Bizstartup.ie - NewsDoes your business card build buzz?

When you meet a new business contact, have you ever found yourself making a judgement about how professional the company is by the quality of their business card? And what if they don’t have a business card at all?

Just as we never leave home without our mobile phone, if you are an entrepreneur or business owner, it’s important never to leave your office without your business card. I also recommend that you invest in some business cards for your business even if you are in the early stages of deciding of whether or not to set up your business – leaving your card with a new business contact when networking will give a positive impression.

Investing in your business cards also does not need to break the bank – there are lots of low-cost services available, so speak to your local printer or even explore using an online service to order your first set of business cards from companies such as VistaPrint.ie or Moo.com.

Common mistakes

One of the most common mistakes we make with our business card is that our details are out of date. Crossing out your phone number, email address or even office address on your card as you hand it over to a new business contact is not going to leave a great impression.

Also, when getting your business cards printed I don’t recommend that you print it in a dark colour. Many times people will want to write a short reminder note on the card perhaps about where they met you so don’t print your cards in dark colours on both sides.

That brings me to another common oversight. If you are printing new business cards, how can you make use of the reverse of your card? Why not print the opening hours of your business or a special discount code or information about how to access a free trial of your service or product? You might add details of how to access your email newsletter or special report from your website. Alternatively, you could you provide some helpful tips and information on the reverse of your card related to your product or service.

So why not take some time this week to review how effective your business card is in building buzz about your business? You never know when someone just might pass on your business card to an individual who is looking for your products or services.