Ideas for Networking with Business Cards

Your success is directly related to the people you know and the people who know you. Networking is a prime opportunity for making yourself more visible. It's all about building relationships, and it goes hand in hand with your business card. Your cards are the reminder you leave with new contacts, of who you are and how you can help prospects. Make them count.

Building a large and powerful network takes years, not months. It starts with having a business card that does the job you want it to. Your goal should be to get your card into the hands of the right people and keep it out of their trash bins. When you get to know people and collect their cards and contact information, connect other members of your network with each other to help them reach their goals.

Networking extends beyond the business world into your personal life, and is helpful when making friends, looking for a job, or even meeting your spouse. You can use business cards in a variety of ways to meet different people. They are inexpensive enough to print different cards, and to print them in large quantities.

For example, if you have recently moved, cheap business cards are the way to go to share your new address information. You can print thousands of them to share with your contacts, from the most distant relationship (such as your electric company) to the most personal (such as your best friend). Personal business cards such as these make a great way to introduce yourself to people in your new neighborhood, to other community members, and to your children's teachers and coaches.

Designing them is much less restrictive than the rules your company may place on business card design. You can highlight your hobby, interests, or a favorite color or font with the design. Also, you only have to reveal the information you want to -- a PO box instead of a physical address, a free email address instead of a monitored work address or other forms of obfuscation.

Don't have a business, or a job? Consider having inexpensive cards printed to use in your job search. These are great for networking meetings while you are changing careers or searching for a job. It's bad form to use your old company's business card or to cross out old information and handwrite the new info. Instead, spend a few dollars and have your cell phone number and home email printed. Be sure to state your job objective, resume highlights, or your most valuable skill on this type of card.

You might be tempted to make your business cards at home if you run a home-based business or are between jobs. Please resist this temptation. A business card should display professionalism, and have a substantial weight to it. Homemade cards are likely to tear easily, peel, or get folded and bent because of the lightweight paper they are printed on. Ink from your printer will run if the card gets wet. Again, your business cards do not have to be fancy or expensive to meet your objectives--but they should be professionally printed.

No matter what your goals are or how you define your success, you cannot do it alone. Nobody has found a miracle cure or built a multi-billion dollar corporation without help. Use your cards as an integral part of your overall networking strategy, and you will find that the help you give others comes back to you exponentially.