I really think that environmental protection, even on a small scale, makes a lot of sense, because it all adds up eventually when everyone does it, and it helps the environment more sustainably than trying to force things. Mindless activism has never led to results, and that's why I'd like to present you with the alternative to printed business cards that I believe is the most sensible and sustainable option...

For every self-employed person, printed information is essential as a marketing tool. This starts with flyers and usually extends to letterhead and business cards. While there are digital alternatives for the first two to attract attention, flyers, in my opinion, are so 80s. Honestly, who still reads them, and more importantly, who actually keeps them to pull out a "flyer folder" when needed to find the right service provider or freelancer?

The topic of business cards has been on my mind for quite some time now, because in the course of my self-employment, I have quite a few of them printed, and out of 10,000, only about 0.1% actually "find their way home" in the form of an order. Even though I've handed out a lot of them in recent years, I've been asking myself if I want to continue doing this to the environment. All this tree felling, printing, distributing the printed materials, only for them to potentially end up in the trash...

Since everyone now owns a mobile phone, and much of the marketing for freelancers is increasingly digital to save costs, I came across V1CE 's business card solution. V1CE produces NFC cards (including a backend, but more on that later) that allow information to be transferred contactlessly to any mobile phone in a simple way that everyone understands and can use.

V1CE NFC cards are available in various materials and can be printed with your logo. So far, so good, but how do I get my business card data onto the NFC chip? V1CE has built a backend where you need to log in and register. Once that's done, you can create as many virtual business cards or information cards as you like. You can enter and link anything you find helpful and useful, and the best part is that you can change the digital data content of the V1CE card with just one click. This way, you always have the right information digitally at hand to push contactless notifications to potential customers' mobile phones.

I think this is the right small way to protect the environment and resources, and it definitely equips you perfectly for the digital future. Just take a look at it; I think it makes sense for every self-employed person to have an NFC business card.