Business cards are a great marketing tool no matter what occupation, business, or service they represent. In a flash, potential customers know what you do, who you are, and how they can contact you. For any business to survive, business cards are essential. However, design and printing prices can cut into your profit margin considerably, especially if you don't know the tips for saving money while still receiving quality cards. Business cards are a necessary expense, but that's no reason for them to be expensive.
- Do without the graphic designer. Although he will probably come up with a great design, his services will be expensive. According to the website Cost Helper, the average hourly rate of a graphic designer ranges anywhere from $20 to $350, usually you will be charged for an hour's worth of work for a business card. Download the freeware design program Gimp, make a 2-inch by 3.5-inch template, and start designing. If you find this difficult, choose an online design and printing service. Some printing services, such as Vista Print and Overnight Prints, have free designs you can use. Their printing services are inexpensive.
- Order business cards in bulk and take advantage of printers' discounts. This may seem counterintuitive initially, but it is cost-effective. You want to keep costs down, so your inclination might be to order business cards in packs of 500, rather than the more expensive 2,000, and reorder only when you need them. It's true you would spend less per order this way. As of November 2009, Printing For Less charged $39.95 for 500 business cards, not including shipping, which works out to $0.08 per card. Conversely, 2,000 business cards cost $86.45, but that figure works out to $0.04 per card. Four 500-card orders would ultimately cost $159.80, so you save $73.45 by ordering 2,000 cards all at once.
- Purchase Avery business-card paper and print the cards yourself. The paper is easy to use with any home or office printer. Avery's website offers free templates to download. To find the correct template, search using the product number or the four-digit number on the front of the package. Open the template in Microsoft Word, use an image and some text, and print. The result is professional business cards, designed and printed within minutes, for an inexpensive rate.
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