Most business cards will have at least a name of a person or company but there are other basic and useful elements of a good business card.

◇Name of Individual: Not every type of business card has to have the name of the individual, but it’s a nice personalized touch. In a large organization it can be convenient to the recipient to have the name of a specific person to contact. The name of the individual or the name of the business or organization is usually the most important text element of a business card.

◇Name of Business or Organization: A business card almost always includes a business or organization name. An organization with a highly remarkable logo might de-emphasize the business name (size and/or placement) but it is usually an essential piece of information.

◇Address: A physical address or a mailing address or both are typical elements of a business card. If the company does business merely online or by mail, a physical address might not be a key element to include. If both a physical and a mailing address are included, it may be necessary to label each one.

◇Phone Number(s): Multiple numbers are typically listed in order of voice, fax, cell, but you can omit any numbers that are not the preferred method of phone contact. Don’t forget the extension and area and/or country codes, if required. Using hyphens, periods, parentheses, spaces, or other characters to separate numbers in a phone number are usually a matter of preference and custom but be consistent in whatever method is chosen.

◇Email Address: Including an email address is crucial element for Web-based business but other business or organizations might leave out this form of contact unless it is one of their preferred methods of contact.

◇Web Page Address: Web addresses can be included with or without the http:// preceding the URL. As with email addresses, it is an essential element for Web-based business.

◇Job Title of Individual: Not a required element, some sole proprietors or entrepreneurs might include “President” or “CEO” or some other title to give the appearance of a larger organization.

◇Tagline or Description of Business: A tagline or brief description can be useful when the business name is somewhat ambiguous or doesn’t explicitly convey what the business does. Taglines can also convey features and benefits.

◇Logo: A logo used consistently on business cards and other print/electronic materials helps to build a company’s identity.

◇Graphic Image(s) (including purely decorative elements): Small companies without a logo may choose to use generic or stock images or custom illustrations that help strengthen the impression what the company does. Small graphic embellishments or boxes might be applied to separate blocks of information.

◇List of Services or Products: A long list will usually disarray a standard size business card but when using two-sided or folded business cards, a list of services offered or main product lines can utilize the business card effectively.