Professional business cards are an excellent way for Jamaican entrepreneurs and businesses to share information with potential clients and other professionals at networking events, a random encounter in the elevator and at the end of an interview.
You may be thinking to yourself that business cards are ancient and outdated, but you would be surprised at how many times a business card could come in handy.
An example could be during a networking event where someone asks for your contact, sure you could give them your cell phone number, but that’s not very professional. What if your phone dies? Do you write it on a piece of napkin and hand it over? No. That would turn off any professional and sets a wrong first impression of your brand. That’s where the magic of a business card comes in handy.
A professional business card makes a great first impression of your business, provides essential information about your business and can be a great way to make people remember you and your brand.
A business card, if done right, provides all the information you want others to know.
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Logo
Every business card should have your brand or business’ logo on it. Your logo should be simple, unique, but not too detailed. A detailed logo may look good on paper or the web, but at smaller sizes, it may be harder for people to make it out. If possible, your logo should symbolize your business’ vision, industry or something unique that sets it apart from the competition.
Logos are an essential part of a professional business card.
Taglines
A tagline is a short descriptor of your business or service offered, usually within a few words. A few examples include NCB’s “Put your best life forward” and Lasco’s “Everyday family value”. Ideally, your business name should be able to stand on its own, but a tagline adds a bit more information about your business for the public.
Business Name
Your business name is usually the second thing people see (first is the logo) on your business card. A business name is a huge deal, it should stand out from your competition and not be too close to the names of your competitors or that of a more prominent company and it should the value or uniqueness of the product you’ve developed.
- Nail it Malli is named after it’s founder’s last name Malcolm and her profession as a nail technician.
- AshTon Industries is a fusion of the CEO and her father’s name (Ashley and Tony)
- Buzzz Caribbean Lifestyle Magazine focuses on the trendy topics aka buzzing news.
Name
Your full name should always be on your business card so that the potential client can easily remember who they were talking to and who to name when they call the business. Adding your name to the business card can also be a useful tool in building your personal brand image as it will be in the mind of people you want to connect with.
Job Title
Adding your job title to your business card establishes your authority in the company or your professional skillset. Your name and job title should be on the front of your business card.
Address
You should always include an address on your business card unless you’re a freelancer and work from home. Your address establishes credibility as a potential client can look up your business location and verify if what you’re offering is legitimate.
I work from my home office so a physical address wouldn’t apply to me but it may apply to you if you operate from a rental space or building of your own.
Telephone
Your business may have several telephone numbers, cell phone numbers etc. so it might not be uncommon to have several numbers on your business card. However, if you want your potential client to have a direct line of communication, it might be best to leave your line or cell phone number.
A branded email is essential for your business if you want to appear professional to clients. Using a generic gmail.com or yahoo.com email address may reduce your credibility in the eyes of clients, so it best to get a branded email address like [email protected] or [email protected].
Mane Design Jamaica offers branded email addresses for your business at a low monthly fee. Get in touch here.
Website
Having a website where people can find out more about your business and services offered establishes authority and makes your business seem more credible, especially when your competition does not have a website of their own. A single .com domain could be the difference between a customer choosing your business over a competitor’s.
For hosting your professional website, I recommend Dreamhost, the easiest and most affordable way to host and launch your website with little to no experience. Dreamhost also gives you a free domain with your purchase!
If you are looking to hire a developer for your website, you can contact me here.
Summary
A professional business card makes a great first impression of your business, provides essential information about your business and can be a great way to make people remember your brand. A business card is not the end-all solution to branding your business, but it is a great start.
Here are the 9 great elements of a professional business card.
- Logo
- Tagline
- Business Name
- Name
- Job Title
- Address
- Telephone
- Website
Related article: The Three Best Jamaican Graphic Design Schools
Related: What’s In My Graphic Design Toolkit? 11 Tools I Use Daily As Graphic Designer
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