It is tempting to make your own business cards, as it is to put your own stamp on anything around you. From your home, car, wife or business, I guess it’s the modern equivalent of marking your territory.
There is much to be said for this though, as it adds variety and originality to things around us. The desire to put a piece of ourselves into something is an admirable trait and something that should be encouraged. Whenever we make an investment of any kind we build an attachment to that something. We are more likely to expend time and effort making whatever it is work, and look good. We place much less stock in things we can just buy without thinking about it.
When starting your own business it is tempting to try and do as much of it yourself as you can. From designing your brand, logo or stationery to your office heating. To either save money or make it completely your own. This is fine if you have the time and the skills to do it and make it work.
Take your business card for example. It’s a fairly standard shape and size, and there are practical limitations on what you can do, but a creative mind can create some excellent examples of an otherwise quite boring piece of corporate equipment. There are plenty of tools out there now that can help you make your own business card, and most decent desktop printers can print them for you.
The thing you have to consider is ‘will the finished article look professional enough for me’. If the answer is now then you shouldn’t be doing it yourself and should be getting someone in to do it for you. The expense may hurt in the beginning, but think of it as an investment, as the more professional you appear, the more likely you are to get business. Especially if your products or services are business to business ones.
Everybody starts somewhere, and generally small. It doesn’t mean you have to think that way though. Thinking big is the mark of a true entrepreneur and that kind of attitude should be encouraged at all costs. One of the secrets of making it in business is convincing your clients that you are bigger and better than you actually are. Then they will have the confidence that you can deliver. That’s when you start making money. Having a professional ‘face’ can disguise all sorts of mayhem behind the scenes, and as long as the client never sees it, it doesn’t matter. Anything about you or your business that your client can see needs to be squeaky clean, efficient and professional to give the right impression. Although people say they understand when a company is starting up, they don’t really, and won’t cut you any slack because of it.
Think of your business card as an aspect of your professional face. It needs to be clean, professional and inspire confidence. If it doesn’t do that, you won’t either.
Filed under: Business Cards
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