Top 5 Business Card Tips from 25 Years in Business

My first business card came from a little print shop between my house and my grandparents house.  On weekends, my grandpa took me to a flea market and we setup a table to sell odds and ends. I was maybe 8 years old.  My father was a small business owner, and I always wanted business cards. But what does an 8 year old need with business cards?  Nothing.  Except when his grandpa got involved.

Business card tips apply to all businesses

I’ve had dozens of business cards since. I, too, have earned most of my career as a small business owner.  Over the past few decades, I’ve learned the hard way what makes good business cards, and I’ve distilled the TOP 5 TIPS here.

Use these tips to get rich from your business cars:

1. Keep it simple stupid

If you want a brochure, make a brochure. Business card should be limited to the most basic information possible.  Business name, address, phone, and your name. If this information doesn’t describe what you do, add a line for business description.

2. Use large fonts, contracting colors

Forget the tiny fonts. Make sure everything on your business card is at least 9pt, preferably 10 or 11. Larger the better. Colors should be contrasting and not similar.

3. Non-standard bigger card size

Standard American business card size is 2″ x 3.5″. European business card size is about 2.17″ x 3.35″. In America, always use European size business cards. This means you’ll obviously stick out from the stack of business cards and be easier to find.  Plus you get almost 1/3 Sq In additional space on the European business card.

     

4. Enough room to write

Keep space to write a note, name, phone number, brand name, or other information on the card. This means if you’re doing glossy or other coating, you leave the back matte or some texture which can be easily written on.

5. Make it personal

Leave something important off your business card, like your email, or phone number. Then when handing the card out, use that writing room to handwrite the information as you’re giving the card out. People who get something handwritten naturally think it’s more important or valuable information.

Phil

Grown up in Cleveland, Ohio, USA., previously lived in Phoenix, Arizona and Tampa, Florida areas, and recently co-located to Asheville, North Carolina area. Trained as an Army MP, but bit of a renegade career wise. Phil has owned successful businesses in insurance, private investigations, surety bail bond industries, and has experience in computer network engineering, hospitality advertising, asset recovery and repossession, and even a few years traveling most of the lower 48 states, Ontario and Northern Mexico as a commercial over the road truck driver. Career long entrepreneur, property investor and rental manager. Phil loves sharing his experiences of great food, travel, experiences and products.