{"id":8748,"date":"2026-02-09T18:50:51","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T02:50:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.avery.com\/blog\/?p=8748"},"modified":"2026-02-09T18:54:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T02:54:18","slug":"are-business-cards-still-relevant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.avery.com\/blog\/are-business-cards-still-relevant\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Business Cards Still Relevant? For My Small Business, Yes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I\u2019m 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 \u201ctouchless,\u201d smartphones, QR codes, and digital
networking, they can feel like a waste\u2014especially when you\u2019re running a small
business and watching every expense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019re a foundational tool\u2014but how you use them is what
makes them feel forward-thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, I\u2019ll share why business cards still make sense for my small business and
how they fit into a modern, digital-first world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are business cards still relevant today?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In my experience, yes\u2014because real-life is not predictable. You can\u2019t force
marketing moments to happen only when it\u2019s convenient or according to plan. And
often, the best ones happen at the complete opposite times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve definitely been on both ends when QR codes and digital tools fail because the
situation just wasn\u2019t right. Sometimes there\u2019s no Wi-Fi. Other times, there\u2019s technically a signal, but lack of time or space\u2014or the social setting is all screaming \u201cPlease don\u2019t stop everything and pull out your phone right now.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s 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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It literally took seconds\u2014and later, they reached out for a custom order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve experienced that again and again. Business cards still work because they don\u2019t
demand perfect timing or conditions. They make it easy for someone to follow up
later, when it actually makes sense for them. That\u2019s also why I like using QR codes
on business cards\u2014it\u2019s the best of both worlds. The handoff is quick and offline,
but the digital connection is there when someone\u2019s ready. If you\u2019re curious, you
can see how I added a QR code to a business card for a social club<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do people still use business cards?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"Display<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Well, I\u2019m people, so yes. But seriously\u2014this is something I see all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conventions alone make the answer pretty clear. These events are huge, with
thousands\u2014sometimes tens of thousands\u2014of 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\u2019t feel outdated\u2014they
feel like a practical lifeline.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever talked to hundreds of people in a day? Your energy is going to dip,
that\u2019s just reality. You can\u2019t give every single person a full explanation of what you
do, especially during long days with nonstop foot traffic. But that\u2019s where business
cards really shine. Even a quick interaction\u2014someone saying they love your
product, booth, costume or work\u2014can still turn into a meaningful connection
when you\u2019re able to hand them a card and keep things moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Business cards aren\u2019t just used by vendors<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also not just people selling products who use business cards. I\u2019ve 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\u2014even if they don\u2019t have a booth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bold choices stand out better on the crowded convention floor.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Hand
Angelazy Doodles<\/a> pops in pink at Anime Expo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019re quite literally walking advertisements for their own businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In spaces like this, business cards aren\u2019t about long conversations in the moment.
They\u2019re about making it easy to reconnect later\u2014when things are calmer, attention
spans are longer, and there\u2019s time to actually follow up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the purpose of a business card now?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>. 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\u2019s not how most small to mid-size businesses operate
today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From what I\u2019ve seen, business cards now serve a very different purpose. They\u2019re
less about listing every possible way to contact you and more about pointing
people to the best point of connection. Whether that\u2019s a website, a social account,
or even a specific page you want them to see, it\u2019s where your business actually
lives online. A lot of the small business owners I interact with don\u2019t even have a
dedicated business phone number, and their cards reflect that reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, a modern business card isn\u2019t about closing the loop in the moment. It\u2019s
about creating a simple, low-pressure bridge between a real-life interaction and a
follow-up later\u2014when someone actually has the time and attention to engage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why business cards still matter for my small business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

They work when phones, Wi-Fi, or apps don\u2019t<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t always cooperate.
That\u2019s the biggest reason I still rely on business cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve 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\u2019t
always realistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t missed\u2014just delayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Business cards make follow-up easier\u2014not immediate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\"Business<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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One thing I really appreciate about business cards is that they don\u2019t force anyone
to act on the spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At events, people (hi, it\u2019s me!) are usually juggling a lot\u2014walking, 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\u2019t
always the right time to scan a code, click a link, or start following accounts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why I genuinely love business cards\u2014they give people permission to come
back to you later, when they\u2019re back at their hotel, back at home, or just in a calmer
headspace. When people are comfortable, that\u2019s usually when real follow-up
happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High-volume settings make business cards practical<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At busy events, conversations feel like they move at lightning speed. You don\u2019t
have the time\u2014or the energy\u2014to give every person a full explanation of
everything that you do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In those \u201cI can only do my elevator pitch\u201d moments, business cards help the
interaction still count. Even when it\u2019s just a quick comment or a passing question,
you can hand someone a card and keep things moving without losing the
connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4 Unique Business Card Ideas Spotted at Anime Expo<\/a><\/blockquote>