It is common practice in the business world to provide colleagues, clients and others who you meet over the course of a workday with a copy of your business card. A business card contains your name, your company name and logo, your contact information and perhaps even a headshot so that others can recall your name as well as your visual appearance. As many business cards as you may give to others, you may receive others’ business cards in return. Finding a way to organize these business cards in a useful way is imperative. Here are a few smart ways to keep your business cards organized.
A Business Card Rolodex
One option to consider is to invest in a business card rolodex system. There are several different rolodex models that you can choose to use. Generally, however, these allow you to easily insert cards into a specific location in the rolodex with ease and to find them with equivalent ease as needed. Some people may use this system to organize their cards alphabetically based on the person’s last name or based on the company’s name. Others may use an organizational system that is subdivided based on the niche area they work in, and they may then alphabetize the cards based on last name or company name.
A Business Card Organizer
Another option to consider is a business card organizer. There are numerous organizers that are designed to hold business cards. One popular model is a binder style that allows you to insert plastic card protectors neatly into the binder as needed. The plastic card protectors may hold six, eight or more cards, and you may also place cards back to back for additional storage. This is just one of several types of organizers that you can purchase. You can take time to explore the different models available to find the right design for your needs.
Data Entry
While you can use either of the above options to keep your business cards on file in their physical form, another option is to enter the data from the business cards into your computer’s or cell phone’s contact manager system. Once the data has been entered into your system, you can toss the physical card into the recycling bin. This is a great way to decrease the clutter in your office. Furthermore, by entering the information electronically into your computer or cell phone, you also can take advantage of a search function in the program to find the person’s contact number based on their company name, last name, first name and more.
The contact information you collect on business cards can be used for a number of purposes. In some cases, these contacts may be targeted in your marketing and advertising campaigns. You may also need their services at some point in the future. Keeping the information you receive in a neat, organized fashion is imperative, and these are just a few of the ways that you can accomplish this.
Kerstin has a strong passion in graphic design. In between pinning her favourite graphics on Pinterest, she works for a printing service company designing business cards in Sydney studio for her clients.