Do you have a business card?

Narz

Narz

keeping it real
Joined
Jun 1, 2002
Messages
31,514
Location
Haverhill, UK
I wanted to get some made. Should I use something cheap like VistaPrint or another company?

Do you find them useful? What's on yours? Very serious or a bit funny? Plain or colorful?
 
Currently, no. When I had my own business, always. When I was in sales, always. When I was a quality assurance manager the company provided them, and since I had a nice desk I used them for coasters.

All that needs to be on them is the useful ways to contact you. Serious turns some people off, and funny turns other people off, and neither will make you memorable if you weren't already.

Cheap may turn some people off, but I was seldom interested in doing business with connoisseurs of business cards. Pay what you are comfortable throwing away, because that is the fate of most business cards.
 
I have to agree Timsup2nothin
IMHO it's reasonable for a company to have a common design for all employees. Corporate id and stuff like that (CEO might be an exception).
Also ordering more than 250pcs/person is usually not necessary if you don't represent your company on trade fairs and congresses.
 
I've consciously decided not too, it seems pretentious and I don't like to throw my phone number and email around. I'd rather get in touch with them.
 
I was given a pile of cheap, boring ones through work a while back. Hardly ever used any, but they might be useful in some instances and occupations, I guess.
 
I have many business cards. None of them are mine, though. :p

Business cards are handy if you want to give someone your phone number, address, or email and haven't got a pen and paper handy (no, not everyone carries a cellphone or other kinds of phones around).

Business cards are also handy to use as bookmarks.

Plus, they are useful for the times when I want to call the company, either forgot the number or didn't memorize it in the first place, and have misplaced the phone book.

Some business cards are miniature works of art. Some of the artists I buy from on Etsy and eBay enclose business cards that are works of art in their own right. And occasionally they come with a code for a discount off my next order - which is much appreciated if it's someone I buy from regularly (as is the case with some of my ACEO card collecting).
 
Lillefix said:
I've consciously decided not too, it seems pretentious and I don't like to throw my phone number and email around. I'd rather get in touch with them.
Click to expand...

I was in businesses that whether I would rather get in touch with them or not, limiting access to me limited my income. I left a card with every tip at a meal or drink. I dropped a card in every payment envelope that went to a local establishment. I tacked more than one on the tack board of every place that had a board for that purpose. I dropped them in the drawing fishbowl everywhere that had one and endured them calling to sell me stuff in hopes of selling them stuff instead (which sometimes worked and at one point also led to me winning a gym membership). When I was in the pool business I slipped cards through the gap into boxes of pool chemicals at Home Depot, which also worked once.
 
Yup, I have them. I keep a few in my wallet and give away lots of them when I speak at college campuses or am interviewing people at games...but if I'm totally honest, I probably give more or them away at restaurants near my office to try and get free lunch.

I don't know how effective they are for other industries? I had the option to get them when I was a recruiter and I just never bothered.
 
It all depends upon what you want the cards for. If you only want to convey contact information, go cheap or electronic. If you want to tell a story use four color processing and 16 point silk as your paper stock. The resulting look and feel are outstanding. I use fewer and fewer every year, but still spring for the nicest ones.
 
The officers in our local SCA branch used to use business cards when talking to people about the organization. They especially came in handy when talking to the press or people like school teachers when we were trying to drum up some business putting on demos for students (we charged a fee for that). Of course we designed them ourselves, with the appropriate heraldry and calligraphy. I'm not sure if I've still got any, but they did look rather nice.
 
Nope. I was away on business a few years ago and business cards were being handed out - I felt a bit left out until I realized I had emailed everyone I was meeting and they had all my contact details already. The cards were pointless.

My boss used to give out business cards when away for business - he hadn't realized the details were out of date for about a year or so.
 
I have one, but I don't use it very often. Especially since the comapny is growing/reorganizing very often, the "title" changes more often than the cards are printed so it's out of date most of the time...
 
When I joined the company seven years ago I was given 100 cards. Last year there was a rebranding so they became outdated. I sent to recycle 98 cards. I gave the other 2 to my parents because they wanted go have one.

I consider them usefull if you are resposible for sales or something similar, otherwise they are a waste of money
 
Nope. But last year I had 2 different once. I've since switched jobs, and don't currently need one.
 
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