Ingredient: Business Cards

The main purpose of a business card is to facilitate communication, not to give a complete description of your services. Put just enough information on your card for people to remember what you do, but not so much that they have no reason to call you or visit your website. If you turn your business card into a brochure, people may not contact you to learn more, nor will you have anything additional to provide them with after you talk.

Include your name, company name if you have one, mailing address, phone, e-mail address, and website. You might also include a social media profile, such as your Twitter ID or Facebook page. If you are operating a home business and prefer to keep your address confidential, provide at least your city and state. If your company name makes it clear what you do, that may be all you need. Otherwise, choose from one of the following ways to indicate your profession:

1. Title or function (e.g., graphic designer, event planning, business broker).

2. Specialties. List no more than three (e.g., employment law—employee relations—dispute resolution; errands—organizing—filing; psychotherapy—consultation—training).

3. Tag line (e.g., “Strategic research in values and attitudes,” “Helping nonprofits thrive,” “Stress relief for overworked professionals”).

If you want to add more value to your card, instead of cataloging the features and benefits of your service, include a sample of your expertise or an invitation to take the next step. For example, a chiropractor might include the line “Call for a free initial consultation on pain relief,” or a career counselor could print a brief “career satisfaction quiz” on the back of her card.

The more expensive your service is, the more expensive your card should look. Adding a logo or your photograph, using embossing, or choosing highquality paper are all ways of improving the look of your card. You may need the services of a professional graphic designer to boost the image your card projects. If you plan to frequently mail information to prospective clients, your card will need to match the design of your letterhead, brochure, or marketing kit.

Avoid using perforated card stock to print cards from your own computer. Cards like these give the impression that you aren’t willing to invest in your business and won’t inspire trust. You can instead order professionally printed cards online at a very reasonable price.

When you are marketing more than one business, you need more than one business card. Even if you find yourself giving both cards to the same person, they will represent what you offer much more clearly than if you try to put everything on the same card.