Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

It may seem like a trivial question.  My wife and I are starting a new business, side business for now, and are looking at creating business cards. 

Do people find business cards with blank backs more useful than magnetic backed business cards?

This business will be a photography business, aimed at families/parents who are tired of the `big box retailers` way of doing things.  We will also offer photography for birthday parties, events, etc, as well as on site portraits.

 Thoughts from the community please?

Thank you!

    


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Mike Strock mike@myhomeoffice.org http://www.myhomeoffice.org Skype: mikestrock

What are you using them for?

Ads? Magnetic would be ok.
Networking or talking to people face to face? Definitely go with blank.

If you`re going to go for magnetic, it would have to be the kind of
business that people would want on their fridge or file cabinet. In my
opinion, this works really well for businesses that are contacted
frequently, like pizza delivery, dog groomers or doctor`s offices (hopefully
not that frequently). Photography services, I don`t know about that one.
It`s not as easy to pass someone a magnetic card as one of just paper.
And it doesn`t quite lend itself to someone passing on that card as well. I
would suggest for you blank back paper cards. That`s just my opinion.

Great thoughts.  I appreciate the feedback.  Agree, it isn`t something like  a pizza place or a vet that will be contacted as frequently as one of those places....paper would probably be best.  Less expensive too. :

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Mike Strock mike@myhomeoffice.org http://www.myhomeoffice.org Skype: mikestrock

For your normal business cards, go with paper. Too many people put the cards in their wallet, right near or on top of credit cards. It doesn`t happen always, but enough where the magnetic card would wipe out the card information on the back of the card.

Instead, offer your normal paper business cards, but do a direct mail that includes an insert of the magnetic card. Those, people would maybe put up on the fridge.

Mike?
Magnetic Business Cards are good for marketing only? Although, they are handy to have on the fridge they don`t serve much purpose but to hold your 1st graders first I Love you Dad and Mom finger paint drawing.

Also, Magnetic Business Cards, can give you a bad rep or loose customers if they customers decide to stick it in their wallet with the magnet facing the same was as their Bank Card magnetic strip... Although your intention was good, the outcome might get some of your customers mad.
I would suggest going with the regular White back or full color business cards.
use the front for the Logo and www.mybusiness.com and the back to add your products or services.




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Edgar Monroy
Web Developer / Owner / Consultant
When starting your own business the need to "know-how" is greater than money!
http://www.nuevolution.net

Depending on your budget one concept that seems to work well for a few of my photographer clients is doing a trading card concept. I`ve done cards where we use 8 different photos representing their best work on one side and the contact information on the other. It`s a pretty neat concept especially for a photographer because when you are handing out a card you can hand a person a set and say "here, pick a couple" or better yet give them the whole and they can hand your cards out to their friends.

One word of caution - pick your printer carefully. I know an artist that did the trading card concept with a cheap internet printer and the colors came out horrible. If you`re highlighting your artwork you`ll want to use a local printer so that you can be there in person to do a press check. 

Not on the back if you are going to do networking. Leave the back blank.

See Business Card Tip #3847583945 for more information.

Yeah check out the business card tip post that Nikole just mentioned (not
tip #3847586943). I also made a few comments that are similar to the
aforementioned trading card concept.

Logoworks did my logo and some other stuff (letterhead templates, etc) and included 500 cards in the order. They came out well - 100 lb. stock, nice ink, etc.

The back does use a snipet of my logo, stylized a bit, along with my tagline. I don;t network a lot, since my clients don`t tend to flock together like that. I wish they would, and when I do a trade show or conference, I`ll reorder without the back printed. That would make sense for a networking thing.

I agree about the magnet back thing. How often does someone use a photographer? Plus the zap-your-debit-cards deal would really suck...