BUSINESS CARDS FOR THE SUBLIMATION INDUSTRY

We have talked about business cards before but here is one more thing I think is vital to a sublimation business – full-color business cards. Until recently, full-color cards were just too cost prohibitive for a small business like mine. They still aren’t cheap but they are affordable and they sure turn heads. I never believed I would drop $150 for 1,000 business cards! And that was the wholesale price! Retail would have been closer to $300. Now, before you turn your nose up to this quickie idea, hear me out. You can get some really nice full-color cards from Internet printers like VistaPrint.com for next to nothing. You don’t have to spend $150. Now, here is my rule of thumb: “It doesn’t matter what anything costs so long as it pays for itself and then some.” The question here is, “Can a full-color business card bring in more business than a regular one?”. Here’s what I have found so far. If I give someone my normal card which is actually far above the norm with it’s translucent tear-proof paper and two colors of raised letter printing, they might be a little impressed but they rarely say anything. If I give them the full-color, fold-over card that is printed on all four panels with pictures of sublimated products, they always seem to say something like, “nice card” or “I like the pictures”. Just that extra few seconds of taking note of the card would be, to most companies, more than enough to justify the extra expense. Time will tell if the cards really pay for themselves but I am pretty confident they will bring in business because I think my new card communicates more than my company name. The fact it is in full-color conveys that our work is in full-color. The pictures show what we do. There is a picture of a plaque, a group of gift items, and a half dozen more. The fact that it is a fold-over says we have a lot to say, i.e., “we have a lot of products and we are excited enough to go the extra mile to show the customer what we do”. The card tells our story. Not just our name but what we make. The focus of the card, beyond the pictures, are the websites where they can go to see more pictures and hopefully, in the near future, actually place orders. A business card should tell your customer who you are and what you do at a single glance. Not only does a full-color card help you do that but it sets you apart of all the other guys out there who are competing for your customer. Having a really nice card says you’re a professional; that you are proud of your business and so much more. So, is it time you redesigned your business card?