ARK Squared Productions

Your business card is one of the most important ways you present yourself today.  Almost all companies supply, or should supply, all their staff with business cards – it’s inexpensive advertising that’s easy to do.  It is also something that is easy to get wrong and make a bad impression.  Just as one judges a book by its cover your company will be judged by your business cards!

So if your business card is going to be a face for your company – make it look good!  If you’re a modern business, say an interior designer, or urban clothing store have a flashy (but professional!) card, perhaps shiny and colourful on one side.  If you’re a more traditional company, such as a bank or a law firm, then go for a more traditional look with less glossy and a nice linen textured card with a “basic” look.  If you use a flashy card for a traditional company, or visa versa, you could confuse your potential client, or turn them off completely and lose their business!

So now that you’ve thought about design, you need to put the content on the card.  How much contact information you put on the card will likely depend on the size of your company.  If you’re a one man shop, working out of your house, you may not want to put your home address on your card, but try to put the geographical area that you want to do business.  A larger company you absolutely want to put your address down, as more clients will likely be coming to you.

The basics that you want to have on your card are:

• Company name & Logo
• Your name & position(s) with the company
• Email address
• Phone number
• City you work out of/Geographical area you work in
• Tagline/description of your company

You need to think of your business card like an advertisement, but it’s pocket-sized and you hand it out directly.  But, you also need to remember your card may very well be passed along to someone you did not meet and have a chance to talk to!  So make sure it can stand alone, let someone know who your company is, who you are in the company, and how to contact you.

So the next time that you’re out networking, make sure you stock your pockets full of cards.  If you want someone to remember you, out of a room full of 50 other business professionals, you want something to leave them with – and you want that something to be remembered!  Don’t print your cards yourself on the perforated edge card stock; make sure you leave one of your most important marketing tools in the hands of a professional!