subject: Do Color Business Cards Make a Difference? [print this page] Do Color Business Cards Make a Difference?
Declan inherited his business from his father, a butcher's shop in Dublin's Moore St. He did very well at first but then the supermarkets began to make their inevitable inroad into the business. It was slow at first and Declan used every trick he could think of to keep his customers. He boasted the freshest of meat, a steady banter kept his lady customer's amused and then there were the meat auctions.
Yes, Declan's shop offered good entertainment and humor for the ladies from the Liberties, Parnell Street and the flats on Gadiner Street, but it was no good. Profits sank, expenses soared and the bank struck! Declan found himself out of business.
He was left with a bit of capital but it would dwindle swiftly unless he did something to turn the situation around. First there was network marketing. Bottled water was the business of the future and some unscrupulous entrepreneur from England relieved Declan of some more of the shriveling cash that the ex-master butcher could ill afford. But then he had an idea. He had had lots of ideas over the years ranging from antique dealing to photography, but it was photography that leaped out at him with a flash!
Declan hit upon he idea of driving around the city with his camera, after all he had nothing else to do and his wife wanted him out of the house during daylight hours. He started taking color photographs of business premises, you know the sort of thing: pubs and restaurants etc., and heaven knows Dublin is full of scenic pubs. He waited until the light was just right and would always look for the ideal angle even though it might entail wading out into the middle of the canal at Portobello.
Always the redoubtable salesman, Declan, would take the finished photograph around to the business's proprietor and offer to produce a colored photographic business card. Shop owners, publicans and restaurateurs loved the idea, as most were very proud of their buildings and Declan could take a good picture. Soon he had a flourishing enterprise photographing and selling his business cards. Sometimes his customers were slow in paying, but that's Dublin for you.
Some of the cards were much sought after and in some cases people began to collect them. Without a shadow of doubt colored business cards did make a difference both to Declan and his clients. The ex-meat vendor made enough money to support his family and his customers found their business burgeoning as a result of Declan's attractive colored photographic business cards.
