When you make an investment in your business, you want the money to go a long way and provide a good return. Business cards are one such investment, but you may not be able to use them for as long as you think. Outdated business cards are bad for business and can misinform clients, meaning you’ll need to replace them often. Keep reading to learn more about how often you should replace your business cards.
Every Few Years
When your business is in a good place, few things change. You stay in the same physical location where you’re drawing in clients, your staff stays consistent, and you keep the same contact information. With all of that continuity, it makes sense that you wouldn’t change your business cards. Why pay for something new when something old works well?
Eventually, your cards will look outdated. Things age, and the pictures on cards make your business look forgetful at best and uncaring at worst. New designs come out, and the designs on your current card might attract fewer clients than they used to. Avoid these problems and get new cards printed every few years so everything stays updated and looks great.
Whenever You Run Out
Business cards can get expensive, so you don’t want to hand them out like free candy. You do, however, want to make sure they get into the hands of the right potential partners and customers. If you’re going to a lot of events and meeting people who are genuinely interested in your business, then you should hand out your cards. If you start with a small order of business cards, you can quickly run out. Don’t wait to see how many leads you get from those business cards—order more before you run out. You should always have at least three business cards on you at all times, so try to order them before you’ve completely run out.
When Information Changes
For the sake of saving money, some businesses keep getting their old business cards printed and just scratch out and re-write updated information. This makes your business look unprofessional and can confuse potential partners and clients. Inaccurate and old information are some details you shouldn’t put on business cards, even if you can easily correct them by hand. Order new business cards when things change, whether it’s a phone number, address, or color scheme. Interestingly, the right color scheme can improve business branding, so even a simple change in logo color is an important reason to order new cards.
You should replace your business cards every few years, or do it more often if you run out or change information. Business cards are your first impression to potential partners and clients, so keeping several ready with accurate information is crucial for growing your business.
