Are Business Cards Still Relevant? For My Small Business, Yes
After years of selling at events and conventions, my perspective changed. Here’s why business cards still work in a digital-first world.
I’m right there with you: a few years ago (especially as we came out of
lockdown from the pandemic) I really questioned whether business cards were still
relevant. Between everyone going “touchless,” smartphones, QR codes, and digital
networking, they can feel like a waste—especially when you’re running a small
business and watching every expense.
But after years of selling in person at conventions, and marketing my business at
events, and even theme parks, my perspective changed. Business cards might feel
old school because they’re a foundational tool—but how you use them is what
makes them feel forward-thinking.
In this post, I’ll share why business cards still make sense for my small business and
how they fit into a modern, digital-first world.
Are business cards still relevant today?
In my experience, yes—because real-life is not predictable. You can’t force
marketing moments to happen only when it’s convenient or according to plan. And
often, the best ones happen at the complete opposite times.
I’ve definitely been on both ends when QR codes and digital tools fail because the
situation just wasn’t right. Sometimes there’s no Wi-Fi. Other times, there’s technically a signal, but lack of time or space—or the social setting is all screaming “Please don’t stop everything and pull out your phone right now.”
Here’s one that stuck with me: I was making a coffee pitstop on my way to a theme
park and I was wearing one of my headpieces. The barista asked about it but they
were working, busy, and clearly couldn’t stop to scan a QR code or search for a
business page. But the interest was there, and luckily I had business cards with me,
so I handed one over and kept things moving.
It literally took seconds—and later, they reached out for a custom order.
I’ve experienced that again and again. Business cards still work because they don’t
demand perfect timing or conditions. They make it easy for someone to follow up
later, when it actually makes sense for them. That’s also why I like using QR codes
on business cards—it’s the best of both worlds. The handoff is quick and offline,
but the digital connection is there when someone’s ready. If you’re curious, you
can see how I added a QR code to a business card for a social club.
Do people still use business cards?
Well, I’m people, so yes. But seriously—this is something I see all the time.
Conventions alone make the answer pretty clear. These events are huge, with
thousands—sometimes tens of thousands—of people coming through. On a busy
day, you might talk to hundreds of people, even if only briefly. In that kind of high-volume environment, you better believe business cards don’t feel outdated—they
feel like a practical lifeline.
Have you ever talked to hundreds of people in a day? Your energy is going to dip,
that’s just reality. You can’t give every single person a full explanation of what you
do, especially during long days with nonstop foot traffic. But that’s where business
cards really shine. Even a quick interaction—someone saying they love your
product, booth, costume or work—can still turn into a meaningful connection
when you’re able to hand them a card and keep things moving.
Business cards aren’t just used by vendors
It’s also not just people selling products who use business cards. I’ve seen this while attending industry trade shows and while selling at big comic conventions. In both places, I got business cards from people who are technically small business owners—even if they don’t have a booth.
Bold choices stand out better on the crowded convention floor.
Let me break it down using comic conventions as the example. Many cosplayers
are creators or influencers, using business cards to share social links so people can
tag them in photos, follow their accounts, and support the work they monetize
online. Some also take on commissioned sewing or costume work, which means
they’re quite literally walking advertisements for their own businesses.
Photographers fall into that category too. Some are hired by conventions or
cosplayers, while others are there to book paid sessions or promote their services.
Business cards make it easy for those connections to happen quickly, without
interrupting the flow of a busy event.
In spaces like this, business cards aren’t about long conversations in the moment.
They’re about making it easy to reconnect later—when things are calmer, attention
spans are longer, and there’s time to actually follow up.
What is the purpose of a business card now?
The first business cards I ever encountered were simple. They had your business
name, logo, phone number, physical address, and email. By the mid-1990s, it also
started to include a website. In 2000, when I made my first business card for a side
hustle, most entrepreneurs like me had dropped the physical address (because it
was usually your home) in favor of a phone number, email, and website (if you had
one). Variations on that setup still make sense for large corporations or traditional
retail businesses. But that’s not how most small to mid-size businesses operate
today.
From what I’ve seen, business cards now serve a very different purpose. They’re
less about listing every possible way to contact you and more about pointing
people to the best point of connection. Whether that’s a website, a social account,
or even a specific page you want them to see, it’s where your business actually
lives online. A lot of the small business owners I interact with don’t even have a
dedicated business phone number, and their cards reflect that reality.
For me, a modern business card isn’t about closing the loop in the moment. It’s
about creating a simple, low-pressure bridge between a real-life interaction and a
follow-up later—when someone actually has the time and attention to engage.
Why business cards still matter for my small business
They work when phones, Wi-Fi, or apps don’t
In a perfect world, phones stay charged and Wi-Fi is always free and reliable. Cue
the eye roll, because we all know the truth: technology doesn’t always cooperate.
That’s the biggest reason I still rely on business cards.
I’ve been at plenty of conventions where the Wi-Fi goes down unexpectedly, is
spotty at best, or expensive to access. In crowded spaces, pulling out a phone isn’t
always realistic.
In those moments, having a business card ready makes things easy. You can share
your business without slowing things down or making the interaction awkward.
Worst case scenario, your connection isn’t missed—just delayed.
Business cards make follow-up easier—not immediate
One thing I really appreciate about business cards is that they don’t force anyone
to act on the spot.
At events, people (hi, it’s me!) are usually juggling a lot—walking, browsing,
waiting in lines, talking to multiple vendors, and trying to take everything in at
once. It can be overwhelming. Even when someone is interested, that moment isn’t
always the right time to scan a code, click a link, or start following accounts.
That’s why I genuinely love business cards—they give people permission to come
back to you later, when they’re back at their hotel, back at home, or just in a calmer
headspace. When people are comfortable, that’s usually when real follow-up
happens.
High-volume settings make business cards practical
At busy events, conversations feel like they move at lightning speed. You don’t
have the time—or the energy—to give every person a full explanation of
everything that you do.
In those “I can only do my elevator pitch” moments, business cards help the
interaction still count. Even when it’s just a quick comment or a passing question,
you can hand someone a card and keep things moving without losing the
connection.
Business cards let other people help spread the word
Something that didn’t cross my mind until I was actually out there doing the thing is
this: a lot of times, my business cards end up being shared by someone other than
me.
Whether it’s a booth helper, a friend, or someone who just bought from me,
business cards make it easy for other people to pass along my business without
needing to be an expert. They don’t have to remember links, usernames, or where
to send someone—they can just hand over a card and move on.
That kind of simple, low-effort sharing adds up. It lets word of mouth happen
naturally, even when I’m not there to do the talking myself.
A physical card gives people something to remember
In such a digital world, there’s something surprisingly meaningful about handing
someone a physical card. Even when it links to digital content, it’s something
tactile that feels real.
It’s tangible. You can hold it, tuck it into a bag, save it for later, or hand it to a friend.
That small physical interaction helps the moment stick in a way that repeated
scanning often doesn’t.
That tactile element matters to me, and I can see that it matters to my customers
too. A business card gives them something to remember me by, and we end up
feeling more connected.
How business cards fit into a digital-first world
We live in a digital-first world, and I’d be a fool to suggest otherwise. But there’s
something to be said about the rising desire for tactile, analog experiences. There’s
a reason why the biggest popstars in the world are releasing honest-to-goodness
cassette tapes. If nothing else, offering physical business cards can help you stand
out from folks that don’t bother taking that extra step.
And that’s exactly where business cards come in. They’re that extra detail that
helps you create meaningful connections and prepares you for the realities of inperson business. Phones, QR codes, social media, and online shops are all
essential tools for running a modern small business. Business cards aren’t here to
replace any of that—they’re here to support it.
That’s why business cards are still relevant to my business. They act as a simple
bridge between real-life moments and digital follow-up. And they add something
human to the exchange—something tangible, intentional, and easy to carry
forward.
