A Business Card and You

A business card, invoice sheet, order forms and brochure are key elements of advertising your business. It also brings in future sales at craft shows from repeat customers. It took me about eight craft shows to realize the importance of a business card. Whenever a customer didn’t buy something, they would ask me for a business card. Each time I kept saying “Sorry I don’t have one at this time”. After telling so many customers that I didn’t have one I thought it was time I looked into obtaining some business cards.

Yet I didn’t know where to start and no one informed me that there was a website that created all sorts of business cards, brochures and other promotional tools called Vista Print. Since I was a newbie to the craft circuit I thought I could create my own business cards from scratch. This sparked me to look on the internet and read about how others created their cards. Some used a special program or ordered their cards from expensive printing services. Then I noticed a software program on my computer called Microsoft Office Publisher so I used it to create my first cards. Needless to say I didn’t know a thing about the quality of paper or what should or should not be on a card. My business card only had the name of my business, my name and phone number.

I didn’t add other important things like what type of crafts I created or my email address. So when you create your card ask yourself this question “What does my business card say about me? For one thing it tells a customer who you are as a business. It makes a statement about your craft before you begin to speak. Also gives a basic description of what type of business you run and what you offer to potential customers.

While planning and designing your card, keep in mind that a customer might not know how to find you and never assume they will know your zip code or area code. Here are a few basic things to consider for your business card:

Name

Business Name

Address or PO Box

City, State and Zip Code

Area Code and Phone Number

Area Code and Fax Number (if applicable)

E-mail and Web Site (if applicable)

Now that you have the basic ideas needed to create a business card; let’s spice it up a bit! What catches customers most about the card is the graphics. For instance, let’s say you do porcelain dolls then you might consider adding a porcelain doll graphic on the card. Or if you specialize in wood furniture then maybe a small chest would be a good symbol.

A business card with only your personal name, address and phone number doesn’t tell customers much about what you do or the type of business you have. I believe your card should express your talent. If you are proud of your work, then why not express it on your business card as well. Have fun creating your card. Look on the internet for graphics that are similar to the crafts you create. Take a look at other cards and let your creative juices flow. Be inspired by other cards; but never copy a card previously done. One of my favorite places to search for graphics is called Harvest Moon Hill Graphics (http://www.harvestmoonhillgraphics.com). Look under their graphics designer section for a listing of primitive, country and vintage graphics.