Although it might seem like overblown hyperbole, a business card
is really a window into the soul of your company.
That's because a business card not only tells prospective
clients exactly what it is your company does, but provides them
with a visual sense of how you do it and - more importantly -
how well you do it.
Here's where it might be helpful for you to pull out your old
business card, take a good hard look at it and try to figure out
what others might be seeing.
Is your card poorly designed or cluttered with useless
information that makes it hard to read? Is there anything on the
card that jumps out at you and grabs your attention, or is it
just another one of them standard business card you wouldn't
think twice about tossing in the trash if someone had handed it
to you?
Of course, no one wants to give out a business card that is
overly flashy or loud just for the sake of making an impact.
That would be ridiculous. But unless your goal is to come across
as just another faceless entrepreneur, you need to make sure
your business card is doing you and your company justice.
Keep in mind that on a functionality level, all business cards
should be legible, informative and reflect you unique business
personality - regardless of whether you are a certified
contortionist with a runaway circus or a chartered accountant.
Easy-to-read fonts that are no smaller than 10 points are a
must. Including your name, telephone and fax number, e-mail
address and company web site are also musts. But anything other
than that is really up to you. If you're in the construction
business, using a thick, credit-card-like card stock - instead
of the flimsy paper variety - might give clients a sense of your
solid workmanship. If you're running a daycare, a glossy card
with rainbow-coloured graphics may work better for you than a
black and white text-heavy card. That type of business card
would probably work better for a mortician.
Although no one knows your business better than you, figuring
out just the right personality for your business card is
something you might want to discuss with a graphics designer.
Thinking up four or five adjectives that best describe your
company might make it easier for them to incorporate those
traits into your business card design and make sure your
business card isn't sending mixed messages.
About the author:
Copyright 2006, Businesscards4me.com. All Rights Reserved Mark
Knerr is a graphic designer specializing in company logo design
and business card design services. He also offers professional,
full color postcard, plastic cards and business card printing.
http://www.businesscards4me.com
