In the age of modern communications and quick and easy desktop publishing, the business card is sometimes seen as an inconsequential footnote; occasionally produced merely as an aide memoire to help someone register a name and number.

This attitude however is a grave mistake. It represents, at best, a missed opportunity and, at worst, a potential undermining of your whole corporate image.

The first important to note in business is that whilst the face-to-face meeting, or presentational mail out, might be less crucial or common these days, it could be said that the increasing rarity of such personal communications means that they now take on a more significant character than ever before.

Thus, when a business meeting takes place, or a mail shot is received, both parties know that this arrangement is by no means routine and will therefore, deep down, be expecting something of importance or relevance.

In such circumstances, a business card arguably becomes more than just an information tool; it becomes a token of trust and promise – a physical embodiment of all that your business stands for.

To have generated such an important business tool cheaply from a generic business card printing machine, for example, or to rely on an old, or rather perfunctory and unexciting business card design, clearly therefore risks belittling your company in front of others, and undermining what you are otherwise putting your heart and soul into conveying to potential clients and partners.

To this end, it is important to take the art of business card printing seriously and call in a professional print and design company to help produce a document which conveys all that is unique and special about your company and what it has to offer.

Firstly, are you confident with your corporate designs – or even your logo – or do you need a professional eye casting over the treatment of these? Even with a well-established, ‘set in stone’ corporate identity, a good business card designer can suggest many fresh and creative adaptations to help your business card stand out.

Secondly, it is important to consider whether incorporating any additional eye-catching physical treatments might help present your company in its best light. Techniques such as foil stamping or embossing, for example, can add an air of finesse or the stamp of authority to your corporate image. Even choosing a heavy quality stock can favourably alter the perception somebody has of your company.

Likewise, a simple procedure such as laminating can mean that your card will be the one that does not become torn or dishevelled in some important contact’s pocket later on down the line.

Finally, if the idea of professional business card printing deters because of the possible costs involved, it is worth noting that modern offset printing techniques can often mean that only small, manageable quantities need be printed at any one time, resulting in significant savings.

After all, is it not better to have a reasonable number of quality business cards rather than a plethora of cheap, ineffective throwaway ones?