Plantable Business Card {Homeschool Mum Small Business}

The wrapping of Etsy bought products is an important aspect which sets them apart from buying from places like Amazon or Bay. I enjoy the experience of opening Etsy bought goods and therefore want to provide this for my own customers. Last week I ordered a present for a friend from Etsy. In the box, they sent me a beautiful package wrapped in a logo-ed sheet of paper and a beautiful plantable business card which grows wild flowers! I loved this idea so I got to thinking about business cards for my own small business idea.

Plantable Business Card?

I have already made the decision to use recycled card and envelopes for my cards. These cards will also be held together by recyclable catch card stickers (which I have designed using my logo) rather than packaging in a cellophane bag. This was on the advice of the village shop who have agreed to supply my cards

I mention this because choosing to create a plantable business card kind of ticks all my environmental boxes. However, when I looked them up online they were super expensive and would add around 50p to the cost of each package. So I began investigating the cost of making my own.

I managed to source some seeded A4 card which I figured I could cut up into business sized cards. This was very inexpensive compared with the cost of the finished business cards. Obviously, printing these myself is one option and would be inexpensive and I could design them any way I want. Another option was to buy myself a business stamp and stamp the cards.

I found a small company which hand makes stamps to your design and sent them my logo to see if they were able to make a stamp from that. They were, and I ordered a 4cm one for £22. It should be through next week, so I will show you then. I like the idea of a hand stamped business card with a hand written message. However, I’m not going to make any decision until I see them compared with a printed version.

The stamp will be used, regardless of whether I use it on the business card. It will be lovely to stamp my logo onto the postage envelope that I will package the cards in. Speaking of which…

Wrapping Paper

The other decision I need to make is whether I will wrap my products. Many Etsy sellers use tissue paper and I quite like the idea of using a brown tissue paper. I like brown (my children tease me mercilessly about this!) and the sort of utilitarian look of brown paper, brown tape and string.

However, I also like the idea of using vellum (or tracing) paper. I could print my own design onto the paper and then wrap the products up in that. I’ve seen one other seller do this and their packaging looked really personal and effective. I have some tracing paper and a printer so I can have a go at making a design and seeing how it looks.

Packing Envelopes or Brown Paper?

Packing envelopes look professional, clean and are quick and easy to use. They also have the advantage of being strengthened with card and therefore will protect its contents well. Brown paper, especially if it is recycled, is better for the environment and less expensive. It won’t protect the product as well as the packing envelopes do, which might be a problem particularly for the cards.

I’m in the middle of sending off for 250 cards in five designs. It has been a complete nightmare trying to upload the design taking into consideration trim, margins, colour profiles…to say I have learnt more than I ever wanted is an understatement and also a bit of a concern! I’m wondering if I’m too old for this malarky! Fortunately, I have time right now to pour into it. Come September and my master’s degree…not so much!

Hopefully tomorrow the cards will be ordered, along with the catch card stickers. Then I need to figure out the whole Etsy shop thing…