The guidelines below are to help with the process of ordering and designing your business cards. The few minutes you take to read these tips will greatly enhance the design of your business cards, decrease your design fees and decrease the time it takes to get them right.

Emailing me the answers to the 10 Guidelines below will allow me to give you the best value and design for you a creative, business growing, lead generating business card..

1. Quantity

This is not about how many business cards you want, or even about how many business cards you need. 

It is about how many business cards you can get out into the world.
Please choose from the quantities below

50
100
250
500

1000 – Recommended

2000
2500
5000

if you feel 1000 business cards are too many, in truth you are not seeing and utilising them in the correct way. 

As a Business Owner you should have business cards with you at all times.

2. Make your Business Card Memorable

Interested in making your business card stand out?
Choose a special finish for your business cards from the list below.

• Regular 400gsm Silk Business Cards
• Matt Laminated Business Cards
• Star Marque Business Cards
• Gold Foiled Business Cards
• Silver Foiled Business Cards
• Embossed Business Cards
• 600gsm Thick Business Cards
• Shaped Business Cards
• Folded Business Cards

It is an invaluable investment to have unique and memorable business cards.

3. Your Name

4. Your Title

Make your title the service or skill you offer.

Use your Title to ‘sell’ your skill or service. Make your title a selling point. The service I offer is one of a ‘Design & Marketing Consultant’, which I state on my business card.

I could place (Like many people) Director, CEO or Owner on my business card, but this says nothing of the services I offer. Remember your business card is a selling tool and so your title should embody the very skill or service you offer.

5. Your Contact Details

The rule is to not place more than you need too. Having many forms of contact information does not increase professionalism.

• Mobile
• Tel
• Fax
• Email

Which form of contact comes first depends on which form of contact you want to encourage.

• Want people to call your mobile? Place this first.
• Want people to call your landline? Place this first.

Personally I like it when people state their mobile numbers prominently.
It says I am here when you call me and on call at all times.

6. Your Photo

Okay, so nobody likes having their face on their business cards, but it doesn’t change the fact that it is a proven marketing technique which increases trust. This is why it is standard practice among financial institutions. The image is small so you do not need to be a professional photographer or need a fancy camera. Stand in front of a white background and take a ‘still’ photograph. Even with a smart phone and I can do the rest.

Having a photo shows confidence and increases trust.

7. Your Services

You have to realise that you will not always be there to ‘explain’ your services or what you offer. 

Your business cards should 
1. Embody, 
2. State and 
3. Visualise the core reason why someone should get in touch with you.

Remember: You must connect with your customers on an emotional level.

8. Your Advert

Business cards are a tool for marketing so let’s not be shy.

In my professional opinion, one side of your business card should state your contact details cleanly and clearly and the other should be a blatant advert. Even a price point will greatly improve referrals.

No one ever does this of course because it breaks the mould, but it is my job to make you money and this is proven to help.

A price point is an excellent way of reminding people of the value you offer.

9. Your Social Media Information

All I will say is don’t place Social Media icons on your business card to simply place Social Media icons on your business card.

If your Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or Instagram accounts add value to your business than by all means let’s add them.

However, if your pages are outdated and consume your most valuable commodity – ‘your time’, bringing in no sales, then don’t.

10. The Perfect Business Card: To Sum Up

Thank you for going through these guidelines. 

Copy and paste the below information and your responses and contact my Printing.com Corkteam

• 1. How many business cards?
• 2. What Finish?
• 3. Your Name?
• 4. Your Title?
• 5. Your Contact Details
• 6. Your Photo
• 7. Your Services
• 8. Your Advert
• 9. Your Social Media Info

Any questions don’t hesitate to get in touch

Want to discuss Business Cards?

Get in touch today!

Does Your Company Order More Than 3 Sets of Business Cards a Year?Find out how to order Business Cards Faster, Cheaper and more Efficiently

Flyers and leaflets are marketing in its purest form. 

Adding a tantilizing offer together with unique artwork can transform your flyers and leaflets into extremely, cost effective tools at increasing sales and bringing more customers in the door.

Like everything however, there are guidelines which will increase the success of your flyer or leaflet

Before a potential customer sees your offer, they have to see your flyer or leaflet

I can only get a response for your offer if your flyer or leaflet has bold, unique and creative artwork.

Give me permission to push the boundaries of your brand and how I visually depict your offer. 

If you allow me to do this I can guarantee you a more successful marketing campaign.

I can’t give you a formula for success but I can give you a formula for failure – let’s try to please everyone all the time.

Herbert Bayard Swope, 3-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Reporting

Email the necessary information regarding the design of your flyers or leaflets 
taking into consideration the 9 guidelines below:
to paul (at) businessmantotherescue (dot) com

1. Your Offer

Consider long and hard what your offer should be, how big your offer can be and how to phrase and present your offer. 

More importantly, you need to consider how you can up-sell on your offer once a customer avails of your initial offer. This will have a huge effect on the success of your leaflet / flyer.

2. Your Main Heading

Big, bold, direct and focused. Put yourself in your customers shoes. We need to grab and hold their attention. Keep it short.

3. Benefits

Write in 3 to 5 sentences the main benefits of your offer and services you offer.
Do not worry about repeating yourself; simply try to elaborate.

4. A Tagline

Sum up the main benefit of the offer into one, clear sentence.

5. Services

If promoting an offer, I like to ‘only’ promote the offer to force the potential customer into a decision but if you wish to add your services please list them.

6. Contact Information

Email me your contact information. Telephone, Mobile, Fax, Email & Website.

7. Personal Benefits

How does your offer benefit your customer on an emotional level?

Remember:
You do not offer book keeping – you offer peace of mind
You do not offer dentistry – you offer confidence
You do not sell shoes – you sell comfort
You do not financial advice – you sell security
I do not sell flyers – I sell a tool to grow your business

8. Social Media

Let me know what social media outlets you utilise in your marketing material. Facebook,Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram etc.

9. Your Imagery

Let’s catch their eye with the perfect image. Choose any image from www.Fotolia.com for only €5.

The more you consider each guideline above the more customers your flyers or leaflets will attract…

Want to grow your business?
Get in touch today!

How to Maximise Profits During Large Events

Large sporting events like the Soccer World Cup or Rugby World Cup are events where every business should take a moment to ponder how best to capitalise. 

Thousands of people become fascinated and affixed, betting and discussing games, controversies and ups and downs as events such as these unfold.

If you sell food or drink in any capacity you should always take a moment and contemplate how best to maximise profits during events such as these.

The Hospitality Sector

If you own a pub / bar / cafe / hotel then advertising your business as thee place to watch matches should begin now. 

The thing about big events is people are more open to breaking their ‘usual’ hang outs. 

Having a good seat with a good view of the game is the most important factor for some. 

Even if your business is not the normal spot for sports, for each game you should be at your capacity.

The Big Pub / Bar

If you can hold many people in your bar then get them in. Have business cards on every table which show the fixtures of the event with your Pubs name AND offers! 

When people want to watch a game, they won’t walk around looking for the right pub, they will simply head straight to the pub they know is taking the World Cup (or Sporting Event) seriously.

Could you have a large projector making it so everyone in your pub could watch the event? 

Even if you were to invest in a lot of equipment for an event like the World Cup could you at least aim to cover your investment by the end of the tournament and transform your establishment into a great pub for sporting events in the future?

Having Your Establishment Match Ready

As the owner of a large establishment, you should actually practise arranging tables and chairs to maximise room and achieve mass capacity for match days. 

Most pubs don’t actually do this and so a group of 7 can arrive, grab some chairs and move tables to give themselves the best seat to watch the game. 

However by doing this they can actually ‘remove’ space from your pub were you could have had many more customers comfortably watching the game, drinking and making your business profit.

On the day of a game have your pub should be ‘match ready’.

Bonuses / Extras

• What extras will you give away?
• Will everyone get a few chips at half time?
• A free drink if so and so scores?

A well-timed offer can greatly encourage a round of drinks to go around again. If four friends are on a round. It is usually on the 4th round that conversations begin as what to do next. – voila A bowl of curry/few chips/drinks specials land on their table. Sometimes this is all that is needed for someone to say, “well, sure we might as well stay here for one more” which leads into another 4 rounds.

The Small Pub

Okay, so bigger pubs might have large screen TV’s and big atmospheres but it will be hot and not everyone will be comfortable. 

A small pub can have a great, cozy atmosphere were customers can more easily discuss the game, purchase food and drink or simply get to the bathroom easier. 

Advertise these strengths as there will be many people wanting to enjoy the game in a more quiet and relaxed atmosphere.

Table Service

How many extra drinks could you sell during the 2-3 hour window of a match if customers do not have to get up. 

Table service is not huge in Ireland, but come game day having a well-trained waiter/waitress in among the crowd which customers can order drinks from directly will greatly increase profit.

The simple aim, whether you own a large or small establishment during large events is you should be running on full. To do this, you simply need to play to your strengths.

The Cafe

Again I feel most cafes do not capitalise on such events. There will be many games during the World Cup that the masses will not be interested in.

However, this does not change the fact that most people enjoy their drink, coffee or food that little bit more with some light entertainment. If Tonga is playing Georgia, people won’t be running to the pubs, but, I would definitely go to (and have in the past) a particular cafe for my breakfast or coffee if I knew I could enjoy the game during it.

There all many people who would gladly choose a quiet cafe to enjoy a game.

• A Father and son
• Couple just having a coffee
• Group of lads too hungover to face the large, hot crowds of a pub
• Few workers on their lunch break catching the end of a game

Reputations can be quickly created during the month of a large event like a Soccer or Rugby World Cup to the point that when big games are on, people would gladly head to a nice, small cafe to get great seats, a cup of nice coffee and a Rugby World Cup sandwich.

The Hotel

Reputations are harder for Hotels to create and so strong advertising needs to take place. 

People need to know that the professional, high-end reputation the hotel holds, is being put slightly to one side to allow the craic, banter and loud atmosphere of a good World Cup game to flourish. 

Trying to maintain a classy atmosphere AND capitalise on the World Cup is a difficult brand to pull off.

Could you host the final?

Simply put you need to embrace the World Cup atmosphere and with great seats, great food and great TV’s sell yourself as the place to be to watch large events. 

I would encourage some huge offers at the beginning of the World Cup to get new punters in and away from the craic of the local pubs. 

Put on a great drinks and/or foods special for the first few large games and advertise them strongly. 

If you get one great atmosphere at the beginning of a tournament this word will spread quickly around your local town about where best to watch the games.

The Take Away

With Take Aways sports marketing it is simple!

England V Ireland this Wednesday at 8pm “Have a night in with the boys with 3 large pizzas, 2 garlic bread and free coke delivered direct to your door” This works on so many levels. The trick is to inform! Simply stating ‘World Cup Feast’, is not enough.

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