What does your business card look like? Is it memorable? Does it say what you do? Does it show what kind of a person you are? Does it fit with your brand? It should do. My business card has a photograph of me on it (that’s so people remember who I am); it has my motto on it too: ‘sharing what I know to help others to grow’ (that’s so people know what motivates me); it has my name and address and website (for obvious reasons); it is branded with the same colours and the tree logo that I use on my website (to brand me) and finally, on the back it has a list of things that I do (to show what I do).

A business card is just a rectangle of cardboard but is a very powerful tool. It is also the one thing many of the people you meet will take home with them and, you hope, refer to at a later date.

A better business card

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could make your business card even better, even more powerful and memorable? Best of all, wouldn’t it be cool if your card could be useful too?

I know several authors who have made business cards that look like bookmarks. Add a few tips to your bookmark and it becomes more useful still. But, the trouble with bookmarks, in my world anyway, is that they get lost inside unfinished books.

An even better business card

About eight years ago I met networking guru, Andy Lopata, and when I asked for his business card he handed me a slim, envelope-sized booklet called It’s Not Rocket Science that gave me 12 networking tips. Years later, that booklet is still on my desk. Andy and I have stayed in touch and done much work together including work on his bestselling book And Death came Third.

Inspired by Andy’s book I created my own booklet, called So, You Want to Write a Book? My book contained 10 tips for writing a book, which made it useful. It had my photograph on it, my branding, a list of my services and a page of glowing client testimonials. Now, this was a business card and a half. I began to give it away at my workshops and keynotes instead of a business card. Today, that same booklet can be read online on my website, for free. Take a look here.

One step at a time towards greater things

A booklet may be your best business card. It’s a book, albeit a small one, and any author will tell you that the day they published their first book was the day the world began to see them as an expert in their field. Of course, if you write a bigger book you share more of your knowledge and will be considered even more of an expert, but a tips book is a great place to start. What’s more, you can even sell your tips booklets and make some money from them too.

My friend and client, Barbara Rogoski, runs a business called Authentic Matters. Her recent tips book, called Reiki Works! 55 practical ways Reiki brings healing to all stages of your life was her first step towards publication. Creating it gave her the confidence to move towards bigger and better things.

Not only has she created her tips book but she has also contributed a chapter to a brand new book, out last month, called How to Achieve a Heaven on Earth. Selected from thousands of entries, Barbara’s piece about the meals for the homeless service she set up in The Hague sits alongside work by Al Gore and Tony Blair. Now, Barbara has a tips booklet and a full-sized book to her credit and is working on a full-length book of her own.

Ask yourself three questions:

1. Are you ready to improve your business card?
   Are you ready to write a tips booklet?
   Are you ready to contribute a chapter to another book?

These three steps will give you the confidence, the kudos, the experience and the expert status you need to move towards writing a full-length book.

If you would like me to advise you on how you too can take the first steps towards publication then you know where to find me. Jo@joparfitt.com

Have a good month

Jo

Wow! Did we have fun last night as I celebrated the launch of my 25th book at Lesley Fisher’s beautiful apartment in Den Haag with 50 of the finest folk whom I have the pleasure to call my friends, colleagues and supporters. As a ‘trailing spouse’ it is not always easy to pursue a career while moving round the world as chattel and cheerleader to a bloke in the oil industry. It is even harder when you get a stamp in your passport that reads ‘wife – not permitted to take up employment’. As you know, that happened to me in 1988, and since then I have been determined to retain my professional identity despite the obstacles. To those who attended, thank you for supporting me.

Thanks too . . .
To Lesley of Metamorphosis Consulting for hosting the event – don’t forget that she has a super training room available to rent
To Annelene for her wonderful wine, and for making recipes from ‘Dates’ – invite The Wine Emporium to do a wine tasting for you and your friends and you may have as much fun as we did last night!
To Katy, for drawing the raffle, and for writing the foreword to ‘Career in Your Suitcase’ – take a look at the wonderful work done by the Permits Foundation
To Kim and Maged from Xpatriate Magazine, for providing mags for the bags and those wonderful vouchers to Ascot in Wassenaar! Watch out for my new column!
To the glorious Zelda, for dancing for us – join Lesley and me on her Dance with the Goddess workshop on Saturday!
To ABC Treehut for providing the other mags for the bags
To Mega of Portable Career, Julie of Essence Therapeutics, Rev Barbara of Authentic Matters Ministries, Robin of Dutchnews, Agnes of ABC, Annelene, Lesley, Zelda and Elske of Stichting the English Theatre for providing such wonderful raffle prizes.

I hope you enjoy your goodie bag suitcase, which reminds me to thank Ricklin-Echikson Associates for the wonderful luggage tags.

On May 10th I had the privilege of being invited to attend the ordination ceremony of my friend Barbara Rogoski. Now able to perform ceremonies in English for people of any religion, Barbara is based here in the Netherlands. Her inordination as a Pathways of Life minister was the culmination of her own spiritual journey, which has led her from a high-stress, high-pace corporate sales career to this. Barbara runs a business called Authentic Matters. I was thrilled to attend her special day.

Moving frequently can be very stressful. I have just broken my foot and have my leg in plaster and have learned that NOT moving is stressful too. I decided to make the time to listen to some of my collection of meditation CDs to see if that helped. It did. So I would like to recommend some one may appeal to busy people like me.

Barbara Rogoski is a friend of mine who has realised that busy people feel too busy to meditate, however much they may need to. So she has made a CD of 10 minute Workplace Meditations. If you want a quick intro to this useful tool, I recommend this. Go to Authentic Matters for more details.