How many business cards should you order?

In the modern world of business and networking, there is a lot of conflicting advice about handing out business cards. Some say they give them to everyone they meet, whether it’s the pizza delivery guy or the CEO of an international company. Others say to give them more strategically, only to qualified leads or leads you’ve already chatted with and connected with. When it comes to ordering new business cards, the number you need obviously depends on which of these strategies you follow. Some people will get 1,000 cards in a few months, others will make 500 cards last two years.

Here are some additional factors to consider when deciding how many business cards to order.

Do you like to update your brand often?

Often those in the creative and design fields like to come up with fresh new twists and visuals for their branding and business cards. They get bored of giving the same old card after six months or so. In this case, calculate how many cards you will deliver in that time period and order only that amount.

Is he likely to move in the next year or so?

A move can result in a new landline number even if you don’t print your physical address on your cards. There’s nothing more unprofessional than scratching out numbers on beautifully printed business cards, so order a smaller print run of perhaps 500 cards to last until you move.

Do you expect to gain new qualifications or accreditations next year?

If you’re likely to want to add those credits to your card, then it only makes sense to order enough cards to last until then.

Do you attend a lot of networking events?

If you routinely hand out a lot of business cards at networking events, you’ll get 500 cards in no time. In this case, a larger order of 1000 or more cards makes sense, so you don’t have to reorder more.

Do you work primarily online?

If you mainly work and network online and deliver just a few cards now and then, even a small order of 500 cards can last for years. In that case, work smart with the contact information you provide, so it’s less likely to become stale. Leave out your physical address and landline phone and just provide email and web addresses and perhaps your business cell phone number. As long as your website stays up to date with your contact information, your card will also stay up to date. Or find a printer that’s happy to print short runs of cards and only order 200 at a time.

As a general rule of thumb, order enough cards to last six months, or maybe a year if you’d rather not keep tweaking your design.