Just
about every business requires at least 1 type of form.
These forms helps us create invoices, statements, proposals,
bills of lading, purchase orders, estimates, receipts,
memos, sales sheets, contracts, human resources materials,
credit memos packing lists, time cards, work orders
and many other forms.
WPS Printing can help you pick out and design the custom
form you want and need. We can also put your logo on
the top of a standard form that you might use. Whether
it is a single copy, or multiple copy, color or black
& white, WPS printing can provide what you need.
Business cards are part of your marketing materials.
When you're designing your marketing materials, you
certainly want them to be tailor-made. Using a generic
approach in your ads, brochures and Web sites won't
set you apart from the crowd; it won't tell people what's
distinctive about you, your business, your products
and services. It won't cause you to be remembered.
When you advertise your services or products, being
specific marks you as an expert. Networkers know that
the more you bring your unique personality, needs and
capabilities into your business identity, the more referrals
you're likely to receive. The same applies to your marketing
materials. To get the kinds of customers you want, good
marketing requires you to be specific about what you
do and what makes you unique.
A business card is an integral part of a good marketing
plan. For its size and cost, it is probably the most
powerful part. So it's especially important that your
card be one that is memorable and makes a favorable
impression. Otherwise, it will probably get tossed into
a drawer full of ancient, smudged, forgotten cards that
keep accumulating long after the businesses they represent
have faded away. That is, if it doesn't get dropped
into the nearest circular file.
Your card should display the same design and basic
information as your other marketing materials. But a
business card is not a brochure or catalog; space is
limited, so you must choose your words and images carefully.
Which information is absolutely essential? What else
can you include that will help persuade a prospect to
contact you? Equally important, what should you leave
out? Too much information can dilute or obscure your
message.
How do you solve this space-vs.-content problem? A
good approach is to break the essentials down into three
areas: identity, credibility and clarity. Identity and
credibility are concerned with what you should include
on your card at a minimum; clarity is more about what
to leave off.
Choose a card style that's appropriate for your business,
industry and personal style. If you're a funeral director,
you don't want to be caught handing out day-glow cards
with cartoon figures on them. If you're a mechanic whose
specialty is converting old Beetles into dune buggies,
a formal, black-on-white engraved card will probably
be drooped into the nearest circular file. Start with
the style that best supports the business image you
wish to project. Here are five different card styles
for you to consider:
Basic cards: This is a good card
style when utility is all you need. It's a no-nonsense
approach that can appeal to clients and prospects
who would not be impressed by fancy design features--the
people who want "just the facts, ma'am."
The design is simple, and the information is clear
and concise. A basic card is usually printed in black
ink on plain white or cream stock.
Picture cards: Having your face
on your card--whether it's a photograph, a drawing
or a caricature--helps a contact remember you the
next time she sees you. Images representing a product
or services, or a benefit your business provides,
can help you communicate your business better than
dozens of words. Color is often helpful on a picture
card, too.
Tactile cards: Some cards are distinguished
not so much by how they look as by how they feel.
They may use nonstandard materials, such as metal
or wood, or have unusual shapes, edges, folds or embossing.
Tactile cards tend to be considerably more expensive
than regular cards because they use nonstandard production
processes such as die cuts.
Multipurpose cards: A card can do
more than promote your name and business--it can also
serve as a discount coupon, an appointment reminder
or some other function. It may also provide valuable
information that the average person may need. For
example, a hotel may include a map on the back of
its card for any guests who are walking around the
vicinity. A card of any type can be made multipurpose
by adding these types of features.
Outside-the-box cards: A wildly original, fanciful
or extravagant presentation can draw extra attention.
Creativity knows no bounds--except the amount of money
you wish to spend. I've seen examples of these types
of cards that were made of chocolate or that folded
out into a miniature box to keep small items in. One
of the most notable was a dentist's card that included
a small compartment for dental floss to be pulled
out. These are all examples of "outside-the-box"
thinking.
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