Business cards: the power of paper rectangles

"I do a lot of freelance work in a lot of different areas," he says. "So I thought, why worry about listing everything on a card when Google will do it for me?" In case you don't make it online, Mr. Verzola's card also acts as a pint-sized portfolio. "On the backs, I printed some of my photos," he adds. "When people see them, we often get into a conversation about my work and they'll ask, 'Do you have any others?' I pull out a batch of them, and they'll walk away with maybe two or three copies of my card."

For those seeking a more daring design, Mr. Post says there's nothing wrong with slicing away at a card's edges. "For example, a guy who runs an auto mechanic shop could cut the top of his card into the shape of a car," he says.

Tanya Harper decided to snip off a whole inch and a half, creating a square business card for Pangea Salon, a hair stylist shop that she opened in Manhattan earlier this year. She designed the card's bright stripes with a friend using Photoshop to reflect the teal and orange hues of her store.

"I wanted the card to be fun and original, just like the salon," says Ms. Harper. "We've definitely gotten a lot of business from the card. I hand it out to people I see on the street who have beautiful hair, and sooner or later they show up here ready for an appointment."

Last week, editors at the British car magazine Intersection got to play with their new cards. Printed on a thick stock, the design can be cut and folded into a model race car or police cruiser, with the contact info tucked up on the undercarriage.

"As with every product that's been around for years, the constraints of business cards can be challenged," says the magazine's creative director, Yorgo Tloupas, who made the car cards. These are the third and fourth car models the magazine has tried over the years. Each has been a hit, he says.

But designer beware: there's a fine line between unique and just strange. "You have to be very careful how far you go," warns Gallagher. "Too often people try to be creative and they come off as cute or clever, instead of brilliant and on the mark."

Career counselor Beverly Daniel remembers meeting a financial planner whose business card was made to look like a miniature dollar bill.

"I still remember that, but not in a good way," says Ms. Daniel, who runs the CareerGrowth Group in New York. "After seeing that, I didn't want to know more. The bill had said enough."

Well-designed cards can also jump-start professionals who have had their careers stall out on them.

"Cards are critical for people who are between jobs," says Daniel. "If you don't have one for networking, it tells people that you're not serious about finding that new job."

Such a card should read as a mini-résumé, she says. Briefly explain your past or desired job position – such as "operations manager with experience in a Fortune 500 company." But don't include your former employer. Some might think you still work there.

"It's understood in many corporate circles that handing out a business card without a company name means they are looking for work," she says. "So, the moment that they lose their jobs, they should be over at Staples printing out new cards."

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