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I don’t expect that this list CAT6 Cable will make it to the David Letterman show, but maybe it should.

Part 1 of this article addressed a lot of content and technical aspects like fonts, spacing and legibility concerns. I never got around to the obvious“Don’t make your business card oversized so it doesn’t fit in a man’s wallet”, or “Don’t use metal business cards unless you really want a body cavity search the next time you try to board an airplane”.

Those are all easy fixes, really. Part 2 starts to wade into some deeper issues… about the brand, the identity and the image a business card portrays to the world – and the damage that can result from sending the wrong message.

Boo-Boo #5. Lack of clarity about what you do.

Often we think that we created the perfect message about our business because it has significance to us… but we forget that it may mean nothing to our prospective customer.

Going to the extreme, I know entrepreneurs that have actually changed their business names two or three times, simply because they got more clear and specific about the kind of work and service they wanted to provide.

I’m willing to bet the issue is less about a business name and more about the business brand. You have to clarify who your intended audience is, and what you can do to help them. Get that right, and you remove all doubt.

Boo-Boo #4. Using “free” card services.

Vista Print is a company that provides free business cards for small businesses. Yes, I said free. Now before you get excited about the prospect of getting something for free, remember that there is always a trade-off. And in this case there are two.

The first trade-off is that they use YOUR card to advertise THEIR services. You only get to print on one side of the card, because on the back they advertise their business with a blurb like “Get YOUR free business cards at www.vistaprint.com” So instead of possibly using the back side of your card to promote your business, it is busy selling theirs.

Secondly, you have a limited selection of pre-printed card options from which to choose. And guess what? There are going to be THOUSANDS of other cards floating around out there that look just like yours. So much for making your marketing memorable and standing out from the crowd.

There’s one last sour note that customers pick up when they get one of these ‘free’ cards – especially when it says right on the back of your card that you did indeed get it for free. It tells the prospective customer:

“I’m cheap and don’t value my business enough to spend money on one of my most central marketing pieces, so you might want to reconsider how much you’re willing to spend on me too.”

Not a resounding endorsement from the company CEO.

Boo-Boo #3. Using stationery store “punch out” cards.

This is a bit of a continuation of the last Boo-Boo… because the message is the same. Yes, you can buy a package of pre-cuts at Staples or Office Depot for under $10, and print them yourself on your little desktop inkjet. But the stock is a lightweight so it will feed through your printer (card weight stock is sure to jam) …and flimsy is not professional.

Customers see those little perforated edges and hear a little nest of baby birds singing “Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!”

You can have business cards printed on a digital press (most print shops have them now) in a small run of 100 for about $50 – $100. Ask for a good quality heavy-weight stock (most printers can handle 12 pt or 100 lb card). And ask to see a proof before having them print the whole works. It’s a great way to get started, especially if the business is new and you want to test the card before settling on a final design.

For a start-up it’s an economical solution… not “Cheap!”

Boo-Boo #2. The card does not match the services and products you sell.

Tags: CAT6 Cable