Hand Crafted Business Cards: Money Saving & Original Marketing

In the past several weeks I've demonstrated how to create, promote and sell art locally, and also published a guide to DIY manufacturing of marketing materials. I now present a tutorial on hand stitched business cards. 

There's a time and a place - and a product - for craft inspired solutions to your marketing needs. A plumber or electrician for example, would not be interested in anything hand created because it says nothing about their business. On the other hand, artists, wedding stationers and similar minded individuals looking for a unique voice for their brand will hopefully see value in what follows.

DIY Printed Marketing Materials

Labels, stickers and banners like this can be produced at minimal cost

Creating promotional materials yourself is extremely cost effective. By gathering the materials yourself at low cost (or even free if you can beg or borrow) it is possible to raise awareness for a product or service at a local or niche level without breaking the bank.

In this article I'll explain how I designed, printed and laminated small adverts promoting local fast food outlets in my town. They have been produced with long terms monetisation in mind hence the QR codes and visual references to online payment systems. These quick read internet barcodes and displayed URL both point at a website created to capitalise on local web traffic searching for food menus. My logic in advertising via a print medium is to capture more potential users of the site who may not be aware of its existence.

Read more about creating a fast food website and click here for the article on the QR code marketing.


I once worked in a factory that made warehouse labeling systems, where, with primitive means, we manufactured laminated sticky banners bearing stock control data. The required materials were ordered in bulk and due to my thriftiness (or stinginess) I was able to save large off-cuts for personal projects. Several years later these same manufacturing techniques are serving my own promo. The barcode concept is utilised for internet phones.



The stickers need to be damp/condensation proof otherwise the ink can bleed. Fortunately I am still able to gain access to the necessary supplies, including rolls of laminating film and double sided self adhesive.


In the event of the QR barcode becoming defaced, it will still actually work to a certain point.

Read about QR error correction here.

The left roll is double sided self adhesive, the right roll is single sided laminating film

You can purchase the needed (or similar items) online at low cost. Otherwise use some initiative by looking to alternate methods like a laminating machine in a local library or whatever is available.



Are you highly confident in your business idea and means of promotion? Done the maths, got a strategy and a bottom line? If yes,  it might be better to pay an online or local printer to acquire what you need: just be aware it is not usually cheap to create small custom batch runs of anything.

Recent price comparisons and quotes obtained have revealed I would spend £100 or more on self adhesive vinyl window stickers. The cost is not justified, especially if takeaway owners move premises, go out of business or change their logo/branding frequently.

If it's a niche or test market, an inkjet printer set to high quality and loaded with unbranded discount inks and decent photo paper may be perfectly adequate. I know it is for myself.

The Design

I used Adobe Photoshop. Gimp has similar capabilities and is free. Paint.net is also free.

Assuming you have Photoshop, do yourself a favour and download Adobe Bridge. Bridge allows you to import multiple images as multiple layers to a single Photoshop document. As you can see from the screenshot below, I selected all my QR codes (first copied to a single folder) and clicked "Tools", scrolled down to "Photoshop" and selected "Load files in Photoshop Layers". Repeat as necessary.

Adobe Bridge is useful for loading lots of images into a single .PSD

Similarly Photoshop layers can be sent to open Photoshop files. Right click the layer you want to export and click the blue arrow under "Destination". Choose the .PSD document you want to copy your layer over to and hit OK. What I like about this feature is the ability to send layers to specific groups in the other open document. Before sending layers elsewhere, first select the chosen group in the other .PSD document. Name each group and layer too.

Copying layers to other .PSD files is a time saver

Organise ALL your layers into groups and sub groups. These things become messy without a hierarchy. The example below shows my groups, layers and subgroups. It took a while to arrange each single relevant logo for every takeaway business, but this only needs to be done once. In future its a matter of updating the files and layers should anything change, for example, an affiliation between the business and the online ordering websites. Again, organisation saves time in the long term.

Each Photoshop layer group contains the appropriate QR code, text, business logo and online ordering logo. It took a long time to customise each sticker banner, but not as long as it would take without the systematic approach..

The Materials and Technique

A ruler and sharp knife will be needed. A small guillotine or trimmer is an alternative.

Cut out each banner with care. I am leaning on thick 1 ply cardboard. A self healing cutting mat is better.

If you can get your hands on laminating film in rolls, great. It can be purchased in sheets too, but watch the costs.

Mark roughly where the cut needs to be made. Measure enough to leave enough a margin for error.

The cut doesn't need to be totally accurate at this stage.

Peel the backing paper away from the laminating film. Don't let any dust or debris get onto the sticky surface.

Carefully lay each of your paper/card labels face down onto the sticky side of the laminating film. Do it whichever way suits you or feels most comfortable. Apply appropriate smooth pressure.

The sticky plastic film protects the front of the sticker from wear and tear.

Slice off excess plastic with a good sharp blade.

Smoothing bubbles by applying pressure with a flat object is always necessary. The factory I worked in had a mechanised set of rollers operated by a foot pedal performing this function. For my own purposes I sometimes use a DVD case with masking tape, or press down hard with a flexible ruler. Look closely to see the difference between a flat smoothed surface and a surface full of tiny bubbles, crinkles and creases.

Anything you can find to press the laminated surface hard against the surface of the paper label will do.

A flexible ruler together with a hard action ironed out the surface making a noticeable difference.

Your thumbnail can smooth the laminated surface against the paper. Apply even pressure to the entire label.

Sticky Adhesive

Do you need your stickers to go onto glass facing outwards? Double sided clear adhesive comes with a wax paper which is simply peeled back and discarded, same as the previously shown laminating film. My own promo stickers have this on the front so they can be stuck to the glass inside the takeaway premises facing outward. People on the street can see and scan the QR code through the glass.

Apply the double sided adhesive repeating the steps shown previously for the laminating film. Be careful where you place it because the adhesive is high tack.

Ensure the glass surface is not dirty before choosing where to stick.

Double sided transparent adhesive. One of the most useful materials products I have!

One side is sticky peel-back and goes inside the window. The other side faces the opposite way to the customers in the shop.

The opposite side of the sticky banner is plain stock paper with an identical design.

The waxy paper is peeled away to reveal the sticky clear adhesive. This is pressed against the inside of the shop window.

Summary

These articles are written from my own experiences based on whatever I choose to promote. What do you have in the pipeline for which marketing is needed but a budget is low? There is no worse feeling then throwing a lot of money at advertising only for the project itself to be dropped. Cash may be limited, but if time is abundant, use the time instead. You'll learn to test twice and spend once.

Tips

• Get familiar with Abobe Photoshop if you aren't already
• Adobe Bridge is a must have product for quickly browsing and opening images.
• Try to keep costs low with test marketing. If an idea works well you can always spend money on a more professional look later on.
• If the content you are promoting is genuinely valuable to those consuming and using it, the design and style is secondary. Aim for excellence, not perfection.
• Get a good craft knife and sharp blades. I use a surgical knife which I've owned ten years!
• Rolls of adhesive or laminating film might be obtained for little to know cost. If you do have to purchase anything, be thrifty.
  

Useful links

Create a fast food takeaway menu website targeting a local area - This is the website I am promoting using my own hand made marketing materials.

Make money using QR codes - Create QR codes pointing to deep links, tracking links or affiliate links.

Buy laminating film from Amazon - Some of the rolls of laminating film are expensive but it is sold in packs for a lower price. Have a good look around before you order anything.

Buy a craft knife and cutting mat from Amazon - I advise getting a decent knife. Amazon sell sets but to be honest you might be able to get a surgical knife elsewhere for less. It's up to you. I would advise getting a cutting mat though. I'm due for a new one myself.

Wasted Opportunities #1: Rainy Days and Umbrellas Not Sold

This is one of many retrospective accounts of a money making idea not followed up or blundered because of procrastination.

It serves as my own reminder and lesson for future reference.

Dear Diary…

Britain has had the wettest summer on record for 100 years. Gardening and DIY retailers have seen profits nosedive to the tune of tens of millions of pounds. One evening I was walking through town after it had been one of those days where the sun peeked through the clouds during the day but reverted to torrential downpour at night. As I made my way home down came the rain once more and up went my umbrella.

I saw women dressed for a night out dashing (or trying, in heels) for cover under recessed doorways, waiting for a dry lull in which they could make their escape. Why did they not come prepared for the English weather? These squealing congregations of (mostly) young ladies sparked the idea of flogging them a cheap umbrella each for a high mark up. What’s a mere £5 to keep your nice hair dry, especially when you would easily spend the same on one cocktail?

What Happened

The next time it rained was during the day and it was sudden and merciless. There was a deep river flowing down the high street and it was ankle deep. I habitually opened out my telescopic umbrella and took refuge and watched unprepared slow-moving elderly couples look for a dry place. Some had umbrellas and raincoats but those who did not were terrified. I did not sell anything however.

What Might Have Happened

The best customers are already in buying mode, or in this case “panic mode” so selling for a quick close is relatively easy in these situations. I have a pedlar’s licence and I know where to locally acquire 99p umbrellas so costs would be low.

I intended to initially buy ten umbrellas and sell them in the street to people taking shelter that were “trapped” and wanted to “escape” from their hiding place but stay dry. Based on the sale of ten umbrellas at a fiver each, I could have turned over 50 quid leaving a profit of £40. Only I hesitated and wondered how long the rain would last and if would be a good idea to get stuck with a load of umbrellas I could not get rid of!

Why I Missed Out and Lessons Learned

This scenario is a good metaphor for striking while the iron is hot or in my case, striking while the day is wet. Incidentally the rain lasted only an hour but felt several times longer. Had I sprung into action I might have got the stock needed and flogged the things by just asking people and waxing lyrical about the awful weather. Instead I erred on the side of caution and by default got the undesirable outcome – nothing.

A Guide to Personal Loans

In January 2012 average household debt excluding mortgages rose for the first time in almost two years and the level of personal loans has continued to rise.

What are personal loans?

Personal loans are a form of unsecured debt. This means they are not tied to a valuable asset, usually a property, should the borrower fail to meet repayments. Interest on personal loans is usually higher than that of secured loans like mortgages as the lender is exposed to a higher level of risk. If the borrower is declared bankrupt, unsecured creditors will usually get a smaller proportion of the amount owed to them than secured creditors.

What you should know

Personal loans provide greater peace of mind in these economically uncertain times as you’ll not be at risk of having your home repossessed if lose your job and are no longer able to make monthly payments.

• Personal loans cannot be used to provide a deposit on a property.
• The more you borrow, the lower the interest rate.
• The maximum sum you can usually borrow with an unsecured personal loan is £25,000.
• Advertised rates for personal loans are not guaranteed. Not everyone who applies will actually be offered the same rate as this will depend on the bank’s assessment of your credit rating.

With lower interest rates than credit cards, personal loans can save you money on major purchases.   You have fixed interest rates for the whole loan period so you know exactly how much you’ll pay every month for the term of the loan. There are affordable monthly payments by spreading the repayments over five years or sometimes longer. Your money will be available instantly –  a pre-arranged personal loan puts you in a strong position when negotiating a discount since you are effectively a cash buyer and do not have to obtain finance.

Reasons for getting personal loans

There are as many reasons for getting personal loans as there are borrowers but the main ones are:

• Emergencies – whether it is a domestic crisis like having to replace a boiler or a seriously ill family pet needing expensive life saving surgery personal loans provide a lifeline in emergencies.
• Home improvements – many families needing extra living space and unable to sell their homes in the present market are opting for personal loans to provide more room in their current house through loft or basement conversions and home extensions.
• New cars – personal loans are often the best way to buy a car. Repayments on personal loans are similar to those of hire purchase with an added advantage.  The car is yours from the start and you can sell it before the loan is paid off if you wish.
• Holidays – spreading the cost over a few years can make the holiday of a lifetime affordable. You could even save money by taking advantage of special offers from travel firms.
• Special events – with the average wedding in the UK costing over £10,000, many couples are getting personal loans to pay for their dream wedding. 
• Consolidating debt – Many people are using personal loans to repay credit and store card debts and save money on monthly payments.
• Cosmetic surgery – new but increasingly popular, demand for personal loans to cover the cost of cosmetic surgery has soared.

What to look out for when applying

Make sure you can afford monthly payments especially if your circumstances change. Watch out for penalties - some lenders charge an early settlement penalty, equivalent to one or two months' interest.

Be Your Own Boss - The New Business Candidate from the BBC

Is there a business reality show where “real” is the operative word? A country struggling with a national debt crisis needs small business start ups more than ever and now that is happening against a backdrop of life-changing “jeopardy” underpinned by the sounds of dubstep.

“Be Your Own Boss”, the new contender of televised entrepreneurship, squeezes into the gap between Junior and Normal Apprentice, is blended with chunks of Dragon’s Den and served cool by Innocent Smoothies co founder Richard Reed.

“The mission is really simple,” stresses the former marketing man and Cambridge graduate. “We want to spot and support and invest in a whole new generation of entrepreneurial talent…I’m going to find out whether I’m going to get any of that £50,000 back. It’s whether we’re going to find any people that we can fund that are going to be the next Zuckerberg or the next Google.”

There are a few bubbles and a lot of froth at the start of this first episode where, predictably, the bewildered are wheeled out X-Factor style to amuse us with their daft proposals.

Among the crazies vying for attention are a team of lads banging on about bubblegum flavoured chicken (“You just don’t see it!”) and a woman who loves animals so much she wants to dine with them in a restaurant for dogs and humans.

A duo promoting female porn directors get politely rejected.

While I did enjoy watching the hopefuls who got through to the second half of the show, what annoyed me was the formulaic premise of our entrepreneur/chaperone/presenter.

Reed, who has sold stakes in Innocent to Coca Cola for £65 million, seems to think his participation as an investor puts his reputation at stake.

He’s set aside a million pounds of his own money for the series which is dispensed as seed cash and later handed over more generously (the £50k) to whatever business idea he believes in. The best three ideas are picked and the remainder of the programme sees Richard mentor the teams he has chosen to take under his wing.

“The Lazy Camper” comprising a couple of 19 year old college graduates, is a festival camping kit produced for less than £60. Talk of a possible large order from Amazon secures the two friends an initial £3k to generate sales.






The next team, “Poietic Studio” a high brow sculpture/art niche surely has to be a novelty punt for the sake of making "good" TV (at the expense of realistic business). The duo struggle to define themselves and their market when quizzed.

One of the gimmick inventions by Poietic is a pointless device designed for interfering with a dog’s anus to make perfect looking poo.

“The creativity of what you’ve done so far is exceptional” says Reed, handing over £3.5k to allow the pair to continue dicking about. Stunned, they take a respite to admit feeling confused by the positivity shown towards them(!)

What the f*ck?

Finally, we are introduced to "Mango Bikes" and their multicoloured custom bicycles at reasonable prices. Pink tyres and purple seats give distinctive zing, but I wonder what about their product is actually unique?  Mango Bikes receive the highest awarded sum of £5k and go on to beat their opponents, securing £50k.

The programme is at its best during the fly on the wall moments. What BBC producers possibly consider boring is what I’d like to see more of. Business is built through laborious process and nuances normally left on the cutting room floor. A load of people shaking hands and mutually back slapping is just bollocks. I was glad to see some of the more interesting moments WERE included such as when Richard advised the Mango boys about the myth of Facebook Likes and the stipulation of low conversion rates. Practical advice like this - or more specifically the reality - is what I want to see more of in next week's episode.
Mr Reed does a good job as poster boy for eager young business talent and together with the bells and whistles of the editing suite it will probably be a hit among the target demographic. Hopefully future episodes will spotlight slightly better ideas with emphasis on more content and less style.




Next week’s episode (19/09/12) features another Richard – Richard Branson. Him and Reed are apparently good mates so it will be interesting to see one of my heroes on screen.

Useful links

BBC iPlayer - "Be Your Own Boss" Richard Reed & Innocent Drinks

Earn Sales Commissions From QR Code Marketing

This idea relates to both print and internet marketing, so you ought to know how to use Photoshop or a similar graphics program. What follows is an extension of my profitable fast food menu website serving the fast food eating population in my local area. Over the years I've developed a strong interest in marketing – niches in particular – and residual income streams. Regard this article as a brain dump and example. Think about applying the principles to your own marketing ideas.

First of all, allow me to provide some background info. About 4 years ago, I was experimenting with free hosting websites and the prospect of saving cash on heavy bandwidth web traffic. The plan was to build “something useful” and monetise it, but the project was shelved. I instead used the free hosting space to upload fast food menus for my own convenience. Whenever I was with friends and we wanted to order food we would access these menus online using my URL. It was something useful. 


Two years ago I finally bought a top level web domain. The site was also given a facelift, SEO, and promotion. Because of this I was able to become familiar with owners and managers of the local businesses I am promoting. The site gets over two thousand visitors a month with Google Adsense and affiliate adverts attracting clicks, conversions and cash from the hungry visitors.

The affiliate networks - Affiliate Window and Affiliate Future amongst others - provide merchants specialising in online ordering and payment sites (about 50% of my local takeaway restaurants use these, like Just-Eat, Hungry House etc) meaning the ads are super targeted. In some cases the website actually outranks the online ordering sites such as Just-Eat for the keywords I target in Google.

My Google Analytics stats show about half of the traffic is from mobile phone or tablet, hence the reason I am now stripping away large images from the site: it needs to be "friendlier" to those with limited processing power. Interestingly, I heard recently that over 900,000 Google mobile device are products are activated every day. This means more Google products are born than human beings are!

Before you read on, you may want to look at the article describing how you can create a fast food menu directory of your own.

Introducing QR codes

Recently I implemented a QR code in the top header of my website. If you don’t know what QR codes are, they’re square barcode images pointing at a URL. An internet phone together with a QR reader allows the consumer to scan the barcode and have the URL instantly loaded in their browser. The QR code can be shared by allowing other people to scan the screen of your mobile phone displaying the QR image.

This marketing method is becoming popular in newspapers and magazines because printed media still attracts customers to websites. Think about it: if you’re not performing a Google search you might instead be browsing something else.  Leafing through a magazine for example means some is engaged with an idea, product or service.

This is the pre-sell. A consumer in a buying mode.

Get new customers via QR codes

So, what if these QR codes were reproduced on the printed menus of local fast food businesses?

It could result in ready-to-buy web traffic hitting the website in force.

This means ad clicks, food sales and most importantly, traffic. If you can ensure that traffic clicks your facebook "Like" button you'll get more members on your associated fanpage.

Over time the site will receive greater value in the eyes of Google as well as your human demographic.

Create a tracking campaign with Google Analytics

To measure the response of QR scans, deep-links used in combination with the Google Analytics URL builder is helpful. Create custom campaigns inside your Analytics to find out who clicks (scans) each URL.





Below is a screenshot of the Google link shortener. I use this instead of bit.ly or other link shortening services because Goo.gl works seamlessly with my Google Webmaster tools.

I've shortened every long URL using goo.gl (which also generates its own QR codes automatically, but I prefer the higher resolution QR codes from YouScan.me)

My links are arranged in a Word doc for organisational reasons. Doing things right from the beginning is best.

Create your Quick Read image barcodes

Next is the generator used to create the square QR barcode images. I pasted in each short Google link, gave it a title, and generated the image. When you do this always go for the highest resolution possible.

Paste the shortened goo.gl link into the YouScan.me QR generator

YouScan.me saves all your QR codes. There are other URL embed options such as for social media sites including Twitter and Facebook. A very useful service and free

Less reliable quick read code

On a side note, the Analytics tool spits out a pretty long URL. It isn’t advisable to generate a QR code from raw string variables or long tracking data.

More reliable quick read code

Run the long Analytics link through the Googlelink shortener. A smaller link generates an aesthetically pleasing and reliable QR code.

 

Design the marketing banners

Using Photoshop I created groups of layers for each QR code. Do whatever you feels best in creating your barcodes. As you can see, I have gone to the effort of organising everything in a manner which streamlines workflow as well as makes for a reasonably pleasing design. Take shortcuts and you'll only have problems later. I take this stuff seriously and want the business owners I'll be working to see that.











Lastly, customers with a Smartphone but no QR app need attention too.

For those people, provide a concise standard URL underneath the image so the customer can manually type the destination address.

Experiment with design. Consider what will encourage a click or scan.

Make the advert clear, and for God's sake, test the codes on various phones/QR apps before committing to printing marketing materials.

Pitching

The hard part will be persuading the owners of local takeaway businesses to become your client or at least cooperate by leveraging these custom codes. Remind them of the fact you are providing an extremely cost effective marketing service in which both parties benefit. It’s also worth mentioning they will benefit the most because they will reap the lion’s share of orders placed via your website. Don’t be afraid to let them know so press home this sense of obligation on their part.
The next logical step would be generating QR codes and have the resulting digital files burnt to disk or emailed to the third party producing the menu. In any given scenarios it’s a case of ensuring the appropriate images with instructions for use find their way to the person responsible. Use your initiative and take notes.

Print your own promo

Who is to say we should rely on takeaway owners to change their menu for your money making scheme? If you’ve never met them before it might be a hard sell, and even if they’re interested, it’s possible you’ll be waiting six months before they go for another run of menus with any alterations.

Stickers advertising the site. Print, laminate, add self adhesive & cut out with craft knife

A guy I knew had his menus produced in batches of 50,000 so in the meantime I created my own laminated stickers with special self adhesive and displayed it inside his shop window facing out. The idea caught on and I now do this for the majority of the businesses in my town. 

One of many completed banners. It will be easy to make future changes because of the organised Photoshop layers

Although inside the window, damp has made the inks bleed on the cheap paper. Use good stock like card or photo paper.

My next move is to design and print new stickers featuring the unique QR codes for each takeaway business in my town and display them in all premise...

Summary

Hopefully this article has demonstrated the possibilities of using QR barcode technology through my own example. You may well decide to give it a shot by coming up with your own ideas for other products and services.

A musical friend of mine plays guitar and sings at local venues. I urged her to consider using a printed custom QR code as a sticker on the guitar. The barcode could point to a Facebook page or website URL, or if she ever records her own songs and sells them it might result in an instant sale on iTunes. Or imagine ads were placed in the NME promoting a band via QR code offering a free download. The future of the internet really is heading towards tablets and portable devices so its prudent to think in this manner. As I said at the beginning of the article; there 900, 000 new Google mobile devices activated EVERY DAY.

Use your imagination and bear in mind that it is a method of bridging the gap between offline experiences and an online sales opportunity. You are driving targeted traffic from a remote location to a checkout ordering process which is really quite amazing.

Feeling crafty? Next time, I'll be showing you how I created the low cost weather proof promo stickers and how you can do the same.

Tips

• Before implementing a marketing campaign that local takeaway owners might regard as complicated, get to know them a little first. You might begin by first creating your own takeaway menus website and educating them a little. 

• Foreign cuisine businesses sometimes speak English as their second language. Do not baffle them with lots of technical jargon. Find out what online ordering companies your local takeaway is using. The big three in the UK are Just Eat, Hungry House and Fill my belly. 

• Just-Eat no longer have an affiliate program. As of February 2012 they pulled the plug on all their affiliates including myself. Thankfully, Google Adsense is in full swing on my site running Just-Eat ads so you can still earn cash from clicks, but not commissions.  Just-Eat were undoubtedly the top performing advertiser and leading online ordering site. 

• Remember to point out the cost effectiveness of your website. Your website could be compared to a 24 hour shop window where the menu is always available for view, print and download.

• If you’re going to generate QR codes  for marketing purposes ensure they are in high resolution and ideally .png format. Be aware of how much damage they can suffer before becoming unreadable.

• Get rolls or sheets of clear laminate and peel-back self adhesive. I created my stickers this way together with a ruler and craft knife.

 

Useful links

Affiliate Window

• Hungry House is one of the advertisers offering commissions of 5.5% and 30 day cookies. In my experience clickthrough rates have been low and conversions practically non-existent.

• Eat It Now is one of the advertisers offering commissions of 7% and 20 day cookies. I have not bothered using this advertiser due to the fact they are unheard of here in Ilkeston. They have tried to fill the void left by Just-Eat.

• Fill My Belly is one of the advertisers offering commissions of 7.5% and 14 day cookies. They operate in my local area and I have yet to promote them on my site.

Affiliate Future

• Hungry House is one of the advertisers offering commissions of 5.5% and 30 day cookies. There are many reports of failed tracking with AF, so Affiliate Window may be better.

Google Analytics URL builder
Use this handy tool to build a URL that measures clicks. Rather than deeplink to www.yoursite/page, you will run it through the URL tool to get a long string URL with your defined tracking variables.

Goo.gl link shortener
Makes tiny URLs

QR stuff
A QR code generator that allows you to use colours. If you want a high res option, choose the “Print” output type.

Youscan.me QR codes
I used this website to generate my QR codes, which are stored in my account. Worth signing up for and free.

Online QR code decoder
Handy for checking your codes are reading/scanning correctly. Just upload the image.

The three rules of QR code
1. Mobilize the landing page
2. Keep the url short
3. Make the content valuable

How I made the QR stickers in detail: material and techniques 

A detailed guide for making affordable, practical marketing materials. Ideal for testing marketing or niche ventures.


Snapfish
Sign up for 20 free 6 x 4” glossy or matte prints. Although meant for family photos, I uploaded design and illustrations in the past and was pleased with the results. You may consider using this service to print marketing materials and save ink and paper at home.  For each friend referred you get 50 free prints. Delivery is about 99p, so make it worth the charge by getting as many prints as possible.