Having organized and attended networking events for years, I am always still surprised and amazed to see how many solo-entrepreneurs and small business owners don’t have business cards, or don’t have professional business cards.

Having a professional business card helps to portray your image and make you stand out from the crowd. When you meet somebody, you have less than 10 seconds to make the right first impression, so along with your elevator pitch, make sure that people will remember you.

Your business card is your first marketing tool. But are you using it in the most effective way?

Many small business owners spend hours and hours trying to find the best way of marketing their businesses. But when it comes to their business cards they don’t follow the same rules. Most people just include their basic contact information and don’t realize how this little piece of paper can say a lot about their businesses.

When you place an ad in a newspaper or a magazine, don’t you try to write the most effective text to attract clients so that people call you or buy your products or services? So why not pay the same attention when designing your business card.

Your business card is your first marketing tool. Every time you give it to somebody, it’s a chance to communicate something about your business. Your business card is very often the tool which will help people to decide whether they want to work with you or not, since it is an extension of your business. When you meet somebody for the first time they will judge you on your appearance, your clothes, the way you act, the way you speak and your business card. If the whole package looks very professional they will be willing to continue the conversation with you. If it doesn’t look professional they will not waste their time and will find somebody else to work with.

We used to say that we shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, but unfortunately this is not true. So put all the chances on your side.

In my program, the Step 3 is “How to Power of Networking Secrets Design a Memorable Business Card”, and I help my clients to completely redesign their business card in order to grab people’s attention within seconds

Here are the 10 indispensable keys which need to appear on your business card:

First on the front of your card:

1/ Your name – this sound obvious for everybody, but make sure it is easy to find.

People have to see your name as soon as they receive your card so they will be able to associate your face with the name on your card. This will help them to remember you.

2/ Your title – if you work for a corporation, your title is always mentioned on the card, so if you are a solo-entrepreneur or a small business owner, it is also very important to mention if you are the founder, the CEO, the president, the marketing manager or other. Again, make it easy for people to remember you and what you do.

3/ The name of your company – even if you are a one person operation in your business, it is very important to have a business name. Using only your name if you are a sole proprietor or if you are an independent representative of a company will give the image of a part time activity and not a business image to your prospects. The same as when you introduce yourself and say, “I am a consultant” vs. “I have a consulting company”, people will not pursue you in the same way. Even if your consulting company is only you, this will not have the same impact.

4/ Your email address – the big No/No in a business card – once again if you want to be considered as a business and have a professional image, don’t use an email with yahoo, aol, or hotmail, etc… but have a professional email with yourname@yourdomainname.com. Today it really doesn’t cost a lot to buy a domain name, so please invest the $5 to $10 to buy one and use it on your business card.

You can have a yahoo, aol, or hotmail email to sign up for newsletters to avoid spam, but for your business card, this shows a lack of professionalism. Plus it is much easier for people to remember your name and your company name than a strange email with your nick name or number on it.

5/ Your phone number – personally I think that too many phone numbers are confusing and take up too much space. So I recommend that you use your main number, even if it is your cell phone because it is the most convenient way to reach you.

6/ Your website – having a website will help people to learn more about your business later. Your business card can’t say everything, so give them the opportunity to get the information they are looking for. Use your business card to bring traffic to your website.

7/ Your logo – it is as important to have a logo as it is to have a business name for the same reason, because this will give you a professional image. Using a regular white card, with no logo, just your name, phone number and email, will not help people to remember you. Some people use just a clipart on their business card and think this looks like a logo. In people’s minds this is definitely not the same thing. If you are not ready to invest in yourself, how do you expect people to invest in you?

8/ Your tagline – a tagline ensures that people associate your company name with your product or service. That is a short sentence which describes your business’ mission and makes you unique. That is usually the only thing people remember after you have met. So that is why it is important to really choose your words carefully when creating your tagline, in order to hook your audience and be memorable.

Still need help to revamp your business card and create a professional image?

Read Does Your Business Card Get Noticed Part 2Click-here