This Business About Business Cards

Websites are pivotal when working for yourself. Most people know this, they accept this, and they're thoroughly baffled by how to make it happen. Luckily for me, my experience as a project manager for two agencies specializing in building websites has given me some inside know-how on easy ways to make a website. The business cards were another story.

To get nice high quality business cards, you need design files. While I have more design skills than the average Jill, my experience is limited to saving files for web, not print. So I needed the help of designer, which can get expensive if you don't know people.

I should mention now that I am extremely blessed. I have some of the most fantastic connections in the city of Orlando. If you do not, then you need to figure out how to meet the people in your city who can hook you up and do it, but that's a subject for another post.

A very close friend of mine is one of the most talented people I know. She's been behind me the whole way supporting me in every step. She's my cheerleader, my mentor, and just an all-around great friend. I'm lucky that professionally she is also a designer. She is the genius behind my Managed By Rita logo, she collaborated on my website content, and she is the designer of my beautiful business cards.

She is also a full-time art director and part-time graphics professor for a local college, so understandably there was a waiting period for her to make room in her schedule. There were some missed opportunities during this waiting period, and I'll admit I was bummed. Nothing makes you look more unprepared and unreliable than when you're done giving your pitch about yourself and what  you can do for a person and you have nothing to show for it.

Oh you're in social media? Great! Give me your card. I'd love to chat with you sometime about business.

***crickets***

Oops, well, I don't have them yet, but let me give you my number and email on this scrap of paper you're sure to lose in three minutes. Don't hesitate to give me a call...

I have since received my business cards, and they were 100% worth the wait. Not only do I now come equipped with my second most important piece of marketing materials (website being the first here), but they're eye-catching, unique, and something people will remember. Even more important is that through all those missed opportunities I've learned one of the most important lessons in business. Be prepared. Every day. Every time. With everyone you meet.