Business Cards

[Robert]

Do you guys always hand out business cards when your out and about? I ordered 2500 business cards and heh have only given out like maybe 10?

[JeremyV]

I don't give them out to everyone I meet or anything, but friends, family, and the occasional person I meet up with who may need hosting...

otherwise I tend to drop the cards in the local restrurants that give away free meals if you enter your card, etc. I also mail out a card or two to existing clients after a while (with a letter of course) in hopes they either keep the cards or will hand one out to a friend they might know who could use a host. Seems to work quite well :)

[Operator]

Is there a preferred company when ordering these business cards?

[MMiz]

Originally posted by Operator:

Is there a preferred company when ordering these business cards?

I know this isnt the answer you're looking for in this online world, but I found that going to the local print shop was the best overall value.

[JeremyV]

He's right. I looked at a lot of the online places, and for a truely custom design you were going to be paying out the ass and you don't have any idea what they will look like. Myself, I took a CD to my local printing company and say hey, I have an Adobe Illustrator version of my business card.. what are my options?

They showed me this huge book of sample card stock, told me various different printing methods I could use, how to replicate the colors, etc. Once I choose what I wanted they took my CD and said theywould be ready in 2 days.

All in all, I got 1000 cards for 67 dollars, full color and glossy :)

[Robert]

We used vistaprint.com. But next time around are going with more selection. Oh well..

[Deb]

I've got a ton of cards that I don't hand out nearly as much as I should..shame on me. Though I have considered buying a stamp to tack on a coupon code to the back.

I didn't print anything on the back, and probably wouldn't want to print coupons et al back there to ensure nothing changes or expires before I run out of cards but I thought maybe a quick stamp on a stack, or even stickers, may be an idea worth pursuing.

Thoughts?

[Robert]

That's not a bad Idea.

Someone once told me that when you hand out business cards, always write on the back where you met them.. such as "Nice meeting you at Joe's Party!". So next time they look at your card and wonder who the heck gave it to them, and they read the back, they'll remember "oh yea! Joe's party"

[MMiz]

Originally posted by Deb:

I've got a ton of cards that I don't hand out nearly as much as I should..shame on me. Though I have considered buying a stamp to tack on a coupon code to the back.

I didn't print anything on the back, and probably wouldn't want to print coupons et al back there to ensure nothing changes or expires before I run out of cards but I thought maybe a quick stamp on a stack, or even stickers, may be an idea worth pursuing.

Thoughts?

Deb,

Ive been dying to use your service for years now, but from what I understand you dont accept meal points (its a college thing). Maybe you could send one of those cards with a year of free hosting stamped on the back this way ;) :D

[Karen]

I have my current promotion code printed on the back of mine. Then when the promotion is over, I change the promotion but not the code. Then it doesn't matter if someone who has an old card uses the code, they still receive the promotion.

Karen

[Dapon]

I hand out business cards to just about anyone. I can't even tell you the amount of business I have gotten from doing it. I tell my sales staff to do the same thing. I tell them I don't want to see the cards on their desks, I already know where they work. It is an inexpensive way to get your name out.

I have even picked up business by wearing a shirt with our comapny logo on it. Anyway I can get my name out there I will do.

[Dapon]

Originally posted by Karen:

I have my current promotion code printed on the back of mine. Then when the promotion is over, I change the promotion but not the code. Then it doesn't matter if someone who has an old card uses the code, they still receive the promotion.

Karen

Great idea Karen. I will have to look into this.

[Rewdog]

I've used vistaprint several times, I custom designed my latest with my own logo and was very pleased with the outcome. I always keep about 20 in my wallet, and I usually use up that quota once a week. Don't be afraid to give away more than one if the person is very enthusiastic about your service, I've gotten several calls from people who have gotten my card from other people :)

[markblair]

Originally posted by Dapon:
I have even picked up business by wearing a shirt with our comapny logo on it.

Is there a specific company you use for the shirts? I've been meaning to look into that but had too much going on this past week.

As for business cards, I've also used Vista Print. However, I found another way that worked nicely. In Microsoft Word you can customize a template for business card size printing. Then, just make your own business card and print it out on better, thicker stock. Using a precise paper cutter (found a good one at Office Depot), you can cut the cards the exact size. The hard part here is coming up with a good design.

[Dapon]

Hey Mark,

I have been using www.queensboro.com I just went to their site and saw that it is down so here is there phone # 800-847-4478 ext 310. You can buy 6 shirts with your logo that are quaranteed for 10 years for $99. I am very happy with the quality of the shirts I bought. They are comparble to Lands End shirts. Here is a copy of their ad:

Dear Friend:

Ever hear of a shirt so good it was
Unconditionally Guaranteed for Ten Years?

Yes, you read that right - by the time your Queensboro Shirt wears out, your teenager will have an advanced degree (and no nose ring), your first grader will be asking for the keys to the car, and we'll have voted for three more Presidents.

And you? You'll still be looking great.
We guarantee it!

What's our secret? The secret is in the cloth!

The soul of any garment is the cloth from which it is cut. And while most major manufacturers today use single-ply yarn to make their shirts, a Queensboro Shirt is knit from a much more expensive, but much stronger and more durable long staple twisted two-ply yarn.

Who else uses twisted two-ply yarns to make their shirts? Not Lands End, not L.L. Bean, not Ralph Lauren, not Cutter and Buck, not Outer Banks and not Eddie Bauer!

Not only is a Queensboro Shirt better quality than these other shirts, but because we are focused exclusively on selling custom embroidered shirts directly to small and medium sized businesses and organizations such as yours, a Queensboro Shirt is also considerably less expensive than these other brands - even with your custom embroidered logo!

But dont take our word for it! As a wise advertising executive once said "A superior product is its own best salesman."

For 20 years we have been making great quality embroidered shirts for great companies like yours. For 20 years it has always been our experience that if we could just get a person to try our shirts, they become a customer for life!

That is why we are making the following "too-good-to-be-true" offer:

Send us just $99 and your logo, and we will send you six of our great twisted two-ply Queensboro Polos, custom embroidered with your logo.

You pay nothing for logo setup,
You pay nothing for embroidery,
You pay nothing for shipping and handling
for your trial order!

When you get your shirts, wash them, wear them, wash them and wear them again! Wash them and wear them as often as you like! If you don't agree they are among the best shirts you have ever owned, return them for a full refund, no questions asked!

How good are our shirts? We believe you will agree with our customers who were stationed in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm - in places where the only washing machines were rocks and the nearby rivers. Despite these extreme conditions, the heat and the sun, no fabric softener or automatic dryers! - these shirts held their shape, held their color - and held on when times were tough!

How do we know this? The first thing these soldiers did when they got home was to order more!

We believe so strongly in the quality of our shirts that even if you're the deliberate type who likes to take your time with decisions, don't worry, you've got ten long years to make up your mind!

And consider this:

Land's End and others charge well over $250 for a first order of six of their shirts custom embroidered with your logo. And we have yet to hear of any other company guaranteeing a shirt for Ten Years! Take a look at our P.P.S. at the bottom for more on this...

What's the catch? There is none. We simply have absolute confidence in the quality of our shirts and the beauty and detail of our embroidery. We know that once you try our shirts, you'll be a customer for a long, long time!

To learn more about our shirts and take advantage of this great deal, use this special link: Click here for your 6 Custom Embroidered Shirts for $99.00!

Please feel free to call us anytime at 800-847-4478 (extension 301 for our New Order Department!). We make truly great shirts and look forward to making some for you!

We have a great company here, staffed with smart, dedicated people eager to help in any way they can. So for just $99, why not give us a try! You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain. We guarantee you'll be glad you did!

Very truly yours,
Fred Meyers

President and Founder
fred@queensboro.com
800-847-4478 ext 310

P.S. Wish us Happy Birthday! This is our 20th year in business, but the celebration is on our side! For our birthday, we'd like to give you the best present we can: We're cutting our normal introductory price of $135 for six shirts to just $99! But hurry, like all birthday gifts, timing is everything - this offer is only valid for a limited time. We look forward to hearing from you!

P.P.S. Land's End's guarantee says its merchandise is "Guaranteed. Period~" (For more information about Lands' End's pricing and policies, contact them directly at www.landsend.com or 800-338-2000). Does this mean Land's End is claiming their shirts will last ten years? We don't think so. Do we claim Queensboro Shirts will last Ten Years? We guarantee it!

[shaunewing]

Originally posted by markblair: In Microsoft Word you can customize a template for business card size printing. Then, just make your own business card and print it out on better, thicker stock. Using a precise paper cutter (found a good one at Office Depot), you can cut the cards the exact size. The hard part here is coming up with a good design.

We also do this - except the stock we buy is pre-cut; you just have to strip off the tape that holds the cards together.

The cards are printed with a Xerox colour laser printer - they look fantastic.

It's time to get some more though - our office phone number changed (complicated story) and my mobile phone number recently changed. I'm still deciding whether or not to go the way we've done it before, or pop down to my local print shop and discuss the options with them.

We've thought about ordering them online - but there is an element of risk; what if you get the card and hate it. At least with print shops you can get a proof before going through with a big run.

--Shaun

[intellec]

Originally posted by Operator:

Is there a preferred company when ordering these business cards?

One of my designers suggested printingforless.com
Officemax.com (cheaper than the walk-in store service) looks good

[intellec]

Originally posted by JeremyV:

He's right. I looked at a lot of the online places, and for a truely custom design you were going to be paying out the ass and you don't have any idea what they will look like. Myself, I took a CD to my local printing company and say hey, I have an Adobe Illustrator version of my business card.. what are my options?



I went through some designers at Elance and paid $300 for each Corporate ID package. They designed the logo with tagline, the business cards, the letterhead with watermark, and the envelope. One used Adobe Illustrator on a Mac and the other one used Corel on PC. Both can be copywrited and the works are setup for professional printing. Given the current economic conditions, they truly have some good talent over there.