Business cards come in various shapes, dimensions and sizes, but in United States and Canada the standard business card size is 91mm x 59mm (3.5 x 2 inches).
Besides U.S., this size is also used in Canada and most Latin American countries. In Europe, the standard business card size is 85mm x 54mm. As you can observe that these business card dimensions make the European size a bit smaller than the cards used in North America. The European size is also known as the International business card size and it is followed in various Asian countries as well. Business card is one of the most inexpensive medium for marketing, but a very important one at that. You would have exchanged business cards with many people, and from your personal experience you must be having an idea that a unique and well designed card is more likely to stay in their wallets for long, and as long as a prospective customer has your business card, chances are that he/she will be calling you, whenever they are in need of a product or service you offer.
How do you make your business card stick out from the regular ones? Answer to this question is ... "invent.” If your card is one of those run-of-the-mill types, with white background, overly unique business card size and some plain text printed, chances are that it will be thrown away. To make someone hold your visiting card with them, for a longer period, you need to demonstrate some creativity. Be original and bring into play some unique designs, striking colors or employ any other idea that will compel them to retain it. Some would actually prefer to!
The information that must be there:
Sure enough, both yours and your business name, a brief introduction of your products/services, and last but not the least, your business address and contact details. If you prefer to be contacted by email, doesn't mean you should not give out your phone number. One more thing -- use your creative side more when choosing colors or designs instead of saving it to present the actual information. All the information and contact details should be unambiguously given by wisely putting together above information within the standard business card dimensions.
How much to spend on a business card printing?
This will be determined by the size of your business and more importantly the impression you want to make. The card stock, design and colors of your visiting card (also called a name card, but has same size as business card) says a lot about your professionalism and originality. Poor quality card stock or wacky color selection is certainly going to hurt your professional reputation. Furthermore, an off-standard business card size is not advisable either because it undermines the professional look that should be associated with the card. However, you should not be spending too much on business card printing, because the main idea of a business card is to hand it out to as many people as you can, but a costly one will make you think twice every time you are giving it away. Always remember that the businesscards are your connection with your client even when you are not in face to face contact. Hence make every effort to print them in an effective way to leave a lasting impression on your clients.
