What do YOU do with business cards?
The “What do YOU do?” series gives you a glimpse into my life as a messy, creative person and invites you to share your organizing insights and ideas.
Business cards
We put so much work into designing our own and so much money on printing and so much courage into sharing them, it feels terrible to just throw out someone else’s card. Don’t you agree?
Here’s what I do
When it comes to business cards, I have a politeness policy: I accept them if offered (and take them if I want them), but with the inner understanding that I’ll toss/recycle them if I don’t plan to use the information.
It hasn’t always been this way, but I’ve reached a level of trust that when I need something, the right thing will come along. If I need a painter, I’ll ask around and find the perfect person. It takes too much energy for me to hang on to business cards just because I might need them someday. I’m not willing to devote time to organizing every single one anymore.
The business cards I do keep? They go into an alphabetized folder with these handy plastic sheets that look like this (link provided for reference).
I don’t use it often, but it’s helpful to have – and all those cute little cards stay contained.
It’s worth mentioning that I don’t alphabetize by last name. I file by what I’ll remember. If I look at the card and the first thing that comes to mind is “recycling”, I file it under “R”. If I know that I only remember the person’s first name, I highlight it and put it under the corresponding letter. It’s only a system that works for me, but that’s the point. It works. : )
How about you?
Your turn! If you’d like, please share what you’re doing that helps you keep track of business cards. Your ideas help everyone!
Your comments on your own process are welcome. Just remember to give advice to me or others only when it’s specifically requested. This makes exploring safe and learning possible for every reader.
637 days ago,
Darcy said:
Anyone I think I will want to find again, I type their info into my contact list and use the back of the card as scrap note paper. The hiccup with my system is that I find that data entry tedious, so I postpone it, so pockets of cards can build up on my desk, especially after an event. I also find that if I don’t write on the person’s card WHY I wanted it, I will forget and after a while I just toss them because I have no idea why I wanted them in the first place. I did create a little data entry box that helped a little with wrangling them, but my system is definitely still a work in progress. I took your politeness advice on Sunday, actually (did you talk about this idea during Spa Day?), and it was a very comforting thought while I took that guys card. Oh look, scrap note paper! Not oh, god, more data entry, which I would have thought in the past. Thanks, Jen!
.-= Darcy´s last blog ..Domestic Diva despairs =-.
636 days ago,
Cairene said:
I love that you file by whatever you remember! Smartness.
And I stopped saving cards, or even trying to add them to some sort of database once I realized pretty much everyone I come into contact with has a website. Bookmark the website listed on the card (helps to put bookmarks in a folder with a useful name) and *voila* no more cards (and no more updating a database, now or later).
.-= Cairene´s last blog ..Get up. Stand up. =-.
631 days ago,
Maureen Thomson said:
I add the person’s info to my online database (www.trackvia.com), then recycle the card. It only takes 30 seconds and then the info is at my fingertips anywhere I have an internet connection. (I also like the Internet Bookmark Idea above.)
613 days ago,
Amy said:
Anyone I think I will want to find again, I type their info into my contact list and use the back of the card as scrap note paper. The hiccup with my system is that I find that data entry tedious, so I postpone it, so pockets of cards can build up on my desk, especially after an event. I also find that if I don’t write on the person’s card WHY I wanted it, I will forget and after a while I just toss them because I have no idea why I wanted them in the first place. I did create a little data entry box that helped a little with wrangling them, but my system is definitely still a work in progress. I took your politeness advice on Sunday, actually (did you talk about this idea during Spa Day?), and it was a very comforting thought while I took that guys card. Oh look, scrap note paper! Not oh, god, more data entry, which I would have thought in the past. Thanks, Jen!
.-= Darcy´s last blog ..Domestic Diva despairs =-.