Any business has its own logos and other paraphernalia by which this or that company becomes recognizable to most of its customers. In addition to the official distinctive signs, the so-called business card operates in a narrow circle of partners and business people. This is a great tool that allows you not only to exchange contact information with the right people and establish new connections, but also to enlist the support of investors. What is this small piece of cardboard or plastic? How important is it in business? And how can it be created?
Business card as it is
A business card is one of the most common carriers of contact information about a particular person or company. Most often, it is a cardboard, paper or plastic card, usually of a regular rectangular shape. Sometimes you can find CD business cards. They are made on a small disk 50 x 90 mm. Less commonly used are cards created according to an exclusive design made of wood ormetal.
What information is on a business card?
If you pay attention to the samples of business cards below, you can say exactly what information they usually contain. So, such cards usually contain the name, surname and patronymic of the contact person or the full name of the company. For example: Stepan Sergeyevich Ivanov and Smet-Form LLC. At the same time, if the carrier informs about a specific person, then the position must be specified under his name. In the case of the name of the enterprise, the business card can be supplemented with a colorful logo and a clarifying name. For example, "Svit-Skrap" - Moscow Chocolate Factory.
Sometimes business cards contain a company slogan or a quote that is associated with the name of a particular company. For example, “We make your life tastier”, etc. The address of an individual or legal entity is written in smaller print. It includes the following data:
- name of actual location (city, street, avenue);
- house or building number, apartment;
- telephone and fax;
- official website address;
- email;
- opening hours.
As you can see, a business card is a kind of brief information about a company or a contact person.
What associations does the business card evoke?
This word owes its origin to the French visite, which translates as "visit" or "visit". It is noteworthy that the word has a slightly different interpretation. Yes, business card.previously called a small men's handbag with handles. This name was also associated with a single-breasted frock coat with divergent and rounded floors. It was these clothes, as a rule, that men wore during any important morning events.
It is interesting that the meaning of the word "business card" can be both direct and figurative. The last one is especially interesting. If they say "the business card of someone or something", then this means that the specified person or object has something that distinguishes him advantageously from others. For example, the SlaviYa company (manufacturer of sweets and sweets) has first-class aerated chocolate as its hallmark, which they use to create their famous dessert.
Varieties
Business cards are conventionally divided into the following three types:
- personal or family;
- business;
- corporate.
Consequently, before creating such a card, you need to decide on its type. So, instances of a personal nature are most often used for the purpose of unobtrusively getting to know a potential partner during informal communication. For example, a similar technique is often used by distributors of Avon and Oriflame products, as well as people who work, as they say, for themselves. Therefore, such media can be printed in any style, including the customer's individual design. It is noteworthy that such cards indicate the address, telephone number, first name and surname, less often the patronymic of the owner of the business card. At the same time, the position does not always fit in.
Corporate business cards
OftenYou can hear that a business card is the face of a company. In principle, to some extent, it is so. Therefore, on corporate cards, many companies prefer to indicate only the most necessary data that their partners and potential customers should know. So, they do not have specific initials of the contact person. There is only the name of the company, brief information about it (name of activity, services or goods provided), contacts with the map shown, address. Most often, corporate business cards are made in the traditional style and colors of the client company. They are used during various exhibitions, congresses, trainings or conferences.
What is a business card?
This type of cards is most often used among entrepreneurs and businessmen who often attend business negotiations and thematic events. Entrepreneurs try to create a business card of such a plan long before the date of a particular event. For example, these cards will be relevant during auctions, where the topic of selling shares of one company to another is raised.
Business cards usually contain the most complete information about the entrepreneur, the name of his position and the company he represents. When choosing the design and font of the card, preference is given to strict classics. In addition to the company logo, they can also bear coats of arms or flags of the country where the company is located. A striking example of this are business cards of people's deputies.
On such media, the address and contacts of a particular person must be present. The exception is, perhaps, the data of some diplomatic persons. In addition, among these business cards you can find double-sided copies. Moreover, Russian text will be printed on one side, and information in a foreign language will be indicated on the other. For example, in English.
What types of business cards are there?
So, you already know what a business card is, why it is needed and what types it is divided into. It remains only to say what types it is. In particular, cards can be vertical (50 x 90 mm), horizontal class "standard" (90 x 50 mm) and horizontal Eurostyle (85 x 55 mm). When choosing between all of these types, choose the one that best suits you or your business.
What forms of business cards are there?
Wishing to attract additional attention of the client, many companies or individuals order special designs of business cards. In particular, they choose non-standard forms of cards. For example, it can be media with one corner cut off. Also, the ends of the business card can be slightly beveled or rounded. In addition, the shape of the edge line of the card is sometimes cut in a zigzag or decorated with peculiar waves. But how to get this or that business card?
How to make a business card?
You can either create a card yourself, but for this you will need special programs, or contact companies offering similar services. If with the capabilities of firms engaged in the manufacture of business cards, allunderstandable, then what about the applications for their creation? As an example, you can choose the free editor "VISITKA" online. With the help of this program, anyone, even without special skills, can create a simple card. To do this, you must first select a suitable template, fill in the appropriate empty fields, select a font, save and, if necessary, print. In this case, the image file itself will be created in PDF format, which greatly simplifies the final work. Therefore, many consider it the best business card software.
Another editor is Business Card Master. It provides over 150 different media templates. It is also possible to create your own layout for a future business card. Unlike the previous editor, this program has a free trial (valid for only 10 days) and a more advanced paid version. It is fully Russified and suitable for Windows.
Feedback on editors
The choice of programs and editors for creating business cards on your own is so huge that it is sometimes better to study a few reviews before giving preference to one or another type of software. For example, the choice of some users fell on the printing online service PrintDesign.ru. This editor not only allows you to choose the layout of your future business card from a ready-made template, but also makes it possible to create a new one. At the same time, as a basis, you can take original pictures from photo stocks, to which the program automatically connects.(with a paid subscription). Other users like the Jmi.by editor. According to them, the program website is under development, so the software version in this case is still free. With it, you can create a business card, save and print.
