business cards anyone? - Posted by Marc/Atl

Posted by ben on March 15, 2000 at 23:08:02:

Hello Jonathan -

As for content, I have enough room for one ‘phrase’ or ‘motto’, and that is “We Buy Homes For Cash”, and that is usually just below or to the right of our logo.

“Cash” is probably the only word they actually see (lol).

Respectfully,

Ben

business cards anyone? - Posted by Marc/Atl

Posted by Marc/Atl on March 14, 2000 at 17:36:59:

Hi all,
what I’d like to know is when you talk to a contact,

  1. Do you leave a business card?
  2. Do some of you actually own a real estate related business?
  3. Have busines licence?
  4. Separate mailing address or phone line?
    If so as a member of a real estate club should you or do you include “member blah blah real estate investing association”
    at the bottom?
  5. Print your own b.c.?
  6. anything else?
    etc
    thanx all
    Marc/Atl

Re: business cards anyone? - Posted by ben

Posted by ben on March 17, 2000 at 10:59:29:

One last note on the business cards;

If you don’t have any publishing software, here is a good place where you can design them online and have them shipped to you:

http://www.iprint.com

You can choose the layout of the card from several choices, whether you want it vertical or horizontal, full color or black-and-white text, economy or deluxe premium paper. Here are a few examples as to what you will pay for this kind of service:

1000 business cards, economy paper, one color - $30.99
500 - $22.99
1000 business cards, econo paper, two colors - $38.99
500 - $26.99

1000 business cards, premium paper, one color - $46.99
500 - $34.99
1000 business cards, premium paper, two colors- $54.99
500 - $38.99

You can also order full-color cards, and there are many more combinations as to quality/quantity, ink and so on.

respectfully,

ben

Re: business cards anyone? - Posted by GIO

Posted by GIO on March 14, 2000 at 20:15:21:

CONSIDER THE BSNS CARDS BUT EVERUTHING ELSE IS NOT NECESSARY AND JUST USE WHAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP EXPENSES DOWN - most important “Get started- MAKE THE OFFERS”

Re: business cards anyone? - Posted by ben

Posted by ben on March 14, 2000 at 20:09:53:

Hello Marc -

You are going to get about a thousand different answers (and opinions) on this one.

When I talk to a contact, I do have a business card which gives him/her my name, phone, cellular phone, fax, partner’s phone and URL to our company’s Web Site.
If he or she doesn’t call back, it won’t be because he or she didn’t know how! I give one to everybody I speak with during the course of a day - including the young lady / barista who I ordered my latte’ from during break. Sometimes I give a person several, asking her to give one to a friend.

Some people do this part-time, some spare-time and some full-time. I do this full-time, it is my ‘job’. I don’t have the discipline or energy to do this while still going to work for somebody else every day.

I’ve found that having a separate business phone number is great and that you can get some good business packages that bundle phone, cellular, fax and more.

I’m not sure what others will tell you about a business license, but I think you have to have one to do this. I got mine before trying to do any deals.

Members of clubs, etc. - I recommend paying for memberships in civic and business chambers. After being dragged into joining the Chamber of Commerce by my partner, I did realize the huge benefits. The people you meet, network-worth, ideas, referrals and affiliations are great. It also makes a nice impression when somebody asks for references and you tell them you are a member of the Chamber of Commerce, etc. Again, you will get varying answers on this, but for me it’s the only way to go.

Printing your own business cards … I guess most people do that these days, Marc. I print my own, but always use a GOOD quality, stiff stock - which most people who print their own cards do not. There are some great software programs out there for making business cards and I can name a few: MS Publisher 2000 (about $129), Serif Page Plus 6.0 (good templates, about $59.00), Corel Office 2000 (good selection, about $99.00), for the budget-minded, there is Pro-venture business card maker which has some good templates and a good degree of self-design flexibility.

An alternative of course, is to have them made for you. There are some good online sources, such as iPrint.com where you design your card online and order it in the same session. Local ordering is till a little less expensive and you don’t pay for shipping - such as Office Max, Office Depot and Staples.

Good luck, Marc. Please send questions if you have them.

ben

Re: business cards anyone? - Posted by Brian W(IN)

Posted by Brian W(IN) on March 15, 2000 at 09:22:11:

Ben, you mention that you use a 'good quality,stiff stock when printing your own business cards. Do you mind sharing with us where you purchase your business card stock from? Thanks

Re: business cards anyone? - Posted by ben

Posted by ben on March 15, 2000 at 11:02:58:

Hello Brian -

I get my card stock from most of the major chains (such as Office Max, Office Depot, CompUSA, Staples), and sometimes I order it online.

In these places, you will find the flimsy / weak stock from after-market companies - then, you will find the standard stock from companies such as Avery.

The stiff stock, is in the category of what they call “specialty paper”, and here are a few of the companies to ask for:

“ACROPOLIS”, “ARISTICRAT”, “BLUE CARRARA”, “ENTERPRISE”, “FRENCH PATINA”, “GREEN MARBLE”, “INFLUENCIAL”, “WATER COLORS”, and “WORLD WIDE”

These “specialty paper” stock make EXCELLENT cards and you really can tell the difference. It is not only the quality and stiffness of the stock, but also the fact that they have a finer serration, so when you fold & pull them apart, there is not so much of an “edge” to them - they are much smoother on the edge which makes them appear less ‘home-made’ and a bit more professional.

If you decide to go with standard stock, try the “AVERY 8371”. Over the years, I’ve tried them all (literally) and this is the best of that bunch. It is also supported by every software manufacturer and every desk top publishing program ever made.

Respectfully,

Ben

What do you put on Business Cards? - Posted by Jonathan Rexford

Posted by Jonathan Rexford on March 15, 2000 at 12:51:19:

Just Curious

Re: What do you put on Business Cards? - Posted by ben

Posted by ben on March 15, 2000 at 17:57:39:

Hello Jonathan -

There are a few things that you will find on all business card; Name, Name of Company (if applicable), Telephone number, Address and Fax number (when applicable).

In addition to that, there are two things that I put on mine - my company’s logo and a motto or “tag line”.

Aside from that, you can add whatever you like. Outside Sales people sometimes don’t have the Address, because they do not work in an office.

In my case, I have the Company Name featured first, with my own name smaller (and farther down), because I want the emphasis to be on the company, not myself. If I were in retail sales, I’d probably want it the other way around.

Since one of the main points of even having a business card is so that others know how to contact me, I give a high priority to the phone, cellular and fax numbers. Since I don’t want people ‘walking in’ to my office when I spend so little time there, I give a lower priority to the address.

Experimenting with various layouts & designs, you will find (surprisingly) that you can get all that on a business card and still have it look clean and unclutered.

Respectfully,

ben

Good Advice… thnks Ben (nt) - Posted by d.moren

Posted by d.moren on March 15, 2000 at 20:44:46:

nt

Re: What do you put on Business Cards? - Posted by Jonathan Rexford

Posted by Jonathan Rexford on March 15, 2000 at 19:06:43:

Ben,

I ment Content “WE BUY HOMES FOR CASH” so on I have 4 kinds myself for different types of situtation. Just getting Ideas. By the way I get mine printed

Thanks for the input
Jonathan Rexford