Don’t Just Leave Your John Hancock Anywhere

I sign a lot of legal documents in the contracts and deals that are forged for my web based accounting business. But there’s one thing that I’ve noticed where a lot of creative types are not careful with when it comes to newsletters and websites. When it comes to business, you want to market yourself and many people sign their names as a sort of personal touch. Here’s the key.

Don’t sign your full name.

First name? Sure. But never sign your last name unless you’re looking to sign a check or a legal document. Why? Security. It’s one thing to have your identity stolen, but it’s another to invite your identity to be stolen. And for most legal documentation, your power is in your signature. I mean, it’s already easy enough to pick it up from carbon copies, checks, and other things out there. But why make it easy enough to pull off with a little Photoshop work?

Protect yourself and don’t just leave it around. You can personalize and brand yourself. But in my humble opinion? Leaving your John Hancock just laying around is a disaster waiting to happen.