Advice on offering business cards to customers?

[Robert Lambie]

like many products like this, there are a great many on-line resources.
why do it online when you might be able to form and alliance with a local printer. he subs you work, you sub him work?

[Chris Wool]

most people will say farm it out add your bit job done.

diy
high end laser A3+ printer £3000 plus contract which fixes the costs
guillotine £500+
laminater handy £1000

works well for me but understand its not for every one. big advantage is they do a lot more than cards – menus flyers letterheads com slips etc.

there are one card type printers but not looked to hard at them but they only do cards.

[David Hammond]

+1 for farm it out.

My dad has a digital printer and guillotine so easy and I have a nice choice of trade customers I am about to meet with and see if I can get some more work for them.

Failing that there’s online suppliers that are reliable, just don’t give the customer too much choice.

[Adrian Hewson]

Hi this can be a very profitable line of business (many people do this as a stand alone business) and you can start up with small amount of equipment but I think you will find that once you advertise business cards you get asked for flyers brochures programmes tickets etc. The critical cost is the maintenance cost per click you should try to aim for as close to £0.03 per A3 sheet ( many office printers can cost over £0.10)

We supply the match day programmes for local pro Football team, Ice Hockey Team and Rugby Team sometimes as many as 1200 40 page programmes a week, at this level it is easy to make over £1K profit per week

Our kit

Konica Bus hub c6500
Konica Bus hub C5500
Morgana programmables A2 guillotine
Morgana Major Folder
Morgana Creaser
Plockmatic 5010 full line booklet maker and trimmer (2 off)
KAS 500 booklet maker
Meech 7kv anti static air gun

[David Rowland]

well u certainly have a lot of litho kit as some bizhubs… i remember them well lol.

At the company I am with now, we would sub everything as its easy as pie.

[Adrian Hewson]

HI Dave most of bour business is quick response stuff and we have to be competitive we dont find there is a margin or can wait for local printers, also if you use local printers then they know who your customers are. All our kit is digital we dont touch litho as we only do small runs

[Kevin Flowers]

We offer the service but farm it out because the quality and price is good.
We use:-

http://www.tradeprint.co.uk/

Its actually cheaper to get them printed in Scotland and sent to me in London than getting them printed locally

Kev

[David Rogers]

quote Kevin Flowers:

We offer the service but farm it out because the quality and price is good.
We use:-

http://www.tradeprint.co.uk/

Its actually cheaper to get them printed in Scotland and sent to me in London than getting them printed locally

Kev

AKA Fairprint http://www.fairprint.co.uk/

same company – different websites for two bites of the cake.

Excellent trade rates and high quality stuff.

[David Rowland]

we say 7days or pay extra for next day…

[Alan Drury]

I use Fairprint/Tradepring as well, with that quality and price is it really worth doing it yourself, just concentrate on getting your files right and ready for print.
Alan D

[Tim Painter]

Farm it out.

Fairprint
Quinns Belfast
Print24 – Germany

all depends on what the job is.

[Lee Attewell]

Look at forming a strategic alliance with a local. You benefit they benefit and you can both be experts in your own field. That’s if you can find someone you trust.

Mind you… I’m in BNI 😉

[Lorraine Clinch]

For the few requests I get, I farm them out.
Just requested a price from Tradeprint, thanks for that.

Lorraine

[Jill Marie Welsh]

I offer free bizcards when someone purchases a logo designed by me.
I also offer business cards for sale, it’s been a nice money maker.
I sub them out. (online) If I had a local guy I would try that.
Love….Jill