Startups Stack Exchange Archive

Multiple business cards or single multi-use card?

I have the dilemma of being multi-talented, or capitalizing on several related things. I studied manufacturing and learned fine jewelry and photography went from a hobby to a business necessity to show product and has grown to encompass portraits and professionalism.

I’m now faced with a decision to print and carry around separate business cards for each facet of sellable service I can offer, pointing to the same website but labelled differently, or make one business card with multiple job titles. Separate cards would be highly inconvenient and expensive, but having the following as a business card is messy looking, in my opinion:

Name
Jeweler/Photographer/etc./etc.
Website

I’ve asked some locals in the business and none have given me a direct answer, lacking one of their own. While it’s good to be great at one thing and focus, if you’re great at a few things, why not capitalize on them? So what are stackexchange’s thoughts, opinions and advice on this decision between card formats?

Answer 1068

NEW ANSWER

Given your additional insight, I will revise my answer to not using a business card at all in your situation.

business cards have lead to no sales or contacts at all

The purpose of a business card is to sell, but other uses like professionalism could be argued in certain cases. However, jewelry making and photography don’t tend be viewed as “professional” occupations in the same way as law, medicine, etc… Thus, trying to put a formal spin on an creative profession seems out of place. For example, you are probably not wearing a suit and tie when you meet potential clients.

I’d consider another alternative to business cards like giving out your email/phone number/sending a LinkedIn/Facebook invite and posting pictures of your work on Facebook.

From personal experience, I’ve gotten business cards from “one man creative shops” and it would have been just easier to Facebook friend them and you end up tossing the card away anyway.

OLD ANSWER

I would go with single multi-use cards for several reasons.

  1. Business card purpose. What are your reasons for distributing the card? Is it to get business from jewelry and photography? Or is it to brand you as an expert in one field? Do you want to be seen as a generalist or a specialist? It seems like selling jewelry necessitates good photography, so I would consider them complimentary skill sets, though maybe not the other way around. Though you could consider giving free photography to people willing to model your jewelry.
  2. Cross selling. I would imagine that people that purchase custom made jewelry will often purchase photography and vice versa. By including both, you increase the potential business. However, I’d consider your past selling experience. Meaning, in your experience, do people that purchase custom made jewelry also purchase photography?
  3. Lower cost.
  4. Simplicity.
  5. Awkwardness factor. Do you want to fumble around with two sets of business cards wherever you go? And, then when you are talking to someone pull out two different business cards, have them ask about it and offer to give them a second card? And the only thing different about the second card is that it would say a different title?
  6. What do the big multi-line businesses do? I’m not sure on this one so your guess may be better than mine.

Answer 1061

Business cards are cheap. If you're making enough to justify multiple lines of business then you need separate cards.

Here are some examples of good business cards:

Photography:

enter image description here

Jewelry:

enter image description here

Answer 1103

You’re thinking about your issues of convenience and expense. Wrong priority.

You’re wondering how, when you meet someone who might want something you have to offer, you can sure they spot it. Risky worldview.

So for each service you have to offer, and for each type of potential customer, ask what they would want to see and hear to take you seriously.

If you can only afford one business card set, pick the one that’ll make the most difference. Or if Moo.com is available where you are, us their service to make one set tell different stories.

Face to face, we’re not so different than online: we want the best answer to our current headache. Multi-talented is interesting, but it tends to push away from that simplicity. So do what the market needs, not whatever suits you best.

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