Business card
Also called: business card, name card or visiting card
A business card is a card made of paper or cardboard that displays the contact information of a person or organization. Business cards are a convenient way to give this information to someone. Thanks to the business card, the recipient has information to contact the owner of the card again.
Business cards are often designed by a graphic designer and printed by a printing company. Nowadays it is also possible to design your own business card via the Internet. A business card determines the impression one leaves on the recipient. For a professional appearance it is therefore important that it looks neat and is executed in the corporate identity of the organization.
Content of a business card
What is usually seen on a business card:
- Employee name
- Function of employee
- Name of company/organization
- Direct phone number
- Direct email address
- Visiting address of organization (plus any mailing address)
- Website of organization
- A payoff or slogan
Business cards can be printed double-sided and single-sided. To ensure that a business card stays looking good, they are often made of thick paper or cardboard and coated with a protective layer. When designing a business card, it can be helpful to keep in mind to leave space free to write a comment on the card.
Business card in the metaphorical sense
The term "business card" is also used figuratively: A person is the company's business card or signboard. The business card then refers to the (first) impression a person leaves behind.
Digital business card
There are also digital counterparts to the paper business card. The details of a person and company can, of course, also be stored in a file. When computers became commonplace, business cards did come in the form of a CD-ROM. With the Internet, however, it is no longer necessary to exchange data physically. It can also be done, for example, via e-mail, a download on a website or via a QR code.
A popular standard for digital business cards is vCard.
