EDITORIALS
Advice On: Business Cards
I get that this is probably not the best time to start a new firm, but I am anyway. One of the first disagreements I've had with my partner is about our business cards. I think nice cards are important, she thinks we should hold off. Any thoughts?
Based on your question, I've surmised that you are a Designer and she is a Copywriter. To a designer, having a nice business card is nearly as important as having a mouse with a working trackball. This is an especially curious requirement considering no designer has ever given a business card to anyone other than their parents or other designers. For a Copywriter, business cards are something they'll use primarily to get the organic cracker seeds from between their teeth. Since toothpicks are so inexpensive, I can understand her hesitation to spend the money.
Now if I believed you were entering into this business concern with someone on the account side, I might feel differently. To the account person business cards hold real value. Other than queefing during a pitch, there are few things more awkward to them than having someone hand over a business card and only being able to offer an excuse in return.
The reason that new business owners put so much energy into business cards is the same reason clients put so much energy into micromanaging creative—it's a lot more fun than focusing on the things you really should be doing to start your business. However, fun as it may be, on your list of pre-grand opening to-dos, great business cards fall somewhere behind:
• Get Clients
• Do Work
• Get Paid
But should be placed ahead of:
• Get foosball table
• Hire tattooed receptionist
• Bring dogs to work
Considering that you're already disagreeing with your partner over something like business cards, when you do finally get them I would advise you to hand them out quickly—you may not need them for very long.
Happy to help,
Speedball
Need advice? You can contact Speedball at speedball@theegotist.com, drop him a question in the Forum or follow him on Twitter: @spdbll.
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Comments
Did I really just read "queefing"? Yowza.
yeah... classy. :\
anyways, quality business cards take about night to bang out. so non issue imo....
spot on
I've been in a couple of situations where I felt stupid for not having a business card.
Crank one out, get 500 of them printed up and give them to potential clients.
No biggie.
Having a business card is imperative, but spending a ton of money on them isn't important. I don't think people have any better or less opinion about you based on your business card (unless its dirty or torn) so lay out something nice and clean and get to work on more important things, like finding people to give them to.
Case in point - has anyone seen Factory's business cards? I am not kidding you, but they cost about $1 a piece. That's dead true. They have a petroleum based coating on them that makes them feel like leather.
It's a total joke and probably works against them in some situations when potential clients see how much time and money they spent on their business cards. But its also inline with their reputation of style over substance.
Get nice cards on nice paper and move on.
I was still at Integer when I went to my first networking event looking for clients. Had my pitch down, went over it in my head until it felt comfortable. I go to this event, start talking to people, laying out my sales pitch. Sooner or later, the person says, "Sounds interesting, let's talk more. Give me your card and we'll get coffee sometime."
I didn't have business cards.
I just saw a foos ball table driving past that creative place by Speer and 11th. what a cliche
I read the above comment as a foosball table that drives on the road. And I laughed quietly to myself.
Just cancelled my foosball table order because of you. Thanks Speedball.
The quality of your business card should fit the quality of client you seek, no really. Especially for start-ups...This doesn't mean it has to be expensive, it just means it should be well thought out. You want to give out something a potential client will keep rather than it getting lost in a stack of Realtor & Financial Planner cards.
I must say, that's just crazy talk. Any self respecting Denver Graphic Design Firm should have a foosball table—perhaps two. I'd even say do it before you get clients...even if you have to tear out your only working bathroom...it's that important. When a client ram's you in the crotch over some little project detail, they usually do it via email. At least with foosball, the person is face to face.
As for the business cards, it's ridiculous to suggest not having one. If you're a designer, then that part should be cheap. Then get 500 printed for basically nothing. If nothing else, you can enter to win free food from a fish bowl at your local sushi bar. Nothing makes you feel more like a loser than hand-writing your name and number on a piece of paper just for that.
"This is an especially curious requirement considering no designer has ever given a business card to anyone other than their parents or other designers."
If that's the case - you're doing it wrong.
I'll go with JulieJ on this one...... advice referred to contains a fundamental disconnect.
And if "queefing" is what I suppose, I'll be rolling in the aisles shortly LMFAO........
But seriously, a business card would be a great way to showcase your craft as a designer just as much as it is for a photographer. My card is a template for fairly regularly changed images............
i just ordered 500 foosball tables to hand out to people who ask for my card
Indeed a key part of keeping potential clients on the line, and like Mitch Hedberg suggests you can always have your title as "Potential Lunch Winner".
Watch this video...enough said...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YBxeDN4tbk
A print designer without a business card?
If business card = printed material that succinctly shows off your design skills and proves you may possibly know what you're doing, not having one = asinine.
As pointed out by multiple posters above, cards don't have to be expensive -- in fact, making them look cool on a budget could prove your aptitude for something else us creatives are supposed to be good at: being creative.
Well this post was good for a laugh. Witty.I think I'll snoop around more here.
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