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There are now 14 million women-owned businesses in this country that employ 12.2 million people and earn $2.7 trillion every year. Over the last five years, the number of women-owned businesses is doubling the national average. Even more impressively, businesses owned by women of color are growing at 4.7 times the national rate.
The highest-growth sectors reveal where women entrepreneurs are carving a niche. Professional services at 32%, health care at 28%, retail at 18%. But despite this explosive growth, only 2.3% of venture capital funding goes to women-founded companies. This gap in funding leads women entrepreneurs to disproportionately depend on networking, referrals, and personal relationships to expand their businesses.
Why Are Women Leaving Networking Events Without Making Connections?
A recent study showed that women are 34% less likely than men to initiate contact exchanges at business networking events. It’s not an issue of ability or capability. The same study also discovered that women who do reach out to exchange contact information close deals at the same rate as men.
But it’s a whole different game with the physical business card. It normalizes an ambiguous exchange ritual into a low-friction, standardized practice. It’s shorthand for confidence that renders the bumbling, “Can I get your number? feel like, “Here’s my card.” According to one study, women entrepreneurs who carry business cards report 40% more follow-up meetings after networking events.
In male-dominated spaces, these follow-up meetings often make the difference between a company making it through its first year or growing to seven figures for women building businesses outside of venture capital.
What Should Your Business Card Communicate Before You Say a Word?
The business card is the first tangible touchpoint of a brand for women entrepreneurs. It should come across as deliberate, not a cookie-cutter approach.
Warm colors, such as coral and terracotta, convey approachability and openness. Colors such as deep navy and emerald exude authority and an established presence. Like HelloPrint, a quality printing company offers business card printing with 400gsm premium-quality stock, matte or silk lamination, and spot UV technology that says “established” even for businesses born just yesterday.
Here’s a workable strategy. Create one card for yourself, and another for the company. Create a personal brand card for networking events where you make contacts. Create a company card for customer meetings when you represent the place of business. Online printing allows for keeping both versions at an affordable cost.
How Does a Physical Card Beat a Digital Contact Every Time?
The follow-up advantage puts the recipient of a business card in a position that simply cannot be obtained through digital means. Having a physical card in your wallet reminds you to send that email.
Whenever you distribute your card, leave a handwritten note on the back. For example, write, “Had a great talk regarding [insert topic], let’s keep it going.” According to behavioral research on contact exchanges, sending a follow-up is three times more effective with a personalized touch. That specificity is important because it indicates that you listened rather than fishing for contacts.
For example, a QR code on the back that goes straight to your booking calendar. This eliminates friction entirely. In two taps, the recipient moves from card in hand to scheduled meeting. This convenience can mean the difference between someone following up or fading into obscurity for busy professionals who meet dozens of people at industry events.
What Does the Physical Card Signal that LinkedIn Can’t?
It shows your commitment to your professional identity. A business card is, in itself, a token of proof that its owner values the fine print. It looks good and uses top-quality paper stock. It had a thoughtful finish applied, which suggests you care enough about your business to take care of these small details.
This is especially important for businesswomen who face the unconscious prejudice that questions whether they’re serious or just wasting time with their businesses.
14 million women-owned businesses didn’t reach that milestone by sitting around waiting for an opportunity to come knock on their doors. They showed up, networked, and delivered. The business card is still the best little tool out there to make sure that showing up leads to following up. In a world where women entrepreneurs get only tiny slivers of venture funding, the connections formed one business card at a time are literally the lifeblood of growth.
