Personal Business Cards » Business Card

10 Credos for Doing Business

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:50:13 +0000

Opportunities for doing business can increase if your values match the values which your customer holds. So what are the best ways for doing business through relationships? Here is the list of the ten best ways that I have come across through my own and others personal experience:
Always listen to the other person Give away information that will help the other person in writing Dress professionally Have a business card that is not homemade Provide many ways to contact you including your web address and email Have a nice looking website with good content Always answer your emails and queries promptly Create touch points that are meaningful Build the relationship before trying to sell Be focuses on your expertise and do not try to be everything

Your message must be clear and concise yet it must create an excitement about what you have to say and what services you provide. The next topic will give you a list of the best ways to create that excitement.

The first point is always the most difficult for people as we all have a tendency to want to talk about our own business and what is happening within our own world. I always remember the sales folks I want to avoid because they cannot stop talking about how great their product is. I could not care less about the product, what I want is what can that product do for me and how can it help to solve my problems.

By: Bette Daoust, Ph.D.

Business Cards and Exercise Services

admin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 05:45:35 +0000

Design Ideas for Professional yet Fun-looking Yoga Calling Cards

Exercise means bendable, stretchable, and able; and as a yogi, being a living example of health and fitness to yoga students is a must. To make you more credible, designing your own yoga business cards uniquely into one that fully defines your business and lifestyle will gain your target students’ trust.

Moving away from the traditional design strategies used in businesses will make you be more flexible in your ability to express what Yoga is all about. Since the nature of your work revolves around flexibility of the body, designing can be bendable and stretchable too.

1. Wrap around: With more options nowadays with business cards printing, designs can be printed on both sides and with different stocks. Try explaining what Yoga is all about by using a Yoga position that wraps from the front part to the back. Through this, recipients will already know that your class can be a way to train students to become flexible and disciplined in mind and body.

2. People Text: You can also explain the nature of your business by using the different Yoga positions for spelling out your name and business. This style will be fun to look at and your recipients can also have a preview of what’s in store when enrolled in your class.

3. People Design: Since Yoga originated from India, you can use the different positions in very small sizes to build famous Indian designs and prints. This way, just by looking at your business card, your receivers can learn a thing or two about the History of this certain exercise and do a little research on their own, which generates interest from your target students.

4. Informational Design: Explaining the introductory part of every Yoga class such as the chakras and the mantras can be a good design idea for the back part. Since the stages are very colorful, only a few tweaking on the design is needed.

Promoting what you do for a living can be best expressed when elements that come from your service are included in your materials like personal business cards.

By: Kristine

Why Have Personal Business Cards?

admin — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 16:57:10 +0000

Being a part of a huge business world is indeed a great challenge. Standing out, making a name, and being remembered is not an easy task. So to make this happen, you have to be smart in playing the game called business.
Imagine this scenario: say you are a freelance web designer.

One night, you went to a friend’s party. While standing and holding your drink, you saw this person beside you and eventually started a conversation with him. Now, you learned that this guy is an owner of a start-up medium-size company, and he is actually looking for a web designer to do their company site. And later, he learned that about your profession. So, he asked for your

contact information. What would you do?

A. Tear a scratch paper, write your name and contact number, and give it to

him.

B. Dictate your mobile number, and tell him to save your number on his phone;

and ask him to do vice versa.

C. Ask him for his personal info, write in on a paper or on your palm, and

tell him that you’ll contact him.

D. You give him your business card, which includes all the basic contact information he needs.

Obviously, the most professional choice is option D. However, what if you get into a situation similar to the example and you don’t have a business card As the say “desperate times, call for desperate measures”, so you’d probably do A, B, C or think of other options. On the other hand, you might think that you’d probably not get into a situation like that. Of course, you can never tell.

With the Current Credit Crunch Ensure You Have Quality Business Cards

admin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:51:41 +0000

Business cards are a traditional yet effective tool used to provide the contact details of a person to possible customers or prospective partners. The importance of business cards has been recognised by most companies, and they provide business cards to all their employees. Even though business cards have always been important, their use and value has increased in this age where sophisticated marketing is in vouge.

Business cards are not just logos and names printed on a piece of paper. They are your contact point with people, both inside and outside the company. Today, many companies consider business cards an effective marketing tool, which not only communicates a person’s contact details but also reflects the type of company the person is working in. A glossy card normally reflects that the company in which the person is working values individualism and creativity. On the other hand, a simple traditional-looking card shows that people in the company work in a conservative environment. It is therefore important that your business card should reflect the type of company that you work for. In business, the first impression is made when a business card is given.

With the current credit crunch, ensure you have quality business cards – one which is glossy, made of hard paper and has good quality of printing, preferably colour printed. To get good quality business cards you need to sit with a graphic artist so you can create a card which can be distinguished from millions of other cards. Traditional companies, in an attempt to reduce the cost of cards, will give the responsibility of getting the cards printed to the purchasing department. This department, in an attempt to reduce costs, will try to come out with cards at the minimal possible price. In this period of economic slow down and credit crunch, a substandard card could set a bad impression of the company. Therefore it is advisable to give the responsibility of getting the cards printed to the marketing department. People in the marketing department will come out with cards that reflect the company’s mission and outlook.

Business cards are your first point of contact with potential customers. Today in most fairs and trade shows people prefer giving their business cards to potential customers visiting their stalls. This helps with better networking, as business cards are easier to keep when compared to pamphlets and brochures. It is common knowledge that when people browse through the cards that they have, they tend to select the card that has a nicer look. People usually associate nicer cards with a company that can spend money. Companies that can spend money are those that have a stable and prosperous business. In fact if the company does not have finances to spend on low ticket items, how can they afford to purchase items of higher value, or run their business?

In today’s competitive world, it is important that you have a quality business card. Imagine losing even a single client because you did not spend money on getting a good quality card. A good quality business card is not ‘expenditure’ but an ‘investment’ that you make for the growth of the company. A business card is similar to a lottery – the more you give the better are the chances of winning a customer.

By: Bella Harris

Make Your Business Card More Effective

admin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 09:21:30 +0000

In my life I have literally collected thousands of business cards. When I look through them, I hardly remember the person or business at all! Should a business card not reflect who you are and what your business does?

A proper business card is the first piece of marketing literature that is handed out. It should definitely have your name, address, email address and phone number. But I think that most business cards should have more information. Most are very poorly designed.

How could we improve on the basic business card? I was thinking about this and I came up with some suggestions for the back of your business card:

1) Hard to Find Places – a mini map giving directions to your premises

2) Takeaways – a miniature menu – remember the 80/20 rule – top sellers only!

3) What about a testimonial?

4) Retail Outlet – what about a discount on presentation of the card?

Here is another great idea for the back of a business card:

Print:

We met at…

On…

For…

What we discussed…

Referrals…

What about the front?

1) Why not add your picture?

2) Use full colour printing

3) Get a Professional to design it

I firmly believe that all business cards should have a photograph of the person especially now that they are so cheap to produce in full colour. Nobody will ever forget who you are if your picture is on the card!

Your business card is probably the first marketing material you hand out to somebody you meet for the first time. It should create a good impression and be a precursor to a further meeting or conversation by phone.

Business cards are never going to do the selling for you, but they need to transfer the right impression of who you are and what your business does. For this you need to use full colour printing and stay away from the standard black and white cards.

I would advise people to stay away from laminated cards. Many people jot down a short note on the back of the card to help them remember who you are and what was said. They cannot write on a laminated card!

Finally make sure your business card is durable. Pay slightly more for a thicker card. If you can get a cheaper business card for $90 a 1000 and a more expensive better quality of business card for $150 per 1000… and you only hand out 200 business cards a year… go for the better quality one and make sure you hand out a 1000 in the next 12 months!

How many business cards have you received that immediately said to you “I am not going to do business with that person”? Most of them are probably printed in black and white and on thin cards. Some do not even tell you what that persons business does!

Most people underestimate how valuable a business card really is. When you think about the costs involved it really should be used more effectively. Make your business card stand out so that people are more likely to remember you and get in touch.

By: Naz Daud

Get Your Own Business Card

admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 02:28:02 +0000

A lot of people today are business minded, and many at some time in their life plan to start a business of their own. A lot of them pursue this dream of theirs, and do almost everything required to start up a nice business. But most people forget or neglect making a good business card for their business taking it as a waste of resource. All those who consider business card to be of little value are absolutely wrong in their perspective.

A business card contributes a lot to a business success. Just one look at it reflects everything about your organization or business. It displays how serious you are about your business. A true businessman knows the value of customer time, and hence in order to make a good impression in short time, will always have an interesting/ attractive card.

A lot of different kinds of business cards are available in the market today. Earlier, only Text business cards were available, but now, one can have pictures too.

Customers can be lured by making the card as attractive as possible. Some of such attractive cards are Glossy business cards, digital print business cards etc. Colored business cards provide people the choice to have multicolored text on it. It’s great for special occasions where you want to highlight something.

Those who are willing to spend more on cards can get unique business cards or Personal business cards with unique designs made solely for respective business. One can also avail discount on the printing of the cards by ordering business cards in bulk. For example, if you buy 1000 at once, you will get an overall 10% discount which you otherwise might not get.

Business cards can be made to look attractive by adding certain cheap features like full color print on business cards, or by buying transparent business cards.

Well, whatever type of card you choose, make sure it is not boring and is eye catchy and attractive because the right kind of business card can go a long way in showing your customers that you care and attests your professionalism.

By: Hemanti Chunawala

5 Tips On Making Your Business Card A Powerful Marketing Tool

admin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:25:50 +0000

When used effectively business cards can be a great marketing tool. In this article we will discuss 5 of the most effective ways that you can use your business cards everyday.

1. Be Creative.

Be creative in the design of your business cards. Business cards do not just need to be bits of paper with your contact details on them. Be creative and give your business cards a use and purpose. Make them a powerful marketing tool in the promotion of your business.

Your aim is to make your business card something that the receiver will want to keep and make use of. This is the difference between a well thought out and designed business card and a piece of paper with your contact details on it that will probably be thrown into the trash.

Give the recipient of your business cards a special offer. For example if you are a school/training centre you may offer ‘first lesson for free with this card’ or if you run a shop maybe you will offer ‘10% of any purchase over $50′.

Whatever your business, there is a creative way to give your business card real value to the receiver. If you can think and implement these new creative ways before your business does, you will have an instant advantage in that area of business, and should definitely see a rise in business if you have promoted you cards correctly.

2. The 1 minute rule

The 1 minute rule basically says, if you talk to a person for longer than 1 minute they should already have one of your business cards in their hand.

This means in conversations you need to find a way to talk about what you do, and be in the position to be able to offer one of your business cards to the person you are talking to in the first minute of conversation. This can be likened to a conversation you may have with someone at the bus stop or on the elevator. The conversation will end in a very short time and you only have a very short time to get your message across, or in this case get your business card to the recipient.

The 1 minute rule is basically just practice to get your business card out there as much as you can. Many people go through all the trouble of ordering business cards just to let them sit in a corner of their office. To use business cards effectively you must be giving them out at every opportunity that you have.

3. Make them keepers

Once you have given your business card to someone what is going to keep it from being thrown in the trash or forgotten about. Unless you are selling necessities it is probably fair to say that most likely they do not need the product/services you are offering at the present moment. Hopefully though in the future will come a time when they are looking for that product/service and that is when your business card still needs to be in the hands of the person.

Why does someone want your business card? If you cannot answer that easily, maybe it is time to think about a new business card design.

Does your business card have valuable information on it? By valuable I mean a map, discount, calendar, measurements, charts or anything relevant to your industry? If it doesn’t, you may want to think about adding a value feature to your business card.

4. Leave them everywhere you go

During a number of trips around a number of businesses in my local area I have noticed piles of business cards on the counters of various businesses. For example a recent trip to my accountant I noticed they had a few piles of business cards on the counter for mortgage lenders, home loans, etc.

This can be likened very much to link swapping that goes on with webmasters looking for business referrals from similar businesses.

Every place that you frequent, you should ask if they mind you leaving a stack of you business card there for their customers. You could try this at your doctors office, your dentist, accountant, lawyer, beauty saloon or hairdresser.

For similar businesses (e.g. accountant > lawyer or money lender) maybe you can arrange to have a stack of their business cards displayed at your business when they offer your business cards at theirs. This can be a very effective way to use you business cards and can have great returns.

5. Ask for an opinion

‘Do you mind if I ask you a quick question? I’m looking for opinions on my new business card’. After asking the question and bringing the topic up hand them a business card. Make sure that they keep it, even if they try to hand it back to you tell them that you have thousands printed already.

Thank the person for their time, and if they ever need the product or service that you are offer that your contact information is on the business card. Even if that person may not directly contact your business, there is always a chance that they may pass your card or business name onto another party.

Even in the worse case they may go home and tell their friend how a nut just came and talked at the bus stop and handed them a business card for his lawn mowing service. That friend may say, ‘I’ve been looking for a good lawn mower’. ‘Here’s the business card I got’. And there is a situation where you may still even get business out of handing your business card to a stranger and even a disinterested stranger.

By following just one of the above five ideas each day, you can turn your business card into a great marketing tool, and see an almost instant increases in business.

By: John Harley

A talking Business Card for Marketing: Stellar Concepts offers Video Business Card Service

admin — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:29:57 +0000

Since its inception in 1997, Stellar Concepts and Design has been providing marketing, printing, website design, over 350,000 promotional products, various kinds of innovative and effective advertising campaigns and a complete Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM) services for over 10,000 clients nationwide.

Stellar Concepts prides in itself for understanding the technological web-environment and constantly adapting it to bring out the innovative marketing tools for the clients who are always in a track to expand business. And, with the recently added Video Business Card Service to their existing regular business cards service, Stellar only proves to be expanding wider and faster.

A Video Business Card is an exciting new marketing tool. It is a combination of a TV commercial and a business card; the two pillars of marketing.

Interestingly, Video Business Cards have emerged as a latest buzz in the e-Business world. On the one hand, a lagging economy is making some of the big companies go for cost-cuttings while on the other, the small and medium businesses are leaving no stones unturned to go for new marketing tools; a Video Business Card for that matter.

“Sometimes you get only one chance to make a first and lasting impression. Apparently, in this fast and furious world of Internet that is certainly the case. When as large as 1,463,632,361 people are on internet, a Video Business Card on web absolutely makes sense. A dynamic, creative and an engaging video business card is a perfect way to inject personality into your sales page and help customers put a face with a name. The studies on Memory Retention have reported that an average person retains less than 10% of what he ‘sees or hears’ and over 50% of what he ‘sees and hears’,” remarks Anthony Giudice, Stellar Concepts and Design president and founder.

Statistics show that the sales can be increased by 2.5% for every 2,000 cards that are handed out. Apparently, a well designed or digitized business card carries at least 10 times higher prospect than a traditional card.

“The potential customers expect you to have a business card if you are a serious business person. Business cards are the most important marketing tool. The Stellar team is happy to have printed thousands of creative business cards for our clients and help them promote their business. Expanding our wings even wider than before with lots of marketing options, we offer Video Business Cards service in addition to the regular business cards services. A Video Business Card gives an opportunity to meet and greet the potential customers and build a platform for business relations.” Giudice informs.

About Stellar Concepts and Design:

One stop shop for online marketing, SEO, SERM, promotional products, video websites and designs and many more. Stellar offers active Affiliate Marketing program, 10 % of the purchase amount, http://affiliates.stellarconcepts.com/Login.aspx

For more information on Stellar Concept’s scope of services, visit http://stellarconcepts.com.

Contact:

Anthony Giudice, President

954.489.2250

By: Anthony Giudice

Seal that deal with impressive business cards

admin — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:02:45 +0000

Business cards are like specialized mini-brochure that captures who you are and the business you are trying to sell. They are an important tool to widening your market base and strengthening your foothold. As the market becomes more and more competitive, the need to have a catchy and outstanding business card is as important as the product you are tying to sell.

A lot of thought and brainstorming goes into how a business card is designed with the view of incurring as little cost as possible. A business deal could be lost or gained because of the impression created by a business card. There are even ISO and country standards that business cards are examined by many business entities worldwide which are instrumental in how they deal or whether they would deal with certain companies.

For instance, the English language is still the internationally accepted standard language in business. However, if you are giving your business card to businesses that do not understand the English language or are biased to their country’s language, you should have the specific regional language in order to look good.

Having this important detail in your business card may not cost so much as the benefit that it can bring. In fact could help win approval in that particular country or region and resulting in bringing forth potentially profitable business opportunities. Striking the right impression the first time they see your card may just be the thing that makes them want to contact you.

If you are looking for an effective way to communicate with more clients and gain positive results, then you have to know how to create them using the business cards. It is still one of the most powerful and cost-effective marketing tools that literally within your fingertips. The information and anything else that you put into your business cards must be carefully thought of.

By: Geraldine Anderson

Personal Business Cards

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:42:41 +0000

Personal business cards offer the first impression of your company and business and should therefore be designed and printed carefully. Before you decide on a design for your business card, take some time not only to research on the available printing options but to also decide on what kind of impression you would like to leave on people through these cards.

Personal Cards: Purpose

Business cards have emerged as an essential means of communicating with one’s clients, associates and customers. Since these cards provide the basic information about a business or the services being offered by a person, they have increasingly being used as a promotional tool. Designing and printing of personal cards should be such that the final product is not only impressive but easy to store.

Things to Consider While Selecting Personal Cards

Personal cards need to be attractive and informative enough to serve the information needs of potential customers. Several points should be kept in mind while selecting these type of cards, such as:

* The quality of paper being used should be good and durable.

* The ink being used to print the paper should also be of high quality.

* Cards should use a mix and match of colors that are neither too bright nor too dull.

* They should clearly display the contact information and the nature of one’s business.

* Select from the various printing options available according to your requirements.

* Choose from various options, such as magnetic tapes or full colored or black and white cards.

* Cost of printing is reasonable.

* Check if the printing techniques being used are environmental friendly.

To get the best personal cards for your business, contact Printeca.com. The company not only offers thousands of personal card designs, it also allows its customers to design their own cards. Printeca.com uses 100% carbon neutral printing to provide you with the most environmental friendly product.