Even for the most confident among us, starting new ventures can be nerve-wracking. Simply sitting back and dreaming of the day you become a small business owner, a writer, a working artist, an educator, a spiritual guide, or a philanthropist may seem like torture, but at the same time, there’s something comforting and safe about simply wishing for something to happen while doing nothing about it.
When you officially start something new, you take a risk. You are telling the world, “Hey, I think I might be pretty good at [insert new occupation here].” You are making yourself vulnerable, and if things don’t pan out, it might feel kind of like falling on your face in public.
But when your longing to do what you love exceeds your fear of failure, you’ll have no choice but to take the plunge. There are a number of things you can do to drum up confidence in yourself – and in others – about your new avocation. Designing and printing great business cards to represent you is one important part.
New Business
So you’ve filed the articles of incorporation, opened a business bank account, and maybe even written a mission statement for your shop or service. All this is well and good, but none of it feels quite real until you have your enterprise’s new, freshly-printed business cards resting in your hand. It’s even more satisfying when your cards are really stunning. Try linen business cards for a classy, old-world look, or 3D lenticular business cards for a youthful, playful aesthetic.
Creative
So many creative types suppress their inner drive to create, convinced by the idea that it’s unrealistic to expect to make a living while doing what they love. These people often end up as “shadow artists,” working in fields where they can be near people living their hidden dreams without actually taking the risk of calling themselves artists. For example, someone who secretly aspires to be an actor may end up as a talent manager; someone who wants to write fiction may end up as an accountant for a book publisher. When you’re ready to step out of the shadows and claim your creativity, however, printing a business card that declares your talent can be a huge confidence boost. Graphic artists, musicians, writers, and performance artists can all benefit from printing cards. And when you hand your card to potential customers or fans, they’ll take you more seriously too. It’s a win-win. Try specialty printing techniques like full color foil stamping and silk lamination with spot UV to give your card an extra creative edge.
Tutors
So maybe you play the piano, and a few friends have asked you to give their kids lessons. Or maybe you speak a foreign language, and have given a few people some unofficial instruction. Imagine how many people might hit you up for help if you officially announced you were offering it? A simple business card makes all the difference. Print a card that simply states your contact info and the instruction you offer, and you’ll start getting students on purpose instead of by accident. Again, there’s something reassuring about seeing your name and title on a business card, and that air of confidence will impress your potential students also. Think about plastic cards for an eye-catching, academic-looking business card format.
Healers
We were recently surprised to hear that a family member – we’ll call her Roxanne – who used to work as a university-level instructor, decided to shed her old profession and take up something she had always felt destined to do: become a medium for the spirits of the deceased. She had always felt connected to those who had passed on, but in the last year, she said the messages from the dead had been too loud to ignore. It takes guts to stand up and say, out of the blue, “I’ve decided I’m going to be a full-time spiritual medium,” but that’s exactly what Roxanne did, and the moment we all knew it was more than a fleeting idea was the moment we saw her printed business cards advertising herself as such.
Philanthropist/Community Organizer
A lot of people wish to give back to the world they live in, but most people stop at wishing. Putting in time, energy, and resources to further a non-profit cause can seem like a big commitment, and getting started especially might seem scary. But people who are successful at charity work are generally the ones who go about it as they would go about running a business, replacing the goal of “making the most money” with “doing the most good.” To attract supporters and financial backers, non-profit organizations should be just as organized as commercial enterprises are. No one is going to donate time or money to a cause if its mission seems vague or unstable. You can add legitimacy by printing business cards with your organization’s name, your name, and your role within the group, along with ways to learn more, like links to Facebook pages or your website. Think about 16pt card stock, full-color cards for a sturdy business card that’s not too flashy for non-profit work.
No matter what you’re starting, business cards are an important part of making your new venture official – in your eyes, and in the eyes of others. So print some up today, and get serious about making a go of what you truly love to do!
About Jenny DixonJennifer has been apart of the EliteFlyers.com team for over 15 years. She brings a deep understanding of web marketing, thoughtful strategies, that she's able to design, manage, print, deliver multi-media campaigns to meet all client's goals. Her personal portfolio includes high-end design and printing of business cards, flyers, post cards for elite businesses and individuals from all over the world.
