Not having a business card is almost as bad as using an eMail address that ends in AOL.com. It's just not professional.

With domain names costing less than 9 bucks a year, there's no excuse for anyone in business to have an AOL.com email address. With business cards costing less than 9 bucks at the big box store, there's no excuse for anyone in business not to pass them about.

Your business cards should look better than anyone else's and you should use them everywhere. Here are a dozen better business card ideas:

1 - Throw 'em Away When ANYTHING Changes

Don't be a cheapskate. Spend the bucks for new cards rather than penciling in corrections. Be professional. Your business card could start a long-term relationship, or kill it before it gets off the ground.

2 - Throw 'em Away When They Get Dog-eared

Some folks use a metal case to carry their cards so they can present crisp, clean and flat cards. If you carry them in a pocket or purse, toss 'em out if they start to look anything less than ight out of the box".

3 - Never Leave Home Without One

Always carry a supply of cards. You never know. And keep them handy in a ready pocket, not tucked away at the bottom of a bag, so you can present one with a flourish on demand. Keep a backup stack in the car.

4 - Present It With A FLAIR

Practice offering your card with BOTH hands. It makes a BIG impact. You goal is to get people to remember you and save your card. Do that by using both hands.

5 - Put YOU in the Middle

Your name is the most important part of your business card so put YOU in the middle and make it big enough to see without granny glasses.

6 - Keep it Simple

One phone number and one eMail is enough. Be sure to put your website on the card, too. Some cards work great without a street address. Do you need a street address on your card? Why?

7 - Get your Own Logo

No logo at all looks better than a logo from a clip art book. Same with cards with bars of color or circles. Your card should be you, not something from a can.

8 - Have it Professionally Designed

Stay away from the card factories with catalogs of cards and designs. For a few bucks you can have an expert lay out your card. You should be one of a kind, not column B third one down.

9 - Stick with White

White, glossy, shiny cards say "Business". Pastels and swirls say "Avon Lady". Ask for "High Gloss UV Coating". Gloss up only the front, leave the back uncoated, because you may want to write on it.

10 - Use Both Sides

The back of the card can be used to reinforce your selling proposition. Think of your card as a little newspaper ad. Use both sides. Leave enough room back there for a personal note or secret phone number, written at the time of presentation (If you write it on

there before you present it, it may look like a correction to fix something left off).

11- Forget the Cell Number

No need to list cell phone or beeper number. If you want a customer to have it, it is far more impressive for you to hand write it on the card ("I'm giving you my private cell phone number...")

12 - Don't Do It At Home

In baseball, they refer to the major leagues as the "Big Show" and all players want to get there. A card printed at home screams minor league cheapskate!. For what you spend on blank microperf cards and the time you have to invest to set it up, you could have them professionally done instead of home baked.

Your business card can be your smartest and most impressive business tool. It will set the tone of your relationship in the future Do it right the first time.

About the Author

BIG Mike McDaniel BigIdeasGroup.com BIG Mike is America's Small Business Advertising Expert, Celebrated Author, Consultant and Speaker. Get BIG Mike's latest business crad article at http://BigIdeasGroup.com/bc1

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