# "Business cards" for the unemployed **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 1, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874 "2008-02-01T17:59:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/1 "2008-02-01T17:59:41Z")
I am a househusband (kept man, domestic engineer, whatever term you prefer), and I realized the other day that one of the things I miss about being employed is having business cards. I didn’t hand them out at every possible moment, but it was a nice, neat, easy way to give an address, phone number, and e-mail address to a new acquaintance. I recently met someone with whom I wanted to exchange contact information, and while he was able to simply give me a business card, I had to write my information on the back of one of his. So, I thought about having some cards made with my name, address, phone numbers, and an e-mail address. Nothing outrageous; a neutral colored card stock with this info and nothing else. No obnoxious graphics or neon colors, or anything. But then I realized that I had never encountered such a thing from anyone else. In your opinion, would it be strange or weird if someone gave you a “business card” when they were not actually employed or a business owner? What do you think - a bit pretentious, or just convenient? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/2 "2008-02-01T18:16:46Z")
I’d vote for “convenient.” ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/3 "2008-02-01T18:21:12Z")
I’d vote for “pick-up line” ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/4 "2008-02-01T18:21:33Z")
Not weird at all. I have a box of personal ones somewhere that have my name, email and phone number on them, and on the back they say “Bombay Sapphire on the rocks no twist”. They’re pretty out of date though. That back part came from getting annoyed trying to yell my drink order in really loud bars. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/5 "2008-02-01T18:22:41Z")
Convenient. There’s nothing wrong with a personal card. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/6 "2008-02-01T18:23:47Z")
I have them. I got them online at Overnight Prints, and they were a great bargain. My employer doesn’t provide business cards because we don’t deal with the public. Since I think are business cards are 1) really neat and 2) a useful way to give someone your contact info, I had them made up with some very nice artwork and my email address only. Some people, of course, will think you’re pretentious and lame. But that’s their problem. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/7 "2008-02-01T18:24:08Z")
Personal cards are a very old idea that’s mostly gone out of fashion, but that’s no reason why you should not take up the idea. ---
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/8 "2008-02-01T18:30:21Z")
Personal cards long pre-date business cards, though they fell out of fashion. You’re seeing a comeback with things like the Moo / Flicker art cards and ‘mommy cards’ now. Unless you’re handing them out obnoxiously to people who haven’t asked for your info, they seem handy and reasonable to me. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/9 "2008-02-01T18:31:41Z")
[Moo Minicards](http://www.moo.com/products/minicards.php) are becoming pretty popular. I have a couple of friends that have them. I think it is a great idea. ---
**Author:** ![voted\_most\_organic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c5a1d2/32.png) [@voted\_most\_organic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voted_most_organic)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/10 "2008-02-01T18:33:57Z")
My dad had “business cards” printed up when he retired. Looked real but no company name. People often asked if he was a one-man company, CPA or something. But he just wanted something to put into the “win a free lunch” fishbowl at the restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/11 "2008-02-01T18:42:03Z")
I’m a law students and I have “contact cards” – they’re easy to hand out and help people remember who you are. Got 'em at [vistaprint.com](http://vistaprint.com) – 250 for about $10, including shipping (they’re almost free if you allow them to put their logo on the back face, but I said no thanks.) ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/12 "2008-02-01T18:44:59Z")
[QUOTE=voted most organic] My dad had “business cards” printed up when he retired. Looked real but no company name. People often asked if he was a one-man company, CPA or something. But he just wanted something to put into the “win a free lunch” fishbowl at the restaurants. [/QUOTE] Sounds like my Dad. he never passed up anything free. Makes me sad he died before Costco. ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/13 "2008-02-01T18:54:10Z")
[QUOTE=voted most organic] My dad had “business cards” printed up when he retired. Looked real but no company name. People often asked if he was a one-man company, CPA or something. But he just wanted something to put into the “win a free lunch” fishbowl at the restaurants. [/QUOTE] Ooh, I forgot about the free lunches. Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I think I’ll go ahead and order some. ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/14 "2008-02-01T19:29:56Z")
I think they are becoming more common now ‘with the kids’. It’s an easy way to give someone not only your phone number, but email adress, and maybe a web page/myspace/facebook address. They are easy to make up on a computer, you can buy the cards anyplace that sells printer paper. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/15 "2008-02-01T19:39:42Z")
Giving away my age here, but these are historically known as ‘calling cards’, although that term obviously has been co-opted for pre-paid phone ducats. Handing them out to people who need your contact info is perfectly acceptable, although more modern folk indeed tend to find 'em a bit pretentious. I used to have some in addition to my business cards, where I was giving out my contact info purely for social purposes. ---
**Author:** ![vertizontal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ad7895/32.png) [@vertizontal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertizontal)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/16 "2008-02-01T19:58:31Z")
Like others have said, you can just print some yourself. Use a whimsical font, and one or two humorous clip-arts, and people will like them. Maybe include your actual occupation: **"Certified Househusband, Kept man, and Domestic Engineer"** ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/17 "2008-02-01T20:05:49Z")
They were also known as “visiting cards” and there was a whole etiquette about presenting and leaving them, including things like bending corners to symbolize the nature of the visit. I printed up a bunch when I moved to hand out to friends and family rather than having to constantly repeat my new address, phone, and e-mail. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/18 "2008-02-01T20:15:47Z")
Lots of musicians do this. They just put their name, instrument(s) and other specialties, and contact info. Perfectly acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/19 "2008-02-01T20:20:04Z")
I had some printed up for [my blog](http://thejtrain.typepad.com/) that also have my name and e-mail on them. Lots of places online will do free cards that also have their logo on them. f you don’t want anything formal and don’t care much about the design, that wouldn’t be a bad choice. I’ve never tried it, though. ---
**Author:** ![Q.N.Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3da27b/32.png) [@Q.N.Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.N.Jones)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874/20 "2008-02-01T20:44:08Z")
I have done this at various times–printed up cards with personal info on them. I move every year, so I like having them to pass out to people. Nobody seems to think it’s weird. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-cards-for-the-unemployed/435874.md?page=2)