If you're like most professionals, you have a business card. But, what does your business card *do* for you?

"Do"?

Yes, that's right; what does your business card *do* for you? Does it help to actively create more business for you or does it sit-like most business cards-in a big stack of other business cards that nobody ever looks at?

If you want to maximize your marketing strategy into all areas of your business collateral, it's time to make your business card work for you. The time when your business card was just a simple way to give your name and number has long since passed. Far from having to be just a way to communicate your name and contact number, a business card provides an excellent opportunity for you to make yourself memorable.

The key to any successful marketing campaign is being memorable. Advertisers spend millions of dollars figuring out exactly what needs to be done to create advertisements that stick in the heads and hearts of their consumers. When it comes to creating a unique and distinctive business card, you have the exact same goal. In today's highly competitive marketplace, you need to stand out from the rest to define yourself as the best.

Here are just a few ways you can make your business card step up and be more than just a cardboard rectangle:

* Turn it into a mini-billboard advertising your services.

* Highlight your USPs on the back of your card.

* Offer a special, discount, special promotion.

* Create a unique shape or design that relates to your field so your card becomes a topic of conversation by those who have it. But, be careful not to make the shape or size so "unique" that it won't fit in the typical places people store their business cards. If you go too big or too unusual, you might find that your card is thrown out.

* Hand your business card to everyone you meet; store clerks, gas station attendants, waiter and waitresses, secretaries...everybody!

* Place your business card in every piece of mail to your patients and local vendors.

* Spend a little more and turn your business card into a magnet. In this way, it can be carried in your wallet, but also stuck on that refrigerator for years of free advertising.

* Whether you're starting a new office or are looking to revamp your image, a new logo will help you portray the true identity of your business through a professionally-designed logo.

* Make your card serve double-duty-use it as an appointment card, too.

* Be sure to include all the 'usual suspects' on your card, including name, profession, and phone and fax numbers. Additionally, be sure to include your e-mail and web address for that extra added impact.

As you can quickly see, your business card doesn't have to sit idly inside somebody's wallet never to be looked at again. It can work for you in powerful ways-promoting you, your business, and your services. Spend a few minutes designing your next business card and it can have big payoffs as your smallest, but most effective advertising billboard!