Business Card
Business cards are traditionally the primary way that business people present their contact information to other business people and potential customers or clients. Even in the digital age, business cards are thriving and in countries such as China and Japan, the exchange of business cards is almost a ritual. Business cards provide a more tangible way to impart information about who you are and what you do, making them one of the most effective direct marketing tools. Having your business card ready to present to others when needed demonstrates a higher level of professionalism.
Standard business card format
Standard business cards are 2 by 3-inch rectangles of card stock, although creative custom card designs have been done using a variety of materials such as wood, plastic, metal, and cloth.
As per the above example, the front of a business card normally has:
- The business logo (can be anywhere on the card) and the name of the business
- The slogan or an indication of the services or products supplied by the business
- The business person’s name in the center of the card, followed by any degrees, diplomas or professional business designations in an abbreviated format. Below the name is the title, e.g. director, manager, etc.
- The business address, phone number (s), fax number (if applicable), and email address (es) normally reside on the lower left or right
- The website URL (should be prominent if the business is primarily web-based, otherwise can be included in the address block)
The back of business cards is usually (but not always) blank. For instance, if you’re traveling abroad for business, it is good practice to have one side of your business cards translated into the language appropriate to the country you are visiting. (When you present such business cards, you should present the card to the recipient so that the recipient’s language is face up.)