Soy inks are a natural ink made from the soy bean plant. The name is also given to mean any vegetable based ink. The classic inks used to create business cards are petroleum based and therefore a finite planet resource. Using traditional inks does create a larger carbon footprint and introduce unnecessary chemicals into the printing process. Soy inks have no off gassing from the volatile organic compounds making them air and planet happy.

Soy inks are considered by their proponents to offer a much more vibrant pigment to your business card compared to traditional inks. Others will say there is little visual difference. The easiest way to decide is to compare them yourself. The main issue folks have with soy inks and recycled card stock (a must have compliment material) for business cards is the cost. At the moment soy ink does cost more than traditional ink. But, as any greeney will tell you, the more folks that make the switch, the quicker the price will come down.

In the current business climate being green sells. Perhaps you run a traditional company with little to contribute to the eco-friendly revolution. That’s okay. Your company doesn’t have to promote alternative energy or organic cotton to make a good green impression on your consumers. Small changes in your business branding such as using soy inks and recycled paper in your business cards can go a long way to leaving the right impression.

Not only the type of business you own but the type of businesses and clients you come into contact with are important considerations when designing a business card. If you have a very traditional business with well established clients and partnerships with other traditional professions change in business card design should be gradual. No-one wants to be drug kicking and screaming into a modern perspective but no-one wants to be left behind either. Consider implementing a few changes with each new business card order.

If on the other hand if you are a start up company, operating mainly online and appealing to a younger audience, keeping up with modern business card techniques is practically a requirement. Newer companies are expected to come out cutting edge and the branding of the company still revolves around the business card no matter how cyber savvy the company may be.

Keeping on top of business trends is essential for every aspect of your business and your business card is a reflection of your knowledge. A well branded business card shares the story of the company and reflects their outlook of the economic and creative business climate.

Like any business, the tattoo parlor must use their business card as a medium for communication meaning all forms of contact must be clear, correct and central to the design. Do not forget e-mail addresses and websites. Most importantly physical location of your store is most important for the tattoo artist’s business card. Consider adding a map as well as driving directions from the main highway.

The fold over style business card is ideal for the tattoo shop business card. There is additional room for images of your best work as well as your facilities. A picture of your storefront provides a visual reference and images of the interior let potential customers rate the cleanliness and layout of your operation. Always use a professional photographer to create images for your business card. Be sure you have copyright to all the photographs.

Use the additional space of your business card to provide details of your services, years of experience and any specialties. Additional services such as piercing should be noted on your business card. Always include any certification or national accreditation to add a level of confidence to your potential customers.

Consider metallic foiling for the tattoo store’s business card. Metallic foiling, when used in moderation, can add an eye catching element to your business card and cause people to take a second glance at your information. Every time someone reads about your tattoo parlor the more likely they are to recognize other forms of branding and you will be the first place they think of when they decide to take the plunge into permanent body art.

Meet and greets. These types of get togethers come in a number of different formats but are usually after business hours, hosted by the chamber of commerce or other local business group and can be just the place to find your next lead. Place indulging out of town clients under this heading.

Trade shows. Great for promoting your business but hard on your business card stash. If you run out of cards when trying to spread the word something is wrong. Trade shows have a lot of foot traffic. Estimate your additional business card needs in the thousands.

Conferences and workshops. Whether its to discuss business or learn a little more about your trade, conferences can be lucrative places to make new contacts. A minimum of 250 additional business cards per day is a good starting point.

Buying business card in bulk saves a lot of money on shipping and reducing the cost per piece. Next time you order your cards be sure to review your company’s calender for the coming year and adjust your order accordingly. There’s nothing worse than running out of business cards in the middle of an event. Be prepared, be professional and reorder cards now.

Of course, like any business card the fashion designer must make communication a priority. Be sure to include telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and mailing addresses. Depending on your business you may want to include directions to your location. Always double check contact information several times before sending the business card to print.

A good fashion designer has a very distinctive style, preferable color palette and specific design aesthetic. All this information should factor into the design and template choices of the business card. If your clothes are known for flashy decoration and over the top colors, you may want to tone things down a little when incorporating them into your business card design. Flashy is great on the catwalk but may be too distracting on the business card.

Finishing a business card is even more important to the fashion designer than the traditional business professional. Its all about the visual. Consider a thick cut card stock with a weight of 65 pounds or more. Engraved printing is a must. A textured card stock or perhaps a little metallic foiling on your logo will go a long way.

A fashion designer’s business card should be distributed discreetly but prolifically. Hand cards over to industry professionals for referral work and to established clients wanting to show their friends your website. The fashion designer’s business card is your professional and creative handshake so be sure to design it as well as you do your clothes line.

Traditional one sided business card. This is a great card for the smaller business, the personal card or mommy card and as an employee business card for a larger company. These cards do well when paired with good ink, engraved printing and thick card stock.

Two-sided business card. The two sided business card is a good option for the company or small business that needs to list additional information about their company on their card. For instance directions, policies and types of services are all better on the back of a business card.

Fold over business card. This is a great card for the larger company or a creative company. Fold over cards provide more room for information and make the contact information for the larger company look less crowded. Fold over cards allow for additional images and creative background designs making them ideal for the art gallery, artist or small craft company.

Nontraditional shape business card. These are the cards you see that are square or circular or some other non rectangular shape. These are certainly attention getting cards but may not be suitable for a large number of businesses. If you are a professional business person you need a business card that fits easily into the company Rolodex. Shaped cards are fun for new businesses starting out trying to make a lasting impression, artistic companies or as promotional cards.

Whatever type of business card you go with be sure to proofread your text carefully, use bold not offense color schemes and highlight the best aspects of your business or service.

Letterhead. High quality paper watermarked and printed with the company details may seem a little old school but it remains an essential of the business client relationship. A letterhead sent through the traditional mail service still carries more weight than something sent by e-mail. A medium sized company should consider 500 sheets of letterhead as mandatory.

Address Labels or printed envelopes. Envelopes with custom printing will always look more professional than stick on address labels but both get the job done. Printed return address on envelopes is a must for the larger business. Smaller businesses should consider an address stamp rather than address labels.

Custom binders or folders. Promotional literature should always be presented to clients in a custom printed folder. A plain folder always makes the company look cheap and your branding look scattered. Smaller businesses should consider custom oversized labels to personalize the plain folders their budget affords.

Promotional literature. For some companies this is brochures for others its fliers and posters. Whatever additional printed material your company uses in the running and promotion of the business it should all match the business card design.

Branding is all about repetition and cohesiveness. If all of your printed materials are cohesive your company logo, colors or slogan will be easier for clients and potential customers to remember.

Branding is essential on the media company’s business card. Take established logos and color palettes and upload them to your business card template. If you have a very busy and colorful logo you may want to consider slimming things down and re-branding. Media companies need memorable logos and branding that is easy to remember.

Use the back of the media company business card to provide a list of services. Your media company may deal in television shows or documentary film clips exclusively. You may also dabble in a large number of different medias and all of these should be reflected in your list. Be sure not to leave any area off your business card as it may be the one area the potential client was looking for.

The fold over business card works well for the modern media company. It provides enough room for detail descriptions of available services as well as room for hyperlinks and images that better sell your product. If you choose a fold over business card remember each side and portion of the business card should be designed with as much care and thought as the front.

Artsy graphics, modern styling and sleek images are all friends of the media company business card. Because of the nature of the work, creativity is allowed but it must have a business savvy edge. Consider engraved printing and top of the line card stock for your media company business card. Its all about making a good and lasting first impression.

First and foremost your baby party planner business card should be clearly meant for babies and their parents. Don’t try to muddle a baby side business in with another planning business. You need to have a separate card with baby/child friendly color schemes that catches the eye. Check the business card templates online under the heading “day care.”

Color schemes for the baby planner’s business card don’t have to adhere to traditional ideas about baby showers. A pastel colored business card will not stand out. Rather, it will look dated and give the impression you aren’t keeping up with the new baby shower themes and ideas. Pick bright contrasting colors for your clip art and then keep to two colors for your text and main background color.

New parents know they want a shower or a christening party but not what that entails. Use a list to provide the basics of what your business offers. Its always good to use the back side of your card for this information. When a potential client sees how many aspects of the party you cover they will feel more confident in hiring you. Plus it provides a firm basis for hiring contracts.

Always provide links to your past party pictures, ideas and themes. A URL on the bottom front of your business card is ideal. Often your clients are throwing a party for their child for the very first time. Letting them look through possible themes and solidifying what they want will make things easier on everyone involved.

Decide what you want in your business card and break that down into sections. For instance you may not have made any decision on color or design but you know you want engraved printing on fold over card with a gloss finish. Add a general quantity and perhaps even guesstimate your budget then you are ready to compare.

Comparison shopping is always made easier when you can see the information for each printing site at the same time. As they are in competition with each other this isn’t possible. Cut and paste the information into a word processing document on your computer so you can see the differences without the distraction of banner ads and off topic deals.

While browsing for your business card criteria look out for extras such as free shipping. Always check how much free shipping affects the per piece price and always make a note of bulk buying discounts. Don’t forget to check for bundle bargains such as buying your invites and getting your matching thank you cards fifty percent off.

After you have finalized your business card design and have your order in the virtual shopping cart open a new window on your browser. Type in the name of the printer followed by the phrase “coupon code” and see what results you get. Often coupon codes will provide a few more dollars off your order.

If you haven’t done it already it is time to design and order your business cards for the coming year. Consider starting your research immediately to take advantage of the January deals.