Holder Driver Tools
Tips for Business Card Holders
The origin of business cards
The business cards you carry in your pocket today evolved from visiting cards that go back as far as the 17th century. During the 18th and 19th centuries, a visiting card would be given to a servant at the door and carried to the lady or master of the house on a silver platter. Thus avoiding Chinese whispers “this king bloke at the door would that be Mr King the Baker or his Royal Highness George IV” and providing the ability to be out to people trying to save you money on your gas and electricity supply. If no one was at home the card would be left to say who had called, thus avoiding the need for teenagers to take and forget a message.
Why do you need them
Whilst no longer carried around on silver platters, even in today’s electronic world, business cards are still an essential tool for any serious businessman or trades person. We still expect to be able to ask for a business card and phrases like “I’ve just changed jobs and haven’t got the new ones printed yet” don’t leave one with a warm feeling about the organisational ability of a potential new supplier. If you don’t intend to have business cards, think of your response now to a potential customer requesting one, would you be delighted to hear this response from a potential supplier? If so, stop reading now and find a more useful way to spend your time.
Glad to see your still with us, now before rushing off to your nearest printer for an urgent run of business cards give a little thought to how they will be used and what is the best design for you and your company rather than what’s the most convenient design for the printer.
How will you use them
Many organisations use business cards as an advertising medium. Plumbers frequently ask their favourite builders merchant to keep a supply of their cards on the counter in a suitable business card dispenser. On the third visit for parts, even the most diehard DIY’er consider screaming for help. If you’re likely to use your cards in this way, keep in mind they may end up in a multi pocket business card stand with only the top part of the card visible, keep this in mind when designing the layout.
Taxi firms place a plastic business card holder full of cards in pubs or restaurants to encourage people to get a ride home instead of walking. When out and about in the evening, you’re more likely to have a wallet or purse with you than a desktop card holder, so the smart taxi firm would have cards about the same size as a credit card. Slightly smaller than the standard but much more likely to be carried around and be easily to hand when needed in the future.
If you’re an oven cleaner, consider cards made as fridge magnets. Magnetic cards also attach to metal filing cabinets and are a excellent way of separating your cards from the herd.
Consider printing a map of your location on the back of the card. Many people use sat navs to get to places, but in these days of virtual companies it’s reassuring to see you exist outside of cyberspace.
Inserting a card into a single business card holder makes for an ideal place card setting at a business meeting or training course, eliminating the embarrassment of not being able to remember someone name after talking to them all morning.
Passing a card to the receptionist improves your chances of being announced as “Mr Smith from ACME Inc” rather than “some salesman here to see you”. Also useful if your name is difficult to pronounce or spell.
If you’re attending a networking meeting have a thick pile in the breast pocket of your suit or the outside pocket of your handbag and practice taking one out until you’re the fastest draw in the west. Be sure not to put received business cards in the same pocket, as this will slow down the draw and make you look disorganized.
Keep a small quantity of cards on you at all times as you never know when a marketing opportunity may present itself. Keep these in a pocket business card holder to avoid them becoming dog eared.
Size and style
Portrait business card holders exist, but the majority are in landscape format. One school of thought has it that this makes your cards stand out and by making people turn your cards to read the details are more likely to stay in medium term memory. The other school of thought is it’s better to stay with the standard and it’s easier to fit long items like email address onto a landscape card.
Landscape business card holders are typically made for cards 93mm wide, with a portrait business stand made for cards 56mm wide.
Business card files can be a mm or two smaller. It’s better to err on the smaller side as card that don’t fit in a file are likely to end up in the bin sooner or later.
Even people who store cards in a pile, like a pack of playing cards are apt to trash ones that poke out of the sides.
Don’t use italics or small fonts on your business cards, not everyone has 20/20 vision and quickly dispose of what is difficult to read. Try not to use more than 2 different font sizes and remember it’s the empty spaces on a page that make it readable.
If you’re a salesman for multi million pound yachts, you might want to consider gold plated cards; if you’re a surfing instructor laminated cards are useful for the rest of us standard quality board is fine.
What to put on your business card
Now you have decided on a format and a size, what information needs to be on the card.
As with everything there is not a one size fits all answer.
In Europe and America people start from the top of the page and read from left to right. It follows that the thing you most want to get across and stay with the recipient should be at the top, either across the whole card or in the top left hand corner.
If you’re an actor this will probably be your name but for everyone else, it’s what you do, your unique selling point. If you’re a taxi driver or a plumber then its “Taxi or “Plumber” or better still “super fast taxi” or “reliable plumber”. If it’s your brand that’s important use your company name, logo or web site stand-store.co.uk
An image will stay in the mind longer than text, if you’re a dog grooming service a cartoon of a dirty dog will help your card stand out and even remind people the dog needs a perm when searching for “that cardboard box supplier we used last year”.
The bottom of the card and particularly the bottom right is usually reserved for contact information, physical address, telephone number, fax, mobile and email address, web site as required.
Now you have everything on your card, remind yourself that a business card is a form of advertising and all advertising should be kept as simple as possible.
Copyright 2010stand-store.co.uk please feel free to copy, add to and distribute this article as long as nothing is removed.
About the Author
After a successful career in blue chip companies and whilst spending time within the retail sector John Rowbotham discovered a lack of stylish, yet competitively priced display solution for business literature and retail products. He founded http://www.stand-store.co.uk in 2004 to fill this gap and this has since become a leading importer and supplier of display solutions. John lives with his family in Dorset and continues to develop new and innovative products.
Bosch Tools – GSR 10.8 V-Li Drill/Driver
|
|
2PC MAGNETIC TIP QUICK CHANGE SNAP BACK BIT DRIVER HOLDER SET SCREWDRIVER TOOL $19.99 |
|
|
Power Tools Finder-Driver Bit Tip Holder 784810A $23.46 |
|
|
Screw Driver tool holder rack shelf klein 7 hole $9.99 |
|
|
12 PC SCREW DRIVER S/D NUT DRIVER HEX TOOL HOLDER $7.15 |
|
|
BRAND NEW DeWalt DCD780 20V MAX 1/2″ DRILL/DRIVER (TOOL ONLY) ON SIDE BIT HOLDER $69.99 |
|
|
BRAND NEW DeWalt DCD780 20V MAX 1/2″ DRILL/DRIVER (TOOL ONLY) ON SIDE BIT HOLDER $69.99 |
|
|
1 PC Chrome Plated Tool Holder for Screw Driver, Plier & More NEW FREE SHIPPING $4.99 |
|
|
New,6 in 1 Screw Driver, Multi Tool Set,Double End Bits,Magnetc Holder,LED,Level $6.25 |
|
|
Drill Driver Bit Set BOSCH CC60486 6″ Magnetic Tip Holder Tool Power Accessory $18.32 |
|
|
60 PC HEX DRIVE MAGNETIC POWER SCREW MAG DRIVER TOOL BIT SCREWDRIVER TIP HOLDER $29.99 |
|
|
Nut Driver tool holder rack shelf klein 7 slot $9.99 |
|
|
WALL MOUNTED SCREWDRIVER NUT DRIVER HOLDER HAND TOOL ORGANIZER STORAGE RACK RAIL $24.99 |
|
|
MAGNETIC TIP QUICK CHANGE ADJUSTABLE DEPTH BIT DRIVER HOLDER SCREWDRIVER TOOL $12.99 |
|
|
Swiss+Tech UKCSB-1 Utili-Key 6-in-1 KeyChain MultiTool $4.99 Swiss+Tech: The Swiss Tech Micro-Tech 6-in-1 Key Ring Companion comes in 2 colors. You may choose Black Matte Solid Steele or Solid Polished Silver Stainless Steel offering the same handy features which makes this tool a real pleaser. Anyone would appreciate this handy Swiss Tech Micro-Tech 6-in-1 Key Ring Companion. This Swiss Tech Tool is lightweight, but is quite rugged and is backed by the Man… |
|
|
Leatherman 931014 40-Bit Assortment for Leatherman Bit Drivers $15.00 … |
|
|
Leatherman 830039 New Wave Multitool with Leather/Nylon Combination Sheath $93.00 The New Wave multitool from Leatherman features improved pliers and wire cutters, externally locking knives, a file, and a saw. All the internal tools are positive locking and include scissors, flat 1/4-inch bit driver with Phillips head, flat screwdrivers, can opener, reversible eyeglass screwdriver and wire Stripper. Comes with handy leather sheath. Made in USA with domestic and foreign parts…. |
|
|
WorkMate 27-Piece Tool Set 600d PolyCanvas – Black 600d PolyCanvas – Black (Custom Branded)- 1430-04 Promote a do-it-yourself workshop with this handy tool set. The 27-piece set includes six-piece mini driver set, wire cutters, needle nose pliers, precision tweezers, drive handle, ten assorted bits with holder, four sockets 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, 10mm , and fold-over carrying case with individual pockets for tools. *NOTE: Minimum order quantity is 36. Custom imprinting, Embroidery or other personalizatio… |
|
|
Case Logic JDS-6 USB Drive Shuttle 6-Capacity (Black) $0.82 Neoprene shuttle stores and protects up to 6 drivesKeychain attachment for easy transportation of data music and photosRip-and-burn package theme… |
|
|
4 in 1 Mini USB 2.0 Memory Card Reader Writer SD MINISD MMC MOBILE RSMMC – Compatible with Sony, SanDisk, Toshiba, Lexar $0.01 With this handy compact USB device you can easily read and write to SD/MMC digital memory cards! Not only can you quickly and easily access data on your SD/MMC memory cards, but you can turn your SD/MMC card into a mobile flash storage device!… |
|
|
OCZ Solid State Drive 3.5-Inch Adaptor Bracket 2 OCZACSSDBRKT2 $6.86 OCZ SSD 3.5-Inch Adaptor Bracket 2 OCZACSSDBRKT2 Retail… |
|
|
Philips Flexible Earhook Headphones SHS3200/28 (Black) (Replaces SHS3200/37) $2.05 Philips black sports flexible earhook buds fits all ear sizes Rubber earhook for comfort Bass pipe… |
|
|
Leatherman 830850 Skeletool CX Multitool $96.00 Introducing the Brand New Skeletool CX from Leatherman Get back to basics — the very cool basics — with Leatherman’s Skeletool CX. Today’s outdoor enthusiasts want to keep weight and volume to a minimum without sacrificing quality and true functionality, and that’s what the Skeletool is all about. Many multitools have multiple options, but they’re often heavier — and they’re loaded … |
|
|
Leatherman 830160 Surge Pocket Multitool with Nylon/Leather Sheath $102.00 The Surge Extra-Large Multitool from Leatherman The Leatherman Surge multitool is built with tough new pliers, longer blades and easy-to-use locks. This multitool features a helpful blade exchanger with the saw and diamond/wood file blades — and with this blade exchanger, two knives and the extra-strong scissors are easily accessed from the outside of the tool. Also, there are four outside-openin… |
