Printing Your Own Business Cards: A Guide
About business cards, its history, its uses.
Any successful business can not be a success if it does not reach out to people. A business executive’s wallet is not complete with out the little business card.
A business card is a card that bears information about the company that the individual is employed in. Generally a business card contains the name, designation, company name and business contact information of the individual.
Business cards serve as a unique way of sharing information during formal introductions. They are simple, yet an effective way of remembering the individual and the business itself.
History
Going back a few centuries, business cards were nothing new. In those days these were termed ‘calling cards’ and were used as a means of introducing an arrival of a person. Aristocrats and royalty usually sent their servants to present their card to their hosts to formally announce their arrival.
The very first business cards were seen during the reign of Louis XIV, the King of France in the early 17th century. The most basic cards were actually playing cards where notes were written on and passed from one person to another.
These cards became an element of etiquette and an extremely valuable means of introduction. Today the business card has come a long way in its design and structure and as always been a handy tool for not only acquiring potential business clients, but also as a means of building friendships.
Can a Business Do Without a Business Card?
A business needs people to succeed. When people do not know that your business exists, growth can be severely limited. Using a business card gives free publicity about the business. Any business owner wanting their business to grow will never lose an opportunity to let others know that they are established somewhere.
Business cards thus become one of the easiest ways to connect to people. What is unique in this type of association is the sophistication of the visitor to professionally know what kind of business that the owner is involved in. It represents a polite means of communication by maintaining etiquette, and gives the visitor the choice of contacting the owner again when the need arises.
Types of Business Cards
Today business cards come in a variety of designs based on standard sizes. Cards can be simple white with black text or they can be printed with glossy shades infused with intricate designs. The company logo will normally be prominently displayed on the card and serves as a memory aid to the visitor about the company at a glance.
A printed business card needs to have two main aspects to be concentrated on:
- The type of paper the information is printed on.
- The quality of the printer the card is printed on.
When any of these are not up to standards, the point of using a business card is lost. Large companies generally get their business cards printed from a vendor based on company specifications. However, due to rising costs of printing cards and the time delay that is incurred when these cards are printed and dispatched to the company, many business owners turn to business printing software to print their own cards for them.
There are several software available in the market for printing business cards. These are usually based on a variety of templates, and allow a user to just enter the information that needs to be printed on the card. Attached to a superior quality printer, the owner need not even get up from their desks!
Self made business and home entrepreneurs find it extremely useful to use the variety of free software available on the internet. Just go to Google and search.
Many of the online software available come on a trial basis which may give limited functionality but extremely useful to quickly print a business card based on specifications.
A person starting a home business may find using free online software to print their business cards the most cost effective method of advertising. The initial impact of letting people know about their new business is easily achieved without the hassle of paying for expensive card printing.
What are the Advantages?
The beneficial uses of online business card printing are many. Offering cheap (sometimes free) printing options and a range of design styles and printing alternatives to choose from, many business opt for this mainly due to:
- It’s simplicity – Less bother to visit the print shop for orders and pick up.
- What you see is what you get – Allows the customer to choose the style and design they like best and see it printed before their eyes. They also have the option of printing a trial business card before printing them in bulk.
- Range of options and styles to choose from – With thousands of templates to choose from, the customer can select the template they like best.
- Cost cutting – Online business printing greatly reduces costs of getting an outside organization to do the printing for them. Free software is even better!
- Faster means of printing – This is a faster means of getting cards printed without the waiting period that goes with manual printing.
What Are the Disadvantages?
Using free online business printing software may be the best option for a starting small company or for the self employed. However, some of the issues that can pose a disadvantage are:
- Choosing the card, selecting the template, entering the information has to be done all by the user only.
- The cards have to be manually cut.
- Without the addition of a good quality printer at hand, printing an effective business card is defeated.
- Using a freeware means your card design is not going be unique. It may be widely used by other businesses also.
- Using online software reduces the effect of personally selecting unique designs as customers have the option of selecting styles only from available templates.
In general, printing business cards can be achieved in many ways. Using online printing facilities needs to be decided keeping in mind the opportunity costs involved and the benefits that it offers.
Any business card printing plan needs to be carefully researched and analyzed before the actual printing. Business cards provide lasting impressions on people and this need to be considered with care.
