Why do we need a business card?

There are at least three reasons why you are better off having one. First, it facilitates making contact. Second, it makes it easier for your interlocutor to remember your name. Third, it helps building your professional image in his or her eyes. Self-evident, isn’t it?

The makings of a good business card:

1. Simple.

A good business card should be as simple in form as possible. A clean and restrained form is a sign of prestige and professionalism.

2. Legible.

A clear and legible card makes it easy to find out whom it represents and how to contact the person. It should include all the necessary information. Of course, that means a private calling card should be different from a business one. A private one should include the full name, the telephone number, the e-mail address and the physical correspondence address. A business card should include all that, plus the full name of the company, its logo and address. It should also name the owner’s position in the company. One should always be careful with the amount of the information on the card. More than a few telephone numbers and e-mails, the business identification number (e.g. REGON in Poland) or the taxpayer identification number (NIP in Poland) may make the card too cluttered to fulfill its task. A business card should not describe the company activities or present the sales offer – other advertising materials can and should be used for that purpose. In order to maximize the amount of information on a business card, a very simple trick may be used: just include the Internet address of the company.

The legibility of a business card may be also endangered by the background graphics (which may blend with the text, making it unreadable), the excessive use of colors or inappropriate typeface. One should be particularly careful with fonts. Unoriginal fonts, such as Times New Roman or Arial are best avoided, but so are extravagant or illegible ones.

3. Original.

A good business card should be characteristic, and have its own personality. Some options to try: using a card with rounded edges or printing it in atypical format (although one should be careful with the latter suggestion). You can make miracles with paper – there are hundreds, if not thousands, of its types and varieties, so it is definitely recommended that you look for something unique in that extensive selection. Additionally, paper can be coated with plastic film or varnish. It may also abandoned altogether in favor of other materials (even metal or plastics). Other things to consider are: using embossing or raised printing, and mixing different types of materials. An entire ocean of possibilities opens up before you. Don’t be afraid of using exceptional designs and nonstandard solutions.