Business Cards - Opinions needed

[BoDEAN]

Well, Santa bought me "The Savy CFI" for X-Mas, and I've been reading it. I am reading about business cards right now.
Right now, we make our own, and they have a grey background, with our company logo. No color or special paper. They stress in the book to have a "GREAT PHOTO" on it of a plane or a sunset with a plane.

My questions are this.
1) Should I buy a color printer/nice paper, and make them on my own? Or does anyone recommend a good spot on the web to get them made?

2) Anyone care to share a place to get some really cool pics to put on the business cards to "woooo" people when they see the business card?


Thanks

 

[skyking1976]

If you have decent card stock and a good printer go ahead and make them on your own. I would keep the imagery to a catchy yet professional level. (Sorry, no Cabo Wabo tequila logos...) A card with your name, phone #, "Certified Flight Instructor" somewhere on the card, and maybe a small silhouette of a 172 or something would be a decent way to go. I've even seen people print theirs on card stock that has cloud patterns on it. That looks really neat!

 

[LAXSaabdude]

Well, Santa bought me "The Savy CFI" for X-Mas, and I've been reading it. I am reading about business cards right now.
Right now, we make our own, and they have a grey background, with our company logo. No color or special paper. They stress in the book to have a "GREAT PHOTO" on it of a plane or a sunset with a plane.

I'm not sure how important this really is. I think that for truly motivated students (i.e., the ones who start and make it all the way through training), the program sells itself. I remember when I was 18 and starting training, I would have been thrilled to have my FBO, phone number, and instructors name scribbled in crayon on a Post-It-Note!

Seriously, though, a nice professional business card with simple graphics should suffice. No need to go to great expense.

LAXSaabdude

 

[Jump Pilot]

I print mine on Avery Clean Edge Business Card stock. The number is 28877.

Go to Avery.com and you can download templates for the cards. You can load them into Word or Publisher.

I give'em out like candy.

 

[mike1mc]

I went to Staples and had them make up some business cards. Cost about $30 for 500 cards. They are great when sending out resumes. People may throw out your resume, but are more likely to throw a business card in ther desk drawer. Who knows. Personally I think its more professional when you meet someone (potential future employer), and you can hand them a business card with all your info.

 

[350DRIVER]

The chicks seem to dig the color ones with the nice pictures of the larger airplanes on it. This has just been my observation over the past few years. Isn't that what this "game" is all about.?


3 5 0

 

[COOPERVANE]

Business Cards

Go to VISTAPRINT.COM. These are FREE business cards. 4 color and good white stock.
All you pay for is shipping, which is $4.95 or so (no, not $25.95 like you would think).

The catch is:

Only 250 cards at a time (how many do you need anyway?)
They try to get you to buy labels with your cards, say no
They try to get you to upgrade to glossy paper, say no
They try to get you to pay a rush fee, say no
The back of the card has a vistaprint logo removable for $9.95, say no
And, there are a limited number of designs but still quite a few.

I got a "custom" card with a Learjet on it for $10.00 and they left the logo off the back!!
1 week and you have your cards.

 

[bobbysamd]

Business cards

A card with your name, phone #, "Certified Flight Instructor" somewhere on the card, and maybe a small silhouette of a 172 or something would be a decent way to go.

I had similar business cards. I had the following as well:

-Pilot Services
-Single & Multi Engine
-Flight Instruction
-Ground Instruction

Be sure to include all your contact information, e.g. cellphone, home phone, e-mail, etc.

 

[BoDEAN]

Anyone care to show a sample of their card? Also, a place to find a nice picture (aviation logo) to put on the card?

 

[flyingwildfires]

Cards are worth doing

The cards are worth it -- believe me! I went without for a lot of years and wish I hadn't. People DO like them, they DO keep them, and they make life much easier -- it's noticeable.

I am the brokest person I know but kept looking in office stores for cheapie sale items, found a ProVenture Business Card dealie for I think $4.99 in the sale box, it has probably a dozen layouts, lessee here, it says 25 fonts, library with 1000 logos, rotating graphics, blah, blah, blah... I found some cloud cards, and some serious-looking grey cards, went home and had several different cards done later that evening... and I am no computer person.

I made about 5 different versions, with 5 different photos set in (that isn't hard, either). I do several different types of flying, and a few public seminars now and then. I select the card that fits the occasion -- generic corporate-looking for that type of work, fire stuff for fire jobs, scientific stuff for science jobs, jumpers for jumping jobs -- you get the picture. For photos you can use nice ones you've saved, personal aircraft of your own, or if you want classy/pretty/stunning/dramatic shots, try the AOPA online gallery... you can cruise the types by model and they have stunning photographs (I think). (The Twin Beech on floats in my avatar is from their gallery -- she's a bit shinier than the one I flew.)

I think you're smart to do it -- like I said, I wish I would have figured this out years ago. We work in some lonesome places and it's not so handy trying to write company (or personal) info on a scrap of dirty gum wrapper with the wind blowing 25 knots. It sounds corny but it DOES come across as much more professional if you hand your customers a few cards. I can't count how many times the other pilot/crew/mechanic/owner/fueler/dispatcher said "Ohhh, I wish I had a card to give you!" (That's the other reason I carry plenty in the plane -- they write THEIR info on the backs of MY cards, and I later add a note of who/where/etc.). It does make life, especially a transient life, easier.

Good luck and have fun -- now you can throw away all those gum wrappers!