Last updated on January 27, 2019
Congratulations on owning your own business! That’s step one. Step two is marketing to make sure you thrive and prosper.
One of the best ways to do this is through your business card. Business cards are very cost effective and remarkable because they serve as a fresh reminder of your business every time a client looks at them.
So where do you begin? How many do you order?
Let’s review a few tips on crafting a successful business card first, and then decide how many you should buy.
Personality
Your business card is an extension of you; it should reflect your brand, personality, and business type, while also grabbing people’s attention. Don’t think of it as just a card; try thinking of it as another marketing piece, an off-line ad.
Clarity
It’s best not to have too much information or clutter on your card. However, you do want to include:
- Your logo
- Your Contact Information
- Text that is easy to read (not too small or a hard to read font)
- A clear connection to what your business provides
High Quality
Sure you can find business card services and premade templates all over the web, but a poor quality or look-alike card may not lead to a memorable experience for your customer. Consider spending a little more money on a higher quality card to make it more impressive to your clients.
Handling a business card is a tactile experience; the higher quality and more unique the design, the higher your chances are of it being saved and possibly shared with other people.
The quality of your card echoes the quality of your products or services.
Size
The standard size of a business card is 3.5 by 2 inches. However, printing business cards in a shape other than a rectangle is gaining popularity. While this is ok, it is important to remember that no matter what shape your card is, it needs to be small enough to fit inside a wallet.
Think about the actual printed size of your card before you order. If it is too large to fit in a wallet, it is likely to end up in the trash.
How Much Should I Spend?
Ok, now let’s move on to how much you should invest in your business cards.
If you order too many you may be wasting money by having extras laying around or you may need a re-print quickly if any of your information changes.
Likewise, if you don’t order enough, you may have to make another fast order or run the risk of not having them to hand out, thus missing opportunities.
So how much do you need to spend? The answer is… it depends.
First Print Order/Design
The initial design and set-up on your first run will be the most expensive and usually price breaks are given on higher quantities. Meaning, the more you order, the cheaper each individual card becomes.
Thereafter, your information is typically stored for future print runs. Yet, if any information changes, you may need to do a whole new card set-up before printing.
If your information doesn’t change, re-prints will likely be less expensive.
Quality
To further emphasize the above points, consider the following:
What impression would your clients experience when handling a home made business card vs. a professionally printed business card on a thicker, higher quality paper?
Business cards should be durable enough to withstand pressure in a wallet, printed with ink that doesn’t run when wet, with a beautiful design, ensuring your information is crystal clear to the reader.
So, how many cards should you order?
Consult with a professional at AlphaGraphics today and we will help you decide how many cards are the right number for your individual business type. AlphaGraphics offers professional, high-quality business card printing in Irvine.
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