Hello everyone,
First i would like to say this site is the best.I have being reading and learning a lot from everybody here.
I have a question,i’m just starting Bird-dogging and i was thinking of making business cards.Is this a good idea ? If yes what should i put beside name and phone numbers,
Or there is any other way to let people know who i’m and what i do?
I just want to have something to give to customers so they can contact me .
Thanks a lot, Again every one here is great…
RMR
…
Howdy rmr2115:
Cards are great. Just put your name and below put
Real Estate Investor
or
Real Estate Investments
Thank you all for a quick response,
I don’t have a lot cash to put out right now but i figure i would make few cards first and then make more , i like the advise of using Real Estate Investments.
I like to take step by step ,starting from the bottom and get to the top slow.
Thanks again
Having a business card gives you the reputation of being a professional right away. It would serve like your free billboard of you being a real estate investor /professional. Your responses from these might show up tomorrow , next week, next month or whenever. Just keep handing it out to anyone you know especially acquiantances who are exposed to big group of different people. They are your watchdog for real estate deals. Actually you could get free business card just pay for shipping. And I think it’s vistaprint.com, won’t even cost you more than $10.00
I like writing out personal notes on the back of my business cards so prospects can see that I am a real human being. It helps to break through the formal structure of a business card.
As the other posting stated vistaprint.com has free cards for first timers. I’ve always heard not to make your own because of the quality (not to mention the actual cost if you use color). However, you can make your own design and then go to say a Kinko’s to have them printed. Business cards will also help prove to the IRS that you are operating as a business entity seperate from yourself should you ever incorporate.
If you truly want to be seen as a professional in the business, then DON’T
Number 1 looks cheap and crappy even when printed on the best inkjet printers
Number 2 just looks like your cheap.
You can have custom printed white stock, one color ink 1000 cards made up at Office Depot for around $25-30. Most people waste that in a weekend without really knowing where it went. If that is still too much, then they also offer stock printing layouts for starting at $15-20 per thousand. And no offense meant to anyone, but if you can’t shell out this amount to start off a business, then you are not ready to start a business, any business, much less a REI business.
Hope it helps,
Roger
Anyone else feel this way about Vistaprint?—that it looks cheap? Cheap to whom? other investors? gen. public?
If other investors, then make a separate card fro them?
Thanks
My outlook on business cards is that it should be more than just your name, contact info and title (real estate investor). It should not just tell people how to call you, but why they should call you. It needs to answer the question: “Why should they do business with you over any other option available to them?” I like to think of it as a small display ad.
I have no experience with Vistaprints, but I would shell out a little more money to get something nicer. You should be able to find a printer that can do it for not too much if you make a few calls.
Good luck,
Jason Van Orden
yahmonyah,
On the back of those cards you get from vistaprint is printed “printed free at VistaPrint” or something similar. Now, you want to know who would think that looks cheap. Well, first, they don’t look as good, or as professional, as the Office Depot cheapies. Second, it says on the back that you got them for free.
As a potential seller, I would look at that card and think to myself, “how can someone who can’t, or won’t, pay for his business cards be able to help me?” It sends a bad message. It may be something that you can overcome with a warm fuzzy face-to-face with the sellers, but why make another hurdle for yourself.
As an investor or birddog, I look at vistaprint cards this way, a) if you don’t have the money to buy cards, how are your going to pay my fee or buy my house? and b) if you don’t think enough of your business to present yourself in a more professional manner, then I doubt that I’d want to work with you anyway. Again, these may be things that you can overcome, but why put up more hurdles.
As far as one for investor and one for the public, why bother? Why not print one good one that will work for both?
Jason above is right on the money. Your business card shouldn’t be about you. It should tell people how you can help them. A business card is a mini-billboard for your business. At the same time, you don’t want to crowd too much information on it to the point where it becomes hard to read. In fact, if you need to leave things off, your name, position, and your company name should be the first to go. YOUR not as important as what you can do for the customer.
Example: “I Buy Houses” tells people what you do. While this has been an effective slogan for RE investing, it’s mainly because over the years, the public has become familiar with what it means to them.
Better taglines are “Sell your house Fast” “Avoid Foreclosure, Save your Credit” “Sell your house in 5 days, no agent, no hassles, and no BS.” All of these tags tell them what it in it for them.
Hope it helps,
Roger
In the book “Flipping Properties: Generate Instant Cash Profits in Real Estate” by William Bronchick, there are some excellent examples of business cards, bandit signs, door hangings etc.
I use 3 business cards
1-Professionally printed (grey linen/burgandy) with raised printing. These cards primarily go to R.E. Pro’s,agents,lawyers,appraisers,and the like
I have 2 cards i use for cheapy throwaways basically as ads 1-Fluorescent green the Other Fluorescent yellow
each are double sided and send the message that I buy property on 1 side/sell on other side plus a lil more info on each card with a big 800#. I leave these cards everywhere i.e. walmart aisles, gas pumps, rest rooms, bars, diners, pretty much anywhere i go i leave a trail.
Its cheap advertising
KEC