Karaoke Forums

Babs, buy a Trac Phone or similar and use that number on your business cards and website.

AS for my cards, 99% are handed out at gigs, so the people that are getting them already know what we do, so no need to advertise what we do on the card.  IT is basic and simple, and easily printed out on my home PC.

Cool Cards - thank you

keep um coming

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

I personally prefer the look of a professionally done card.   You can get the letters raised and other effects that you can't get at home, to give it a more polished look.   I was always told you want to give the illusion that you are bigger than you are.    When someone hands me a card done on a computer I think maybe they can't afford pro cards.   It's back to the first impression thing.   I can print computer cards all day  that never will come close to looking like the ones I pay to have done.   I wouldn't compromise on this.    It's usually under $100, and it makes a bigger statement.   Computer cards probably cost more by the time you buy the papar and ink.

Professional SMESHMIAL.....

With a good printer, and good paper stock, you can make just about any card as good as a "PRO"

For me to have my cards printed would cost a LOAD of cash.  Too many colors.

My first impression is the show that I put on.  People ask for cards becasue they want us to do their party.  The don't want me to do the show becasue of a flashy business card.  It's kinda like thoes website with FLASH intros on them, then there is the SKIP INTRO button.  Why even put the FLASH intro on, if you are going to allow a person to skip it?  Makes no sense to me.

Yes there are some realy cool, flash business cards out there, and I say good for you.  For me, simplicity is the tool I use.  Give the people what they want without a lot of extras to wade through.  Same feel on my website, no flash/java/animated gifs, just simplicity.

Simplicity is understated/used theses days...IMHO

You can make awesome cards on the computer.  
I have some great graphic programs - You can't even tell my cards are from my home pc. The only thing I can't do is raised lettering. With a scanner, laser or photo
printer I can take any card done at the printers and even reproduce it.
It takes time to put a decent card together, but it saves a lot of money.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

First of all, this is not true. You are talking about old days when adding a color meant more $$$. Now days, everything is digital and it costs very little to make. For example, my card, which I designed myself on my computer cost me about $50 for 1000. It's full 4 colors on both sides. All I had to do was send them a file, usually in Photoshop, Illustrator (EPS) or PDF file at about 300 dpi resolution.




As you said, it's a difference preference for everyone. I have Flash on my web site and I get a lot of complement on it. Not only that, I get recognition factor (sorry to drag my MBA term in to this). It's all about impression, as you said. Skip button is there for people who does not have broadband to skip it rather than waiting to load the entire Flash. It's no different than providing low bandwidth and high bandwidth option at front page.

If you want to convey a message of simple and easy going attitude, by all means, your approach is good. I have designed a few web site specifically with that goal in mind. If you want to design your message around party and fun atmosphere, you want a lot of color and graphics. If you want to convey professionalism, you want to make sure your web site conforms today's standard of professional looks.

It's all about the message you want to convey. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Just because it's different from yours and you don't understand it, there is no reason to criticize it. There is a method to madness in most marcom designs.

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Seize the day and SING!!!

I was not criticizing it.  Just, IMHO, there are way to many sites out there with a lot of window dressings on it that look good, but when it comes to content, there is hardy anything, or it is hard to find.

I am not saying there is not place that flash or java can be used in a proper way, but in a lot of instance it is over done.

And BTW, to get my cards printed, it would have cost me about $150 for 500 cards.

I understand what you are saying. BTW, your business card can be printed for $50 for 1000 if you have a computer file. It doesn't matter how many colors. You just need to send them the file and full 4 color process (will print 16.7 million colors) for only about $50 for 1000. If you want details, send me PM, I will give you links to a few places.

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Seize the day and SING!!!

You can hand out cheap cards all night if you already have the job.   I'm talking about generating new business when you "cold call" on a bar owner or if someone from karaoke gives your card to a new guy (a referral).   You never know where your card will turn up.   You meet, you talk to him and hand him a card.  He already has an impression of you, whatever it is.   Your card is another part of the impression that could make or break his decision.   You aren't the only game in town.    First he looks at you.   If you look like a hobo or smell funny, you're gone.    If you talk like a hillbilly and your smile is missing front teeth, you're gone.    If you rode up on a bicycle or pushed your car into the parking lot, you're gone.    [highlight=crimson]It's a very small decision made in a very few seconds that does it.[/highlight]    Dress for success, includes your entire presentation.    You need to give yourself every advantage, it's bigdog eats little dog.   Think about the money you will make, not what it will cost up front.    If a $1 cards gets the steady job for you, what was it worth?   THOU$AND$    Don't think small potatos.   Project your business as if it were a big successful corporation.     If you look small, you are.     Successful people know the plan for success and they keep repeating it.   Failures know the plan for failure and they keep repeating it.    Plan for success.   Success just doesn't happen, you have to make it happen.   When you hire someone to do work for you at your house don't you want to think that they are successful in whatever it is they do?    You want the impression that they can handle the job without screwing it up or screwing you.    The bar owner wants to hire someone they think will make them money, from being successful.    Nobody from Xerox, HP, Microsoft, etc uses a computer card.    They could all make them by the millions.   After you pay the printer a one time setup fee, the rest of the cards after that are cheap.   They usually do all of the finished art work for you as part of the setup fee.

I think I must be missing something here. I can reproduce business
cards with professional printer quality on my home pc. If you are creative, good with graphics programs and have good printer there is no way you can even tell the difference between a pc bus. card and one from a professional printing place.

I have done it both ways. If I need a lot of cards made I'll have the printer do it. It is to time consuming. But if I only need a few I'll do it myself.

Ahh we are just pulling hairs here - I say do what works for you.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Besides the business cards, I have made a 3 fold brochure that I give out myself. It turned out pretty nice except for one mispelling. It cost me about $250 per 1000, 4/4 colors and includes folding charges. I get more oohs from my brochures than my business cards.

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Seize the day and SING!!!

I get 500 Full Color shipped for Under $25

You can even get 250 free ones for $8 shipping.

www.dcp-print.com

You can use the card designer on their site or create your own artwork.

If you need help, I'm not the best but I do all of my own stuff I can try and help you get some artwork together.

And thanks for the reminder it's time for me to order more.

I guess some are still missing it, but I am not one of them.

Babs, I have done it both ways as well but there is a distinct differences between home made and professionally made. I am not talking about some of those cheap sites that give you free business cards. I am talking about professionally printed 4 color thick stock business card with Aques (sp?) coating on it.

I have printed business cards on special paper using ink jet printer and they tend to smear and gets ruined when they get wet. Printing with laser printer, including color one, is better but again it does not protect the information. When rubbed, the toner can come off. Either way, they don't look "professional" to me, specially the edges where you can see the jaggedness.

Using a right printer, I can print out 1000 full color business cards for less than $50 in most cases so it makes economical sense to me as well.

Just my opinion.

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Seize the day and SING!!!

hahahha
I have laid out my cards to dry all over the house. I felt like I was
doing laundry.

When I way out the pros and cons of doing them myself I'd rather have someone else do the work. That's why I only do them myself if I'm doing a few. It actually
is more cost efficient to have the printer do it if I'm doing a large amount as long as
I'm the one doing the art work. I don't think I go through as many cards as most of you. I just didn't think it was fair to knock people who were doing their own cards
especially when I know they are successful KJs. Like you said there are other things besides bus. cards that get you hired, so I'd like to think it is a personal preference.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

OH NO, I must be missing something..... No one has put anybody down.   Just because you don't agree with a suggestion or don't want to use it, doesn't mean it was making fun of something or someone or not a good idea.  The only thing I have seen posted on this site from anyone including myself, has been constructive business building suggestions and constructive technical info.   If I want to know the answer to something I go to the person that is most likely to have the right answer, from experience.    If I don't like the answer they give I'll ask the next person, to get a second opinion and to see if they have the same answer.   There was more than one corroborating suggestion/idea posted on this subject.   I saw no put downs.   We did everything but pay for your cards.

Call Bill Gates and see if he makes his own cards at home.   If anybody has the time and the equipment it should be him.    The first thing ANYONE doing business with or wanting to do business for should have is a professional looking card.     Whether or not you agree with the first impression thing, it's a top priority for advertising yourself.   It's the very first thing everybody asks for.   Do you have a business card?    Because they want to know your name & phone number.   That's if you personally hand it to them.    If someone else gives it to them, they have nothing but the card to base a very important $$$$$ yes or no, should I call them for the job, decision.    Everybody has a card today.    Something that grabs attention for the right reason and makes a good first impression is what is needed to stand above the crowd.

Flipper, you are using the old time tested, "Take a Rich Man to Lunch" idea for business building.    Works pretty good.    

NOTICE:    Since everyone on this site is independently wealthy and a genuis on all aspects of everything, we may as well terminate the site and stop wasting everyone's time.    Too much thin skin.  Not enough appreciation for people with certain knowledge trying to be helpful.    Why even ask any questions if you can't take the answers as they were helpfully ment to be given?   Sounds like I didn't win the karaoke contest.....wahhh.    Sing two more songs and call me in the morning.

If you have a decent printer try Business Card Designer Plus 2000 V4.0.0 its a simple but really good program.

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ROBDOG *WOOF WOOF*

Seems like you are the only one exhibiting this attitude, yet don't give an inkling on where you are located or anything thing else relating to your "better than all of us status" karaoke.  
"NO ONE AGREES WITH ME!!!!!!  WAHHHHHH"...yep you do seem to exhibit that "karaoke contest" attitude!

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[shadow=deepskyblue]I'm impressed, I've never met such a small mind inside such a big head before.[/shadow]

I wish I could remember what site I purchaced my cards from, but I do know that I got 2000 cards for $34.95 plus about $4 shipping. I had to pick from their stock graphics designs to get this rate, but they did have several karaoke designs and I was then able to customize the text information from there. I think it was about $5 more to do double sided and about $5 more than that to do glossy.

Do an internet search and you can find some great deals on cards delivered to your door...

For those of yall making them at home or. buying them from a pro print shop, also remember that advertising costs, including cards, are a tax writeoff!!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

BUSTED....You're right,...... I lied about everything.   I don't know what I'm talking about,... I made everything up.   I couldn't tell you up from down.    I just wanted to fit in and act and sound like a big shot.    I have a Walmart all-in-one karaoke machine.   Never made more than $25 a night.    Have 50 discs (All illegally copied) with one, 5 page song book (3 of the pages are duplicates) written in long hand on lined tablet paper.   One $25 Radio Shack mike on a cord.    A business card I draw on the back of a coaster with a green crayon, as needed.    Looks like it came out of a printer.   Can't sing unless it's off key.  I'm missing a front tooth and when I sing I sound like Alfalfa on the little rascals.  Haul my stuff on a bicycle and set up in 3 minutes flat.   I have 6 weeks total experience from 4 gigs.     I feel so ashamed of myself.    
I hope you all can find it in your hearts to forgive me......I'm a nobody,... just a (sob) a, a karaoke wannabe..... Someday when I grow up I want to be just like you....