Monday, December 6, 2010

The Long Tail - Book Thoughts

I really enjoyed this business book The Long Tail, written by Chris Anderson, the editor of Wired Magazine. He had many interesting statistics from the web on how the future of business is delivering electronic goods and that the "popular" products and the 80/20 rule no longer apply.

Really different from other books I've read since this one has hard facts and figures, instead of theory and ideas.

 I highly recommend it to anyone interesting in internet business particularly the sale of ebooks, mp3's, digital TV and Movies, etc.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Just read the book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. It was a good book if you are a manager or own a business and are trying to figure out how to motivate your employees and improve your business performance. It sited several interesting studies and some demotivating statistics about how offering monetary rewards can actually decrease productivity.

The book had a bit too much theory and even after finishing it, I understood the problem, but didn't comprehend what was to be done to solve the problem. It seemed like some of the ideas would work for highly skilled jobs, but not for industries with lower level work where I think most managers would admit to having most of the issues with how to motive their employees. One example of this was the call center for zappos.com offers 1 week training and then $2000 to anyone who doesn't want the job after their training is complete. Well, my co-worker and I both agreed we would take the $2000 and run. But according to the book, they have one of the highest rated customer satisfaction call centers and almost no turn-over. Regardless it was an interesting read.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Tips For Getting the Best Business Card Printing


Your business card is one of the most important promotional tools for your business. It truly has the potential of making or breaking the business. It gives customers and potential customers a way of remembering you and your company so they will buy from you in the future. You can give them out to friends and family members, people you meet during outings, or even include them in customer purchases. It should be tasteful and memorable.
There are a few tips that are important to remember for business card printing that will ensure you come out with the best business cards possible.

Make the cards impactful. Without being annoying, they should stand out so people remember them. Black and white or other plain cards don't usually stand out and you can lose business this way. You want potential customers to see your cards and feel inclined to buy from you. The cards should leave a lasting impression on anyone who sees them.
You should always include the logo of your business on the card. Every business should have some sort of a logo. Even if that only includes a certain color or your company name, this represents your company and you should stick with it for the long-term. You should have decided on the logo of your company right from the get go but it is never too late. It should be something unique and something that relates to the type of business you own.
When printing your cards, always get the highest quality cards and ink. You may be paying a bit more initially but it will be more than worth it in the end. Matte paper usually works best although glossy with certain colors works best to make them brighter and clearer. Don't forget to choose the quality you want in the preset settings.

If you choose to have a background on your cards when printing, decide if you prefer a border around the edge or not. You want to ensure the entire image is balanced and that there are no gaps. Even the tiniest free spaces on your cards can make them look cheap and tacky.

These are tips that are important to remember when creating and printing business cards. Always go to a professional printing service especially if you have little to no experience in this area. To save yourself time, forget about money and remember the benefits. You want to make sure you get it done right the first time around. Once you have business cards you can seriously start with the promotion and advertising of your business.
If you are looking for quality online printing, be sure to visit the Printing Press. You'll be able to order leaflet printing and cheap flyers right from your browser.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Using Business Calling Cards with your Resume

For centuries people would use personal calling cards to announce their visits, or leave when their friends were out. A new trend right now is to create personal business cards to use along with your resume that include work history related information.

Don't waste 50% of the business card by leaving the back of the card blank. I had a manager once that insisted the back of a business card should be blank so you can write information on it, but most of the time you are not going to do this. Why waste all that real estate on your card?

With prices for double sided business cards being only a few pennies more, it doesn't make sense not to use both sides. You could use the back as a sort of bullet point resume with your skills or special accomplishments highlighted. And the front can contain contact information.

Having a professional looking resume along with a great looking personal business card will be the edge you need to land that great new job!


Sunday, August 22, 2010

Business Card Wordpress Theme - Minicard

If you are looking for a simple wordpress theme for your blog that provides your contact information, think about using the MiniCard Wordpress Theme

MiniCard would also be a great theme to use if you have your domain name, but are still building a site, that way your site will have valuable contact information without distractions. You can also customize the colors of the site by editing the CSS if blue isn't your cup of tea.

Great Business Cards on Zazzle

One of the best way to come up with your own business card design, is to see other business card designs that inspire you! The best thing about business cards on zazzle, is that if you love the design, you can customize the design and order personalized business cards of your own! Here are some of my favorite business card designs on zazzle:

These salon business cards have a pretty watery blue design:



These classy damask business cards could be used for a variety of businesses:


These cards have a modern feel, but are still cute:


These cards are simple, classic, clean and very professional:

Friday, August 20, 2010

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Let me give you my card

Advertising costs can be huge depending on the type of business you are in. An inexpensive way to advertise your business is through business cards. Business cards can contain more then just your contact information. If you run a shop, think about using the business card like a coupon. Print a calendar on one side of the card and a person can use your card to check the date. You can also use a business card as an appointment card. If you are a carpenter, print a ruler on one side of your card to make it cleaver and useful.

There are all types of ideas that can make business card memorable.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Digital Business Cards

Will paper business cards ever be completely replaced by digital business cards?

Many companies are going green, going paperless, or have notices on emails "think before you print." Will there be a day when business cards become a thing of the past? Is it happening already. I've seen many emails where the signature includes a pseudo business card like design. Also, when you have an iphone, ipad, blackberry or regular cell phone that are capable of a large contact lists, there really is no need to carry a physical business card with someones contact information. If you are at your desk and forget a phone number, a simple google search will produce the # in a matter of seconds.


I've argued for several years now that phone books should no longer be handed out, why do you need a directory listing when you can find contact information quicker and easier on the internet. Also, a book printed once a year doesn't allow instant updates. If your business moves you can easily update your website with the correct information and send out a twitter update letting all your followers know.


Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Freakonomics

We listened to Freakonomics at work today. I thought it was a business book, but it was really about abortion, bagels, gangs, and baby names!

Imagine that.

The bagel man is my new hero. I didn't catch his name, I have to look that up. Essentially he broke out of his cubical prison by selling bagels at companies based on the honor system.

A few years ago we had a candy box that worked the same way at the company where I work and I believe it was taken away due to dishonesty and theft. I also believe at one point there as a soda machine out front and too many people were filling it with trash and it was getting jammed.

Economics seems like it would be something I'd be interested in. I like statistics and trying to find out the logical root cause of things.

Monday, August 2, 2010

How to design your cards

Designing business cards online is as simple as knowing how to use a word processing software like Microsoft word. Usually, the design and text placement is done for you and all you need to do is customize the fields by typing in your own text. If the template has too many fields simply delete the placement text that is present.

If you need to add text, you simply click on the add text button, a box pops up and for this example I used the text "Add Text" you can then click and drag the text to where you want it and change the font size, style or color as needed with options in the Customize it! section:

(Click to Enlarge)





Saturday, July 31, 2010

Make Personalized Business Cards Work for You

Personalized business cards are a great way to add a personal touch to your marketing efforts. If you are looking to make a great first impression, you make way to look into buying personalized business cards for your next meeting or trade show. Personalized business cards can simply have a blank to put the prospects name in or be taylored to the event in which you are passing them out. Personalized business cards stand out as being special because they are just that; special.

The more times you have the chance to get on a personal level with your prospective clients, the better chance you have of closing a deal. If a prospective client is trying to decide between your company and a competitor, personalized business cards may be just what you need to seal the deal. Marketing is a serious game and one you need to play as best you can to be on top.

Personalized business cards can be created in a couple of different ways. First off, you can speak with your regular printer about providing you with these cards. They will be able to custom order the print that you need, as well as add anything else that you may need. This can be slightly more expensive than ordering regular cards because you will probably not be ordering as many as usual, in order to get the quantity discount. Also try Vistaprints online.

Often, the best way to produce personalized business cards is to do so yourself. You can purchase a business card maker software at any electronics or computer store. The advantage of producing the cards yourself is the ability to customize them for every possible situation. If, for instance, you are going to a trade show, you can personalize the cards to say something to the effect of "Welcome to Booth #..." If you are just going to a national sales meeting with people in your company, your card can read something more standard. Don't discount the dramatic effect of personalized business cards.

Personalized business cards can be a great way to set yourself apart from the competition. Be sure to look into the different options before choosing one. You may find out that you can save a lot of time and money by producing the cards yourself. If you are looking to be different and draw attention to your company, look into purchasing personalized business cards. Get that competitive edge and use it.

Source: http://www.articlecircle.com/ - Free Articles Directory

About the Author
Keith Londrie II is a well known author. Also see the other site at http://business-card-info.info/ for a wealth of information.

Design your business cards

Are you still struggling to come up with a great design for your business cards? Unless you have graphic design experience, you should really let a professional do this! However, you don't need to pay costly fees for their services anymore. Find a professionally designed template on Zazzle.com and you can easily customize it for your business.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Will your business card end up in the trash?

When you hand out your business card, you want it to be saved by your potential client and not thrown in the trash, right? Here are some tips to prevent your card from ending up in the waste paper bin:

- Use a standard size 3.5 inch x 2 inch business card: In some industries unique cards are preferred to stand out from the crowd. But the majority of people should use a card that will fit easily in a wallet or business card holder and will not get lost due to its size and shape.
- The higher quality the harder it is to throw it away: It’s hard for most people to trash an object with some perceived value. If you have a professional looking card on good stock paper, it will give off a sense of being of value and it will be harder for a person to dispose of. If you hand out a card that is bent, torn, stained or cheap looking, it looks like trash already.
- Readability: Not everyone can read an 8 point font. Although it may look modern or cool to use really small text, most people suffer from some kind of vision problems and if the text is too small on your card a person just may be physically unable to read it.

I hope you remember some of these tips when you design your business cards!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

I have been working hard


I have been working all weekend on a new website. I've been thinking about the idea for a few weeks now and have finally decided to do something about it. This blogger site and other social media outlets have gotten me more interested in web design again. I have used the Internet regularly since 1996 and I have had several websites in the past, but haven't done any serious website making in almost 10 years due to "real life", job, etc. I even took a website class at a local art center about 3 years ago with the intent to get back into it, but alas at the time other things came up.

A lot has changed since the hey-day of the Internet. The site is coming along nicely, I still have to work on adding content and getting everything just right. But I am very pleased so far.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Business Cards Online will save you money

Do you currently have a local printer who designs and prints your business cards? Most likely you are paying $100, $200, or more per order. Local printers who don't offer their services online are limited to the local area and have more costs to run their business, so in turn they pass those costs on to you. Design your cards online and save hundreds of dollars!

The business where I work saved over $10,000 per year by switching to an online printer!

Zazzle has thousands of designs that you can choose from, or you can easily design your own cards.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Cheap Business Cards

Don't pay a graphic designer to make business cards for your company. You can do it yourself on Zazzle. Although the prices are affordable (a.k.a. cheap) you get professional results. And there are tons of paper choices. The default is a 110lb, ultra white card stock, a great choice if you are looking for the very best quality and feel.


Attorney Lawyer Tailor Black Suit Business Card from Zazzle.com

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Does your business need Business Cards?

Don’t have business cards yet for your business? They can come in handy in a variety of situations, face-to-face meetings with clients, seminars or conferences, or meeting a potential client on the run. Having a quick and easy way of handing out your contact information is invaluable.

It is easy to have unique, custom designed business cards. Gone are the days of boring black on white cards. Use a template on Zazzle.com and fill in your contact information to have custom designer business cards.

Click here to start designing your cards!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Do you use tools?

My goal is to post a new business card design every day. This is what I did today:

Handyman Tools Business Cards


Do people still call themselves a "handyman"?

I'd love to find a good handyman to fix things around here. Sigh, good help is hard to find.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

I love designing business cards

About 4 years ago I volunteered to redesign the business cards at my current job. Since then, I have loved making up business cards. Instead of letting this skill go to waste, I have decided to try to sell business cards on Zazzle. So far, it has been a week and nothing has happened. But I am still optimistic!

Check out my Zazzle Store!