Be creative and give your business cards a use and purpose. Make them a powerful marketing tool in the promotion of your business.

Your aim is to make your business card something that the receiver will want to keep and make use of. This is the difference between a well thought out and designed business card and a piece of paper with your contact details on it that will probably be thrown into the trash.

- Do not print your business cards larger than standard size. I have seen business cards that are printed larger than normal as the people maybe looking to make their cards stand out and make them more memorable. While this may sound like a good idea, it could result in your card not being able to fit into business card filing systems or easily into wallets. This is best avoided, so stick to standard or smaller sizes.

- Do not use some else's business card or a corrected business card. Scribbling your details over your old details or on someone else's business card and then giving to someone could reflect very badly on you and your company. Doing this could give the bad impression of being cheap and not being professional. Make sure you have enough of your own business cards and if you do not have your own, get them!

- Hand a card to the secretary when you arrive for an appointment. This will help her get your name right when she notifies her boss that you are there. It also makes sure your contact information is in the hand of the person who will probably be entering it into the data system. By the way, business cards are the business descendent of calling cards, small cards with the visitor's name on them, which were used to announce the visitor to the person being visited. Presenting a card when you arrive for an appointment demonstrates a little class and etiquette.

- Hand out a business card as you introduce yourself at meetings and networking events. Not only do people appreciate seeing the name they just heard, but putting a business card in someone's hand as you introduce yourself engages three senses while you have their attention (hearing, sight, and touch). The more they are engaged, the more likely they will remember you, which is the point, remember?

- Include a business card in greeting cards you send to customers or prospects. Especially if your business card has your photo on it, this will help them remember who you are, and remind them of your contact information. If they misplaced your card, this is a way to get it to them again without forcing them to ask for it. Also include your card with gifts you give to clients.

- There are some folks who cram up their business cards with all the information it can hold. This is not done, for a business card is business card and not sales literature. Let the additional info be there on your sales literature and keep the business card as simple as possible. This will ensure that the card will be able to pass across the information it was supposed to convey immediately. Would you rather want that the directort of a reputed company scanned all through your business card just to find your contact information? A proper business card design should have as much `white space' as possible on it. People should be able to access the necessary information immediately.

One simple way of preserving your business cards is holding all of them in a Business Card Holder. By this way you can have all your contact cards at one place and you don't have to look here and there when you need them. For business cards that you need very often you can keep them ready for handy use by putting them in a pocket business card holder or Desktop business card holders.