We've read a thing or two about the day-to-day paper stuff that we use in the office - especially paper used in printers and copiers - but very little do we touch on the side of environmental impact of this little yet powerful business tool, the business card. A tiny sheet of paper that is continuously printed whenever we ran out of to continue networking with our potential customers, it looks so innocent but collectively it has a great contribution in our global problem that is getting serious.
The paper needed to produce our business cards came from processed wood. Fact is the paper produced by a single tree is enought to produce around 20,000 business cards. As an individual this might seem big to handout all these copies in your entire business career, but this is different when you look at on a high level point of view. Most companies procure more than the 20,000 mark a year. According to the latest verified available statistics (here: http://www.statisticbrain.com/business-card-statistics), in the US alone 1 billion business cards are printed each year. You heard that right, ONE BILLION. A quick math will give us around 50,000 trees in a year to cover that requirement in the US. Imagine how big that patch is just to serve a business requirement for networking.
It is happening. Around 88% of those trees are wasted for nothing. With the current transformation to digital, imagine we are sacrificing nature for a cause that is now available digitally. Digital contact list has been practiced since the birth of smartphones. The data that these cards serve are now transferred or have been there for a long time but we still continue to produce and cut nature simply because it is what we are used to.
How many times have you transferred to a new company or changed your position or your phone number? How many times have you encountered the same person asking for your business card? How many times have you bump with a contact that your detail was misspelled due to phone scanning? Or worst, they just don't remember you at all since they just dump the card right after you meet.
The future for this part of the business is now. The demand for a fast phase data transfer and real-time updating affects how we network. And that is where Tap-to-Connect comes in. It eliminates the need to reprint and reproduce business cards allowing us to save the trees.
Tap-to-Connect uses NFC technology that gives us the capability to tap our TTC cards to their mobile phones to transfer our contact details. Virtual meetings are invited in the party as there is a printed QR code at the back of the card that people can scan to connect. Details within the card can be updated online from company to email addresses, social media presence and even payment wallets like Gcash and Paymaya to name a few.
Aesthetics wise, the cards are available in Black, White and Pink. Corporate customisation for the look and feel is also doable. You can check more details about pricing via their website https://www.taptoconnect.net/page/shop or their Facebook page here.
It's not only about being slick or making a business impact but moreso, being part of the solution for a global environment change that we all need right now.