeturner]

See this:

So, How's This Make YOU Feel

[babydubs5]

That story is a story of people being insensitive. Business cards don't (and shouldn't) have to be used like that.

We had business cards printed online and passed them out to friends, family, businesses that were OK with it, on school campuses, etc. Never given to anyone we didn't know directly. Especially not a pregnant woman.

I actually had someone call us from our business cards because she knew someone who was an adoption liason and wanted to give us her number. So business cards aren't always a bad thing.

[tweetybirdus]

This is how we worded ours.

We are (First Names), a happily married couple and we would like to build our family through adoption. To learn more about us, please contact the wonderful agency we are working with, (Agency Name).

Agency Phone XXXXXXXXXX
Agency Email XXXX@XXXXX
Agency Website XXXXXXX.XXX

And we had a photograph of us in the top left corner.

We posted these on bulletin boards at restaurants and college campuses. I gave a few to my neighbor who happens to be an Emergency Room doctor who distributed them to OBGYNs who had strict instructions that they were to only to be given to expectant women who mentioned that they were considering adoption. I never walked up to a pregnant woman and handed her one or left one on the table at a restaurant where the waitress was pregnant or anything of that nature. That would have been rude and presumptuous.

It turned out that the agency found us a placement pretty quickly so we really did not get to distribute very many of the cards we made.

I hope this helps.

Kat

[mdesi]

Honestly, I don't think there is enough bang for your buck - both financially and emotionally - to do the business card thing. In all of the adoption stories that I have heard or read, none were matched based on a business card.

[JustCourtney]

I actually have a friend who posted fliers with similiar wording and a picture on bulletin boards at laudromats and grocery stores. They got calls immediately, and even matched. It was super cheap, and effective!

My SW (our agency encourages networking as they do not advertise), also told me about 2 emoms that they are currently working with that came to the agency due to a flier that a PAP had posted at their work on a bulletin board. One of the emoms works for a company that cleans at night and had seen the posting. She was so happy with the way she treated by the agency, she referred a friend!

I guess my point is - you just never know! My SW told us to talk about adoption with everyone we know and meet. Talk about it often enough, and someone would find us a baby to shut us up!

[jpchief2]

If you are going to do business cards, why not just do an open adoption? It doesn't take that long. The wait is an average of 7-8 months here in Nebraska.....I am not sure about other states. I have heard a lot of controversy about business cards, and most of them negative. I would caution against using them.

[mdesi]

Honestly, I think that she can do business cards and have an open adoption. They are not mutually exclusive, but I do agree about the negativity surrounding using business cards. It's too easy for people to misinterpret. It seems a little impersonal, too.

[Snick22]

Originally Posted by CourtneynCarl

I guess my point is - you just never know! My SW told us to talk about adoption with everyone we know and meet. Talk about it often enough, and someone would find us a baby to shut us up!

You are so right and thank you for posting this!

I am so glad to hear hopeful stories of successful networking. Our first baby came to us b/c of my DH's big mouth! LOL. He told everyone (his clients) I had just lost a baby and the next thing we knew, we brought our DS home from the hospital just 3 months later. If it were up to me, I would not have shared such personal details with everyone. You just never know how your baby will find you.

I always tell DH that his "big mouth" brought us something good! --- our DS.

hugs,
-Snick

P.S. I have some questions for you. I'll PM you.