The Only Time You Shouldn’t Design Your Own Business Cards

November 14th, 2011 by Ryan

Even if you have a company that orders a standard set for you, it’s never a bad idea to design your own business cards—unless you’re a criminal. A teenager in the UK learned that lesson the hard way. Having observed the business world, he knew the value of having his own business card; he just didn’t think it would incriminate him once local police tracked down his business.

On the first of October, a Gloucester police officer noticed a car was parked oddly at a junction notorious for dealing drugs. As he pulled his patrol car up for a closer look, the teenage driver pulled off immediately. Suspicious, the cop followed and stopped him a little further down the road. Immediately he smelled marijuana, and as soon as the boy stepped out of his car, the officer found small wraps of pot, crack cocaine, and heroine in his pockets. Possession is, of course, a criminal offense, but the intent to distribute can lead to a lot more jail time. That intent is hard to prove, unless there’s a clear indicator like a business card advertising drugs. That’s exactly what this teenager had.

When you design your own business cards, it’s some of the easiest and cheapest marketing you can do. Every professional should have some, unless they’re in an illegal industry. Then a little more secrecy and a lot less professionalism should be used. This young drug dealer probably saw a boost in business as his name got circulated on cards, but it was all the evidence his judge needed to put him in jail for a long time.

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