Just about to start my own practice. My question to the forum is - is it worthwhile buying business cards or, are they considered old fashion these days?
As I will work from home I am a little reluctant to put my home address on the card
Personally I would always get business cards as although most people act online these days the one bit of marketing you should be doing is getting business cards done as you can give them out to any prospective client at any time. Make sure you always have some to hand as you never know when you might bump into a prospective client.
Also dont scrimp on the business cards. Get the best that your budget can afford as if they look cheap what image does that give about your business.
If you work from home and are reluctant to put on your home address then dont. There is nothing that says what should go on your business card although the standard would be; full name, qualifications, address, telephone number, email address, website. Though you can add to these or take them away. Up to you really.
I concur totally with Mark but just to add one additional point.
Keep them simple, uncluttered, easy to read.
I'm forever getting cards from people like plumbers where their name and contact details are difficult to read because of the picture used as a background.
Good quality card, white background, uncluttered.
Kind regards,
Shaun.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
I've always used a coloured background for mine, whilst ensuring that the text could be easily read. This time around though I just went for white background, with logo, address, email and website plus (and probably most importantly) the phone number.
As you work from home there's no need to add your address but if you do have a website and/or email address, include them too. However, if you do have a website, you are supposed to have an address on there (the website that is, not the business card)
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John
Any advice given is for general guidance and professional advice should be sought applicable to your circumstances.
Personally, if someone was touting for my business (and if you give someone a business card, that's ostensibly what you are doing) I would be very unlikely to give it to them if they gave me a business card without an address.
To my mind, that immediately makes them look a bit suspect - as though they don't want to be found in the event that things go South with the service they are providing.
There is an obvious flaw in that they could put a completely fictitious address on the card and how likely am I, as a recipient, to notice. But nobody's perfect.
(Nope, not even me!)
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Vince M Hudd - Soft Rock Software
(I only came here looking for fellow apiarists...)