Professional Business Cards
December 4, 2009
I was recently roundly scolded by my mentor for not having business cards when we met a potential professional contact.
Me: But .. but .. we’re on vacation!
But she’s right: you should always have some sort of contact card to give to people you meet in case you’d like to keep in touch. Even if they don’t keep the card itself because they input the information into their preferred electronic device like FB does, they will have gotten your information. That’s the idea, anyway.
I’m so of the electronic age that I’ve just gotten by exchanging phone numbers via email or inputting a phone number on the spot and calling the other person so they can save my phone number. Who hasn’t done that? That’s just not good enough for professional purposes, though, it’s just too informal for certain contacts.
Ordering cards had been on my list of things to do anyway, so what was I waiting for? I hopped on the computer that same night and took a quick Twitter poll about whether or not Vistaprint was any good. My main concern was that the cardstock would be some cheap shoddy material, but …. (thanks @gingercorsair and @punchdebt!)
It seemed worth the gamble so I clicked through the Vistaprint options and ordered a set of 250 business cards with blank backs ($1.99) instead of their printed logo, 21-day slow shipping ($5.67) and matte finish (free) for less than $8.
My other options were Uprinting.com and @TheyCallMeCheap recommended that I try Moo which I’d never heard of before. If I didn’t like the cards Vistaprint produced, I would try Moo next.
The cards were ordered on the 18th and delivered on the 27th – less than 2 weeks! That’s pretty good for someone who neurotically tracks shipping as soon as an order is placed.
The cardstock is average and acceptable for my purposes – they’re not flimsy but they’re not the super thick 100-lb weight premium paper that could inflict a life-threatening paper cut either. Best we keep it that way.
Hmmm, business cards. I have never thought about these before but if your bound to network alot, their a great idea. 🙂 Did you get a certain color or is that the picture of the type you got?
Our company changed logo and as a result we weren’t allowed to use our old business cards anymore. Well…it’s been about 4 months now since i’ve ordered ones with the new logo, and I still don’t have them! Apparently they’re on hold at the printer. For FOUR months?? Unbelievable.
Funny you should mention business cards – I was just thinking about getting some this morning. And I have a brillant idea for them, too. Will share with you soon.
Glad to know Vista print is worthwhile. Will give them a try.
I also was thinking about business cards — nice to see Vistaprint is a viable option. Need cards for the blogger/writer side of my life, I’ll let you know how my ordering goes.
I’d make some, but I keep moving and changing #s too much
The only standard is my email address LOL
@Serendipity: That was my first choice, but then I tried a different one. Red with the same sort of minimalist look, but with text in three corners and the middle, not just one side and the middle.
@L.A.Daze: 4 months?? Dude. Corporate ordering takes forever. I remember waiting some time for my cards, and they decided to give me twice as many even though I can’t even use up 250.
@MoneyFunk: Can’t wait to hear your brilliant idea!
@RainyDaySaver: Please do share.
@FB: Yeah, I guess you don’t really need anything but an email address for your line of work, eh?
My young business partner ordered us some cards — free — over the net. Don’t know which outfit she used. But they look perfectly fine, and she even found an image they offered that exactly fit with the Copyeditor’s Desk theme.
She said they would give us one box for free and then would charge after that. We had to pay a few dollars to not have their ad on the backs of the cards.
If it doesn’t matter if they look expensive, you can buy sheets of Avery blank business cards and use Word’s “labels & envelopes” function to print your own. If you keep the design very simple, they look professional enough. The only difference is they’re not embossed. But…does anyone really care?