| It's the trade show of the year, and you're poised to | | | | when reduced in size on your business card.4. Use a |
| meet, greet and network up a storm because the | | | | highlight color sparingly. Make sure colored elements |
| precise buyers for your product or services are here. | | | | highlights the one main message you want to |
| Business card? Check. Sales brochures? Check. | | | | convey.5. Be sure the highlight color you choose is |
| Product samples, informational literature, or other | | | | appropriate to your business. For example, using |
| appropriate peripherals? Check.But wait. Let's go back | | | | green on a lawn care business card would be far |
| to item #1 - both in the list above and the | | | | more appropriate than say red or orange.6. Limit your |
| all-important first step in creating a strong, lasting and | | | | selection of type fonts to no more than two, which |
| favorable impression. In other words, what you | | | | may also include their "families." For example, a font |
| looked like or said may not be remembered when | | | | family includes styles such as bold, italic, or bold italic |
| potential customers are back home, but your | | | | versions.7. Format text to be smaller, more compact, |
| business card will be in the pile he'll sift through to | | | | and more professional looking.8. Choose appropriate |
| separate the wheat from the chaff; the business | | | | fonts for your business, avoiding trendy, or overly |
| she'll want to follow up on.What's your card saying | | | | embellished versions.9. Avoid using all capital letters |
| about you? Here are some of the most common | | | | because they are more difficult to read, and look |
| mistakes you've no doubt seen and reacted to | | | | unprofessional.10. Use a grid to align text and objects |
| negatively. Tossing the card into the wastebasket is | | | | to each other.11. Don't use illustrations that are too |
| inevitable.Paper too thin. Card is wimpy and bends or | | | | detailed or delicate, as they may look muddy when |
| crumples in your hand or briefcase. And screams | | | | printed at a small size.12. Stay away from |
| cheap. Might be an indicator of your other business | | | | amateur-looking or dated clip art (unless you are |
| practices and products.Pre-printed perforated cards | | | | going for the "retro" look). Find good quality |
| you run through your computer printer. More cheap | | | | resources.13. Select a beefy cover stock for your |
| impressions, plus your card may look like dozens of | | | | paper. Sometimes 80# cover is not enough. You can |
| others because of the limited preprinted designs | | | | get a free swatch book from your printer or paper |
| available.There's much more. Boring. Bad choice of | | | | representative. The swatch book will give you the |
| type face and size. Too much or too little information. | | | | opportunity to examine and feel the various sheets |
| No focal point, muddy graphics -- the list goes | | | | for finish, thickness, stiffness, opacity (translucence), |
| on.Your business card is often the first -- and | | | | and color.Impress your clients with your cards as |
| perhaps only -- impression prospective clients may | | | | though your business depended on it! Cards are small |
| see. Will it encourage them to find out more about | | | | in size but huge in importance to your business |
| you and your business? Having a good logo design | | | | success. Start employing these design tips to ensure |
| and a clean layout leaves them with a favorable first | | | | your cards are doing the biggest possible job for |
| impression that you're a credible professional | | | | you.Copyright 2005 Karen SaundersKaren Saunders is |
| businessperson.Following are 13 easy ways for you to | | | | the author of the book, "Turn Eye Appeal into Buy |
| do what the professional designers do; insider secrets | | | | Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing |
| about business cards that go right to your first | | | | pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools!" Karen has |
| impression and bottom line.1. Create a focal point or | | | | helped thousands of small businesses to increase their |
| central place that draws a reader's eye.2. Allow white | | | | sales over the past 16 years using her award-winning |
| space to help balance the layout. Don't fill up the card | | | | marketing design strategies. |
| with text.3. Use a clear, strong logo that looks good | | | | |