Ditch Business Cards – for cause

  

You may have seen this image, or this one…

No doubt these are very creative ideas, but this is I think where creativity has gone too far. It might have got a lot of attention and so it might be considered a success, but in my opinion it is not really useful in real life.

All they had to say was the name they wanted to be searched for and Voila, anyone could find them and their contact info.

Here’s what first came to my mind (as a business card) instead:

And this is only required because the person I’m introducing myself to, may not know the exact spelling of my name. However, in the case of Some Printing Inc, or Jim the Lawyer, it’s easy enough to remember and type the correct name in any search engine.

After all, how many times have you kept a business card, then never went back to look at it and even if and when you do, it might be very difficult to search for and find what you are looking for. Which is easier? To store and look for a card in a large stack of cards or to search the name online?

I remember when I was younger and used to attend exhibitions with my Dad, we had to have 100 or at least 50 cards with us. You could be visiting another country and you had to remember to print and take business cards with you. Most businessmen I have met have had a stack of cards with them all the time as this is part of business etiquette. But did you know that this tradition is from the 15th and 17th century?

There is really nothing wrong with sticking to traditions, but don’t you find this particular one as unnecessary as I do?

Next time you visit a bank, notice the number of cards stacked in front of each person. Think about the number of business cards you have been given and you never used. Think about the many times you were impressed by a card at first when you received it but then never went back to it again.

Just because business cards were useful at a point in time where people had no other way of finding the contact information of a person, company, or professional, when everyone had a phone number and mailing address that needed to be remembered and it’s just not possible to memorize all that information, doesn’t mean we should continue with this ritual now.

Take a look at this famous card from 1895:

Business cards belong to a time when without them, people could not be reached after the initial meeting or perhaps when their services were required. But this is not the case now anymore. We are living at a day and age where almost everyone carries a smartphone and there are technologies in use where for instance people tap their handsets together and exchange contact details. There are search engines, websites, online profiles, facebook, twitter, linkedin and more.

To give you just an idea of possibilities of use of technology, here’s something interesting I found: “Japanese use QR codes in cemeteries on grave markers as a way to share additional information and unite mourners.” I was also very surprised to find out that the QR Code which has just recently started to spread in Canada and US, had been first created in Japan in 1994!

What hits me most is that many professionals and businesses still don’t even have web page and can’t be found online, but they have business cards!

My suggestion to Ditch Business Cards, is not applicable to everyone and everywhere in the world. My suggestion is based on my experiences here in Canada. I understand that there may be exceptional circumstances where a business card may be needed – for instance when giving out information which would not be publicly available:

The Name's Bond. James Bond :)

but the majority of business cards can be ditched. People now have online profiles on many platforms. When just one company reports printing 13 million cards in 2010, imagine how many cards have been printed overall. Think about the total cost that goes into design and printing of cards. Could this money help someone, somewhere, and be more beneficial? Of course it can.

I don’t yet have any suggestion as to where and how this money could be spent and just wanted to raise this point and see how many people agree with this. If you agree, if you like the idea, if you think some of our use of business cards can be ditched and it’s a good idea to give part of that money for a cause, to help those in need of food, education or shelter, then Like DiTcH bUsInEsS cArDs – for a cause on facebook, suggest to your friends and post your idea of where and how you think the money should be spent.

Thank you for reading and I wish we all take a step in making the world a better place for everyone.

I am a blogger and I don’t need a business card: Davoud Salahi .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

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