| Every day thousands of people flock to the internet to | | | | make money by giving something away! |
| order business cards. | | | | Other companies -- either unable or unwilling to give |
| It wasn't always this way of course. In the "old days" | | | | away cards for free -- decided instead to offer free |
| people used to walk into their local print shop, look at | | | | shipping to win over customers. |
| some templates and card options, give the printer their | | | | So… if some companies offer free business cards, |
| info and they'd walk out with a stack of new cards. | | | | and other companies offer free shipping… the |
| The idea of free business cards didn't really exist. | | | | question that naturally follows is, "can I get totally free |
| Couldn't exist. | | | | business cards AND free shipping? |
| But with business card printing becoming more | | | | Actually, you can. |
| affordable with volume, and many of the top websites | | | | Offering free business cards with free shipping has |
| being able to print volumes FAR exceeding (as in tens | | | | proven to be a great way for companies to get |
| of thousands of times) the print volume of a local | | | | publicity, often in the form of press releases that |
| printer, online print houses began offering free or | | | | circulate around the web through news sites, social |
| almost free business cards to lure customers in. | | | | media sites like twiiter and facebook, and others. |
| Part of the reason they are able to do this is quite | | | | The problem is that these offers go fast. To limit their |
| simply, repeat business. | | | | financial exposure, the companies only offer the deal |
| After all, if you get one thing printed with them, | | | | to a limited number of customers. Get there first… |
| chances are you'll return to get more business cards, | | | | and they're yours. There's an element of luck and |
| or postcards, or letterhead, or any of dozens of other | | | | timing in getting to these deals. |
| personal or business products they carry. | | | | A few companies however, have found that giving |
| And chances are you'll re-order in near future as well. | | | | away the cards and shipping them free is a powerful |
| You might even tell a few friends about the great deal | | | | way to earn customer loyalty. On the plus side, they |
| you just got, and then they'll go and order. | | | | leave these offers on the table for longer periods of |
| In essence, the free business cards offer is really just | | | | time. On the negative side, the quantity of cards they'll |
| a clever "loss leader" to help companies get their foot | | | | give away to each customer is generally pretty small. |
| in the door. | | | | Deciding between free business cards with a nominal |
| Another reason many companies are able to offer | | | | shipping charge, and one of these smaller, or rarer |
| free business cards is the ability to charge shipping and | | | | deals that offer both for free all depends on what you |
| handling on these orders, which in many cases helps | | | | need. |
| them recoup the cost of the printing – and possibly | | | | The bottom line is that there sure are some great |
| even make money on the transaction. Imagine that… | | | | offers out there! |