How to create standout business cards for your bakery
Chances are, one of the first bits of marketing you will get yourself once you start up your baking business, is a business card. They are easy to carry around with you wherever you go, you can hand them out to friends and family, pin them on notice boards, leave them in local shops or even use them in your packaging by attaching them to your cake boxes. They also have the benefit of being affordable and there are many sites out there that make it easy to design your own or use a template.
With business card production being totally accessible to all, it can sometimes mean that good design of is forgotten. I don’t want that to happen to you, so if you are planning on using a ‘design your own service’ for your cards….read on!
BE CLEAR AND CONCISE
The single most important thing about business card design is that the information is conveyed clearly. This information may be slightly different depending upon how you will be using the business cards, but whatever it is that you need customers to know needs to be really clear when they pick up the card.
Generally the most important information will be:
Business name
What your selling
Some form of contact information
The standard layout will be business name or logo on one side, with your name and information on the reverse. This part can be played around with, as I’ll mention later, but they key is making sure people know how to get in touch if they need your products so keep is short and simple.
Bonus note - I used my business cards to create sample giveaways of macarons. Customers got a taster of my product and all of my details are on the business card for when they want to get some more!
GRAPHICS & PHOTOS
An eye catching design or photograph will really help the appeal and memorability of your business card. If you have a beautiful logo or delicious looking cake picture on your cards, people are much more likely to remember you and your business. If you already have a logo, be sure you use it smartly on your business card. Sometimes an alternative arrangement is required to make the most of the card format, so either keep this in mind if your designing your own logo or mention it to your designer.
If you don’t yet have a brand or logo designed, then this is a great opportunity to show off your products. Choose one well photographed image, I find that images with a simple coloured or white background look best, or ‘birds-eye’ photos of multiple products, like cupcakes or macarons work well as they have a strong graphic quality to them (just like the photo in the title image up above).
Note:
If you want to use a graphic on your business card be wary of using ‘clip-art’ type images. It’s true that there are some beautiful images that can be downloaded online for things like business cards, but generally free images are not of the best quality and will leave your design looking unprofessional. If you don’t have a logo or a designer to help out, this could be a great occasion for using photos. Otherwise, check out websites like Creative Market where you can purchase high quality graphics and images to compliment your design and brand.
FOLLOW THE CONSTRAINTS
If you are using websites like Vistaprint or Moo, and uploading your own design, rather than using their online templates, be sure to check their design guides. Here you will usually find downloadable templates for Photoshop, Illustrator, etc that are preset to the right colour profile, sizes, print area and bleed area, to be sure that your card will look just as you expect when it’s printed out. Another thing to keep in mind, is that it is not advisable to use a border on your business card design. This is to avoid your card design looking uneven when the cards are cut, with different sized margins, or squint lines.
COLOUR
Colour can be a really important element to your business card and can help make it much more eye catching. If you have a brand design for your business stick to the same palette of colours to give a cohesive look across all of your marketing materials. It will also help customers start to associate you with certain colours and styles. I would suggest sticking to one or two colours for your card, as you don’t want to make it too busy, although if there is a good amount of ‘white space’ then you can get away with it - see below! If you have a couple of colours that you’d like to use think about making two or three versions of your business cards - for example one with pink as the accent colour, one with blue and one with yellow. Most business card websites will allow you have have alternative designs at no extra charge.
STAND OUT
The end game for your business card is getting more sales, which will happen if customers remember you whenever they need the thing you produce, and that will happen if you really stand out! As always a delicious product is the key to building a great business but as insignificant as it may seem a business card can help. You can make your card stand out through a logo, a bright colour, contrast, gold accents, different card material, an alternative shape. The possibilities are endless. Have a look at all of the options your printer or online card service offers before making a final decision.
...BUT KEEP IT SIMPLE
I know, I know! I just listed off all of the exciting things you could do with your business card, and I stand by them, but each element I mentioned should be used sparingly and if you’re in any doubt, less is always more, so stick with a strong image and clear information.
If you have any questions about business card design please comment below or get in touch, I’d love to help you out. If you’re interested in working with me to create your own business card design, click below.
