

You Need Business Cards - PStamatiou
http://paulstamatiou.com/2008/04/23/you-need-business-cards

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lux
I have specific business cards for all my different projects (software, music,
a volunteer position) and we're making cards for our upcoming launch as well.
It's just the easiest way to give someone your contact info when you're out
and about, and makes a more professional impression when networking.

gruseom, it's not about someone being a "suit", it's about making it easy to
transfer your contact info in different situations. Sometimes a little piece
of paper pre-printed is easier than finding a pen and paper or expecting
someone to have a blackberry/iphone on hand. Plus, they're cheap. Not having a
business card means throwing away offline word of mouth opportunities. To me,
I want to see _smart_ people focused on making a great product. The impression
you give also factors into what people think before even seeing your product.

I actually just ordered a holder for my moo cards, since I've forgotten once
or twice recently to stock up before going out...

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jrockway
You might need business cards, but do you really need to put the phrases
"blogger" and "tech maven" on them? I think it would actually be more tasteful
and relevant to say "has HUGE penis" and "awesomest person evar!!11" on them.
Okay, maybe not :)

Just stick to your name, your company's name, and some contact information.
Nobody cares that you're a blogger. Nobody cares about meaningless-but-
grandiose titles either.

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davidw
So what does everyone put on theirs? Single founder type people? I put
"Founder, DedaSys LLC" on linkedin, but that sounds kind of stupid too. On my
web page, I put "owner, operator, lead programmer, chef, and chief janitor",
but that sounds kind of corny as well...

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edw519
Just your name and your company's name. Your "title" is meaningless. If anyone
asks, there's your conversation starter.

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jamesbritt
"Just your name and your company's name. Your "title" is meaningless. If
anyone asks, there's your conversation starter."

Damn right.

I do too many varied things at my company to have a pithy-yet-accurate title.

When people ask I tell them, "I make stuff."

My title is not what I want anyone to care about. What matters is what I and
my partners are doing.

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sant0sk1
I don't need business cards as much as I need a business!

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andr
We are doing A/B testing with our business cards, because we couldn't decide
on which design we liked more.

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mattmaroon
Post images and set up a poll here?

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boucher
a general business card images thread would be nice.

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aswanson
I picked mine up from the printers yesterday:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoIvd3zzu4Y>

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lpgauth
This looks like a great movie, downloading it at this very moment.

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danw
You don't _need_ business cards. You need to get the other persons contact
information and then followup as soon as possible. You can't rely on giving
them a card and hoping they get in touch.

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PStamatiou
show of hands - how many ppl made bcards for the first time, just for startup
school?

(i wasn't there)

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aneesh
For those of us on a student budget, VistaPrint.com cost me about $7 for 250
cards (and that includes the $2 it costs to take their logo off the back).

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cstejerean
I'm never using them again. I ordered from VistaPrint and then started getting
flooded with spam and phone calls (someone tried really hard to convince me to
buy their website and SEO package).

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mattmaroon
You know, I've ordered from them 3 times and never had this happen. But then,
I generally give fake phone numbers, so that may have been it. No email
problems though.

I'll definitely check out overnightprints next time though.

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rms
From the last thread on this, overnightprints.com has great prices _and_
business cards with rounded corners, which is deliciously web 2.0.

~~~
GavinB
always check retailmenot for coupons, you can get free shipping

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vlad
I wish this was posted just before startup school so I wouldn't have arrived
with two business cards in my wallet and boxes at home.

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gruseom
Pet rant: I hate business cards the way I hate suits. Just because _you_ like
them does not mean _I_ need them.

I'd rather be (and be around) the kind of person who is way too focused on
making a great product to give a fig about paraphernalia.

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pxlpshr
Eh, business cards have a lot more value than you give them credit for;
calling them 'paraphernalia' makes me question how much biz dev experience you
have. Also, I recommend you visit the book store and flip through a few design
books with focus on identity systems...

It's also rather naive to assume someone is going to remember your name, phone
number, company name, and email address because "you're special" and have the
next billion dollar IP.

Lastly, how else are you suppose to get free lunch?! cmon, join teh party!

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mlinsey
Alternatively, you could just be sure to get _their_ business card and then
you can reply to them. Asking their email and typing it into your phone works
well too. If you need someone to remember you, you should be the one to tAke
the initiative and contact them later anyway.

That's not to say that business cards are bad, just that they're non
essential.

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simianstyle
My favorite business card is Daniel Oceans. Clean, simple, and to the point.

<http://www.liongraphics.com/BusinessCards/Images/Hollyw6.gif>

