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Shameless Self-Promotion by Ann Sheppard of Such Pretty Colors [in spots #118/119]
Sometimes Self-Promotion can be hard for us. We are taught not to 'brag'. But you can positively and enthusiastically promote yourself without bragging.This column will give a tip each week, just little ways you can promote your business in your daily life.
Tip #1
Make sure you have a good, professional looking business card. Your business card represents you, and it's a little piece of you that people keep around to remind them of you. You want it to look good. It's part of your 'brand', so try to keep it in line with the aesthetic and level of your work. :)
Things to include:
- Business name
- Your name
- What you do - my card says 'Patchwork and Other Goodies'
- Phone number [although some people might not want to share this with strangers]
- Email address
- Website
- Where you can be found - for instance I put 'Sat Sun & Wed at A2 Farmer's Market April-Xmas' right on my card
- Any other info you want to give customers - my cards say "custom work available"
Some resources:
Go in and talk you your local neighborhood printer. Supporting local is great, and remember, you will save shipping. Ask to see examples of finished work to make sure it looks good.
http://www.copymax.com - I couldn't get onto this site because I have a Mac. :( But, I believe you can get a basic business card from Copy Max [in Office Max] at a great low price.
http://www.VistaPrint.com - be careful with these guys. You get 250 free business cards and only pay $5.65 shipping and handling. They offer GREAT prices, but they do it by trying to trick you into accidentally signing up for 'FREE' offers that charge you $20 or $30 per month on your credit card. DO NOT accept any free offers [other than their product] or check any boxes. You can order 1 of each free product on each order [sometimes magnets, sticky notes, pens, etc]. 250 color business cards costs $5.65 total. You can also upload your own graphic for an extra charge, $4.99 I believe.
http://www.overnightprints.com - people who want to stay away from VistaPrints shady practices often like Overnightprints. :) I've heard some minor complaints about the colors being off, but have heard other folks say they are perfect.
http://www.moo.com/ - these are the Cadillac of business cards. Moo cards have your photos on the front and your info on the back. You can use a different photo on each card, or any mixture you choose. You can upload the images directly from your computer or from a variety of image-hosting sites like Flickr or even Etsy. [Flickr and Etsy will get their own columns later!]. They are narrower [and more exciting] than regular business cards.
If none of these are right for you, you can always Google for other online printers...Go get 'em! Next time, we can talk about what to do with them once you have them.
