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Business Card Company News archive
Aug 11, 2010  -  

Connotations of colour in business


Use of blue in your corporate branding can convey a sense of stability and solidity about your business (true blue). With some tones of blue found in nature (sea blue, sky blue) the greener tones are often said to have therapeutic connotations.

Blue can imply elite or high-brow business (blue blooded) and excellence (blue ribbon) as in the legal, property and financial sectors.

Medium to dark blues are regularly found in the industrial or trade sectors (blue collar).

Blue is a true 'corporate' colour that is frequently associated with government or health departments. It is also regularly associated with cleanliness or cleaning and so is often used in the cleaning, medical and dental industries.

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Jul 16, 2010  -  

Make sure your business card is one out of the box


Is your business card design mainstream with your logo at the top and type underneath or is it one "out of the box"? 

Being memorable is the key to your business being retained in the memory of your prospects. 

There are many ways to make your business cards memorable, the 3 main ones being design, colour and paper. The Business Card Company can advise you in all of these areas. Call today to discuss your individual requirements, we'd be happy to help.  1300 346 996

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May 17, 2010  -  

Getting your logo right


A good logo is what helps your public remember your business. The right one can be one of your strongest marketing tools.

To choose a logo for your business:

  1. Give some thought to what you want your business to represent in terms of quality, creativity, and value.
  2. Check out your competition. What type of logos are they using? You don't want to be similar or your logo will not differentiate you from them.
  3. Colors and shapes need to be evaluated. Are there any that would provide negative or positive effects in your industry?
  4. Locate a good graphic artist. Providing them with the information about your business, its name, and any other relevant information, contract with them to design you a number of possible logos.
  5. Test market the logos with family, friends, and potential clients.
  6. Ask the graphic artist to revise the logo based on the input you have received.
  7. Test market and revise one more time.
  8. If desired, trademark the logo.
  9. Have your letterhead, business cards, signs and packaging printed!

Tips:

Always add the name of the business under the logo. That helps customers in associating it with your business.

Logos do not necessarily need be a graphic icon. Graphically customising your business name can also be quite effective.

When using a graphic designer, be certain to acquire all legal rights for present and future use.

This article first appeared on www.smallbusinessnotes.com

See some of our logo designs. Contact us regarding your logo design.

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Apr 10, 2010  -  

The secret is out - the better your business looks, the better it will perform


In BRW Magazine's Fast Starters Edition of 2008 Professor Kosmas Smyrnios exlpains how everything from "the product to the logo and the office layout, good design is integral to any company's success".

"A series of local and international research reports, including the BRW Fast Starters survey, shows that good design can mean the difference between a mediocre performance and an outstanding one.

Design includes everything from the company logo, marketing material and product packaging to office design and layout.

The reports show that good design and positive company performance run in tandem; businesses with an integrated design strategy usually outperform the industry average.

A staggering 78 per cent of Fast Starters say they use design as part of their business strategy."

At The Business Card Company design is one of the cornerstones of our product. We aim to create an image for your organisation that generates the impression you're looking for in the minds of your prospects and customers.

We can either work with your existing logo and design elements to maintain a consistent image across your printed material; or we can create a logo from scratch that truly reflects your business and then carry that brand through the production of your business cards, corporate stationery, brochures and other advertising material.

For more information about how The Business Card Company can help you with design, please call us on 1300 346 996 or contact us.

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Dec 24, 2009  -  

Quoting Shopping Cart now added!


The Business Card Company are excited to launch our online Quote Submission.

Using our Product Catalogue you can now browse all of our products, customize options, get an instant price and finally submit your order via email. 

To see what we've done, start by checking out our Business Cards

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Jun 20, 2009  -  

The Business Card Company Special Offers Brochure Q2/2009


The Business Card Company's special offer is being delivered to businesses now. If you'd like to receive a copy, email us with your postal address by clicking here.

It includes offers for Business Cards, Leaflet design and printing, and printed Business Stationery packs.

Watch this space for details on our soon to be launched direct marketing package which includes writing, design, printing and delivery to your business's catchment area.

It's an extremely cost effective way of building the profile of your business in your local district, advertising your services and highlighting special offers.

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May 19, 2009  -  

CFI reveals power of print for brand loyalty


Effective use of print boosts customer satisfaction and helps shoppers make better purchasing decisions, according to leading customer satisfaction specialist CFI Group.

The company released its UK Customer Satisfaction Index for the retail sector at the end of February. Vice-president Xavier Quenaudon said: "Our work with long-standing retail clients has demonstrated the significant leverage of print to drive satisfaction and purchasing behaviour. "It's a matter of providing the right mix of quantity and quality of information, to optimise customers' overall shopping experience and satisfaction with their retailer," he added. Meanwhile, Major UK supermarket, Waitrose has used direct mail to promote its own customer engagement programme, MyWaitrose. Marc Nohr, managing partner at marketing agency Kitcatt Nohr, said: "MyWaitrose will reward customers by allowing them to interact with the brand and have a real influence on product and service innovation." Waitrose marketing manager Jane Orchard said; "We want our customers to have a voice and be able to influence the way we work."

This article first appeared on printweek.com.

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Feb 22, 2009  -  

Don't underestimate the power of your business image


It is no longer enough just to sell your service or product. You need to aim your service or product at a particular market and inform that market of your product or service. Let them know that what you sell is meant for them and why. Smart positioning depends on understanding the target market and the image that market expects to see when buying your product or service.

This article will guide you through the process of identifying key characteristics of your product or service and then highlighting them through the public face your business puts on by projecting an image. Before you go through this process, you should know the target market, the competition, and the key features of your product or service.

To begin, look at the image of the product or service you are selling. List the factors that can influence your customer's decision to spend money with you. Include general characteristics without judging how your product or service relates to the trait.

Example: Furniture Business

The following list represents just a few ways that furniture retailers have positioned themselves.

  • Inexpensive furniture
  • Moderately priced furniture
  • Expensive furniture
  • Oak furniture
  • Unfinished furniture
  • Antique furniture
  • Office furniture
  • Used furniture
  • Southwestern furniture
  • Low quality furniture
  • Assemble-it yourself furniture
  • High quality furniture    
  • Free delivery

Next, examine your strongest competitor. Looking at the characteristics you just listed, what does your competitor emphasize in marketing materials? Ask your customers what they notice about the competition, both good and bad. Be honest; this is for your eyes alone.

Now, list the most outstanding or noticeable aspects of your service or product.

  • Ask for input from your customers.
  • Are there things you can do to directly address the weaknesses of your competition? Using the furniture business example, if your competition sells used furniture and the customers you surveyed said that the furniture at their store is dirty and in need of small repairs, you can emphasize that your used furniture is reconditioned.

Now, look at the image projected by your business.

  • How do your customers come in contact with your business? Do they arrive through word of mouth, through direct contact with you, by reading a letter you have written, through an advertising piece, through your business card, or by reading a label on a product you sell? All of these methods project some image of your business. What that image is, including your business name, reflects your position in the market. Would you expect specialty chocolates to be dropped into the bottom of a brown paper bag when you purchase them? You must decide upon the image you want your business to project.
  • Think about how you present yourself. This is most critical if you are a service business. The impression you create in face-to-face contact must reflect your position in the market and create a market opportunity for your business every time you speak to others. People are seeking your credibility on the product or service you sell. Convincing others of your credibility requires two key elements:
  • Knowledge - You must be seen as knowledgeable about the product or service you are selling or promoting by providing expert information.
  • Trust - Customers must believe you will act with their best interests in mind.
  • Credibility and visibility go hand-in-hand. You need to demonstrate your expertise, trustworthiness, and concern for your customer's welfare. How will you do this? Marketing yourself is an active process. It requires you to assert yourself, make your audience aware of you (even if it is only one person), grab their attention, and then focus that attention on your credibility. To establish and maintain your credibility, you must follow your words with action.
  • List all the paper involved in your business (tags, boxes, stationery, invoices, receipts, and cards) How does your image and name reflect your position in the marketplace? Does it communicate the strength you have in the market (price, service, and convenience)?
  • How do you present yourself to the customer, especially in a service business? How do you answer your phones? How do you leave messages? What does your answering message say? Do you have special clothing or transportation that form part of your image?
  • Name your favorite product or service. What image do you have of them? What does it say to you? Why do you buy from them?
  • Think of your business. What image would a customer get of you? Why?

Business image is extremely important to customers who have many choices in deciding where to spend their money. It also affects whether or not someone will return to you in the future. Customers will leave you for many reasons, but almost 70% leave due to a poor attitude exhibited by employees of the business. This is easily avoidable if you understand what the customer wants and then communicate the image you want to project to all of your employees. Remember to talk periodically to your customers about your image. This is a good way to make sure that your customers view the business in the way you want it to be seen.

This article first appeared on www.smallbusinessnotes.com  

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