Business cards

[Monk]

Was thinking of getting myself some of these...

Does anyone use them - and if so do you actually gain any benefit from handing them out to contacts?

Anyone recommend a supplier?

[James.]

My employer sorted me out with some and the only use I have found for them so far is putting them in those boxes they have in pubs where they draw one out each week and you win a prize.

I have hundreds of them and I'm leaving soon. What a waste.

I bought my Dad some for his business a couple of years ago and I think I paid roughly £25 for 500. Something like that anyway.

[lavrentis]

My brother got loads free from from Vista Print, only problem is it comes with "Vista Print" on them. So I guess they are not that proffessional and you cant design your own.

Vista Print

[Monk]

My employer sorted me out with some and the only use I have found for them so far is putting them in those boxes they have in pubs where they draw one out each week and you win a prize.

I have hundreds of them and I'm leaving soon. What a waste.

I bought my Dad some for his business a couple of years ago and I think I paid roughly £25 for 500. Something like that anyway.

Could make an interesting house of cards? Not sure what I would do with 500 cards though I need to start networking more. looking to increase the consultancy I am doing for other businesses.

[Sir Fynwy]

I find them useful sometimes, helps me to remember names when I have meetings with loads of people.

My Dad hung onto his cards after retirement and blagged loads of freebies by showing them (free upgrades on flights, free dinners etc.) but his cards were for an MD at BAe.

[Alexikokopops]

My brother got loads free from from Vista Print, only problem is it comes with "Vista Print" on them. So I guess they are not that proffessional and you cant design your own.

Vista Print

When we were drunk once we made some of them for my mate's maths tutor and got them delivered to the maths building at Warwick. They were amazing. They had a lighthouse on and everything.

[lavrentis]

When we were drunk once we made some of them for my mate's maths tutor and got them delivered to the maths building at Warwick. They were amazing. They had a lighthouse on and everything.

Hahaha

Sounds like a plan.

[Asha]

I'm a quality networker.

I'm just not offering anything though.

[cisono]

I'm a quality networker.

I'm just not offering anything though.

Team up with Dr The Singh (who is apparently offering his body)

(see: What's the most difficult thing you've ever done? thread)

[cisono]

Was thinking of getting myself some of these...

Does anyone use them - and if so do you actually gain any benefit from handing them out to contacts?

Anyone recommend a supplier?

I make my own (using vistaprint's own formats or even my own designs, especially for leaflets).

Have done cards for at least 3 other people running businesses similar to mine.

As to suitability, I guess it depends on the market you are after?

I am often asked for my business contact details (probably so that they can text me at 4am )

and it's easier to hand over a card than looking for a pen and a piece of paper...

Hope this helps.

[Monk]

I make my own (using vistaprint's own formats or even my own designs, especially for leaflets).

Have done cards for at least 3 other people running businesses similar to mine.

As to suitability, I guess it depends on the market you are after?

I am often asked for my business contact details (probably so that they can text me at 4am )

and it's easier to hand over a card than looking for a pen and a piece of paper...

Hope this helps.

What is your business?

[Matt]

I'm half tempted to get some printed, I am looking for work but at the same time, Half tempted to go self employed, I'll be honest, I'm a hard working lad and want work but i'd rather work for someone else, I don't see the excitement or incentives for Self Employment really, You don't have guaranteed work (I suppose you don't when you work for someone but atleast then its not your problem to find the work or anything), Then their is pricing jobs up, Then their is all the paperwork.

Atleast when you work for someone you just turn up, do the work, get paid, fuk off!

Having said that might get some cards done, Not had a look at the website but the website suggested when you can get free cards but it has the company's name on, I might have a look at that.

[Monk]

You canget some on brown recycled card. Reckon that would make an impact...

[Katy]

My brother got loads free from from Vista Print, only problem is it comes with "Vista Print" on them. So I guess they are not that proffessional and you cant design your own.

Vista Print

This. I used them a lot when I was touting my craft business, you can get matching pens and all sorts from them - great for bribing people to use you.

You can design your own though, upload your own logo etc and if you pay a bit more you can get the vista print thing removed.

[Guest]

Just use MS Publisher and design and print your own. There are even templates for this. You can then print as many or as few as you like.

This is what I have done.

[Webbo]

I'm half tempted to get some printed, I am looking for work but at the same time, Half tempted to go self employed, I'll be honest, I'm a hard working lad and want work but i'd rather work for someone else, I don't see the excitement or incentives for Self Employment really, You don't have guaranteed work (I suppose you don't when you work for someone but atleast then its not your problem to find the work or anything), Then their is pricing jobs up, Then their is all the paperwork.

Atleast when you work for someone you just turn up, do the work, get paid, fuk off!

Having said that might get some cards done, Not had a look at the website but the website suggested when you can get free cards but it has the company's name on, I might have a look at that.

Not really a good time to go self employed at the minute, there's not a lot of work about, it's certainly been really slow for me this year.

There are a lot of disadvantages to being self employed, no holiday/sick pay, having to go out in your own time to estimate jobs, Tedious paper work and the moneys not always brilliant either.

Having said all that it's not a bad life, you get to pick your own hours and you don't have to take orders from idiots. On the whole I wouldn't want to be employed again.

[Edmund]

Having said all that it's not a bad life, you get to pick your own hours and you don't have to take orders from idiots.

[Sparky]

Not really a good time to go self employed at the minute, there's not a lot of work about, it's certainly been really slow for me this year.

There are a lot of disadvantages to being self employed, no holiday/sick pay, having to go out in your own time to estimate jobs, Tedious paper work and the moneys not always brilliant either.

Having said all that it's not a bad life, you get to pick your own hours and you don't have to take orders from idiots. On the whole I wouldn't want to be employed again.

Im self employed , do a fair bit of sub contracting too and i think id find it hard to go back on the books

[Babylon]

MS Publisher

Spit spit spit... don't mention that when designers are about.

The words "I've designed my own" makes my skin crawl.

[Matt]

I'm half tempted to get some printed, I am looking for work but at the same time, Half tempted to go self employed, I'll be honest, I'm a hard working lad and want work but i'd rather work for someone else, I don't see the excitement or incentives for Self Employment really, You don't have guaranteed work (I suppose you don't when you work for someone but atleast then its not your problem to find the work or anything), Then their is pricing jobs up, Then their is all the paperwork.

Atleast when you work for someone you just turn up, do the work, get paid, fuk off!

Having said that might get some cards done, Not had a look at the website but the website suggested when you can get free cards but it has the company's name on, I might have a look at that.

Not really a good time to go self employed at the minute, there's not a lot of work about, it's certainly been really slow for me this year.

There are a lot of disadvantages to being self employed, no holiday/sick pay, having to go out in your own time to estimate jobs, Tedious paper work and the moneys not always brilliant either.

Having said all that it's not a bad life, you get to pick your own hours and you don't have to take orders from idiots. On the whole I wouldn't want to be employed again.

Yeah that's basically what puts me off and when I said "I don't see the excitement or incentives for Self Employment", However I might for the moment just do 'bits and bobs' for friends and family, if my name gets passed around and I get more work through it, great, If it doesn't i'll just keep plugging away looking for jobs.

Anyway I have done my business cards (Just as a backup plan - They are free, Barr P+P anyway). How stupid am I, I did them, Checked them, Checked them again, Confirmed the order, Ticked the box saying any mistakes cannot be edited and once orders were confirmed they couldn't be canceled, Paid for the P+P, Showed someone then later in the day...Realized the mobile number I had put on the cards was wrong I had put an 8 instead of a 9.

Even if I use the business cards I am having printed to just put in a builders merchants or something

So I have reordered them - With everything correct (Well I haven't noticed anything wrong at the moment). But the person I showed is quite a buisness man, Deals with many big business and Franchisees' so he went through the process with me, told me ways of improving the information on the cards, and ways that they look more professional so that's good.

[Guest]

Spit spit spit... don't mention that when designers are about.

The words "I've designed my own" makes my skin crawl.

Unfortunately I am not a designer.

Sorry.

[Nationwider]

Not really a good time to go self employed at the minute, there's not a lot of work about, it's certainly been really slow for me this year.

There are a lot of disadvantages to being self employed, no holiday/sick pay, having to go out in your own time to estimate jobs, Tedious paper work and the moneys not always brilliant either.

Having said all that it's not a bad life, you get to pick your own hours and you don't have to take orders from idiots. On the whole I wouldn't want to be employed again.

The doors to the world of tax avoidance and tax evasion just open up though, and the light just shines through for so many...

[Matt]

Cool, they are offering my A free t-shirt, A free pen, A free rubber ink stamp, A free Key-ring. All P+P presumably and that would all add up but pretty good!