Business Card Pricing
June 20, 2008
How much are you paying for your business cards? Chances are that you might be paying too much actually. Our research has shown that most customers will never ever compare prices once they settle on a specific print shop. This kind of behavior is showing up in other areas, too. When was the last time you were shopping for car insurance? I did this in May when my contract was up for renewal and by switching away from Progressive to Traveler’s Insurance I saved over $600 on the yearly insurance fees.
So, the same should apply when ordering business cards. Every time you need new business cards I would go and check at least 3 vendors. Over time you can identify the best deal for you and do not have to do the shopping for the best deal as often anymore. Pricing for business cards varies a lot. For the same order I placed 2 months ago I could have paid either $76.95 or $89.99, but I only paid $49.73. It took me only 10 minutes to discover this great deal on business cards – and I felt this was slow because I went to get a cup of coffee during my search. 
When comparing pricing for business cards, keep in mind shipping and delivery times. Call the manufacturer or print shop if that information is not available on their website. When working local, keep in mind how long you have to drive to the store, too. Gasoline ain’t cheap anymore and the mileage (+ sales tax) might make that deal the biggest loser.
Free Business Card Marketing Testing
June 20, 2008
Business cards are considered a marketing tool. They used to be mainly for handing out contact information, but that has changed over time and business cards have become a commodity item like flyers or stickers. To use business cards appropriately for marketing one will need to do proper testing. It can be a little expensive if you do this with an untested design. Some folks have been ordering 5,000 business cards just to find out after handing out 150 that the design did not appeal at all and the marketing effort was useless. Some other folks tried their testing with self-made business cards – printed out on their low end ink jet printer and (as you would expect) this did not work out well either.
A great way to bypass these problems is to establish a business relationship with a printer/print shop that will work with you. As an example, take VistaPrint who offers 250 free business cards. Take them up on their offer and use those 250 business cards to test your new card design. Then take advantage of their very affordable prices and order large quantities of their high quality business cards.
Conclusion: By being more creative with your resources you can a) save money on the initial testing and b) in the long run by using the same print shop you can save money and hassle using volume discounts.
Business Cards delivered Overnight
June 19, 2008
We often receive inquiries from people who need new business cards RIGHT NOW. There is an urgent need to get the new business cards delivered overnight to meet specific deadlines or events. A recent customer was promoted from Director to VP (Vice President), but was also scheduled to speak at a large convention in 2 days. He placed his order for new business cards before 11 AM and got his new vice president business cards delivered before 10 o’clock the next morning.
In those cases it is critical that a) the vendor is reliable and b) that the quality of the business cards is high. Often a local print shop can deliver high quality business cards, but not in the expect time frame. The smaller print shops are limited in how they react to rush orders and that is where is online businesses can fill the need for the customer and provide awesome results. Our customer actually ordered from VistaPrint and was so impressed that he pushed more orders to this online provider of business cards. Low priority orders still go to the local print shop. The overall effect for the business was not being dependent on a single provider anymore + they actually saved money due to the discounts the received from both vendors.
Business Card Software
June 17, 2008
Often people use the “do it yourself” approach when it comes to business cards. They buy a business card software and design their own business cards. Then they print them on their normal laser or ink printer at home and consider the result as “awesome”. Well, in my opinion the results are more like “shock and awe” – they are horrible. The self-made cards might be Ok for a consumer, but not for a business that is trying to introduce itself using business cards. Going cheap is the last thing you should do when it comes to make a lasting impression. Even worse, there is only ONE chance to make a first impression and if you miss that opportunity you will have to work much harder to make up for the mistake and you will have to spend much more money than the initial higher cost would have been.
If you are a business and really want to print business cards yourself, make sure to get adequate printer hardware and a professional design in place. This cost only pays off if you are expecting volume output. Otherwise pick one of the many online business card printing companies out there. They do volume and can offer you better pricing and better quality. Even if you spend a little more by working with a local printer, you will still come out with significant savings compared to an in-house solution.
My conclusion: Don’t try to go cheap when it comes to business cards. There are plenty of offers for free or low cost business cards out on the Internet. 10 minutes search can save you a lot of money and a lot of hassle. Think business, think professional.
Business Card Volume
June 17, 2008
How many business cards do you hand out per day? Personally my goal is to meet at least one new potential customer per day and hand her my business card. I know this sounds kind of aggressive, but if you think about it, it really is not. So, why am I having this goal then? Well, first of all it will keep you aware of things around you. You always look at things differently and that can be an advantage when looking for new business. It also allows me to expand my network of people I know and it has happened quite often that I received a referral from somebody who I gave my business card to. The person I gave my card to is not my customer, but my full colored business card design was impressive enough for that person to refer another person to me as a customer. I think it cannot get better than that.
So, how many business cards have you given out last week or this week? 1? 2? 5? More? Or none? Think about how much new business you might be losing out on. Your marketing dollars are sitting like a dead duck on the shelf because you spent the money, but are not using it. So, come up with an ambitious plan and start handing out your business cards in volume.
Business Card Mistakes
June 17, 2008
Have you ever gotten a friendly compliment on your business card? Is it something that you’re proud of or are you ashamed when you see how people react when they see your business card for the very first time? Does your business card easily and clearly identify what your business does? Does it answer the question why people should do business with you? If you eventually answered no to one or more of these questions above, it just may be time for you to consider upgrading your business card to something better. Find a trash can and get rid of the old ones or use them as the sticky note replacements.
Here is a list of some common mistakes when it comes to business cards:
- Cheap design
- Cheap material
- Waste of available space
- No slogan or business message
- No Power Words or call to action
- No indication what you actually do
- Font too small to even read it with a magnifying glass
- Poor use of Color
- Not using your cards at all
I looked through the business cards I collected over the course of the last 6-8 weeks from other entrepreneurs and many business cards had a 100% match of my list of mistakes. I also looked at my own business card again and I think I still see too many hits when comparing it to the list of possible mistakes. The cards worked great and were a good match when I ordered them 12 months ago, but they feel so much outdated now – it is not even funny anymore. I am scheduled for a 2 day Seminar in Los Angeles later this year and I am sure that I will have a new set of business cards with a new business card template in my pocket by then. When are you getting a new business card makeover?
Business Cards - Business Toolbox or Trash Can?
June 16, 2008
Business cards are a valuable promotion tool that should be in every entrepreneurs toolbox. No business person could really survive without the convenience of having a business card to hand to prospective clients or potential customers. You probably guessed it already - handing out a business card is just so much easier than writing down all your contact information on a piece of paper for a potential client you’ve just met. But then reality kicks in. Most business cards only do half the marketing job they are supposed to do. Think about what you do with the business cards people give you. If you’re like most people, they might go into a pile in a drawer or even worse get thrown away right away. If you’re a little more more organized, maybe they go into a card filer. If you are really working high-tech you scan in all business cards you receive and even dump the information into Microsoft Outlook. In either case, in the end the business cards just sit there, out of view in 90% of the cases, and therefore probably out of mind. What a waste!
This is where you have to step up to the plate and really do something with your own business card. You don’t want your card to end up like the ones described above. Choosing a great business card template is a first step towards breaking out of the ordinary. Pick a great design, come up with a good slogan, and do not forget to use the backside of your business card as a tool to carry a solid marketing message of some kind. If you don’t bother about those things, why even hand out business cards? Find a trash can ….
Power Words for Business Cards
June 16, 2008
These days, a small business owner needs every little inch of marketing power she can get. Business cards are a perfect tool for an entrepreneur to have in the tool box when competing for new customers and new business. But are your business cards powerfull enough to give you the advantage you are looking for? Take one of your business cards and review it in detail. What words do you use to describe your business, your products or your services? Do you actually have something like this on your business card?
What are some power words or phrases your business card should show? Well, besides your business name and your business slogan, you can use the backside of the business card to really become creative. Here are some creative and very powerful things to put on your business card’s backside:
- Coupon or Discount codes
- Motivational Phrases
- Buy Phrases
- Event Calendar
Here are some buying process related phrases you can use to enhance your business cards:
- Huge Discounts
- Receive 10% off when you present this card on your next purchase
- Free Gift available – present this card upon your next purchase
- Visit our website.com/coupons for special savings
As you can see, there is quite some “real estate” available on your business card that you can turn into a powerfull marketing tool. Use it and be successful.
Creative Business Card Marketing
June 16, 2008
How do you use business cards for marketing? Do you just hand them out occasionally? Who will get a business card from you? If you do not have a good business card marketing strategy in place, you should start thinking about one and implement it. First of all – you can get away with free business cards for starters. By taking advantage of such an offer you can test a marketing approach and then dive in with full force.
But how do you use business cards for marketing in a way that it really works? You should already have an idea who would benefit most of your services and those are the people who should get your business card. But where do you meet them? Try business networking events or fairs as an example. Setting up a booth on a business related fair is not that expensive and the return on investment could be easily 10 times as much as you spent on the exhibitor fees. Another approach would be to give employees their own business cards. Even employees low on the pay scale are a good way to get your business cards distributed. Employees like to show off and business cards are a good way for that – not everyone has business cards, right?! But this last form is not very targeted at all and you are right. It is more about brand building in that moment.
Do you eat out for lunch? Pick those delis with seating areas and “by accident” leave a business card on the table when you leave. I have actually found a few customers that way. Get full colored business cards and hand them out to existing customers. Ask for referrals. My insurance agent sends me a nice letter “checking in” once a quarter and always includes a few extra business cards in case I know someone who needs insurance.
The possibilities are pretty much endless – just become creative and use a great looking business card when doing marketing for best results.
Full Colored Business Cards
June 16, 2008
Full colored business cards are the standard for businesses today. That has not always been the case as you know. Problem for many business professionals is that they placed huge orders to take advantage of volume discounts, but it is just not that easy to hand out 5,000 business cards that fast. And sooner than you think your business cards are outdated and out of style. I personally use old business cards instead of yellow sticky notes whenever I can.
Anyway, it can make good business sense to work with smaller quantities when it comes to placing your next order for business cards. Instead of ordering generic cards, I often end up ordering smaller packages, but dedicated to certain projects or assigning me a specific role. Sometimes it is better if my title is not president or owner, but more something like “director” or “project manager” or stuff like this. I always scout the web for great deals or offers for even free business cards and actually have saved about 25% total compared to the larger orders of a generic business card.
It’s also easier now to replace a business card design with a new one. I truly see this as a major advantage and have been pretty happy with the results accordingly. I completely abandoned white business cards with black text and have only ordered full colored business cards in the last 2 years. From my experience it has helped to get the attention of the person receiving my business card.
