How important is your business card? What purpose does it serve? Should your line of business influence your business card design?
Let’s take an air conditioning repair service for example…I always take a business more seriously if the owner has gone to the trouble to have a card printed, but the only other parts that are important to me when choosing a business of this kind are the business name, phone number and website address (if applicable). In other words, don’t hand me your number scribbled across a grease stained post-it note…but you don’t need a letterpress business card to earn my business.
Now let’s talk about a floral design business…I (and most discriminating customers) look at the business card of a floral design business as an expression of the designer’s personality and artistic style. Many times I discover a favorite new designer because I see a business card or logo or ad…and it clearly portrays his/her style…a style which appeals to me. Sometimes a card accurately portrays the designer’s style and the style doesn’t appeal to me, but it appeals to someone else. Either way, the designer has created an effective card.
In addition to design style, I look for the business name, the designer’s name, and contact info (phone # and website address). For a retail florist, business hours are also helpful.
My first card looked like this…
…initially I took daily orders and wanted a card that reflected the fun I was having…hence the informal font and stripes…after a couple of years, I narrowed my focus to weddings and events and decided to go with a more classic look…with a modern edge…hence, the square shape and black/white palette. These cards were printed by Crane & Co. and featured a letterpress design on heavy paper…I loved the way these cards felt in my hand and was always proud to present one to a prospective bride…
If you’re looking for examples of great looking business cards, check out Card Observer…they have an extensive gallery that’s sure to inspire. Let me show you some examples…not all are floral designers, but all are artistic…and most are letterpress designs…because I love letterpress!
Another favorite…Gia Canali’s photography is as artistic as her card…
For more inspiration, visit Smock…here’s a glimpse of what you’ll find…
Two more cards I love…I made notes to credit these to Vandelay Designs but I don’t see them on that website as I write…if you know who designed these let me know…still want to share them with you…they’re amazing…
Another idea that makes perfect sense for a floral designer is featuring a photo of an arrangement created by the designer…
image via Fleurology
We’ve seen square and rectangular cards…here’s a fun round card…
designed by Posh Girl Boutique for Never a Plain Jane
What about printed materials to coordinate with the business card? I love the idea of having coordinating correspondence cards, gift certificates, business cards and gift tags. Rebecca Honeywell Photography does a beautiful job of creating a consistent image with printed materials…
…sooo beautiful…would you assume by Rebecca’s printed materials that she pays special attention to detail in her work and provides exceptional photography for her clients? I would…
One practical thing I did when I opened Bliss Flower Studio…I had a rubber stamp made from my logo. I have a weakness for TJ Maxx and Tuesday Morning and occasionally I fell in love with note cards or stationery that coordinated with my business cards, but could only find a limited amount. I could buy a pack or two and apply my logo using the stamp…fun and economical…and a good way to keep boredom at bay! I also bought oval stickers that I could stamp with my logo and attach to gift boxes for daily deliveries. Later I used the square business cards on the gift boxes and attached the recipient's name to the actual arrangement…
Whew! Hope you find some part of this post helpful. As always, if you have something to add to today’s post, leave a comment or email me. I love hearing your ideas and seeing pictures of your work.
Have a great Wednesday!
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