When it comes to creating business cards, there are a lot of factors to consider. From the type of paper to the design elements, each element will affect the cost of your business cards. It's important to know what message you want to send with your brand before you start designing your card. You can design a basic card yourself with tools such as Illustrator or use online template services.
However, most business card manufacturers have preset shapes such as coffee cups for cafes, houses for realtors, and gears for engineers. If you want to create a complete branded package, working with an agency is a great option. Business cards are like billboards that fit in your pocket and everyone else's pocket, turning random contacts into customers, collaborators, suppliers and friends. Thicker paper requires more material and therefore costs more when printing your business cards.
You can also get personalized business cards in wood, plastic, metal and other materials for a unique look. It's important to find out where you sit on the spectrum to determine how much you should spend on your business cards. If you meet with a potentially large customer, it makes sense to hand out better quality business cards to make a better impression. Just you, and the super intuitive tool that is made for creating business cards and has tons of templates to get you started.
In the end, having two styles of business cards (one cheap and the other expensive) allows you to choose which one to give.