You have undoubtedly witnessed people exchanging business cards in movies and in real life. So, if you have forayed into the workforce, you might want to replicate what you saw.
Having your own business card gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment. However, in your freshers’ excitement, you might forego some basic principles of business card design. Meanwhile, a sit-down or a phone call with designers from a business card printing shop can create the card of your dreams. And here are some rookie mistakes you should avoid:
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Bad Grammar and Spelling
As a business card is a tiny rectangle, errors will stand out. A single mistake — like an extra period or a missing space — can eclipse your exquisite design and importance. Shoddy business cards leave lasting negative impressions on the receiver, and they will put your credibility and professionalism — as well as the company’s — into question. And instead of attracting people to avail of your services, a poorly edited business card will give them second thoughts about working with you.
So, scrutinise the information yourself and ask someone with sharp eyes to help you before hot-footing to the business card printing shop. And if you’re ordering online, ensure you enter your details accurately. Also, typing isn’t everyone’s forte, so give everything a once-over before you hit “Submit”.
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Non-Alignment With Company Policy and Branding
Suppose you work at a company and choose to design your business card independently. In that case, there are certain things you should ask about. Some companies only permit employees of certain tiers, designations, and departments to print business cards. Moreover, the organisation might have printing partners, but if they don’t, ask them for style and formatting rules. For example, you will need the hex codes or the Pantone numbers of the brand colours, the version and proportion of the logo, and their fonts. Besides, they might even have a template with placeholders.
Customising and printing your business card without consulting HR or your supervisor may land you in trouble for various reasons, such as printing the company name wrong, including low-quality graphics, or using outdated versions of the logo.
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Lack of Originality
Think of your business card as a tiny ad. So, what draws your attention to advertisements on the highway, in the newspaper, or in shop windows? Uniqueness and originality are the answers. And if you have a popular job in a competitive industry in Australia (like sales, software development, or business management), how do you stand out from the crowd? You have only 3.5” x 2” of space to make an impression, so what are you going to do? Will you download the first free template from the most popular design app?
Approaching business card printing companies is preferable because their designers can translate your requirements into a stunningly original business card you will be proud to distribute. They will have an impressive variety of layouts, styles, and materials for you to choose from, and you can get a semicircular or hexagonal business card with embossing or laser cutting. A reputed personalized stationery shop can help you get what you want.
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Hoarding
This has got more to do with distribution strategy than design. So, it would be best if you had a reason for wanting a stack of business cards. And while showing off your employment details is exciting, it is imprudent and impractical to disseminate them to everyone you know. Would your 83-year-old grandmother need an app developer? Would your 7-year-old neighbour need a wedding planner? Think about where, why, and to whom you intend to present your cards and what business you or your company could get from them.
With all this in mind, you can carefully and consciously have a valuable and attractive business card designed.
