Everyone knows that business cards are important to any successful business's image, and that you should have some on hand at all times to give to potential clients and referrals. So you should always go to a local printer and have some classy, exclusive business cards designed for you, right? Wrong! Did you know that you can get business cards for free?

The truth is, business cards are a cash cow for most printers because they take time and effort (mostly yours, unfortunately) to design, but can then be printed for next to nothing. But because of the intensive front-end time and the allure of having something made locally that seems to be personalized and unique, small print shops can charge a small fortune for them.

The truth is, unless a print shop has an actual artist on staff, those business cards you pay a premium for (and then wait on for weeks or even months) are created from templates. You're paying for an illusion, and that's money you could have spent much more effectively in other ways.

You can create free business cards online and still have professional looking, top quality cards these days! And hey, who doesn't think “free” is better than “high priced?” With the typical online business card company offering hundreds of different styles, colors, designs and fonts, the combinations available run into the thousands – so your business cards can be tailored to your company's needs and provide the professionalism and panache you want to convey.

Not a graphic designer? No problem! Creating free business cards online is easy for the most technologically challenged and design-deficient. Step-by-step instructions and easy point-and-click interfaces mean you can create your cards in minutes, not hours. And you'll have your new, snappy business cards in just days. Believe me, you won't be able to tell the difference between these free online business cards and those pricey extravaganzas you used to pay for – until you see the invoice (or the lack of one).

Some of you may be hold-outs, thinking that if you order free online business cards you won't be getting the same quality. I hate to burst your bubble, but the print quality is the same or better than that at small, boutique print shops. The equipment is state-of-the art, the inks used are top quality and the card stock is the same or better than you'll find in smaller print shops. Because the supplies are purchased in volume, they can offer more selection at a better price, too.

Isn't it time you took the time to create free online business cards for your company? Then you can have great looking business cards and pocket some of that cash you've been feeding that old cash cow at the local print shop, too.