Business Card Makeover – The Final Winner!

Although it may be popular, a business card doesn’t need to be a bright color or have a flashy gradient to stand out. Sometimes, just a strong images can really catch someone’s eyes and portray something about the business at the same time. I’m not endorsing the use of stock photos on business cards, but select  graphics, used correctly,  can  add a nice touch.

While experimenting with the design, for this month’s winner Wire2U, I made a graphic of the AC plug (of  which I was kind of  proud).   I liked it so much, I started looking at other cables to include. Each of the cables which appear on the card is was created from an actual cablet I found laying around my house or at the office.

These cables make the business card more noticeable and interesting, while appealing to people, such as myself, who live with cluttered rooms with countless confusing cables.  As for the color scheme, I used yellow to attract attention, but added navy to keep a professional and trustworthy image.  Be sure to ask the winner, Pat Seal, for his business card to see it in person the next time you run into him at a Rainmaker Event.

Unfortunately, there is  some bad news in this post too.  As much as we have enjoyed ridding the world of ugly business cards this will be the last business card makeover .

But, a good brand is constantly evolving, so stay tuned to here and on our facebook fanpage, because there are new things are just around the corner.

Contests Made Simple with Wildfire

Almost any small business can benefit from the buzz a great contest builds.  A well executed contest engages clients, prospects and sometimes even the media.  Powerful tools to build brand awareness and generate prospect lists, contests can often be tedious, time consuming, and challenging to administer.

In the past, the effort involved often discouraged my small business clients from taking on the challenge of a contest.  The we discovered Wildfire.  This is a terrific, cost effective online contest application.

What I like About using Wildfire:

• It was relatively easy to build the campaign.  (Depending on how much time you want to spend on the graphics you can be up in less than an hour)
• Options: Sweepstakes, coupons, photos and essay contests
• Easy Promotion
  • Inserts easily into a Facebook Fan page.
  • Facebook is not required -Wildfire also offers simply widget for website and a microsite you can direct contestants to as well.
  • It creates a banner which can be a part of your website and drives entrants to microsite or Facebook page.
• The simple user interface makes it easy for people to invite their friends and expand the contest virally.
• Reasonable Price:  Depending on the length of the campaign, and the amount of customization you require, your administration budget will be a fraction of what it used to cost to run a program like this. Typically under $200

What I don’t like about Wildfire: ( Lets face it, nothing is perfect)

• You can only share with 6 people a day through Facebook – Maybe this is a Facebook thing.  You can send emails, but I really like the viral nature of Facebook, and it is a shame to limit it.
• In some campaigns we can capture emails of everyone who submits, but not everyone who votes.   To accomplish this, we created a two part campaign using  Formstack for the voting

In general, I am excited about Wildfire, we are testing a number of the variations for clients in the coming months.  Including our own : Biz Card Makeover

Have you used Wildfire?  What experiences have you had with the product?

Don’t forget to – enter your child or grandchild to win a ride on a helicopter, zamboni machine and more!

Biz Card Makeover: Inspiration

We’ve been talking a lot lately about what makes a bad business card: hard to read, printed on computer paper, and just plain ugly. So it’s about time we show you some examples of good design.  Draw inspiration from these examples, but remember your card should ultimately reflect who you are, not just look cool and flashy.

All photos are drawn from this great article. Check it out for dozens of more examples of great cards, as well as some tips on designing your own card.

Simple Business Card Designs Can Be Beautiful

A good business card doesn’t have to be crazy and avant garde: classy and elegant work well, too.

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Unusual Shapes Can Create a Striking Design for Your Card

When you have a bit more in your business card budget,  try playing around with shapes for a slightly different feel.

You can keep the standard business card size, but bring a whole new sensibility to your card.  These designs are memorable, but remember your production cost will be much higher.

Want a New Design for Your Business Card?

If any of these beautiful business cards have inspired you to make a change give us a call.  We would love to help!

I Must Be On the Right Track… I Have Other Trains Behind Me!

It’s been an amazing summer here at Roundpeg. Allison, Taylor, and Jay are all hitting their stride and constantly coming up with ideas to serve our clients in new and exciting ways, and we’re lucky enough to have four fabulous interns to assist us.

Emily came up with the idea of creating a custom landing page for our Facebook Fan Page (Please Like us!) and Dan and Heather did an awesome job implementing it. Thanks to Kelly, our WordPress pages are filled with unique new plug-ins.

Jay’s been taking the lead on increasing our involvement with AddressTwo, while Allison’s been focused on behind-the-scenes logistics. Taylor’s been driving our successful Business Card Makeover contest.

And me? I’ve been working to support my team and make sure  they have all the tools they need to keep up the good work. How do I know it’s good work? We’re starting to see imitators pop up with ideas that are remarkably similar to our own.

And we all know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Last call for business cards!

As you know, we’ve spent the last two months on a personal crusade to put an end to ugly business cards. We’ve had a great time collecting aesthetically challenged cards and making over one lucky card each month, but this is the last call.

If you’ve been holding onto your ugly business card, afraid to turn it in, this is your last chance. Check out the work that we’ve done for our past winners, and enter your own card for its own Extreme Makeover: Business Card Edition.

Please be patient, it may take a moment for the form to load.

Name:	Mr. Mrs. Ms. Dr.
Company:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Phone1:
Email:
Yes:	Roundpeg may use my card in marketing promotion.
Message:
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We Have a Winner!

Humans are very receptive to color. For instance, red makes us think of heat, fire, and passion. But it can also make us think of danger and blood. Blue is a calming color, associated with wisdom and trustworthiness. It’s also strongly connected with masculinity and is highly favored by men.

So take a look at your logo and your business card. Are you using the right colors to attract the audience that you want? For instance, if you’re an accountant who uses purple in your logo, you’ve chosen a color that’s most attractive to children, who may not be in the market for book keeping services. Instead, you may want to choose a deep green, which subconsciously makes people think of money.

Taylor’s redesign of Andrew Carson’s card for our June Makeover makes great use of color theory. He moved from Andrew’s monochromatic and slightly dull design to a gunmetal blue. This color pays homage to Andrew’s military background, but also ties in with his etiquette consulting business: blue is trustworthy, peacefully, and appeals to the mind rather than emotions.

We’ll be continuing our Business Card Makeover for one more month, so there’s still time to breathe some new life into your card. Just fill out the form below, and you could be a winner.

Please be patient, it may take a moment for the form to load.

Name:	Mr. Mrs. Ms. Dr.
Company:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Phone1:
Email:
Yes:	Roundpeg may use my card in marketing promotion.
Message:
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Pick the Winner for the June Business Card Makeover

As we continue our crusade to rid the world of ugly business cards–one card at a time, we are ready to pick and June winner.  As you are considering which oneto vote for, let’s talk about professionalism. Your business card is a selling tool. Is it projecting an accurate image of who you are and what you do?

Take a minute and view your card through the eyes of a prospective client or more importantly a referral partner. Are they going to be comfortable passing on your card to their best client?

If you’re a lawyer, for instance, your card should probably not be using Comic Sans MS  font (Actually, no one should be using it). But conversely, if you’re a wedding planner, you might want to shy away from the traditional, and extremely common Times New Roman.

Your branding is more than just the font selection.  All the elements of your card including the colors, images ( please avoid any of the clip art available from Microsoft), the size and shape of the card, and the weight of the paper all contribute to the image your brand conveys.

Here’s the latest batch of cards vying for your votes. Pick the one you believe deserves this month’s free business card makeover!

May Business Card Makeover – Winner!

Business cards take a lot of abuse. They are shoved into pockets, purses, and business card cases, crumpled in sweaty palms, and otherwise mutilated. So ask yourself: is your card up to the abuse? Is it too big to fit in a standard card case? Or is it so small that it’ll easily got lost in the shuffle?

And I am making a desperate plea to everyone: Please, please, please do not use regular printer paper for your card. It  makes us all a little embarrassed for you. Please pay the few dollars to get a sheet printed on cardstock at Kinkos. You’ll thank us in the long run.

We think the business card is so important, we created a Monthly Business Card Makeover Contest to build awareness of the differences between good and bad design.  Here is the winner of the May Business Card Makeover.

I think Taylor has done a terrific job with the redesign.  The final cards are being printed on 14 PT Cover Stock, with a UV Coating to make the color side pop.  They will be strong enough to handle the abuse, attractive enough to be memorable, and functional, because you can write a note on the white side when Christian gives you one at a Rainmaker event.

Did you miss the May contest?  Do you have an ugly business card or know someone who does?  We will be running the contest again in June and July, so it is not too late to apply now.  Simply fill out the form below and send us a copy of your business card!

Please be patient, it may take a moment for the form to load.

Name:	Mr. Mrs. Ms. Dr.
Company:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Phone1:
Email:
Yes:	Roundpeg may use my card in marketing promotion.
Message:
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Who Will Win the May Business Card Makeover?

In the course of our Business Card Makeover contest, we’ve found some business cards which were in serious need of a makeover.  Most of the business cards we received were not hideous, but simply not functional.

Take a look at your business card. Can you read everything easily, or do you have to squint past ornate fonts and tiny sizes, or sort through cluttered lines of text ? Remember: the primary purpose of a business card is give your contact information. If your card makes it difficult to find that, you’re in trouble.  Think of your business card like a tiny billboard.   Can you read the informatoin zooming by at 60 miles an hour.

Help Us Select This Month’s Winner

Check out these examples of business cards in we have selected as finalists, by clicking the link to the right.   Select the card you believe should  receive a FREE makeover.  Be sure to remember the number, return to this screen and enter the number in the form below.

Only votes submitted with a valid email will be counted.  And if your card is one of the finalists, be sure to encourage your friends to come and vote!!

We will be accepting votes until Midnight on Sunday May, 23.

Business Card Makeover Contest

I’ve been attending networking events on a regular basis since I started working at Roundpeg almost two years ago. At each event, I am surprised  by how many people starting businesses are not using professional looking business cards.

We like to have fun here at Roundpeg especially as the days become brighter so after a conversation with Lorraine, we have decided to offer a creative solution for some of these Ugly Business Cards.  This summer we will be running a  Business Card Makeover Contest.

You might qualify for this contest if your business card

• is ugly
• was created using a Vistaprint – Extra points if it has the Vistaprint logo on the back
• was created using Word or Publisher
• uses clip art as pat of the design.

To enter our Makeover Contest you must complete the form below and do one of the following:

• mail us a copy of your card  – Roundpeg 1003 East 106th, Indianapolis, IN 46280
• fax a copy of your card – 317-569-1389
• Send a copy of your card to me via email Taylor @roundpeg. biz
• drop off your business card at any Rainmaker event where you see the business card makeover bucket

Be aware that by submitting your business card, you agree to allow us to feature your card in Roundpeg’s marketing and promotions.

There will be three lucky winners ( one each month May, June and July) All cards will be evaluated by the team at Roundpeg, and then finalists will be evaluated by members of the community. The winner will be chosen by the 20th of each month, so we have time to redesign the cards before the Rainmaker Main Event each month.

OK, so now you want to know what the prize is?  The winner of the “Ugliest Business Card” will win a  Business Card Makeover.  We will create 2 designs for you to choose from and we will then supply you with 500 “made-over” cards! – This is easily a $500/value.

Winners will be announced each month at the Rainmaker Main Event. They will also be listed here on roundpeg.biz and let’s make it rain

And for those of you who don’t win?  We will be running a special promotion this summer, offering you a biz card makeover for $300 including the printing of 500 cards.

Please be patient, it may take a moment for the form to load.

Name:	Mr. Mrs. Ms. Dr.
Company:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Phone1:
Email:
Yes:	Roundpeg may use my card in marketing promotion.
Message:
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