Even though many things are done electronically these days, I still get the question of what you should do with business cards. I love handing out my business cards at events and frequently collect them from folks I meet so that we can connect afterward. If you aren’t careful though, they can quickly take over your work space! This is particularly true if you don’t have some sort of database to store contacts, but even if you do, it can be difficult to make the time to do this on a regular basis.
Here are some ideas of ways to store business cards to keep them organized:
- Enter the information into a database and then recycle them
- Schedule 15 minutes on your calendar to do this every week (or once a month!) so that you won’t have a backlog
- Scan the cards into your system and recycle them
- Hole punch and store on a binder ring (as pictured above) or ribbon
- Enter into your phone contacts and take a photo of the card as the image for the contact
Any other suggestions I should hear? I’d love to know how you manage your business cards!