Many people have business cards produced by an employer, in a specific format, ordered for them, and the only input they have is the number they want to receive in their next order. Speaking up with suggestions may help, but in general things move pretty slowly in purchasing and procurement land.
But for many of us, there are options – ones we aren’t taking advantage of. And sometimes reviewing your business card gets you on to reviewing much more than just your business card:
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If you’re in business for yourself, have you included an 800 number? (More on this in my next post – they’re more economical than you think!)
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Include a fax number (You can do it all from your computer with no fax machine – also coming soon in another post.). Faxes may be relics of the past to you, but MANY people still use them. Some people even use them to fly under the radar of email scrutiny put in place by some companies and countries.
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If you have a blog, include the URL. If you include a number with “P” for phone and “F” for fax, putting a “B” on your card always gets the conversation rolling. I’ve found many people have never read a blog. Let yours be their first!
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Does a photo make sense? If you’re a model or a real estate agent, probably yes. For the rest of us, why does anyone care what you look like? Do you have a tagline? Even if your name is descriptive, such as “Supreme Floor Refinishing”, you can differentiate yourself with a tagline that indicates your advantage in speed, price, quality etc.
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What address are you using? If you are home-based, and started out using your home address, decide if there may be any security issues. A post office box is an affordable option, and there are other options such as a box at privately run mail box services. They are great if you feel a PO box is too impersonal. They usually offer you the use of their street address, with a suite number that corresponds to your box number.
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Of course, include your website URL. Even if you don’t have time right now to develop a whole site, get your URL (before somebody else gets it!) and at least get a starter page up and running.
There’s almost no one I know in business who can’t look at their business card and find at least one way to make an improvement in their card and business. Do it this week!
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