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Freelancing as a business
Started by kohuether at 02-11-2005 2:30 PM. Topic has 12 replies.
  
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 02-11-2005, 2:30 PM
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kohuether
Joined on 08-20-2003
Posts 82
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500 Business cards to get rid of
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I just picked up my cards from the printers and I don't like them all that much! It was my fault, so I have to suck up the expense. I want new ones, but I want to give all the old ones out first. Do you guys have any ideas? How can I give them away fairly quickly?
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02-12-2005, 12:08 PM
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mammamaia
Joined on 10-22-2002
island of tinian [northern marianas]
Posts 1,876
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RE: 500 Business cards to get rid of
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leave piles of them:
on the shelf in public bathrooms...
in phone booths...
on condiment counters in fast food places...
leave singles on:
tables/seats in restaurants...
counters anywhere...
on store bulletin boards...
for 100% free help/mentoring:
www.saysmom.com
"You must BE the change you wish to see in the world." Gandhi
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02-12-2005, 12:22 PM
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Muse-Less
Joined on 06-08-2004
So Cal -- AKA The Twilight Zone
Posts 176
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RE: 500 Business cards to get rid of
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Sorry to disagree, but i'd dump them in the trash.
If they are not what you want to express yourself, I wouldn't give them to anyone.
Yea, it's cash down the drain....but it happens.
Mark
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02-13-2005, 11:09 AM
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mammamaia
Joined on 10-22-2002
island of tinian [northern marianas]
Posts 1,876
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RE: 500 Business cards to get rid of
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sorry, but i hafta disagree with your disagreement, mark...
i wouldn't jump to that conclusion, since he didn't say they don't work at all, but just that he's not crazy about how they look... as mae west [?] wisely said, 'i don't care what they say about me as long as they spell my name right!'...
if the point is to get his name out there and let folks know what he can do for them, then the style isn't important enough to waste an opportunity to have several hundred folks see it... some might think the one he hates is great and hate his next version...
fact is, everyone is not going to like either one, right?... so why waste the money and the life of a tree?
for 100% free help/mentoring:
www.saysmom.com
"You must BE the change you wish to see in the world." Gandhi
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03-12-2005, 2:04 PM
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kohuether
Joined on 08-20-2003
Posts 82
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RE: 500 Business cards to get rid of
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Hi everyone, thank you for taking the time to reply to my question. No, I am not happy with them. They still look nice, just not what I expected. I am not embarassed to give the out, though.
Anyway, thanks!
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05-02-2005, 5:09 PM
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zoomia
Joined on 07-15-2003
Posts 957
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RE: 500 Business cards to get rid of
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I LOVE unused business cards. They're the perfect size for jotting notes. I keep a pile in a little bowl on my desk to grab when I need to scribble a phone number, write a short shopping list. I even write my to do lists, one task per card, and dump them one by one into the recycle bin as I finish each.
Not to say that you should do this if your cards are functional--but thought I'd throw that out there anyway.
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05-20-2005, 12:19 PM
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copywise
Joined on 04-05-2005
Posts 47
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RE: 500 Business cards to get rid of
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A number of businesses might not appreciate you leaving piles of them on their counters or tables. Many of these places (like coffee shops, sandwich shops), have ocmmunity bulletin boards--post a few there.
Also, ask businesses if you can place a small pile beside their cash registers.
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05-22-2005, 7:13 PM
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LindaF
Joined on 09-25-2003
Posts 59
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RE: 500 Business cards to get rid of
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When I interview sources for my magazine articles, I send them thank-you notes with a business card inside. Your new cards may not be nice enough to send to publishers/editors/agents, but perhaps in your thank-yous and (as others have mentioned) to people in networking groups/at conferences/etc.? Never underestimate the power of networking with other writers! I made more than $20,000 last year from contacts with other writers alone.
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05-23-2005, 11:45 PM
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NickAdams
Joined on 05-23-2005
Posts 1
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RE: 500 Business cards to get rid of
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If you don't like em, but they still represent you in a professional way, I'd leave em around as other's suggested--tacking em to bulletin boards, etc.
But if they're bad enough to make you look incompetent or brand you as an amateur, i'd do as Mark suggested, and dump em in the trash. You wouldn't want a potential client to pick up those cards and think you were lazy or sloppy or, heck, just have terrible taste in business cards. If you don't want to dump em in the trash, though, you could go around town putting them in those jars at the Teriyaki joints where you can win a free lunch.
NA
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06-01-2005, 11:21 AM
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1-Writer
Joined on 06-01-2005
Posts 1
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RE: 500 Business cards to get rid of
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Just a thought... Making the best use of the card should still be first priority. Consider the image presented by the action you take, and consider how best to reach your preferred client, a.k.a. target market. If the type of client you want gathers business cards from bathrooms or restaurant tables, then distribute accordingly.
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06-22-2005, 12:33 PM
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suibhne
Joined on 06-22-2005
Posts 8
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RE: 500 Business cards to get rid of
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make sure to put some in those giveaways where a card is your entry ticket -- you could win a nice ham and a weekend at a time share.
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05-09-2007, 11:14 AM
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dianeschuller
Joined on 05-09-2007
Alberta - Canada
Posts 1
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Re: 500 Business cards to get rid of
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I realize this is a late post but I'm resurrecting it anyway :-) I agree that if a person isn't pleased with their business cards, not to use them for business purposes BUT ... rather than just "toss 'em'" I would strongly urge using them for something useful (it's also called recycling :-)) ... as long as they are not double-sided cards, if the back is blank then use them for: - writing notes at your computer
- leaving messages at home
- jotting down phone numbers
- use them like you'd use index cards when writing articles or other projects for collecting and arranging ideas
- and being the creative writers you all are, I'm sure you'll come up with other really creative uses for the backs of those cards.
I also knew a person who gave her old business cards to the daycare centre she took her kids too ... the daycare staff came up with some creative uses for the kids to use them! www.dianeschuller.com
www.dianeschuller.com
http://sandtoglass.blogspot.com/
http://dogsnaturally.blogspot.com/
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