The power of the business card

One of the smartest purchases I made in the past year was a set of personalized business cards from Moo,* an amazing UK-based business card company. It was recommended to me by an American expat in Rio, and I ordered them sometime last January. I bought a set of mini-cards, which are very handy and somewhat smaller than standard business cards, which makes them unique.

Moo allows you to upload your own image or to pick and choose from their wonderful designs to personalize your cards. You can mix and match different designs, or use big text on the graphic side of the card. I chose Sarah Green's minis collection, which has really funky designs in tons of colors. I had my Rio information put on the back, and since I've been home I handwrote in my New York phone number.

I've found that having these particular cards is incredibly helpful. They're small, so they're easy to carry around (I bought the handy mini-card holder, which people for some reason find intriguing, maybe because it's pink). They're really unique cards and people always react well to them, and frequently ask where I got them. I like to think they help me stand out, even if in a small way.

For expats, these are great to have whether you're moving to a new place or hopping back and forth between several places. In Brazil, having cards in English, while obvious for an American, was actually an advantage, literally working the "gringo card" (plus, there's only one line of text besides my name and contact info). When I came back to New York, I didn't order an entire set of new cards because I actually liked having my Rio information on there. I like to think that also helps me stand out.

While the past seven months were rough in terms of job hunting, having these cards has given me a little bit of extra confidence. There are so many factors that go into an interview, but having something high-quality and memorable for people to remember you by is really helpful.

*Note: I was not paid or compensated to write this! I just love the cards that much.

Comments

[Liesl78]

Love it, I'll have to order myself some. BTW, happy birthday :)

[Tricia]

Thought for sure this was a 'sponsored' post. I saw an ad for these on Flickr and actually started playing with some of my Rio pics. Now I must order it seems!

[Simone]

haha. No wonder I have stopped giving my "ugly", I mean plain, Staples business cards. Besides, they are old and not pretty at all. :(

I just wish I had one, any one though, when I lost my wallet the other day. That would may have increased the chances of getting my valuable documents returned.... business cards can be life savers, regardless of the cuteness, sometimes. sniff... sniff

I did love your little pink card holder. Great idea, so fashion! Very feminine too and the cards are absolutely cute. Loved it! But I always wonder how long people keep your business card and if it worth all the trouble. It might be worth, to build your own brand or to make an impression, but other than that... does people really look for your business card when they need to contact you?

For networking, it seems to me, the best thing lately has been the Linkedin site, or another similar site, like Plaxo which automatically updates you of any changes.

By the way, that reminds me to add you on Linkedin...I saw you there the other day!

Bye. Enjoy your b-day, girl! :)

[Ashley, the Accidental Olympian]

OMG those are ADORABLE. Even after a bad interview you at least know you left something tantalizing behind. :)

[Andressa]

Loved this post!!!
Did u order ur while in Brazil? Do u know if they delivery it in Brazil???

[Tanjila Jesmeen]

good post.thanks for sharing.