Cheap Business Cards

[UKRay]

Just wondered what the feeling was about cheap business cards - you know the sort of thing, the ones that get offered to you in junk e-mail three times a week. Cheap template deals from digital print companies.

The reason I ask is that I'm concerned about the impression I give about my business but don't have money to splash around. These cards look (on the surface) to be a great way of getting a lot for a little (cash!). But do people recognise them as cheap and do they care? I don't want to 'cheapen' my business in the eyes of potential customers.

Does anyone else use them and if so, what do you think should be included on them other than contact details? I was wondering about putting a range of products on the back...

All thoughts welcome.

Ray

[Johanna]

I used to design my own cards and then print them on cardstock. Ink is too expensive, and the cardstock isn't as professional looking. www.vistaprint.com lets you design whatever you want, right in your browser. I got nice quality cards at a good price, and the shipping was nominal. They threw in a post it note pad and some magnets with my same theme to entice me to buy more stuff from them. All I would need to do is log on to my account and reorder.

Johanna

[JLSleather]

I actually used address labels for a while. Now, some of the guys are laughing (and the gals are saying I'm cute, but have no class ). But that little bit of stupidity got people talking... You know, ...

what's with the bald guy with the goofy stickers ...?

What guy?

That Jeff guy with JLS Leather ....

Then of course, they can't wait to tell their friends how stupid that is ... not a long-term stupid, like that guy who made MILLIONS with "Got milk?"

One other little thing ... my wife is from New Zealand. I'm constantly "getting it wrong" and telling them she's from New Guinea, or Newfoundland, ... and let them know that my materials are domestic ... only the girl is imported.

Point is, anything that will get them talking about you (if the quality follows). May be some little cost involved, like when your 2-year-old tells you he wants to go for a "rod inna cah"...

For any others reading the topic, it's better if your card, your makers mark (if applicable), your web banner, your yellow page ad(s), all match from the start ...

[abn]

Hi, Ray. I had the same question a few years ago, so I logged onto a web site and designed what I thought would be an attractive business card. Of course, the web site limited me in what fonts and colors I could use, but I liked the fact that it offered a templated design. With shipping and everything, I believe I spent about $30. When the cards arrived, I was really disappointed. They looked cheap -- like they were laser printed on inexpensive card stock. I threw 'em in the trash.

The next day, I went to my local print shop and asked to see their business card samples. I picked out the nicest card stock they had and selected a glossy, black raised-lettering. I waited about a week for them to get printed up, and boy, was it worth it. The business cards look sharp -- which is the image I'm trying to project with my leatherwork. Total cost $45.

As with anything, you get what you pay for. My preference was to use the best quality materials available for anything that promotes my work.

[abn]

One more thing -- with the local print shop, I was able to design my own business card from scratch using Adobe Photoshop. I then gave them the PSD and a PDF copy, which they exactly replicated on the business card. Very nice if you're using special fonts, designs or images.

The web sites that offer these services have much more limited (or templated) options.

[cdthayer]

I used to design my own cards and then print them on cardstock. Ink is too expensive, and the cardstock isn't as professional looking.....

Johanna

I designed our card and print them as needed on plain cardstock on an inkjet printer. They're black and white and simple. They have our name and contact information on them as most cards do, and with a simple message that says "We would like for you to buy your fabric from us!". They look "homemade", or some may say "cheap". That's ok, I want them to look that way. Our logo on everything (cards, signs, advertising, website, etc) is simply our business name in simple fonts. Sometimes it's best not to go too fancy with things. It can be misinterpreted as a vain attempt at trying to be something that you're not.

We're a little "Mom and Pop" shop, and our customers know it. They know we have a little old store with no employees, and that we do everything ourselves, including our website, bookkeeping, tax reports, remote sales at shows, alterations, mending, and sweeping the floor. (Exception: We pay a guy to wash our store windows once or twice a month for $5 a pop.) Our entire business is designed to be "plain" or "common" in appearance, the way people remember stores being in the old days before everything got so expensive. Not that stores were that way back then, but it's how people remember them being. We believe that most people are looking for economy in a small rural fabric center, and know perfectly well who pays for the "fancy" overhead that they see at some businesses. Our customers take the fancy home with them when they buy our products. The signs are still up on the store fronts around town from the discontinued businesses that brought fancy to the folks around here for 1-3 months before they closed down.

For some, a very elaborate card would be very appropriate. For others, a nice professionally produced card would be best. But for some, a simple homemade card can be both economical and effective.

CD in Oklahoma

thayerrags.com

[UKRay]

Some very interesting observations. Thanks, people.

I was also looking at VistaPrint (I was ahead of you Johanna!) and have now had my cards delivered. My first impression is that they provide an exceptional service at a very reasonable price, not inspired but perfectly adequate. However, I'm still interested to know how people look at cheap business cards.

For example, when I worked in Japan the whole business card thing was seen as very important. If someone gives you a business card it is seen as impolite to stuff the thing in your pocket without taking time to look at it and appreciate the thought that went into the design. I kinda hold with this myself. A very nice idea and one that makes you take a bit of time with your 'business identity'.

Somehow, I can't see a well respected Japanese business person ordering from Vistaprint - although I could be wrong... Is this relevant? I don't know.

How do you folks feel about it?

Ray

[Suze]

Ray - we used to make ours up on blank index cards with a rubber stamp....

this was after watching children at the miniture shows collect cards from every vendor and then before they could go home their parents made them trash the stack of cards.

they looked "ok" for a rubberstamp on an index card - just took time to make them (it was Dad's "job" = keep him out of Mom's hair for an afternoon - giggle) this was also pre computer for me - early 80's (I didn't have a machine that could do cards till about 94)

I make cards for our SCA group with print shop and photocopies on plain paper.

they also get trashed quite a lot. We also hand out a blue million of the silly things at demos and such. We went through about 200 at the last one.

Last time I had cards printed it was $7.00 for a hundred copies at ten to a page.

We do demo flyers that way too -- we call them "flyer lights" and they have the name of the event and when and where and a web address. This is also cheaper to pass out by the "millions" (also easier to carry around with you)

I see business cards in the SCA from cheap homeprinted to very expensive ones and you know something?

they all tell me the same info

business name

personal name and address

website (if there is one)

phone number

and the people that pay a bunch of money are sooooo stingy with giving out cards you would think that they were made of gold leaf or something. I can understand not giveing out to kids willy nilly but an adult that is intrested in your work?

I also relize that what we do with cards is not what you all do with them - but I thought I would toss my thoughts in the pot.

[SPLeatherSales]

zazzle.com has really reasonably priced business cards that you can customize.

[8thsinner]

INitially reading this, I was about to mention the japanese custom of analysing the card itself, it reveals a lot about a persons work and if youwant to be professional which is the impression your website gives UKray, then it is as important as you make it.

And I feel the best way for you to define your cards perfect image is to go round every shop in town and get their business cards, take them all home and make notes on what you like, whats missing, whats too much, what looks cheap etc

Your going to end up with a better impression of whats good for you.

In my mind however heres whats close to perfect.

Noticable, distinct and unique clean cut logo that doesn't look like flash image

Full contact details (I'm sure you have to have this for legal reasons anyway technically) that don't take up loads of room or distract from the overall feel.

If you go with sample images, I think they should be teasers at best and gently faded to the side or overlapping a corner for example. But make sure it's your very best image.

As you may know from browsing in japan, symetrical simple clean elegant lines are prominent, I happen to love them.

If you were in japan I would suggest an extreme close up on a light background of PERFECT stitching on stingray with your details on top...using textured paper....( I meant card obviously)

Edited March 12, 2010 by 8thsinner