Free Business Cards

[Jason Dunn]

This is completely off the Pocket PC path, but it's something that I personally benefited from and wanted to pass along. We might long for a digital existence, but old-fashioned business cards still make the world go 'round.<br /><br />VistaPrint is a custom printing company that has a unique offer: 250 business cards, full colour, heavy 100 lbs. stock, for free. Sounds too good to be true right? Not really - the put a small VistaPrint logo on the back, but for a few bucks you can remove it. I had some cards printed up last year, and was shocked at how good they were for being a "freebie". They also have an incredibly cool ActiveX-based custom software program that lets you create your own cards, all in a browser window. <br /><br />You'll also be helping this site if you get the free cards - they toss me a buck for every free order. Not a lot, but if 10,000 of you order the cards I can do updates from a beach in Fiji. Wouldn't that be nice? ;-) And even if you don't need business cards, it's always good to have generic contact cards made up - if you want someone to call you, just hand 'em your card. I actually did this once years ago in a restaurant where I thought the female bartender was cute. But where was I? ;-)<br /><br />I'm planning on using this offer to print up my Pocket PC Thoughts business cards, and they also have some great offers on full-colour post cards.<img src="http://service.bfast.com/bfast/serve?bfmid=26298982&siteid=38884360&bfpage=468x60_bluewhite1" /> <a href="http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=26298982&siteid=38884360&bfpage=468x60_bluewhite1">Click to get the free stuff</a>.

[Jeff Rutledge]

I am getting married in September and wanted to include a simple business card in our invitations that would give folks the URL to our website. This is a much better solution than those "50 business cards for $6" machines in the mall (do they still exist?).

Anyways, thanks for the link. That's $1!! :wink:

[Jason Dunn]

Innovative thinking JR! :lol: I haven't seen the machines you're talking about, but there are so many things you can use cards for...you'll be pleased with the quality! Now back to designing my Pocket PC Thoughts business cards... :)

[JonnoB]

Hmmm. Maybe this would be good to get my oldest kids? Hosting my own domain means my kids each have their own unique father controlled email address :wink: . It could make them feel important to also have a business card to give school friends.

[RLBogue]

Ok, dragging the conversation even more off topic...

My son was born recently and I gave serious considerations to printing business cards for him. VistaPrint has some templates that are "baby" centric. I eventually decided on some post cards instead.

The post cards turned out GREAT. Thick stock, good picture... I was very impressed.

[Jason Dunn]

Hmmm. Maybe this would be good to get my oldest kids? Hosting my own domain means my kids each have their own unique father controlled email address :wink: . It could make them feel important to also have a business card to give school friends.


What the heck, it's free right? Go for it! Besides, I want to buy a hamburger tonight for dinner, so I could use the money... :lol:

[Dave Conger]

...I want to buy a hamburger tonight for dinner, so I could use the money... :lol:


I find it rather funny they give you a commision on a free product. They print some nice cards for me for free (plus s/h) and give Jason $1?!?!? Thats one crazy business plan...

[michael]

...I want to buy a hamburger tonight for dinner, so I could use the money... :lol:


I find it rather funny they give you a commision on a free product. They print some nice cards for me for free (plus s/h) and give Jason $1?!?!? Thats one crazy business plan...


Step One Give aware free cards.
Step Two
Step Three Profit!

[Jason Dunn]

You'd be surprised - I bet once you get the product and see the quality, you'll come back for more. They profit in the end! :)

[Dave Conger]

You'd be surprised - I bet once you get the product and see the quality, you'll come back for more. They profit in the end! :)


This sounds similar to www.gatherround.com (which is no more). They offered 50 free color photo prints (through Ofoto). As you can see, Gatherround is no longer! I don't want to sound pesimistic (to late huh?) but seems like the bussiness plan doesn't always work quite right. Well, I guess it is working for you Jason!

[James]

[but seems like the bussiness plan doesn't always work quite right. Well, I guess it is working for you Jason!


What business plan does work right? By all conventionall business knowledge, Amazon.com should have been out of business ages ago and the dotcom rocket would have exploded on the launch pad - not 2 years later.

[Dave Conger]

True...Amazon is always surprising me with the low prices and their still in business company! Hopefully the economy will pick up and pick up the internet economy with it.

[James]

True...Amazon is always surprising me with the low prices and their still in business company! Hopefully the economy will pick up and pick up the internet economy with it.

The economy should be heading back up before too long, but I suspect the internet economy will be a long time getting back to what it was - if ever. The companies that survived are likely to do very well after the recovery, but I doubt we'll IPOs regularly hitting 1000% ever again. At least Amazon finally turned a quarterly profit. Be interesting to see how long it takes 'em to make a real profit and payback all their loans.

[Kre]

...They profit in the end! :)


Yeah, by selling your name, home, work, and email addresses, phone numbers, and any other personal info that you`d have printed, to any and every outside party for a profit in exchange for some nice, pretty business cards.

How else could they wake up everyday and decide to make free business cards for total strangers for `free`, the cost of which comes out of their pockets, and pay Jason and whoever else a buck on top of it all?

Nothing is free. There`s always a catch. No company could hope to survive by spending money out of their own pockets by going through the labor of printing business cards for free for the masses, while basing profits on the hope that they would return to have more printed for a fee. That would be a foolish way to go into business for oneself. I`m sure they would realize this, so selling peoples` info for a profit would cover these losses.

So for me, I have to say, no thanks.

[Jason Dunn]

Yeah, by selling your name, home, work, and email addresses, phone numbers, and any other personal info that you`d have printed...


You're entitled to believe what you want, but in the business world it's called a "loss leader". You lose money on it to get them in the door in the hopes that they'll order more products from you in the future. Besides, most people ordering the "free" cards will end up spending $5-$10 on extras like removing the VistaPrint name from it.

I didn't notice an increase in spamming/telemarker calls after I ordered them. If I had, I would not recommend them to my readers. :)

[OzBert]

Yeah, I ordered the free ones for my mom, then heck while I was at it ordered some for me as well already paying s&h.

Additionally some address labels for my mom, which I wanted to buy anyway someplace else but didn't get around to do so.

If I am satisfied with the first shipment I can also see myself ordering more.

"Not feeling suckered in", Oz