How to Make a Successful Business Card for Networking Events

As an avid conference attender, I love traveling to new places and meeting cool people. But I’m the first to admit that the conference scene can be tiring. And talk about sensory overload! There’s so much to do, see, and hear at every event.

When the people I meet turn into a blur of faces, I rely on their business cards to jog my memory. Some cards are really fun and creative, so I immediately recall the people who gave them to me. But when a card has a Plain Jane design, it doesn’t do a whole lot to help me remember.

I also realized I’m not the only one doing this—people are judging my business card, too. I knew I needed to learn about creating an effective business card if I wanted people to remember who I am. My research turned up some great ways to customize a business card. Here are my three favorites:

Creative Shapes

I almost always receive rectangular business cards, so cards with other shapes really stick out in my mind. And sure enough, that’s one of the first tips I found for creating a good business card—changing the shape.

One idea is to make a business card look like a miniature product. This is an adorable idea for many stores. A bakery could have a card shaped like a cupcake, or a clothing store could have a card shaped like a dress. One time, I saw a card for a Pilates studio that looked like a little person—it even had hinged joints so it could do Pilates poses.

But since I specialize in branding, a product-inspired card isn’t the best idea (because who knows what branding is shaped like?) I’d be better off with a geometric shape like a circle, which would like the O in Jen Oni.

Bold Colors

You’ve probably noticed by now that I love purple. There’s something about a deep, rich purple that appeals to me (probably because of its long history as the color of royalty and creativity!) Since purple is an important part of my identity—and my brand—it’s the perfect color for my business card.

Colorful business cards are extremely effective. Think about it—if you collect a stack of cards at a conference and there’s one purple card among twenty white cards, you’re going to notice the purple card.

The trick is to pick the right color for your brand. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s your favorite color (although if you run a personal brand like me, that may happen). Mostly, it means the color conveys the right “personality” for your brand. So if your brand is all about efficiency, orange is a good color—even if your personal favorite is blue. You’ll need to learn what colors mean so you can make this choice.

Fun Fonts

Each font comes with its own set of connotations, just like colors. My logo features two fonts. The bigger one is a cool script with a paintbrush effect. I think it really shows off my playful personality, but it’s also a powerhouse color—black—to make it clear I get stuff done. The smaller sans serif font is more professional, with the purple color adding a creative element.

The typefaces on your business card will send a message to the people you meet; while you can adjust this message with colors and sizing, the font itself is the foundation. Take these great fonts from designer Massimo Vignelli’s collection —each one has its own “flavor” that makes it 100% unique.

Great display fonts help people get a feel for your brand’s identity. They work well for writing your company name at large sizes. But for contact info, readability is king. Small serif or sans serif fonts work best—they’re low key and professional, yet have enough variations to create a clear brand identity.

Want to learn how to turn these elements into a good business card?

I asked a team of graphic artists who work with business card designs regularly, and they revealed the eight steps to creating a good business card:

1. Choose the right contact info
2. Include images
3. Select unique materials
4. Pick a creative shape
5. Select imprint method(s)
6. Choose color and typography
7. Lay out your design
8. Finalize the format

Home Décor: Workspace Simple Redesign

This Spring I started a home décor redesign and my work space was a priority. I can’t work productively in clutter especially if I’m not comfortable. Every Spring I have an urge to purge in the midst of “Spring Cleaning” and I get rid of so many things. I have a habit to try and hold onto things but, I am learning that I have to let things go! I always accumulate “stuff” from traveling, conferences, events, contests and shopping. I’ve come to the conclusion that everything has a cycle and I can’t keep EVERYTHING!

Late last year I stepped away from the corporate world and had worked from home for roughly three and a half years. I had a home office with all the necessary equipment and office supplies that I would need. I had an Expedit Shelf with desk from Ikea. It was on the bulky side but, was a space saver because of the shelving. I stored lots of paperwork, books and files neatly. My printer even sat on my desktop and I had enough space to still work with no issues.

Once I separated from the company all the equipment, my desk and office supplies were returned to the company. Things were all over the place and I felt displaced because my once organized space wasn’t so organized anymore. I set out to change all of that. I knew that I wanted something simple and I’m trying to be more of a minimalist. I’ve always had a simple is better type of mindset. I am like that with my content creation, designing websites and redecorating spaces. KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid!

I set out to shop for a desk and didn’t fall head over heels in love with anything. My sister had an extra desk in her house and asked me if I wanted to take a look at it, and if I liked it I could have it! It’s a simple wooden desk and stool from Pier 1 Imports. I loved it! Once I got my desk it was time to get some wall art and home office décor. Not long ago I reviewed a modern map art print and set out to find the perfect frame. Michael’s had 40% off the original ticketed price for a 24” x 36” frame, I got lucky!

My JenOni Custom Street Sign would be placed on the wall right below my Durham Modern Map Art. The other wall was bare and I needed to add something so I went out and bought a stylish contemporary design wooden frame decorative bulletin board. I found the cutest art deco desk lamp on Amazon to match my black and white color scheme. Once my lamp arrived I put it together and sat it on my desk and it looked great. This scene was really coming together better than I could have imagined.

I wouldn’t be functioning without the help of my Google Assistant. My Google Assistant is used 24/7! Have you checked out all the upgrades? I am on Team Android so my Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, Moto 360, Lenovo YOGA Book and Google Home are there to help me at any given moment. I think “Okay Google” is the most said thing around my home. The kids take advantage of our SmartHome. Everything from using the Google Home to manipulate our Philips Hue Lighting, listening to music and asking lots of questions.

I’m pleased with my updated work space and can’t wait to embark on other projects to share with you.

Have you done any home decor redesigns or DIY projects lately?

Get Better Skin Care Results Using the Olay Skin Advisor

The Olay Skin Care Advisor is a great resource to use when you are in the midst of skin care uncertainty. I was totally surprised by how user friendly it was and it didn’t take much time at all. When you use the Olay Skin Advisor you receive a personalized skin care regimen in four simple steps. The great part is you can do this all on the convenience of your mobile phone. 1st you snap a photo, 2nd you’ll need to answer some questions about your skin, 3rd is reviewing your skin analysis and 4th is to discover your regimen.

When I took the Skin Care Analysis it calculated me at my current age. I will take that as a good thing that it didn’t put any additional years on me. My skin age is 38! The skin care advisor will analyze the five aging areas (Forehead, Crow’s Feet, Under Eye, Cheek & Mouth) to prioritize how to best care for your skin. My best area was my forehead and I can use some improvement under my eyes. I’m not surprised, I have allergies and a horrible sleeping schedule which I’m sure contributes to that.

Once you have reviewed your analysis you will receive Olay Skin Care Product recommendations based on your answers to the questions that were asked and photograph taken of your skin. My recommendations were the Olay Luminous Brightening Cream Cleanser with advanced tone perfecting and Olay Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream. The Cleanser is a new formula with more exfoliators. The Advanced Tone Perfecting Moisturizer fades dark spots and evens your skin tone.

First things first… I needed to head over to my neighborhood Walmart Supercenter to buy the recommended Olay Beauty Products. I participated in the 28 Day – Olay Skin Advisor Study and used this new regimen daily for roughly one month as my new daily beauty routine. There was an immediate noticable difference. My skin feels so soft and smooth like fine silk. I did have a couple of dark spots (one on my forehead and the other on my cheek) that I can barely see anymore. The tone of my skin has definitely evened out and looks great!

I was curious to see what the skin advisor would say if I took the analysis again. Wouldn’t you know that it took two years off of my skins age. It also recommended a few different products based on my photo and questions asked. Just know if I continue to keep using this regimen, I’ll be back telling you my skin age is 30 in no time. This has been my consistent routine for the last month so you can imagine what the results will be in another month. Visit Olay and take the skin analysis! It’s really fun and insightful!

Okay, so here is my daily routine! Step (1) Wet my face with warm water. (2) Use just enough Olay Luminous Cream Cleanser to massage over my entire face. (3) Rinse my face. (4) Use the Olay Luminous Tone perfecting Cream and put it evenly over my entire cleansed face and neck. This is done twice a day in the morning and at night. Makeup is not a regular thing for me, so I’m usually bare faced. I will do a mascara and lipstick or gloss at the bare minimum and do a full face for a special event. I’m plain Jen over here!

What are your skin problem areas? Check out the Olay Skin Advisor!

Disclosure: Thank you to Olay – 28 Day Skin Study for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed are 100% honest and completely my own. #28DaysOfOlay

7 Valuable Lessons from My First Year in Business

Last year I took steps to re-brand, incorporate my blog and open a business bank account to separate my personal and business income. It’s so quick how an entire year goes by. Here are some obstacles and lessons I’ve learned along the way. It’s funny how tax time will bring things to light and have you more organized than you’ve ever been. At least that’s been my personal experience.

  • Shame on me… During my first year of business I didn’t use bookkeeping software to keep track of my income or expenses. I just relied on my bank statements and PayPal transaction history. I didn’t realize how well I did until I had to file my business taxes and account for all the income and expenses. Lesson: Use bookkeeping software, save your receipts and stay organized.
  • When you see everything on paper in detail right in front of you it puts everything into perspective. It wasn’t until I pulled reports on PayPal to see my income and expenses and did the same with my bank statements that I was able to itemize my expenses and see where I was spending money. Also a huge eye opener on how much I spent this year. I would have never imagined!
  • A Business Consulting Firm with a tax accountant handled filing my 2016 business and personal income tax. There was anxiety created when I got my accounting invoice. I was not prepared for it. My fees were as follows: I had to pay the filing fee, preparation fee, corporate tax and annual fee. I knew about the expenses but, didn’t anticipate the total amount invoiced to me. I know better for next year.
  • FYI: Businesses have until the 31st of January to send out 1099’s to any person that the business issued more than $600 in income payments within a year. You have to have your business taxes filed by the 15th of March and personal taxes need to be filed by the 15th of April. This is mandatory every year, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Annual filing… Be on time!
  • Moving forward I will use better accounting practices starting with using a bookkeeping system. I also know nothing about tax preparation so delegating that task to a professional was probably the best decision I made. This is the first time I have ever really delegated anything business related and honestly I need to do it with some other tasks I have on my plate. I can’t do it all!
  • Every state has different business related registration fees and tax filing laws and obligations. Keep in mind that these fees are annual. Some states don’t collect income taxes, and others have no sales or use tax. There are also federal business taxes in addition to your local state taxes. Do your research and find out these things in advance so you are not surprised by it.
  • Your 1st year in business will have obstacles and there may be some moments of trial and error but, if you are passionate about it stay the course. In the end you will reap the benefits of your hard work. I definitely wasn’t as organized as I needed to be last year and that has taught me to do better this year. I can’t wait to see what 2017 has in store for me. It’s off to a great start!

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    What valuable lessons have you learned being in business?

    error: Ask And You Shall Receive!!