Getting Conference Ready - Business Cards

As an Official Blogger for the AFFHO Congress 2015 and a Rootstech Ambassador I will, over the next few weeks, post some tips that may help conference attendees.

I reported in 2012 why I thought it was necessary to get a Genealogy Business Card (even though I am a rank amateur). I have found the decision to order those cards was an excellent one and I have certainly got my $22.75 of value for those I ordered online from Vistaprint. It is so handy to be able to share one's details with people one meets at geneavents if one has a card.

Some of my contact details have changed, a blog has gone dormant and some new blogs have been born so I need to update my card. This time I will not order 500 cards but go for the more modest minimum order of 250 as I will probably want to update again before I use them all. My cost for this today is less than $20 but, as Vistaprint has many specials, this could be more or less tomorrow. Signing up for Vistaprint's emails will inform you of their specials.

Not content with just my GeniAus card I also have created cards to promote my GeniAus' Hangouts on Air. If you have something you wish to promote, for instance a One-Name-Study, you might consider creating a card for that too.

Connect - Converse - Collaborate

I've been a little bit nervous.

I ordered some business cards, stickers and postcards from Vistaprint to take on the cruise a couple of weeks ago and they hadn't turned up by last Friday. My previous orders from this company have arrived early so as it was over two weeks since I ordered them I was in panic mode.

You see I am rather excited about Google Hangouts for Genealogy and I wanted to promote my GeniAus Hangouts on Air when I give a talk on the subject.

Just in the nick of time they arrived this afternoon. Phew!

I think the postcard (below) looks rather spiffy and I'm rather pleased with my 3Cs  (it took me a day or three to come up with them).

Connect - Converse - Collaborate 

Front

Back

Business Card

When Mr Geniaus and I caught the travel bug and started wandering the globe we found ourselves grabbing drink coasters, serviettes and scraps of paper to record and give our contact details to the people we met along the way.  We noticed that many of the people we met were more organised and had snappy cards to distribute.

About three years ago I came across an offer from Vistaprint that was too good to refuse so I got online and ordered some business cards for myself.  As well as using them when travelling I have been handing these cards out when I meet people at genealogy events but they are not really appropriate. These days I seem to be attending lots of genealogy events so I decided to get myself a Business Card that was more suitable for those situations.

The $8.99 Image

Just a week ago I went back to the  Vistaprint  site and, for the sum of $22.75 including shipping, ordered 500 new cards. $8.99 of this amount was the cost for using my own image but I felt this was worth it as that portrait done by my grand-daughter around five years ago is unique and recognisable as belonging to me. I mulled over what to put on my card but went for My Business Name (not that I do much business - I'm too busy having fun), My Name, Description, Website and Blog URLs, My Town, State and Country, My Mobile Number and an Email Address. The cards arrived just a week after I placed the order - Great Service.

If you'd like to see my new card you'll have to come along and say G'day at The Shoalhaven Family History Fair next week, The Unlock the Past Queensland Expo next month, The NSW Family History Conference in September, The Unlock the Past Genealogy Cruise in February 2013 or Rootstech 2013 in Salt Lake City.

Do you have a card to give to the genealogists you meet at events?