Largely, technological advances have been embraced by the business world, changing the way we interact and do business on enumerate levels, changing workplaces beyond all recognition.
Some relics remain though, despite their outdated and anachronistic nature. Amongst them, the age old business card.
It’s been a mainstay of business life for centuries, yet in an age where there’s a myriad of digital alternatives, is there really a place for it anymore?
There’s no doubt they provide an invaluable way to maintain contact with faces met at networking events and the like, but should you change your business details you’re left with a heap of useless card. Not only that, you’ll need to get a load more printed up.
That’s not great economically or ecologically, so, with this is mind, here’s some alternatives currently available in the app market….
With this app you can create your business card in ‘one tap’ and then ‘flick’ your creation over to fellow users. This, as the name suggests, is done by flicking your iPhone or Android screen.
Also, if you’re an Instagram or Facebook user, using this app you’ll be able to create business cards out of photos created or stored on the two platforms. If you’re keen to stand out from the more conventional business cards out there, that’s a useful asset.
Similar to Cardflick, TakeMyCard offers a digital card sharing service, albeit without the innovative flick feature.
Instead, all the information usually stored on a business card is sent via an email. This provides users with the ability to send three different sets of information about themselves and their business, in a rapid, efficient and stylish manner.
Created by the tech team over at LinkedIn, this app helps you create address book contacts from your business cards, whilst also providing you with the opportunity to add them as connections.
You simply take a picture of the relevant business card and then the app does the rest, taking all the important info and then converting it into the framework of LinkedIn. Providing you’re signed up to online networking platform, this clever little app could save you from sifting through a mountain of cards, just to find that one contact.
An app that’s incredibly straightforward, with this you can transfer anything traditionally contained on a business card via the mutual bump of a smartphone.
Essentially, it’s like a business high-five. I can’t really add too much more, as it really is that simple. It’s definitely amongst the cleverer and more innovative ways of exchanging details.
Cardcloud is something that’s useful if, like me, you’re a networking aficionado and struggle to keep track of just when and where you met people.
With this, you’re given the opportunity to track where you’ve met your potential new contacts, ensuring that there’s no misremembering when you come into contact again. At the very least, it might spare you a few blushes.
Looking at these, who needs the paper business card, eh?
Author Information:
Mark is a UK based Writer who specializes in Small Business, Freelancing and Technology. He’s a regular contributor to Freelance Advisor (http://www.freelanceadvisor.co.uk/) and outside of work, writes for a range of soccer sites…He’s English.
