Tag Archives: Business Card Inspiration

What to AVOID When You’re Designing a Business Card

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Whether you’re just starting out in a new career path, have recently changed jobs, or have founded your own business, there are many reasons you might be thinking about designing a new business card. Perhaps you’ve just realised that your old business card needs a bit of a refresh.

Even if the digital age has transformed the way business connections are made these days, physical business cards are still effective tool for marketing and communication. But the problem is that not all business cards are alike. The way you design your business card, the information you put on it, and even which company you use to print it can have a huge effect on the impression it makes on others. And that, in turn, can have a knock-on effect on your success in the business world.

Today, we’re going to go over why it’s crucial to have a well-designed business card, the steps involved, and some of the most significant mistakes you should avoid making when designing one.

Why Is It Important to Have a Good Business Card?

One of the most common questions asked about business cards is: are they even still relevant in the modern age? Why is it important to have a physical business card when most professional communications and marketing can be done digitally? Well, here are some compelling reasons:

1) Business cards are an inexpensive way to promote your brand. Being made of paper, and able to be mass-printed for pennies, they won’t break the bank
2) They’re great for events and conferences. Handing over a business card is a quick and easy way to make that professional connection, without having to rattle off your e-mail address or phone number for the person to copy down
3) Business card are easy to display and to distribute, as they’re small enough to fit into the standard card pocket of a wallet
4) As business cards are a tactile object, they’re a physical reminder of the connection you’ve forged. An e-mail or website link is easy to misplace, but if someone’s got their business card in your pocket, they’ll find it again
5) Business cards help to spread your branding. You can include your logo, tagline, colour scheme and even special offers or product information.

But of course, a business card is only as good as its design. A boring, badly designed, unprofessional business card will be hard to read and may risk people taking you (and your company) less seriously. That’s why it’s vital to design a good business card that will draw the eye and make people want to get in touch.

How Do You Design Your Own Business Cards?

Business cards don’t have to cost the earth. While you can pay a designer to make your business cards for you, this can be quite expensive – and if you’re just starting out with your business, you may not have the funds available.

If you’re looking to save money, an easy way to do so is to use a professional stationery site, such as 123Print. You’ll be able to choose a template that speaks to you, and edit it yourself online – choosing your own wording, font colours and styles, and adding your own images. Your unique design will then be professionally printed to order, using high-quality cardstock.

The steps involved in designing your own business card are as follows:
1) Choose the shape and size. The traditional rectangular business card shape is the most universally loved, as it’s easy to fit into a wallet or business card holder. But business cards can also have vertical orientations, rounded corners, and other interesting design elements.
2) Choose the style and colour scheme. This would include the size, font, and colour of your card. The overall purpose of typography is to prioritise legibility over anything else.
3) Upload your logo and other graphics. The logo is the most important part, as it will instantly draw the eye and create brand awareness. You can also add other graphics and things like QR codes.
4) Add contact information. As well as your name and company name, you’ll need to include a phone number, e-mail address, and website URL. You can also include your physical premises address (if you have one), and other socials such as Facebook and Instagram.
5) Add a call to action or other details that will entice people to contact you – such as special offers, a discount code or even a loyalty card stamp section on the reverse.
This all may sound simple, but there are many traps people fall into – especially when designing a business card for the first time. Here’s what to avoid doing.

What to Avoid When Designing Your Business Card

These are several mistakes that you want to avoid when creating your own business card design. They are:

1. Not Using a Professional Stationer

Many new business owners are tempted to try making their own business cards. Unfortunately, this is never a good idea – unless you happen to have professional printing equipment on-hand.
Home-made business cards are difficult to get right. You might inadvertently cut off vital information in the margins, use poor quality paper or ink, or risk cutting them roughly or wonky. Home-made business cards always have a slightly slap-dash appearance which risks making you and your company look unprofessional.

2. Leaving Out Vital Contact Information

Needless to say, the contact information is the most important part of a business card. Your potential clients and contacts will need a way to reach you.
But don’t think that merely providing an e-mail address will do. Make sure to include a working telephone number, website address, and the physical address of your business (if applicable). And include your social media handles, too.
If you’ve recently changed phone numbers or acquired a new web domain, make sure you’re using up-to-date information rather than old contact details that won’t work.

3. Forgetting to Triple-Check for Mistakes

Grammatical errors, spelling mistakes and typos simply translate that you do not care enough about your business as a whole. And what’s worse, if the typo is in the phone number or e-mail address, it can actually prevent people from contacting you.
You can avoid this error by thoroughly double- and triple-checking every detail before sending your design to print. It’s always worth getting a second pair of eyes to take a look, too – as if you’ve been staring at a design for too long, you might miss something obvious.

4. Choosing the Wrong Font Style, Size or Colour

Choosing a font that’s hard-to-read will put people off, and may even prompt them to throw your business card straight in the wastepaper basket. Avoid using looping cursive fonts, too-small text, or a font colour that blends into the background.
Although you might be tempted to use a font colour that will match your business’s colour scheme, it’s vital that it will actually stand out in high contrast to the background colour. If your colour scheme is yellow, for example, this won’t be easy to read against a white card.

5. Using Harsh or Inappropriate Colour Schemes

Following on from the theme of colour, note that poor colour choices can ruin an otherwise decent business card design. Understand how colour schemes work together on paper and affect the design balance.
And while you might want your card to stand out, you must realise that different colours can create wildly different first impressions about your company. Making your business card pillar-box red might catch the eye, but it may cause people to associate your company with urgency, anger, or danger – not ideal if you run a relaxing spa, for example.

6. Not Including a Call to Action or Value Proposition

The value proposition – which is, essentially, a promise of the value your business is going to deliver – gives you a chance to make a connection with your readers. You may consider a brief summary of services you offer, for example.
And a call to action is equally important – something that you want the reader to do. It doesn’t need to (and shouldn’t) be long or rambling. A short phrase such as “call us today” or “check out our website” will still have an impact.

7. Leaving Out Essential Branding

Remember that your business card is a vital took for spreading your branding far and wide. Branding can help create general awareness of your company, and encourage people to choose your business over your competitors, purely due to familiarity.
So, it’s essential that you include your company logo, tagline, and any other essential parts of your branding right on the front of your business card. You’ll also need to coordinate the font and colour scheme on your card with what you’ve used on your website and other marketing materials.

8. Including Too Much Unnecessary Information

It is quite frustrating to look at a business card with lots of overwhelming information squished altogether. You’ve heard of the term “less is more” – and this is definitely the case with a business card. You only have a small area to work with. A business card isn’t the same thing as a flyer, where you’ve got more space to go into detail about what your business can offer.

Focus on the essential information (contact details, a brief indication of what you offer, and a call to action). You can always use the reverse of the business card for any extra details you might like to include.

9. Trying to Print Text or Graphics in the Margins

While designing your business card, remember that there will be a margin of space around the outside of the card where nothing will be printed. You may be tempted to spread your text right to the edges of the card in order to fit more in – but this would be a mistake, as there’s a genuine risk it may get cut off. Not only will the text be unreadable, but it will also make your business card look unprofessional.

When you’re choosing your business card template, pay close attention to where the sample text is aligned and use the dotted line as a guide to where the margin will be. Be sure to check the proof to make sure your text and images look OK before you send your design to print.

10. Not Ordering Enough Business Cards

The last thing to avoid when you’re designing your new business cards is not ordering enough. Particularly if you’re just starting out, you may be tempted to order the smallest amount of business cards possible to save money. But you will be genuinely surprised at how quickly you’ll go through them. It’s always better to order significantly more than you think you’ll need, so that you’ll have spares on hand at all times.

That way, you can keep some on your person, give them to employees to hand out, and of course keep a stock of cards in the shop or office. You can even include business cards in the packaging when you ship orders to encourage customers to shop again.
If you’re ready to start designing your perfect business cards, head over to 123Print. We have thousands of templates to choose from, and you can customise them all in seconds using our handy online editor. We’ll aim to print and dispatch your order within 48 working hours!

Should You Use Recycled Paper for Your Business Stationery?

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If your business requires the use of a lot of paper – for example, you regularly send paper invoices, receipts, or letters to your customers – you may have wondered whether it’s worth investing in recycled paper for your business stationery.

The short answer is yes! It’s time we all started thinking about our impact on the environment, and how small changes can make a big difference. We’ve all heard about the impact that natural resource overuse is having on our planet. These days, customers are explicitly looking to shop with businesses that are trying to reduce their impact on the environment.

There are many reasons to use recycled paper for your business stationery. Firstly, it is better for the environment because it reduces waste and saves trees. It also has many benefits that make it a worthwhile investment for any company, including being just as durable as normal paper and making your company more “green” in the eyes of consumers.

So, should you switch? In this blog post we will explore the benefits of using recycled paper and why you should use it for your business stationery.

What Is Recycled Paper?

Recycled paper is made by recycling old, used papers. This sounds like it would be a messy and difficult process but in reality it is actually quite simple.
First of all, waste paper is collected from the recycling bins of homes and businesses. When it arrives at the recycling plant, the paper is separated into different grades, including cardboard and different weights of paper. It’s then thoroughly washed, to remove things like glue and ink.

The washed paper is then fed through an industrial pulping machine that grinds everything up and mixes it with water, to create a slurry. At this stage, different materials can be added to the slurry depending on which type of paper product is being made.

Next, the paper slurry is spread into sheets using huge rollers. It’s then left to dry completely before it can be rolled up before being cut into the right size and shape.

The whole point of using recycled paper is that it uses much less energy and resources compared to the raw materials used for virgin paper. It also helps to reduce waste by collecting all the used paper products that would otherwise be thrown into landfill.

Why Is Recycled Paper Better for the Environment?

It makes sense to use recycled paper instead of new paper because it uses less energy and natural resources, which is better for the environment. Recycling just one tonne of old paper products saves, on average:

1) 7000 gallons of water
2) 4000 KW of energy
3) 17 trees
4) 380 gallons of oil
5) 3 cubic metres of landfill space

Let’s take a closer look at how much water, wood, energy, oil and space you can save by using recycled paper for your business stationery.

Recycled Paper Uses Less Water

The amount of water recycled paper uses during production is a lot less than new paper. This is because the manufacture of new paper requires huge amounts of water, including the use of tons of bleach during production.

This may not seem like it makes much difference, but when you think about the world’s population and how many things we need to produce then every little bit does count.
To create one tonne of recycled paper, around 35,000 fewer litres (approx. 7700 gallons) of water will be used in the process than it would take to produce the equivalent of virgin paper.

Recycled Paper Uses Less Energy

One of the most obvious benefits of recycled paper is that it uses much less energy. When you consider how much electricity a modern business will use, every little bit counts towards reducing our carbon footprint and saving more natural resources for future generations to enjoy.

On average, it takes around 31% less energy to create recycled paper vs virgin paper fibre. And an added bonus is that around 44% less greenhouse gases are emitted in the production of recycled paper.

Recycled Paper Uses Less Wood

Obviously, to produce brand new paper, you need to cut down trees. But this isn’t the case with recycled paper. The production of recycled paper only requires used materials, such as scrap paper, old documents and recycled newspaper.

In fact, it’s estimated that around 17 trees are saved for every tonne of paper made from 100% recycled content vs the same amount of virgin paper.
This means there are fewer forests being destroyed. Trees are one of the planet’s most valuable resources, so we should do our best to ensure they aren’t over-harvested.

Recycled Paper Uses Less Oil

The actual process of creating brand-new paper from wood is a lengthy one. It requires the use of a lot of heavy machinery at various different stages to cut down and transport trees, chop up the wood into useable lengths, and extract the cellulose fibres which will then be turned into paper pulp. And of course, all of this machinery and transport uses oil and other types of fuel.

Recycled paper doesn’t require anywhere near as much processing. This means there’s less oil used when recycled paper is printed, which makes it vastly more environmentally friendly. An average of 380 gallons of oil is spared when creating one tonne of recycled paper vs new paper. Oil is a valuable natural resource that’s already running low, so it’s vital to reduce our consumption of it in any way we can.

Recycled Paper Helps Reduce Waste

By creating recycled paper, we are also reducing the amount of paper rubbish that goes to landfill. Think about it – all those old paper products would just be thrown out if they weren’t recycled, and this does actually account for a lot more than most people realise!
Furthermore, the actual manufacture of paper creates waste that needs to be discarded. The manufacture of recycled paper results in 39% less solid waste and 53% less waste water than the production of brand new paper.

Is Recycled Paper Strong Enough for Business Stationery?

One thing people worry about when considering using recycled paper over normal printing is its durability and quality.
It’s true that paper recycling technology hasn’t always been the best, but it’s come a long way in the past few decades. Nowadays, good-quality recycled paper is virtually indistinguishable from normal paper. It’s exactly as strong and durable, and lasts just as long.

Our recycled paper is 100 gsm, so slightly thinner than our standard paper which is 120 gsm. However, this makes little difference. It’s perfect for business stationery like letterheads or envelopes. And, of course, your customers can recycle it again when they’re done with it!

Does Recycled Paper Look Different to Normal Paper?

The great thing about recycled paper is that, to the naked eye, you (and your customers) won’t be able to tell that it’s recycled. Recycled paper can come in both matte and gloss varieties, and looks and feels the same to normal paper.

If you held a non-recycled envelope next to a recycled one, you may be able to distinguish them – but if your customers aren’t looking for it, they won’t notice it. This means that no one will ever know your stationery came from recycled sources unless you want them to (for whatever reason).

Is Recycled Paper More Expensive Than Normal Paper?

Unfortunately, recycled paper does cost more to buy than normal paper. That’s because it’s more of a difficult, lengthy and costly process to make it, and it’s less abundant than new paper. On average, recycled paper costs about 25% more than normal printing paper.

But all in all, because paper is fairly cheap to begin with, recycled paper business stationery is still extremely affordable. It’s well worth it considering the environmental benefits, and the way that it will help your business stand out against your competitors.

Do Customers Prefer Businesses that Use Recycled Paper?

By using recycled paper instead of new pulp-made materials, you’re helping to reduce your carbon footprint. Customers are becoming more aware every day about how their choices can help or harm the environment – and this means they appreciate businesses that make green decisions by choosing recycled stationery over normal printing processes.

Many consumers are becoming wise to the impact that businesses, both large and small, are having on the world’s resources and energy use. By choosing recycled stationery you are making a strong statement about your business.

Customers who care about climate change will absolutely love working with a company that cares about the environment. Using recycled paper for letterheads or envelopes can be an excellent way of attracting new customers, as well as giving your established customer base a reason to continue shopping with you.

Where Can I Order Recycled Business Stationery?

At 123Print, we offer a variety of recycled paper letterheads and envelopes, perfect for any business or personal use. Head to our website to check out our huge range of recycled envelope and letterhead templates, to suit a wide range of styles, tastes and niches.

The recycled paper that we use is environmentally friendly and made of 100% recycled PCW (post-consumer waste). Its 100 gsm weight and professional quality is perfect for all of your business needs.

Simply use our easy editor to start customising your preferred envelope or letterhead template and add your personal details. We offer rapid 48-hour dispatch and a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all orders. Join our thousands of satisfied customers today at 123Print!

Product Packaging Tips for Small Businesses

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When thinking about how to market your product, its packaging shouldn’t be the last thing that you consider. Even if you’re selling an online-only digital product, packing design is still relevant.

For instance, in the days when computer stores sold boxed software on DVD/CD, they needed a well-designed box to sit on the shelf. While that is no longer a reality, people still remember the packaging. Browse through computer software advertisements on the Internet, and you’ll be surprised at how many feature ‘virtual’ product packaging.

The packaging that you use will say a lot about your company – it’s one of the first impressions that customers will create about your business. Your packaging is also a great opportunity to further spread your branding and even turn customers into repeat customers!

Keep reading to discover plenty of handy tips on how to make the most out of your product packaging as a small business.

Invest in Eco-Friendly Packaging

Going back even just five years, how many vegan products would you expect to see in an average supermarket? Certainly not many, and very expensive at that compared to their non-vegan counterparts. But now every food category has a vegan/vegetarian or health-conscious alternative.

Given that this sector is more environmentally conscious than the average and consumers seem willing to pay a little more, it’s fair to assume that general consumer attitude is trending towards the environment. In today’s environmentally conscious world, this is probably one of the most relevant product packaging design tips.

How to Make Your Packaging More Environmentally Friendly

Look carefully at the materials that you’re using. Most urban houses have recycling bins—make sure that most of the product’s packing is recyclable and prominently display a recycling logo on the packaging.

Show your company’s green credentials by using recycled materials in product packaging—it’s true to say that recycled materials tend not to look and feel as pristine as non-recycled. However, being able to print ‘Made from 100% recycled material’ on the packaging is a big plus point.

Don’t forget to use recycled paper for your paper mailings, too – otherwise eco-friendly packaging may come across as a token gesture or gimmick, rather than a sign that your business is serious about the environment. At 123Print, you can purchase both letterheads and envelopes made of 100% recycled paper.

Consider the Unboxing Experience

Over the past several years, the phenomenon of the ‘unboxing video’ has become popular on social media sites such as YouTube and TikTok. Simply put, they feature a customer unboxing a new product (opening it and taking it out of its packaging), and reviewing the experience.

You might wonder why anyone would sit through a video about unboxing a product, but they have become insanely popular. Steve Jobs at Apple revolutionised this experience, designing packaging with the same care and attention to detail lavished on the product itself. This approach sets and enhances the customer’s expectations for the product.

Now consumers, especially of high-end electronic devices and luxury cosmetic products, crave this experience. When choosing between different products, in the same category, many people search for unboxing videos on YouTube. A flattering unboxing review might make the difference when choosing between similar products.

Tips for Successful Unboxings

Here are some general tips to enhance your customers’ general unboxing experience.

1) Consider the cost of packaging. The material cost of packaging, especially high-end, can reach up to 10% of the total manufacturing cost. If your product is in a price-sensitive market, would this extra cost hurt your bottom line?
2) Know your customers. What is your target consumer’s attitude to the environment? To some, the cost of high-end packaging may seem an unnecessary expense and detract from the product.
3) Be creative. YouTube is a visual medium, so your packaging material should look good under lighting, not be too reflective and feature attractive colours with a well-designed logo and font.
4) Use easy-to-open packaging such as a cardboard box. The opening process should be smooth and easy – having to hack plastic packaging open with a pair of kitchen scissors isn’t very appealing.
5) Ensure the product is secure. You don’t want it falling from the packaging upon opening. If your product features multiple parts, use packing foam inside the box and make sure that each part is visible and secure. If your product is a foodstuff, package it in a resealable bag—it looks good, is easy to open and enhances the freshness of your product.

Imagine yourself as a YouTuber, unboxing your product: what comment would you make—if the experience feels good to you, then you’re on the right track.

Theme Your Packaging

The theme is an important element of packaging design. A product’s packaging may comprise multiple items, not just a single bag or a box. It’s good to employ a consistent design with each element.

Maybe you use matching colour schemes or design elements, such as tying packages with twine. Whatever it is, remember that people like the personal touch. If your product is presented in plain packaging, it’s unlikely that your customer would choose to feature it on their Instagram feed or other social media channel.

Your product, perhaps a manual coffee grinder, might come in a well-constructed, attractive box, but also include a matching bag for travel. These small touches of design flair make a difference when trying to stand out against the competition. This might not be so important in an online marketplace, such as Amazon, where advertisers focus on the product image, rather than packaging. However, for an online marketplace, such as Etsy, which focuses on artisan products, cute and thematic product packaging, helps products to stand out from the crowd.

Make Use of Seasons and Holidays

If your product is aimed at (or sold during) a particular holiday, design the packaging with that in mind—the obvious example is Christmas, with bold red, gold and green festive designs.

But it’s not only holidays that you should think about. There are seasonal products that would benefit from appropriate design. For instance, a consumer in a DIY store, looking for, say, a garden product, would subconsciously look for green packaging.

Use Clear and Attractive Language

If you’re lucky enough that a customer has picked up your product from the shelf, make sure that all the information they need to make the choice is included on the packaging.
For instance, if it’s a health food product, make sure that it includes details of its benefits.

Otherwise, the customer might put it back and choose another brand. If you’re selling clothing, you should have a clear label stating what materials it’s made from, and the percentage of the overall product.

Like all marketing, think like a customer. While your product packaging might include a detailed instruction leaflet inside, print enough instructions on the packaging to convince the customer that it’s what they need.

Is It Legal?

While the most important aspect of packaging design is to enhance the product’s desirability, you should always consider the legal aspect. Depending on product type, certain things that appear on the packaging, such as medicinal claims, may be legally restricted.

Also, make sure that any product claims that appear on the packaging are accurate and truthful. Lying to customers for the sake of selling more units isn’t a good look.

Encourage Brand Awareness and Recognition

While your company may have a varied product line, you always want people to know from whom they’re buying. Brand awareness requires a consistent design strategy across product lines.

For instance, consider supermarkets—they offer a range of products. There is never just one brand of soup or sunblock on the shelf and, of course, you want the consumer to pick up your product first, rather than the store’s own brand, or a competitor’s.

A consistent brand identity can help with this—something familiar in the packaging, perhaps a particular font or colour scheme to grab their attention and make them reflexively reach for your product first.

While your small business might not have the research budget of a national supermarket chain, it’s valuable, when planning product packaging, to put yourself in the mind of your customer. Think about what they might look for when searching for your type of product.

And of course, always prominently display your business’s logo and any taglines or slogans you may use on the outer packaging. That way, even if the customer doesn’t end up buying it, they’ll still be more likely to remember and recognise your brand in the future.

Include Extra Promotional Materials

In order to upsell to your customers, add some additional promotional material in the product packaging. For example, you might include a flyer with a special discount code for 10% off future purchases – this will encourage your customers to place another order.

You could also consider including a loyalty card inside the packaging, with one stamp already on it. People love to collect things, and loyalty stamps are no exception. The mere presence of a loyalty card will inspire them to shop with you again, and work towards the reward (whatever it may be).

Always make sure any promotional materials you include in your packaging are professionally designed and printed, to create the most favourable impression possible with your customers. 123Print carry a full range of professional-quality flyers, business cards and other promotional materials.

 

Our thousands of designs are fully customisable with your own wording and font choices, and will be shipped to you within 2 working days of your order. With our 100% satisfaction guarantee, you can have confidence in us to provide for all of your marketing needs.

9 Features You Need on Your Next Business Card

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Whether you’re self-employed, own your own business, or are a high-achieving professional with big dreams in your industry, you want to make a good impression on people. You want your colleagues, peers, and clients to think you’re competent, confident, and professional.

Your business card is a powerful tool with which to achieve this. After all, your business card is the first thing people will see when they meet you or hear about your company. It’s important that it looks sharp and professional, and separates you from the rest of the competition!

If you don’t have a business card yet, or it’s been a while since you last updated yours, now’s the time to start thinking about how to approach your new card design. In this guide, we’re going to share 9 features that you need on your next business card to help you stand out from the crowd and make the best first impression possible.

1. Vertical Orientation

Did you know that business cards don’t have to be horizontal? Vertical business cards are still easy-to-read and will fit into a standard business card holder or rolodex, but they look fancier and will set you apart from the crowd.

When handed a vertical business card, the reader will have to turn it on its side, automatically engaging their brain in a different way than a standard horizontal card – forcing them to pay more attention to what they’re reading. It’ll help create the impression that your business card is more important or worthy of remembering than others.

At 123Print, we stock a wide range of vertically-oriented business card templates to suit a wide range of professions and niches. For example, this bright and bold Colour Swatches design would be perfect for anyone working in the paint, textile, or fashion industry.

2. A Clear Call to Action

The whole point of a business card is to drive business to you or your company. As such, it helps if there’s a clear call to action designed into the card itself, as well as your contact details and social media handles.

A call to action is a clear request for the reader to make contact. For example:

1) Check out our new summer range today on our website!
2) Show this business card when you’re next in-store for 5% off your purchase.
3) Scan the QR code to learn more about our new product line
4) Call us today for a free quote

The goal here is to make it as appealing as possible for your business card’s recipient to contact you and do business with you – so make sure to give them an incentive to do so!

3. Magnetic Backing

A business card should be easy for its recipient to keep hold of, and refer back to when necessary. That’s where magnetic business cards really come into their own.
Any standard business card can be set out on a table at a networking event so they catch people’s attention, but the next step is to ensure that they aren’t going to get lost, or shoved in a drawer and forgotten about.

By making your business card magnetic, your client or professional contact will be able to stick it to their refrigerator or filing cabinet, for easy access in the future. It’s also just a bit of a novelty that people will find fun, and again will help you to stand out from the crowd.
A magnetic business card shows that you’ve given some thought to how you can keep your card fresh in people’s minds after they have it in their hands. It’s also great for spreading brand recognition, as your card will be right in front of them whenever they go to the fridge to grab the milk.

4. Double-Sided Printing

If you’re not going with the magnetic option, you should at least ensure that you make full use of the space by giving your business card a double-sided design.
A business card with two sides is more professional and gives you the freedom to express yourself even further. It also lets you include extra information that wouldn’t necessarily fit on the front of the card, such as your store opening times, a tempting special offer or a fun fact about your business that might leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Sure, it might cost a little more to pay for printing on both sides, but it’s definitely worth it from a business point of view. You want to be as memorable as possible so that the recipient will be more likely to do business with you in future.

5. Your Photo

A business card should reflect who you are, what you do and the kind of image you want to project to others.
This is why you should include your photo on your business card: so that the reader can put a face to the name, and identify you as an individual, rather than a faceless corporation. You could add a photo of yourself standing in front of your shop, on the manufacturing line at work, or relaxing at home – whatever it is, make sure you look sharp and confident!

Including your photo is also a great way to inject your personality into your business card. You don’t want to go too overboard – your card should be professional and business-like, after all – but a photo of yourself can certainly help you to stand out and make a good first impression.

6. Your Logo

Your logo is the ultimate branding that defines you as an individual or company. It’s important that it appears on your business card so that people know what your business is all about before they even pick up the phone or meet you in person.

If you don’t have a logo, now is the time to think about getting one! Having a logo consistently implemented across your products and mailings will go a long way to helping your business stand out and be remembered by your clients.

Your logo must be eye-catching and impactful, so spend some time creating it – use professional designers if you don’t have any design skills yourself! It should reflect your brand personality – are you fun, flamboyant and friendly, for example? Or are you serious, slick and professional?

7. A QR Code

Including a QR code on your business card is an innovative way of making sure that your business card doesn’t go to waste after it’s been handed over.

A QR code is a great way to maximise your business card’s potential, as it eliminates the need for the recipient to type your website address into their browser. Instead, they can simply whip out their phone and follow the QR code using their camera to take them straight there. This will give them the chance to do more research on you and what you have to offer, which could increase interest in you or even lead to new business opportunities.

Simply save your QR code as an image file and you’ll be able to upload it directly to a template of your choice at 123Print. All of our business card templates can be fully customised with your own images.

8. A Full-Colour Design

Your business card should be as unique and memorable as you and your brand. If you want to make a lasting impression on someone, it needs to stand out from all of the boring, black-and-white cards out there.

A full-colour design is one way in which you can make sure that your business cards jump out and catch people’s attention. The extra costs involved in going for a higher-quality, multicoloured design will almost always be recouped through higher sales and greater profits.

A full-colour business card is the perfect place to show off your creative side, too. You might want to consider including some cool infographic or photography – anything that reflects your brand personality and makes an impression. And think carefully about your colour scheme – it should tie into your business’s overall aesthetic, and stand out in a good way (not like a sore thumb).

9. Recycled Cardstock

In today’s eco-conscious world, when most consumers are looking to shop with businesses that care about the planet, it’s vitally important that you make sure your business card is eco-friendly.

Recycled paper is a perfect option for your business cards, as it makes use of post-consumer waste which would otherwise have been thrown away. It’s just another way for you to portray yourself as being sensitive towards environmental issues and reinforce your brand image.

Using recycled materials for your business cards doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on quality. The 100% recycled cardstock that we use at 123Print is 300gsm, and looks and feels just as nice as any standard business card. And as a nice bonus, it’s slightly cheaper!

Where Can I Buy Business Cards?

If you’re looking for professionally printed, high-quality business cards, look no further than 123Print. We offer a huge selection of business card templates which you can completely customise to reflect your unique brand personality, as well as a range of other printing products for your business and personal needs.

Visit our website today to choose the perfect design, and personalise it quickly and easily with our free-to-use online editor. Add your own artwork, photos and logos with our upload tool, and customise the font and colour scheme to your preferences.

Your order will be dispatched within 2 working days, so you’ll soon be holding your new, stand-out business cards in your hands. When it comes to getting business cards printed, there’s no need to go anywhere else!