What to put on a business card for a small shop

A shop's card should carry the store name, your name and role, a phone number, a web address or email, the street address and your opening hours. Add one reason to come back, such as a booking link or a note about a loyalty stamp.

The card is a reminder for someone who has already met you. A customer finds it in a coat pocket a week later and needs to know who you are, where the shop is and how to reach you.

What should be on a business card

Start with the details a customer would look up if the card were missing. For a boutique, gift shop, grocer or café with retail shelves, the core business card information is short:

• The shop name and logo, as they appear on the sign over the door.
• Your name and job title, if the card is personal rather than a shop card.
• A phone number that someone answers during opening hours.
• A website or social profile you update, plus an email address.
• The street address, with a cross street or landmark if the shop is hard to find.
• Opening hours, if they rarely change.

Leave off anything that changes often, such as a weekly special. Point people to a web page for details that move, and keep the card for details that stay put.

Front and back of business card: what goes where

Use the front for identity. Show the shop name, the logo and one line that says what you sell, such as "Fresh bread and local cheese." A person should be able to read the front in two seconds.

Use the back for practical details: the address, hours, phone number, web address and any code to scan.

Plan a simple business card layout

Pick one item to be the largest, usually the shop name. Group the contact lines together and align them on one edge. Keep text away from the trim so nothing important is cut off; the business card size guide covers dimensions, bleed and safe margins.

Use one typeface, or two at most, and keep contact text large enough to read at arm's length. Leave empty space around the logo.

When a double sided business card is worth it

A one-sided card costs less to design and leaves the back free for writing. A two-sided card makes sense when the front would be crowded, or when you want the back to do a separate job, such as a map, a stamp grid or a QR code.

Two sides let the back carry hours and an address while the front stays clean. If staff write appointment times or notes on cards, leave part of the back blank, or keep that side uncoated so a pen works on it.

How to place a QR code on business card stock

A code is useful when it saves typing, for example a link to your booking page, your online shop or a map. Point it at a page on your own website so you can change where it leads without reprinting the card.

Keep the clear margin around the code. The QR code inventor's guidance from Denso Wave says the symbol needs a quiet zone four modules wide on every side. Print a sample and test the code with several phones, both iPhone and Android, in normal shop lighting.

Print the web address as text beside the code as well, so people can see where the code leads. The FBI warns that criminals tamper with physical QR codes by placing stickers over them, and advises people to check the address after scanning. A visible address helps customers do that check.

Choose business card paper and finish

Card stock is sold by weight and finish. A heavier, thicker stock feels sturdier in the hand and resists bending in a wallet. A coated or glossy finish makes colors bright but can smudge under a pen. An uncoated or matte stock is easier to write on, which matters for appointment times or loyalty stamps.

If recycled or certified paper matters to your customers, look for stock carrying a Forest Stewardship Council label, and check that the printer's product page names the certification. Order a sample pack before a large run so you can feel the options rather than guess from photos.

Business card design tips for a small shop

Use your shop colors, but check that the text stands out from the background. The W3C contrast guidance sets a ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text on screens. It is written for the web, but it is a useful check for print.

• Match the card to your sign, bags and shelf labels so customers recognize the shop.
• Read every number aloud before ordering, then call the phone number and visit the web address.
• Print one sheet at home at actual size.

Common business card mistakes

A final check catches most of these errors:

1. Old details, such as a closed location, a former email or last year's hours.
2. Text so small that customers squint, or light gray text on a pale background.
3. A QR code linked to a third-party short link you cannot edit or a page you do not control.
4. Important text placed too close to the edge and trimmed off.
5. A glossy back on a card that staff need to write on.

Where to order cards

Many printers take business card orders online. Examples include MOO, Vistaprint, GotPrint and Jukebox. Compare the paper stocks, finishes and proofing steps each one lists, and approve the proof only after checking every line. For other card types a shop can use, see these business card ideas for retail stores.

Frequently asked questions

How much text is too much for a shop card?

If you need to shrink the type to fit, there is too much. Cut to the shop name, one line about what you sell and the contact details, and move the rest to your website.

Should every staff member have a personal card?

Owners, managers and anyone who meets suppliers or takes custom orders benefit from a personal card. Floor staff can hand out a shared shop card with the main phone number and hours.

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