All posts in February 2019

Business Card Printing Pitfalls To Avoid

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Engaging a printer to produce your custom business cards is a fantastic idea. The quality of the finished product will always be much better than a business card printed from a personal computer or stationary store, and most industry printing companies offer a wide assortment of quantities, card materials, and enhancement features (such as spot UV business cards). Some will even create your high-resolution, print-ready artwork for you, thereby eliminating the time and hassle of creating your own card files.

However, in order to optimize your print job, it is important to avoid or at least consider some of the potential problems that could create a less-than-perfect finished product.

Pitfall #1: Cards with Spot Colors

Accurate color reproduction is by far the most common problem seen throughout the printing industry. Most times, problems arise when a CMYK printer attempts to print a Pantone color. Pantone or spot colors are typically highly customized colors that fall outside of the normal CMYK 4-color printing process.

CMYK is a process whereby thousands of colors can be created by mixing various percentages of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y) and black (K). Open any full color magazine and you will see CMYK printing. The vast majority of printers in the market utilize a CMYK process that is not compatible with spot colors.

Usually, whenever a CMYK business card printer attempts to print a spot color, a color shift occurs. In other words, the shade of the color might come out differently than the artwork file dictates. It might be possible to match a spot color to a CMYK color by utilizing a Pantone swatch book, but this is more of an art than a science and there is still no guarantee that the spot color will be accurately reproduced in a CMYK printing environment.

If you have a logo or some other design element that utilizes a Pantone color, attempt to locate a Pantone printer. Otherwise, you will have to recreate the logo in CMYK mode as closely as possible to the Pantone color.

Pitfall #2: Cards with Black Backgrounds

Whether you are printing a black business card or mixing black paint at the local Home Depot, black is by far the most difficult color to reproduce due to its deep, dark nature. A common problem with black cards is that they turn out gray, or that the black bleeds into other areas of the card.

This problem can be solved by following the best practice of utilizing a rich black for your cards background. Rich black incorporates other colors of the CMYK spectrum into the black color. A black background consisting of 100% black (C=0%, M=0%, Y=0%, K=100%) will almost certainly result in oversaturation and produce unexpected results.

A rich black incorporates values of C, M, and Y into the mix. To the naked eye, the black will look the same, but rich black is much more printer-friendly. The specific rich black CMYK mix varies depending on printer preference, but a good mix is C=40%, M=30%, Y=20%, and K=100%.

Pitfall #3: Business Cards with Borders

Artwork containing a border is a tricky proposition because even if the cardstock is perfectly lined up in the equipment, a slight shift could occur during the trimming process. Thus, the border may have one side larger or smaller than the others, or it might be off center on some of the cards.

Theres really not much you can do about this because this shifting possibility is an industry-accepted standard. Just realize the possibility, and if the risk of uneven borders seems too great, remove the border from your custom business card artwork.

Pitfall #4: Cramming Multiple Enhancement Features on the Same Card

Enhancement features refer to such bells and whistles as spot UV, embossing, foil stamping, scoring, perforation, and more. It is not advisable to put more than one of these options on a single card because it puts too much stress on the cardstock.

You should only consider multiple enhancements with thick cardstock (15pt or higher). However, no matter how thick the cards are, the possibility for flaws is still high. Spot UV could crack, foil could flake, or embossing could show up unclear, among other possible problems. Your best bet is to stick with a single enhancement like spot UV business cards.

Pitfall #5: Hidden File Problems

Whenever you submit your files to the printer, pay careful attention to their file specifications. Many business card printers will check your files to ensure they are in-spec prior to production, but its not a good idea to rely on this because you just never know.

Hidden problems include things such as transparencies, overprint, and embedded fonts. Transparencies are basically layers in your file that could cause unexpected results. Always flatten your files. Also, always turn off overprint, and outline any and all embedded fonts to ensure they are not converted to an unwanted default font during production.

Conclusion

Hiring a business card printer for your custom business cards is an excellent idea, but occasionally printing problems could occur. By following the advice in this article, you can eliminate 99% of these potential problems.

When in doubt, ask your printing company for specific advice, especially if you are printing spot UV business cards or some other enhanced product. Most printers are highly accommodating, and are more than willing to provide advice to avoid problems down the road.

Nameology, Numerology, Astrology, Baby Names, Name Numerology, Business Numerology,

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First Woman Nameology, Numerology & Astrology Genius from South India

Namealogy Scientific Consultancy employs the power of numbers to remove problems from the lives of people. Dr. J.Lakshmi Jeya Swaruoopa, who hails as the First Woman Nameology Genius from South India. She is also known as the Lucky Number scientist. With Namealogy she corrects all problems in human life, like dullness in education, Infertility, Strife in married life, marital problems between husband and wife, Delays in marriage, loss in business, Absence of recognition and Obstacles to progress and prosperity. She employs palmistry, astrology, graphology, phonemics and modern scientific data to perfect her architecture with numbers, alphabets and names. The services which they provide are as follows:
Nameology
Name decides Good Luck or Bad Luck. You can have a perfect name so beneficial as a sacred mantra if you want to be lucky. Or if you are unlucky, you can have a name which is as evil as a curse. The answer is in applying the correct scientific principles of Nameology, in the design of names. To result in Success, effort alone is not enough, Dr. Lakshmi Jeya Swaruoopa says. Luck or good fortune can take effect only for the people who are blessed with the correct names. According to her concept, anyone can choose to be rich or poor, good or evil, healthy or sick, happy or miserable, fortunate or unfortunate, famous or notorious, victorious or defeated depending on the correctness their individual names. Name should be designed based on the date of birth, time of birth, numerology, palm readings, astrological data, the status of planetary positions and their conjoined implications in any ones life.

Astrology
It is the predictive science which studies the position of planets in the Mid Heaven at the time of Birth of an individual. She practices Astrology as a Science and offers advice to her clients with logic and scientific explanations. Her approach is towards educating the clients to make them understand as to why they are facing the problems in life. Subsequently, she offers realistic and practical solutions to their problems. Her in-depth knowledge and research in the field of astrology has enabled her to connect numbers, colors, nutrients etc. with the family of nine planets and thus suggest effective remedial measures using the same. As a result, the Remedial Measures suggested by her, if performed meticulously before the event, act as a protective umbrella and mitigate the ill-effects of the Planets.
Numerology
Numerology is a traditional systems used to analyze relationships between physical objects / living things / words etc. and numbers. In simple words, it is how numbers relate to human personality and time cycles. This study of the symbolism of numbers is used to determine a person’s personality, character, strengths and weaknesses, talents, obstacles, personal visible & hidden needs, emotional reactions etc. Dr. J. Lakshmi Jeya Swaruoopa did her research into how numerology transforms lives of people. Soon, she discovered that only when she applied the findings from chiromancy, astrology, Phonemics and graphology in numerology calculations, she could solve all problems correctly. This discovery crowned her with great success. Several factors are considered in numerological readings of an individual, including date of birth, birth time, place of birth, parents, spouse, children etc.
Name Numerology
According name numerology your name relates to who you are personally, and this very personal meaning does not dependent on collective elements of your life. Each single name corresponds to a symbolic number that defines the main characteristics of the personality.
According to the basic guidelines in Numerology, the ‘name numbers’ are very important for they can be related to the relationships with other people – this is no mystery for the sound effects of your name produce certain patterns and expectations.
Business numerology, Business astrology
Business has always being one of the central forces in the lifespan of human civilization. From the ancient times, it always has impacts on human lives and even on the growth of the nations and races. In the modern times, after the money took the central place in human life, importance of business has increased to a great extent and it has become increasingly complex and competitive. So the success in this sphere of life has become desired but difficult. Dr. J.Lakshmi Jeya Swaruoopa provides many astrological & numerological solutions to guide you to choose a right and beneficial business. If you already in the business and not getting the desired results ,then we will suggest you the remedies to improve state of your business or suggest you to change the area of business after studying your horoscope. We provide an exclusive corporate astrology & numerology services for businessmen to know their astrological & numerological compatibility with their partners in business, the good or bad impact of their partners astrological profile on them, and above all whether they should start a business in parternership or not.
Marriage compatibility

This compatibility between partners is extremely important to enhance our home or business environment, and our lives. The better the overall compatibility between us, the better our life experiences will be. We influence each other in many ways, including, and usually unknowingly, through our bodies’ electromagnetic field. A ‘good’ partnership match creates positive energy; and a ‘bad’ one creates friction and static. Moreover Marriage is an important social institution where a man is combined with a woman to lead a happy and contented life. We provide you a report analyzed from 10 major Marriage compatibility factors, which helps you to determine the psychological and the physiological nature of your partner. Moreover we can also detect the defects. In addition to the above we analyse Mangal dosha or Mars dosha or Chova /Chevvai Dosham in both horoscopes along with PapaSamyam(matching of planets which destroys married life) and also Dasa Sandhi porutham for both.

Baby names
Most of us in India know the importance of naming a baby. Since ancient times, Indian baby names have been suggested based on astrological sciences. The Baby Names typically start with a special alphabet, but a lot of times people overlook the numerology aspect of a Baby Name, and may have to later go for Name Correction. Dr. J. Lakshmi Jeya Swaruoopa will suggest a Lucky Baby Name for your Child based on Astrology and Numerology.
Most experts would agree that the original baby name given to a child is the one that carries the most impact numerologically, sometimes even after you have gone for Name Correction. As such, choosing a name and the correct spelling is all the more important.
You would need to suggest us a few Indian baby names of your liking, and our Expert Astro-Numerologists shall pick the best name for your baby, and a lucky spelling to go along with the baby’s name.

Love match Astrology
If you are in love then you must be interested to know whether you and your partner will be happy together. You would be interested to know about the future life which you are planning to spend with each other. Love match astrology is the perfect choice for these young and new couples. There are different signs to which people belong to. The future of the person can be predicted with the help of these signs. These signs are influenced by the sun. The sun has a great influence on the lives of the people.
Overcoming Marital problems
Marriage and Marital Life can be a boon or a bane depending on the correctness of the individual names and vital numbers of the wedding Day. Favorable vibrations between husbands and wifes names promote harmony. Anti vibration does just the opposite. Even the day number and life number can have anti vibration on the wedding day, which can totally wreck the good results of marriage says, Dr. J. Lakshmi Jeya Swaruoopa. For the less fortunate married couples who lead a cat and dogs life of quarrel and dishonor, she administers this Nameology therapy to bring back harmony, love and understanding in marital life.

Different Types of Business Management Software

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When choosing management software for a business, CRM software is only one of several different kinds with specialized applications. The type of software depends on the particular need facing the company, from the sales department to market analysis statistics. Here are the main kinds of software in the market today to assist in managing a company.

Customer management software has all that a business requires to develop strategies of handling clients on an everyday basis. It works well to integrate the technical support and customer services for the business, where the business handles the contact and relationship between the company and their clients.

A sales force automation software manages the phases used in implementing a sales plan. It does work as a customer management application by keeping contacts in good order, from those who make inquiries to each closed sale. Recording customers contacts during sales does expand the business since it develops a good base for building loyalty.

For a more specialized communication management application, a customer service support software is best for both small and large businesses. All companies require a good customer service system to assist employees to manage inquiries and give responses in a personalized manner. This application can also work as a crisis management when businesses are flooded with customer inquiries.

In addition to these applications, analysis software is also important for planning and management in all businesses. Statistics are necessary for evaluating the progress and effectiveness of strategies such as sales, advertising and customer relations, among other facets of running the business. Analysis software is crucial in the monitoring aspect of the business and the results can help make changes to company policies and sales plans.

The upsurge in the use of social media in businesses has also brought about the need for social media management software to be integrated into companies. This keeps track of social media activities and promotional messages, as well as taps into the informal aspect of running a business. All companies that rely on online sales or social media can benefit greatly from specialized software for their work.

Why Should I Use Silk Business Cards To Promote My Business

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Are you looking for the absolute and most professional looking business card? Are you looking for a card that suits your high profile clients who attend million dollar business meetings? Do not worry nor panic. Silk Business Cards are the best choice for you. These kinds of business cards are of very high quality and are laminated with silk. The silk lamination protects the card from bending and creasing. They are the worlds smoothest business cards with considerably perfect thickness. Silk cards are 17pt and this makes it 60% thickness of a credit card, which make them the thickest cards you can ever own.

The silk Business Cards are highly durable and last up to six times longer as compared to regular cards. The 17pt thickness is an exclusive feature that makes you business card to impress all your clients. It is a feature that makes these business cards to belong to a distinct class.

What Makes Silk Business Cards The Best Choice?

Silk cards are perfect and distinct from any other cards around the world. They are designed with unique features that make the silk cards to be the choice for very visionary business operator. The following features make the silk business cards to be distinct:-
Silk lamination that makes the cards look elegant
Durability of the cards
17pt thickness which is a unique feature
It has an optional foil stamping feature that allows you to place your own desire foil type such as silver foil, gold foil or colored foil
You also add a UV gloss layer to the card which makes a pretty separation between the finishes, silk and gloss
During printing, you do not have to budget for a first impression since it is priceless.

These features make the silk business cards to be the only perfect choice for anyone who values quality, class and making a permanent impression to all clients. The price is highly affordable to ensure that you get a quality service at a favorable price. If you order these business cards online, you are sure to get the satisfaction you desire. It takes approximately 48 hours from the time you submit an order to the time you receive them. Business cards have remained a very strong marketing tool over a long time and nothing seems to overtake it.

What Are Premium Business Cards?

Premium Business Cards are rated the best business cards of all time. They are durable since the cards are designed and printed with great thicknesses that allow them to remain useful for long periods before renewal. This means that the cards are convenient, elegant and cheap. If you want to choose a premium quality for your cards then it will be a great idea if you choose a thickness of 16pt and 17pt, which is 50% to 60% the thickness of a credit card. These cards are of the best quality and they will impress all you clients. Choose a premium business card today and you see the difference.

How Not To Be A Small Business Failure Statistic

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There were about 146,000 business startups a year, and an average of 12,000 business bankruptcies per year from 1994 to 2004 in Canada. A 2004 Statistics Canada study on small business failure rates Key Small Business Statistics January 2005: How Long Do Small Businesses Survive? found that the first few years were critical. While almost three quarters of small business startups survive the first year, less than one third of micro companies (less than five employees) were in business after five years.

These statistics by themselves may be of little value to you directly. We know how many small businesses survive and for how long, but its far more important to know why some survive and others do not. There are a lot of studies on small business failure. Searching reasons for small business failure with quotations on Google will give you almost 700 results (about 38 million without!). Why small businesses fail will give you almost a thousand.

The 1997 study by Statistics Canada Failing Concerns: Business Bankruptcies in Canada found major internal factors of small business failure was management deficiency, financial management problems and poor marketing.

The Small Business Administration study Financial Difficulties of Small Businesses and Reasons for Their Failure in 1998 found several causes of small business bankruptcy: outside business conditions (38.5%), financing (28%), inside business conditions (27.1%), taxes (20%), disputes (18.8%), personal calamities and other (32.9%).

There is a wealth of information on this subject, but what are the common factors? There are four basic areas:

External factors

External factors include new competition, your major client moving out of town, poor weather if youre a seasonal business, or economic downturns. Theyre often largely out of our control, and may be unique to your particular company, but there are often ways to mitigate them. For example, if you have a seasonal business, such as a landscaping company (at least up here in the cold north its seasonal) you could buy a bobcat to provide income during your off-season with snow removal. The bottom line is, have a contingency plan for external factors that could have a negative impact on your small business success.

Lack of management

Big companies have the luxury of being able to hire several people to get all the jobs done that need to be done, but chances are youre going to have to do it all yourself, at least for awhile. That means youre not only going to have to develop your product or service, youre also going to have to make financial, accounting, legal, marketing, human resources, and purchasing decisions.

You may do some of these tasks very well, but its unlikely that you do all these tasks well, and even if you do, you might want to contact a lawyer and an accountant at the very least. And, research, research, and research some more, and when youre done researching, find an expert or two bounce ideas off and give you solid advice.

Lack of planning

Small businesses often fail because of lack of planning. Let me make a bold statement: the single-most vital part of your business success is your business plan. Why? Simply put, your business plan specifically and concretely lists your goals for the next few years. It spells out, step by step, how youre going to meet those goals, and gives you something to measure your performance against at the end of your business year. Finally, a complete business plan helps you get financing and includes a marketing plan.

I have one more thing to say about business plans. It does very little good to write a business plan, put it in a drawer and never look at it again. That same 1997 Statistics Canada study we talked about earlier found that successful small business owners refer to and revise their business plans often.

Lack of marketing

Most small businesses seem to think it takes a lot of money to market their product or service effectively. Thats simply not true. There are many ways to market inexpensively. You could use direct mail marketing which is as cheap as a stamp, or email marketing, which costs nothing. The point is, you need to get your product or service out there somehow. You may have the best product or service out there, something completely unique from anything else, but what good does that do if nobody knows about it?

So there you have itmy thoughts on the main reasons why small businesses fail, and how you can avoid becoming a small business failure statistic by developing a contingency plan, consulting with experts, and developing and using a business and marketing plan.

If you are thinking of starting a small business, trust me, Im not trying to discourage you. I sincerely believe being in business for yourself may possibly be the most rewarding career there is, but a little knowledge can go a long way towards arming you against small business failure.