Contractor Business Cards – Perception is Reality

As a construction professional I am constantly trading contractor business cards with my peers.  It’s a tradition that not only fosters relationships and goodwill but also helps to increase the business load for everyone involved.  I’ve seen some cards that were so bad as to be laughable, some that were so outstanding that they made me jealous, and many that were somewhere in the middle.  This experience has led me to make some general conclusions about business cards in the home improvement industry.
Let me start with the assertion that perception is reality.  This term is tossed around a lot in marketing circles, and for good reason.  When you engage the attention of a homeowner and potential client they will immediately begin to analyze you and your business to see if you’d be a good match.  Therefore, the first cues that you offer them are extremely important because they begin to shape a “reality” in their mind.  If the first thing you hand them is your business card and it looks unprofessional then you’re already setting the stage for them to perceive that your whole business is unprofessional, even though the reality might be that your trade skills are excellent.  Remember that people will being to make assumptions about you from the very beginning, so you need to get it right.
This means that you should eschew that idea of making contractor business cards on your home computer.  Instead, use an online professional to design and print clean and concise cards for you.  I guarantee that it How Stressful Is Being An Electrician will go miles in making you and your company look more professional to prospective customers.  It’s an easy hurdle to jump if only you are willing to part ways with creative control and just a little bit of money.
If you can’t afford to have your cards professionally designed then allow me to offer a few tips.  I recommend a basic, white background that has your firm’s logo printed on one half of the face.  The other half should have your contact information, your credentials, your awards, your trade license number, and your insurance information.  Make it informative without going so far as to make it a novel.  If you were thinking about sticking a goofy picture or cartoon on it then take my advice and trash this idea.  Remember, you want to look like you have your act together, not like you work out of your garage and your five year-old designed your business cards for you.
In general, this all amounts to using some common sense in order to move your business forward.  Put yourself in the shoes of a homeowner and honestly assess your marketing materials.  If you come Alternative Careers For Electricians to the conclusion that they need an overhaul then just do it.  It may be expensive but the bigger expense would be to lose countless jobs down the road because your business cards look so awful.