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Your business card and logo should be more than just a piece of paper with your name on it. Always think of it as a marketing tool. A marketing tool that should be ready at any time to help 'pitch' your business or services.

Your business card and logo should be more than just a piece of paper with your name on it. Always think of it as a marketing tool. A marketing tool that should be ready at any time to help 'pitch' your business or services.

If a person you're speaking to asks for your business card, what would you want the card to say about you and your business?

The 1st thing you'll want to do is, of course have your name, phone number, email address (mandatory!), and a nice looking logo on the card. It should all be easy to read with no small print. Black and white cards provide for a nice effect - but color sells. Remember that.

If your business is a promoting a specific product or service, print that at the top of your business card. You may even attach a note to the card.

Should your promotions change all the time or if you meet a prospective client and decided on the spot to offer them some type of special, consider printing your cards on a stock of paper, which will allow you to write on them.

A great way to get your name out there by using your business cards is to attend networking events. These types of events can expose you to many prospective clients or give you introductions to industry contacts. Be sure to bring a stack of cards and hand them out to as many people as possible.

In fact, no matter where you are, always keep some business cards with you. Put them in your wallet, or a business card holder. Keep some in your car, your home, your briefcase, your laptop case, or anyplace that will help you stay marketing ready.

Think about places you visit on a frequent basis, maybe your local dry cleaner or coffee shop has bulletin board where you could stick up your business.

If your favorite restaurant is holding one of those contests where your business card could win you free lunch, take advantage of it. If you win, you could use it to take prospective clients to lunch.

If you have friends or family members who have a lot of great contacts, consider giving them some of your cards to hand out to these clients. Ask them to write a note on the card to remind their contact of how they know you or got your card.

When you meet a new contact, don't just hand them the card, write a quick note on it, if you have the chance. This is a great way to show them you are truly interested in their business and that the conversation you had made an impression. This can also help them always keep you top of mind should they run across your card a later time.

The most important thing to remember about business cards, is to hand them out, hand them out. We all have boxes full of business cards sitting on our desk collecting dust. You didn't invest in business cards so they could act as a paperweight.

If your cards aren't being launched on the world, you're losing out on a valuable and simple marketing technique.