You’ve designed trendy custom business cards or found the perfect free business card template. Now, you’re staring at the order form wondering what number of business cards you need. There are many variables to consider; after all, a sales representative at a trade show will need more business cards than a fully booked hair stylist.
Here are four factors to keep in mind before you place your business card order.
Industry
The professionals who most often whip out a business card are real estate agents, sales representatives, and attorneys. They can comfortably bulk-order products since they are constantly interacting with potential clients and business partners. Meanwhile, hair stylists, freelancers, and other service workers should order quantities based on whether they want to grow their business or if they’re happy with their clientele. Otherwise, social industries can place orders based on how many events they attend. When they’re working a wedding, birthday party, or bar mitzvah, DJs need to display them at their table and event planners should have them handy.
Location
Think of the expected attendance when you’re preparing for the trade shows, conventions, and other networking events on your calendar. An event with only 250 attendees will require fewer business cards than one with 1,000. If you’re ordering retail business cards, or artist business cards for a gallery, consider the size of the city you’re located in. A clothing store on Rodeo Drive will get more foot traffic—and give out more business cards—than one in a small town.
Uses
Traditionally, business cards are exchanged at meetings and networking events. Networking pros should order plenty of business cards to keep up with their important business connections. Real estate business cards are also hot commodities at open houses and broker’s opens. Have a large quantity ready to give out, but keep in mind the desirability of the house and its location.
But not everyone needs to introduce themself with a smile, handshake, and business card. A small business owner will include them in packages, occasionally printed with a coupon for the customer’s next purchase. Physical retail stores display them by the register or place them inside bags. Buy business cards based on how many orders you typically receive each year.
Budget
This is the primary concern for many people placing business card orders since unused business cards are basically money down the drain. Design elements will also impact the price of each individual card. Features like special shapes, rounded corners, and luxury materials tend to raise the price and impact how many you can order. Generally, it’s more cost-effective to bulk order business cards. Save money by ordering 1,000 cards once a year instead of 250 cards four times a year.
Event-based professionals can use simple equations to determine the right number of business cards to order. A realtor should consider how many open houses they host per year and how many people typically show up. For the hustling networker, they might have a goal of giving out 15 business cards per event, and they plan to attend two events per month. That requires roughly 360 business cards per year, so you can comfortably round up to 500 business cards. An Etsy shop that ships 50 packages a week will need about 2,400 business cards to include in each box for the year.
One final factor is how established you are in your career. If you’re settled in your role at your company, it makes sense to order a large amount, as you can use them for years to come. But if you’re on the rise, order smaller quantities, as you’ll need to update your business card as you are promoted.
At GotPrint, we provide business cards in batches ranging from 50 to 100,000, so you can be prepared to pass them out like candy. If you’re still unsure what type of business card to order, you can compare premium cardstock options, a matte or glossy finish, and varying thicknesses with a free sample kit. You’ll find that cheap business cards don’t have to sacrifice quality. And we’ll make sure you always have a business card on hand.