by Rachel Wood

Created on: February 11, 2009   Last Updated: June 22, 2009

You shouldn't underestimate how important a business card can be. They will bring you more customers, more money and help your business to expand so it is important to take the time to get them right. Typically a card will have your name, the company logo and name and your contact details (telephone number, email address, website etc). All of your contact details must be kept up to date, correct and methods of communication that you actually use. If you put down an email address, do you check that account on a regular basis? For your mobile, do you keep it fully charged and on your person at all times? There is no point listing a method of communication which you hardly ever use. Some people even put incentives or special offers on their cards to draw new customers in.

You should put a lot of thought into your design. It needs to be eye catching. Take a look at all the business cards that you have accumulated. Which ones catch your attention out of all of them and why? Obviously you shouldn't copy somebody else's idea but this will give you an idea of what works and what doesn't. You want your business card to stand out. Your potential client should know what your company does just from the logo and/or the name so the card needs to be clear. It shouldn't be too crowded with unnecessary information and the text should be easy to read. Your cards should look professional. They should be clean with no mistakes. Giving out a dirty card or one with spelling errors doesn't make you look very good! The colours and style of your card should match anywhere else you are advertising your business for example a website.

Don't pick too big a size for your card. Most people when presented with one will put it into a pocket, wallet or purse so it needs to fit in these areas. You should always have a supply with you as you never know who you are going to meet. If somebody shows an interest in what you do, you don't want to lose it by not being prepared. You will need to do some research when you pick who to print your business cards. Just typing into a search engine on the internet will bring up dozens of companies. Take a proper look at them before making a decision. There is the technology around to produce really high quality cards so there is no excuse for poorly made ones. You will have to spend money but it will be worth it to have decent cards which are a good representation of you and your company. Hopefully they will bring you plenty more customers!

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