Business Card Design for Small Businesses

A businessperson without a business card is like a sailboat without wind, you're only going to get so far. In the world of networking, the business card has been a staple in the initial greeting. People can only remember so much, by giving them a card; they can physically take your introduction with them. When you first meet someone who could potentially be a business contact, you tell him or her your name, which company you work for, what you do, and the best way to contact you. The average person will forget the majority of that info by the time you turn to walk away. By giving them your card, they can take that info with them and as a bonus, they get to see a little more of your company's personality through the card design.

A bad business card design is equivalent to a bad first impression. The purpose of the card is to promote your business and to give people a quick and easy resource to contact you. Many people undervalue the job of the business card and what its capabilities are. Picture your business card as a member of your marketing team. You wouldn't send a rep out dressed in rags, so the same level of professionalism should be given to your business card.

Business cards, for the most part, should be basic, with the info noticeable at first glance. There are always exceptions to the rules, but for most instances the following format will lead to a successful design. One thing that I feel is important, though debatable, is to stick to a fairly universal business card size of 3.5" x 2" with a bleed of .125" and a margin of .125". The main thing to remember is to keep it at a size that is small enough to fit into a wallet. If it is inconvenient for people to keep they will get rid of the card. I also prefer to use a card stock that is easy to write on with a pen. Many potential business associates and clients like to write notes on business cards detailing a certain special skill you have that your competition doesn't offer. Make it as easy as possible for them to remember you.

As a student of the Art Institute of Philadelphia, My Corporate Identity teacher told us that Business cards generally should be one sided. Eighty-five percent of my small business clientele disagree. Still, I would say most large corporations, law firms and financial institutions stick with the one side format. However, I do I think that gradually two-sided cards are becoming more common. One con I see in two-sided printing is higher cost. Most commercial printers I deal with do not charge substantially more, but they do charge more nonetheless. Generally, I do not use the second side for anything informative I mainly put the company's logo on one side and put the information on the other. In a world focused so much on branding I see using the second side strictly for branding being very beneficial.

One of the biggest problems I see with business card creation is sloppy use of the space. People tend to try to fill up as much of the card as possible; they separate the contact info into different corners and over indulge in creativity. To put it plainly, they try too hard to be different and lose site of function.

Within our society we are predisposed to act a certain way when we receive a business card. It has become like second nature. The ritual starts with a handshake and with the same ease comes the smallest member of your marketing team right out of your pocket. The person receiving the card, as habit, will look for your name, number and company name. Nowadays, this information is nearly always accompanied by an email address and business URL. A potential client should be able to glance at the card and see your name and phone number within the first two seconds of looking at it.

In regards to type, I normally like to use a simple font such as Garamond or Helvetica and I promote hierarchy through different bold and italic variations. There are many fonts to choose from, I suggest sticking with something simple and easy to read. Your choice of text should work well with your logo and overall identity. When deciphering what Font size, it really depends on what style you choose. I usually stay between 8-11 points.

Do not overdo it with decorative aspects, because they become too congested on such a small area. If you're creating a two-sided business card, do you need the logo on both sides? Any design work should be limited to the simplest form without losing the message. I mostly like to use simple line and color elements to extenuate the business's identity. Nothing too flamboyant, you want the viewer to focus on the information.

To summarize, like all aspects of corporate branding, the end result should be clean, simple and easily recognizable. When designing your business card think about the other elements of your identity and question whether this design will work on a letterhead, envelope, presentation folder, and any other stationery you will brand. You do not want everything to look exactly the same, but you want them to look like they are in the same family. Brand recognition is key.