I'm testing the "AddThis" widget as a solution for the Quickblog and Website Tonight products by Godaddy.  As a reseller, I am always trying to find and test solutions to make these very user-friendly option for web site development.

Business Card Development

Your business card is the most useful and inexpensive marketing tool in your arsenal.  In many cases, your business card creates a first impression.  Having a business card that is professionally printed is a must.  Don’t print them on your inkjet and don’t get the ones that are free.  Order a quantity that says, “This is a business, not a hobby”.  If you order less than 500 cards, you’re really not in business and should make more of a commitment to yourself and your customers/prospects.  Your card will be an effective connection with prospects, venders, and referral sources so you want to share them with everyone.

The effectiveness of the card is attributed largely to the design, so having a professionally designed business card only extends the value of your card.  There is a hierarchy of information on a business card that needs to be followed in order to maximize efficiency.  The top priority is your name.  Position your name away from the general information or on the first row.  Make your name bold and/or in a different color to distinguish it from other contact information.  Make sure your name is clearly written.  Leave the fancy fonts to Christmas cards.  The Second Priority – email or phone number.  Would you rather people email you or call you?  Whichever you prefer, phone or email, make that the second priority.  This should be clearly associated with your name, but not the same size.  Step down a font size for the remaining information.  Fonts size is different for each style.  I recommend, printing out the card on your own and hold it out and see if you can read all the information.  The worst thing you can do is have a creative card design and have writing too small for everyone to read.  Your business name/logo is very important on your card.  Position your business name in balance with your name and general contact information.  If your business name does not offer a clear definition what you do, add a short tag line or memory hook.  Let’s talk about the design.  Don’t go crazy.  Its 3 ½ x 2 inches, not 8 ½ x 11, treat it as such.  Say just enough to explain what you do & how to contact you.  Your business card should be divided into four sections.  See example.

Make your card distinctive through artwork – material – shape or a tasteful combination of the three.  The design should not overwhelm the information.  If you print your card on a unique material, make sure it compliments your business image and purpose of the card. ie.,  If you have an appointment area on the back, don’t print the back on high gloss paper.  You can’t write on that easily.  Don’t print a card on a block of wood that cannot be kept in a traditional business card holder or wallet.  There are many creative materials that would make for a very distinctive card, let your creative juices flow. 

Shapes can also create for an interesting canvas for your information.  Again, be careful not to choose a shape that is inconvenient to store in a traditional fashion.  Dye-cut cards are a creative use of shape.  A dye-cut is anything that is not a squared edge.  If you want rounded corners on a card, that takes a dye-cut.  Dyes are metal plates that actually cut the prescribed design/artwork into the card.  Using shapes and cut-outs can really enhance your business card’s appeal.  Use the shape in conjunction with your information to tell a story or create a conversation piece.   Custom dye-cuts are expensive on the front end, but can be used 100’s of thousands of times before wearing out.

Through a balanced combination of design and a concise collection of content, you can have a winning business card design.  Would you like a professional to design your business card?

I appreciate your checking out my new blog.  I hope you will become a subscriber.  I own a company called Brainstorm International .  We specialize in providing professional marketing and design services to micro and small businesses.  I also work with many health care providers that need a polished, professional image for their practice as well as some marketing assistance to get them started and help them grow their patient base.

My goal for this blog is to form a creative hub for exchanging ideas and helping business and practices grow.  I also will share resources that I find that perform a valuable purpose in our business that are affordable or free.  I want to encourage you to share your ideas and experiences on this site.  Your ideas are valuable.

I've started many blogs and abandoned them within a very short time.  I'm committed to seeing this one through.  So, to start with, I want you to hold me accountable for the substance and frequency of the material for this site.  Please let me know what marketing & design subjects interest you. 

Here's the areas that I'm starting with:

1. Technical questions about Website Tonight.  I am a Godaddy reseller and I work with my clients on all aspects of their websites, email accounts, and various other products offered from SEO Tools, to Online File Folders.
2. Logo Design:  What should you consider when creating a logo.
3. Branding:  What is branding and how does it apply to small businesses & health care providers.
   
4. Your website:  What should it do for you?
5. Links:  As I search the Internet and Droid factories, I will review the ones I think look interesting for small businesses or health care providers.
6. Resources:  I work with professionals that I trust to provide excellent products/services.  I will review these businesses and provide contact information for you.
7. Success Stories:  Who doesn't like success stories.  I review a project and explain the process that took us to success.

I hope you will enjoy this site.

Chris Trezise, Owner Brainstorm International
ctrezise@bsimedia.com