A survey in the US has found that certain types of Christmas greetings cards can have a positive effect on how the business is perceived by the recipient. 55% of humorous printed Christmas greetings cards dispatched by businesses to their clients or partners resulted in a more positive perception of the company, and that cards account for 49% of all gifts given by businesses over the festive period.

54% of people surveyed in research by Intuit say they believe that the quality of a business' printed materials, including promotional documents, business cards and in-house stationery, is a direct reflection on a business itself. If a business has coherent and well-designed printed materials, with a consistent brand across all elements, people are more likely to have a positive opinion of a business, as opposed to a badly-designed stack of literature, which will give the idea that the business is poorly-run.

Many entrepreneurs and professionals starting their own business for the first time will often state that getting their first batch of business cards printed was a moment they will never forget. From that moment on, a person's status as the owner of a business is printed in black and white for them to hand out to all and sundry should they wish to.

Aside from communicating important contact details, one of the prime functions of a business card is to be as eye-catching and innovative as possible. In a sea of replicas and lookalikes, it can be difficult to make a business card stand out as it should, but using a little creativity and imagination can go a long way.