Business Card Designing - The Essential Elements

With business card designing it is important not to forget some important elements that make up the business card. Otherwise your card will fall short of fulfilling its purpose and be just a waste of paper.

Here are some guidelines on business card designing to help you get the most from your card. Not all of them necessarily have to be on the card, but a good mix of them is essential.

Business Name - The business name should be the most prominent thing on a business card, followed by the individual’s name. If the business has a logo it is a good idea to include it on the card. Building a brand and being easily recognizable can go along way in creating credibility and trust for your business. So if you do not have a logo, consider investing some time or money into designing one.

Business description or tagline - A brief description of your business is great as a reminder should someone refer to your card later or if your business name does not obviously say what you do. Many times people may put your business card aside and refer to it when they actually need your service. For example, “Your image is everything” is our tagline – because we believe that your business cards speaks volumes about your image. That is why it is so important to consider all these points with dbusiness card designing.

Individual’s Name - Include an individual’s name on the card if it is intended to give the contact details for that person as well as the company details. If the card is intended to give only the business details, then a name is not necessary. However, it’s important to remember that people are more likely to want to call and speak to an individual than just a business call line. Business is, after all, about building relationships.

Job title or position of individual - It is good to include this because someone may be more interested in speaking to the IT person in a firm than the finance manager if they are having problems with their computer, for instance. Provide as much relevant information on the card to enable someone to decide whether to contact you as quickly and as easily as possible.

Telephone number - The telephone is the number one means of communication these days. If you are on phone you’re more likely to be contacted than the person with only a physical address or email address. Convenience is the word here and a phone is just that. It’s quick, easy and cheap. Therefore a phone number or two is a must have on a business card. A word of caution though – if you are very busy it would be a good idea to have a business number and a personal number. Then you can put the business number on the business card and give your personal number only to people you wouldn’t mind calling you at 2 am on weekends.

Physical address - This is usually the address for the business, not your personal physical address. In some exceptional cases it could be your personal address, it all depends on what your business is about. However, for reasons of privacy and security this is not common. One instance when your business address might be the same as your personal address is if you run a business from home This is becoming very desirable these days, particularly with internet based businesses.

Email address - If you have a business email address use it. It carries more weight with potential clients than a free email address such as Yahoo or Hotmail. Your business is perceived as being more established or serious than one without a business email. If you don’t have one don’t sweat it. You can get one once your business grows.

Website address - Again, not all businesses have a website. If you do, include it. You will be a couple of steps ahead of the competition. Your website also offers a potential client a second peek and a chance to learn more about your business. They may even find something else of interest on your site that you initially did not intend to sell them.

Products or services - This depends on the business card layout you have chosen. If you are using a double sided card or folding cards it is a good idea to include some of your products on the card. Think of the business card as a pocket sized advert and make the most of it.

Graphics - Generally, stock images or graphics should be used sparingly when designing business card elements. The risk is that your card will end up looking cheap and unprofessional if you use too many graphics. Clipart, in particular, should only be used if absolutely necessary. It is far better to use your own unique graphics with business card designing.

These are the basics of business card designing. Use what you need and leave out what you don’t need. It is not necessary to put everything. Make your card unique to your personality and your business needs.