Business Cards - They are meant to quickly broadcast, inform and remind prospective clients and associates who you are and what your do. They are a small snippet of your branding and identity, your business finger print.
If you're just starting off they should be 1st on your list for advertising and marketing purposes.
Companies such as Vistaprint.com are super easy to work with and can produce a great card.
As your business grows, so should your cards: Your business evolves and you will find what works for marketing and doesn't.
First Impressions:
- Afford only the best. Budget restriction may impend the quality of your cards when you 1st establish your business. But as your profits rise, spend the monies to have a card professionally created and executed by a graphic designer.
- Print your cards on good quality heavy stock.
Show off your Talents:
- Your logo, color and stock paper color can express your talents and reflect that finger print.
- Text - Be reminded of KISS - Don't over do the card with too much information. I've seen more logos on a business card that the business identity is lost. Same goes for a multitude of services. You've got 3-5 seconds for them to read it. It should be about you not your associations you belong to.
- Font - Make sure it is easy and large enough to read.
As an example - Here is the evolution of my cards:
1999
Fresh out of my specialty Interior Redesign and Home Staging training I ordered these cards from
Colorful Images. I called myself a 'Home Stylist' only to be confused at my High School reunion to be a Hair Stylist. I quickly changed my position to
Interior Stylist to better identify myself.
Reinventing Space and The House Stager
(Black and White copy of cards)
2000
We had relocated to Chicago where no one knew what a Home Stager or Redesigner was - I hired a very fancy graphic designer to create a new identity for me. Originally my business identity and cards were a split personality. I had them printed on craft paper (I had a whole "Packaging" the product theme) By offering two cards I could showcase my two services which both where virtually unknown in the Chicago-land market.
What I discovered over time -
- Square cards don't fit into any protective business card cases, making for a lot of squished and bent cards in my brief case and purse.
- Having two identities is ultimately confusing to your clients, associates and press.
- Font and text size is too small for anyone over 35 to read unless they have a magnifying glass.
- Upscale Craft paper stock although beautiful and coordinating w/the "Package" theme is very expensive and not easy to match and readily available when wanting to do quick marketing campaigns such as post cards, pass-outs, gift certificates and flyer's.
2008
Large font, defined logo and focus on the services that drew the biggest client base.
- The House Stager has been shortened to HOUSE STAGER and only used for website marketing and educational purposes.
- Square cards still. People love them and identify that I'm in a creative business. Too bad about not fitting in a carrier.
- One identity and more personal individual name branding. This goes hand and hand w/my website. REINVENTING SPACE.com which was WAY to long to type, remember, and spell... so I now use JULEA.com. If they can't spell it, they can't find you.
- Font and text size adjusted for over 35 year eyes - My target market...
- White paper coincides with easy marketing, and is less expensive. K.I.S.S.
2013
- New fresh logo and color scheme. Easy to read. I now am building a team of associates as part of my business plan, so the cards offer them a not so overpowering identity of 'Julea'.
So when it comes to your business cards, make sure they evolve with your business identity -
Are professional and of quality materials to ensure the stature of your business, and quickly and effectively identify who and what your do -
Making that visual elevator speech a success!
