Best Buy – Business Card Scanner Review
After collecting one too many business cards we all come to a point where we want to buy a business card scanner. The problem is knowing which scanner to go for and how it will perform. The initial concept behind card scanners was just simply to get rid of the hassle of having to keep too many business cards. Now the new range that has been improved can do a whole lot more than just scan cards.
Let’s review some of the more popular ones.
Scan2Web
Sometimes not all business cards are available for a physical scan. This scanner is suitable for people who collect business cards using some of the web based applications like ERP and CRM.
WorldCard
Another option to consider when you want to buy a business card scanner is the WorldCard. This product offers scanners that are able to recognize business cards in different languages, 15 to precise. The cards can be edited and updated without the need for rescanning.
Targus Mini USB scanner
This is one of the fastest scanners available. Unlike some scanners that you have to scan front and reverse sides of a business card, this scanner will be able to recognize both sides of the card in a single scan.
If you want to buy a business card scanner it is now more than just about convenience, there are now a whole more features that you can take advantage of depending on the scanner. You can get further reviews on the various available scanners.
CardScan
CardScan offers a comprehensive range of solutions that are quite adaptable to many of the business environments. You will be able to find the smallest of card scanners to an online backup system to accommodate larger companies and firms. The scanners can be easily linked into a network allowing group access and sharing.
Business – Visiting Cards
You can define a a business card to be – a small card identifying a person in connection with his or her business, given to a client, potential customer, etc.
Business card in some parts of the world is also called a visiting card. It is one of the most important elements of a business. A business card introduces you to the others. It informs the others about your name and the activity you are involved in. A business person cannot live without a business card. It is the most important and elegant way of introducing you, your services and or products to the others who may be interested in what you have to offer.
Now there are two types of business cards that are available to you. One is the print business card and the other is the email business card. The print business card is used in the real world where you do meet people in person and give it to them. In the virtual world, that is on the Internet too you pass on your business card and it is called the email business card.
So how do you go about getting yourself a print business card? The best way is to have a designer design it for you. Where do you find the designer? Look in the local yellow pages or get onto the net and do a little research. You would find one. Though the professionals suggest that an entrepreneur should seek the help of a designer, a cash-strapped individual may not be able to afford one. So what is the other alternative?
The solution is you should observe the business cards of the others. You must have come across plenty of business cards over the years. Go through them. Write down the best features that you find on those cards. Make note of all those features that in your opinion you should incorporate in your card. It may not be always possible to have all those features on your card for various reasons. It depends on the paper stock, the number of fonts, their size, the ink colors used and the size of the card itself, leave alone positioning it. Business cards come in various sizes and shapes. They may be vertical or horizontal. It could be a simple card, a two fold card or may be even a three fold card. Some times there could be something struck on the card itself. The so called simple card could also have some content on both sides of the card.
Now what should go on your business card? The name of your business of course. Along with the mission statement you have coined after considerable thinking. Now look at the elements that should go into the card.
The first thing is obviously your name. This should ideally be given with the designation / title. You can also indicate your academic qualification right next to it. For example:
Joe Bill, B. Sc – Sales Executive
You could mention your affiliations if any here along with your other professional and or academic designations.
You will also mention the department / division name followed by the name of the company. You will give the full and complete address of your company along with the postal code. You will also mention the land line numbers along with cell/mobile phone numbers. You will provide the company url along with your own email id. Of course you will also present the logo. In fact it is the most visible item on your business card.
While you can choose a simple single card and provide all the information on the one side, an innovative way of using the blank space would be to provide the address along with a street map or driving instructions on the other face of the card.
If you have a partner you can both share the same card. This is ideal in case of a wife and husband team. You both can use the same card giving out the details on either side of the card. In these times of recession it is only ideal that you save money where ever and whenever possible.
An innovative insurance sales person pasted a dime to his business card just so as to remind his clients politely, ‘you are never broke’ with my services.
It is helpful, however, to have something besides your name and location-just not too much. This distinguishes you from the competition. A minimum number of different typefaces should be used. A card should be simple in design yet eye-catching without being gaudy in color. Study other peoples cards to see which combinations present themselves best, and consider them for your own.
When you are making your calls make sure that you are fully prepared with ample business cards ready at hand. Keep your card where you can easily whip it out. Do not put them in your wallet or stash them in your briefcase. There are business card holders that would help you hold a number of cards. They keep the cards clean and in shape. They help you avoid giving out dog eared and or soiled cards. Put this card holder in your suit or shirt pocket. You do not have to dig it out of your back pocket while you are seated.
Try to find innovative ways of exchanging business cards while you are at parties or get to gathers, meets, conferences. A business card exchange need not necessarily happen at a formal business meet. When some one asks you where you live, pull out the card and give it.
At a restaurant or when you go out for a lunch, dinner let a card be there on the table. It would help someone reach you. Once in a while leave a card at the bank when you are filling in that deposit slip. Leave your card on the counter.
This little story appeared in a magazine. When this visiting British person, while in a Malaysian Hotel, asked a Japanese person in the swimming pool, “what do you do?”, the enterprising Japanese person, pulled out his business card from the trunks he was wearing and held it out.
With a little bit of searching on the net you can get some excellent free templates to help you create your very own business / visiting card.
Law Firm Business Card Design That Gets New Clients
I am asked from time to time what an attorney should do about their law firm business cards since they are about to get some new cards. Actually I would recommend you not wait until you run out of cards currently to think through your business card strategy. You may or may not have to throw out your current cards. That is not important. What is important is what results can you expect from your business cards. Let me list for you some guidelines for your business card strategy that will improve your results. Business cards need to be created to get you business are they not?
1. You probably need more than one type of law firm business card. One card that is conservative and is used in situations or with people you think will respond best to a more conservative card like other attorneys, court personnel, bankers, and the like. You need a more “sales oriented” card for other environments to be used in situations where you are dealing with some referral sources or with your prospective client. Particularly if your practice areas are family law, criminal law, personal injury, elder law, immigration law, residential real estate, etc. In fact if you market to an ethnic market like Hispanics then you need a third card that works for them and preferably has been done by a vendor who specializes in Hispanic work.
2. Please don’t use the templates available at your local printer or print them off your computer. Go to http://www.guru.com and hire a graphic artist to design your law firm business card. Do be sure it is readable for your market (older people need larger and easy reading fonts). Have them design a logo if you don’t have one as well. It will be inexpensive ($8 per hour and up) to hire a graphic artist type since this website is a worldwide marketplace. You can hire vendors from places like India, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Canada or the USA and be safe since they do understand our market. The United Kingdom is expensive with respect to the US dollar currently and they tend to be overly conservative for our market. Some USA vendors are young, eager and/or want to create a portfolio so their fees are low but their skills are fine for this purpose.
3. It is probably better if your law firm business card is at least a two-color card (maybe even a four color card for some practice areas like criminal law or personal injury for instance). What I mean here is either different color inks or a difference between the color of the card and the ink. You need something to make the card more visually interesting. Always use a quality paper for the card.
4. Be sure your website address is on the card and it is a domain name you own that reflects your practice area if possible. Naturally name, address and phone number as well on the card.
5. Consider putting your email address on your law firm business card or maybe instead of putting the website address. One caution here is be sure you have an email address on your card that is your own domain name and not AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo, or a vendor at your home like Comcast, Road Runner, Bell South or the like. Why? You don’t look like someone who is a solid business unless your domain name is one you own and is business/keyword related.
6. Consider putting your “slogan” on your law firm business card. One of mine is “Guiding your practice to increased revenues while reducing your work hours as you serve your clients better than ever.” Now, clearly a bit long for a business card and you get the idea. If you don’t put a slogan at least put something that indicates your major practice area focus on the card. Also you may need different cards for different practice areas thus more than 3 different cards (conservative, sales oriented, ethnic type for each major practice area) for some.
7. A bit more daring yet effective is putting an offer for a “free report” or “white paper” offer on your law firm business card. The article title needs to be very appealing to your market. Usually the article needs to be a “how to” or “7 ways to” or “secrets of” type of title. Maybe saying on the card “call or email me for the my complimentary report on XXX” on the card or even “download at xxx.com” which also doubles as putting your website address on the card.
8. Up to this point you probably have been thinking only about the front of your law firm business card. Let’s get a bit outside the box and think about the back of the card. How about that long slogan, the quote or the complimentary report offer on the back?
9. OK, lets get even more outside the box and say put your picture on the front of the card. Research on business cards shows those cards with a picture on the fronts are noticed, kept and remembered better than other cards without a photo.
10. Having said all of the above do be careful not to have the card cluttered so you don’t have to put everything I wrote about on your card.
Now you have it. Some ideas to consider with law firm business cards. I am sure some would say this is too much and maybe so. There is much to consider in law firm business cards that really makes a difference in getting you new clients or not.