I normally print my own business cards. The template is on MS Publisher and I print them on Avery Clean Edge glossy business cardthem on my G85 All-In-One printer, maybe 5 sheets at a time. I never really wanted to print more than a small handfull, because it seems like at least once every 6-8 months something happens .. a new toll-free fax number, I drop my cell phone and transfer my home number to my cell .. etc etc.

Here is my existing business card for HBS Management Consultants:

The last time I needed business cards desperately, I ran out of the clean edge stock, and just used the heavier stock paper that normally use for covers on financial statements … resulting in these yellow cards that I may (or may not have) cut quite unprofessionally with dull scissors or worse!

Buying My Business Cards Online

Last week I decided to try an online printing company … OverNightPrints.com .. and get a new business card without my phone number, and more for internet ventures than my offline ventures. It is a hi-glossy finish, double sided, and has my toll-free fax line, my email address, my site URL’s, my twitter address and my facebook address.

Date Ordered: October 29, 2009
Cost: $39.95 USD
Shipping: $18.77 USD (standard to Canada)
Total: $58.72 USD
Date Arrived: November 5, 2009
Additional Costs: $36.19 CDN (PST, GST and brokerage)

If I were to convert that to the going foreign exchange rate of 1.0705, these 500 business cards would probably ‘net me $99.05 CDN. or just under 20 cents CDN per single card. Is that a little high? Perhaps .. but it’s not like I’m dropping these on windshields or in mailboxes around the neighbourhood – I’m handing them out to people curious about my online business ventures and/or ask me for my email address. I think it’s a reasonable cost. I did not want to buy 50,000 business cards just to reduce the average unit cost, because I would never get rid of them.

Here is my new business card