It's hard to make a good first impression or leave the right impression behind if a business card doesn't represent a person or company correctly. Whether bright and flashy or simple and elegant, business cards should speak to those who hold them about the qualities of the company in question. They should also entice those who receive them to keep them and use them when the occasion arrives.



Creating the best business cards possible for a business will, of course, depend on the business in question. Holographic, flashy metallic cards might look funny coming from a lawyer, but they'd look great from an artist. Simplistic, but elegant cards in the converse are ideal for legal professionals, but don't speak to a creative business' line of work at all. Fit the card to the profession and it's likely they'll become very valuable marketing tools.

When choosing business cards for your company consider the following things:

* What you do and what you stand for. If your company is a more traditional mainstream business like an accounting firm or a legal office, something elegant, yet simple will likely more than suffice to leave the right impression.

* If something that makes your card stand out from the competition matters, is there a graphic element that can be added that defines what you do without words? A tire background for a garage, for example, or splashes of paint for a painting company? Go for something simple yet eye-catching.

* If elegant is required, but a little bit of flash is required, consider higher quality paper or even translucent paper to leave a smart, sophisticated impression.

* Artists, graphics designers, photographers and other creative professionals should have cards that stand out as a little more than average. Just make sure the important information like the company name and number doesn't get lost in the flash.

No matter the type of card that's chosen, a good business card conveys important information about the company its meant to represent. Smart cards have the following information:

* Company name. This should definitely stand out on the card.

* Address. This should include the full physical address if a storefront is involved.

* Telephone and fax numbers. Make sure to include an 800 number if the company has one and employee pagers and cell phones if they're available, too.

* Employee name and position.

* E-mail address if it's available.

* The company's business should be clearly stated if it's not evident from the name of the business. Bob Brown Inc. doesn't tell anyone anything if they forget. But, Bob Brown Inc., Graphics Design Specialists, does.

Business cards should leave behind a strong impression about the business and the people who work for it. A card should serve as a reminder for people to call your firm if they're ever in need of like services. They should stand out, but also remain clear enough that there's no confusion over who you are and what you do. When well designed and well written, business cards can really serve as a strong marketing tool.