this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2026
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I run a small business and do a lot of networking and I've noticed that people aren't really handing out business cards anymore. Do you still use them?

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[–] Godnroc@lemmy.world 43 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Depends on the demographic you are interacting with. When networking with other professionals it is probably easier to just scan a QR code to a file of contact information. A quick import and you're already in my contracts.

In terms of being able to leave the information somewhere, cards work well. Attaching to a project portfolio, handing to someone so they can pass it on, leaving as a support contract after a project is complete, etc.

[–] bluesheep@sh.itjust.works 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Literally yesterday I was given a business card with a QR code on it haha

[–] voracitude@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Did the QR go to their website or did it have their vcard on it? I do the latter, and the former annoys the hell out of me, because it's way harder to type a bunch of contact info than to type a fckin URL.

Also yes, this means I have business cards. I don't use them much but they're handy for leaving with other business owners in case they want to contact me (hopefully, to order!).

[–] bluesheep@sh.itjust.works 3 points 20 hours ago

I'm gonna be honest, I have no clue, I didn't scan it. Not because it wasn't interesting or anything like that, but because making deals isn't my job. I got it because it (sort of) used to be mine, but since it isn't anymore I passed the card on to the person whose job it now is haha

[–] Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Por que no los dos?

Business cards should have QR codes for both the website and the contact info. And they should be labelled.

[–] voracitude@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

My logic is:

a.) Two QR codes could confuse some scanners... or some people

b.) In the vast majority of cases, it's faster to type the URL than it is to scan a QR code to go there.

But sure, there's no reason you can't do both! And if you do, they should definitely be labelled. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk 😅

[–] villainy@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago

When networking it's easier for me to quickly pocket a card and deal with it later than take my phone out and scan a QR code.

I have so e personal and professional cards that also have a qr code on them. It's been a good way to not get lost in an address book with a thousand names

[–] Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Maybe NFC cards would work better than QR and normal cards

[–] rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

NFC cards are far more expensive than printed paper business cards.

[–] Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You make one and each time your client ask for contact infos you use the card to give 'em your phone number/email/website instead of giving a card to each client

[–] rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I feel like a business card is something physical to hand people so they have it to look back at later. If you're just looking to NFC tap your contact info onto people's phones, why wouldn't you just use your own phone to do it?

This reminds me of something tangentially related. Sometime around the turn of the century I worked at a small business where some vendor came in to solicit interest in his business' services, and left a working CD-ROM business card. That mildly impressed the manager because CD-ROMs were still pretty fancy and nobody there had seen a business card like that before, and when run the card had some simple Flash-like slideshow thing with a little video clip or two about their business (which was still impressive when you couldn't really have embedded video clips on your average dialup-friendly website.) Around a week later that same vendor returned asking for the card back because "they're pretty expensive to make and I want to give it to my next prospect," and the manager's impression of him went from mildly impressed to thinking this guy was too hilariously amateurish to bother engaging with.

[–] Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

A NFC is just faster than with the phone or with voice, i am looking at the pratical side of it tho, i hate those business cards because i have to type the phone number anyway

[–] rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

What if there's a QR code on the card? Then it's basically the same amount of work as getting that NFC tap.