Rate my business card please

Brandt -
As I for the first time read down the posts, I was exactly in the mindset of Troy @ Protekt ---

What does 512 mean?

What is your Logo again ?

They all need to connect in the mind of the reader...

And - the Free Loaner for Dropoffs means exactly what ?? Free Loaner, to get dropped off? How do I get back ? Do I drop the Loaner off?? See what I mean??

My business card has the front of a 1963 Ford GT-40 Mark IV in yellow on a black background in the center of the card.. The entire card is black..

The GT-40 has black racing stripes down the middle of the hood with red pinstripes next to the outside edge of the racing stripes..
The red lettering on my card is that same color, so I have a little matching effect going on...

Business name at the top - Dan's Auto Detailing - White letters, Centered

Custom Detailing for Your Car's Needs - 2nd line - White letters, Centered

The Beautiful front end pic of the Ford GT-40 in the middle Centered

Address-Red Letters Bottom left corner, Phone Number - Red Letters, Bottom right corner
City, State-Red Letters Next line bottom left corner, Website information- Red Letters, Next line bottom right corner

Back of the card is white and Blank....

I took the card down to a really good graphic designer and he made it into a vinyl that was put on the front door sides of my Black Grand Cherokee just perfectly centered and much bigger but in scale with the door...

It looks beautiful and people slow down to read it all the time on the freeway or wherever I go...
If I have the window open, many ask me questions, and take down the number and call me..

I still get calls at least once a week from people who have that card, and I moved away from WA. State 4 years ago... :)

Loaners - If it was neighbors who we knew, or trusted repeat Clients, I just gave them the Jeep and their vehicle was in my garage until I was done, and they came back with my car..

Sometimes I took people back to Microsoft, etc., and they got rides, etc., until we had to meet again, or they came down and picked up the vehicle..

I had huge insurance and a $1M Liability Policy, and I never offered to loan my vehicle to idiots...

Most people unless they are helpless or something, go to take their car in for service and figure out how to get home or work from there, right? It's the same thing here...

Good Luck; you got this !
Dan F
 
To be brutally honest, it looks like crap. If you handed this to me I wouldn't know what it was until I started reading the card. The font doesn't look professional. The soap bubble(s) looks like a tiny earth/solar system.
 
madicev8 said:
To be brutally honest, it looks like crap. If you handed this to me I wouldn't know what it was until I started reading the card. The font doesn't look professional. The soap bubble(s) looks like a tiny earth/solar system.
Click to expand...
That's the sprit!

Hey, that's my sttempt at originality. I'm a researcher/statistician by education...i have no graphic design bone in my body apparently
 
Troy@Protekt said:
Tell me any changes you want made and I will send you over the print ready files.
Click to expand...

thanks so much Troy..I'll shoot you a pm later..going to mull some ideas over on for the back

thinking about taking the advice of removing owner/operator but not sure what to put instead-- detailer supreme sounds cool, I like it- but I'm not sure how that sounds to the lay person?
and I need to make sure my old .net still works (so I can get the email correct on there)

I don't want to put a gmail account or something, you know. looks amateur IMO to do that.
 
Don't be afraid to put the "Detailer Supreme" on there if that's your personality. It shouldn't turn anyone off and if it does I doubt it's someone you want to do work for anyways.

As far as e-mail goes. If you don't have a website then stick with a gmail account or possibly a facebook e-mail. Again it depends on the clientele you are best suited for right now. The people that think a gmail e-mail is amateur are going to be the same people that think not having a website is amateur. Why bother with one if you're not going to have the other?

The important thing to do is look at your whole appearance through the eyes of your target customer. That includes personal appearance, marketing material, business equipment, pricing... it all should be consistent. Having a fancy website and fancy cards with ferraris on them and then showing up in flip flops and a faded tshirt working out of a car trunk might not get you much business. Definitely not any repeat business.

You might want to get feedback from some of your favorite customers that you've had the most success with. Feedback is an area I've not taken advantage of fully either. How did we do e-mails are very valuable.

Since your using your facebook as the face of your business online right now. I would focus on making it very customer friendly and have the header look the same as your business cards
 
im ok with detailer supreme but would it be better fit if I put -
serving your car (or serving the Kyle-Buda area since 2012)- since I don't go into Austin for the most part - there are plenty of detailers there

as far as target market, yea I'd prefer to work on nicer cars but I'm really wanting to get more correction and coating jobs (im not ready to take on an exotic or anything real high end though)

I am going to buy a paint thicknesss reader here pretty soon as well. I figure its a good investment to make. and the one on ACC looks like it'll do and double points is never a bad thing :) (essentially a $25 rebate)

so far the only email I can verify works 100% is - [email protected]

I'd like to do a couple more details and take that money towards a go daddy or wix website (got some great advice from that thread I started)

everyone I've showed that card you made to liked it MUCH more than my current one- not surprising (yours is much better) but good to hear as well
 
troy can you replace the back image with this one



I really like the dodo beads and I can't find any other pics that I think I would like more than the dodo beads for the back of the card

or if this one works better



or if you think it needs to be a pic of a car I can find a couple of the flake on my srt if anyone thinks that would be better- but I figure the beads work nicely there on the back bc they're covered up mostly with the logo and fb link
 
512detail said:
troy can you replace the back image with this one [pic]

I really like the dodo beads and I can't find any other pics that I think I would like more than the dodo beads for the back of the card

or if this one works better [pic]

or if you think it needs to be a pic of a car I can find a couple of the flake on my srt if anyone thinks that would be better- but I figure the beads work nicely there on the back bc they're covered up mostly with the logo and fb link
Click to expand...

I really like your beads, 512, but you need to consider the layout. Troy's design has a ratio (think tv widescreen vs regular 4:3) that may bot work with your dodo beads pic. It's worth a shot. BUT, I do think the beads on Troy's design is better starting with the fact that it's a dark colored car, so it blends in with the rest of the design. Your dodo beads may not work as cleanly. Also, his beads do look like what the average person might consider a wet car, whereas some might not recognize the tight beads of the dodo as the same. Just some thoughts. Either way, I think you're going to have some kick ass cards soon!
 
Thats a good point. See, i lack that kind of design eye...funny thing is those dodo beads Are ontop of my black srt just doesnt look black
 
512detail said:
im ok with detailer supreme but would it be better fit if I put -
serving your car (or serving the Kyle-Buda area since 2012)- since I don't go into Austin for the most part - there are plenty of detailers there

as far as target market, yea I'd prefer to work on nicer cars but I'm really wanting to get more correction and coating jobs (im not ready to take on an exotic or anything real high end though)

I am going to buy a paint thicknesss reader here pretty soon as well. I figure its a good investment to make. and the one on ACC looks like it'll do and double points is never a bad thing :) (essentially a $25 rebate)

so far the only email I can verify works 100% is - [email protected]

I'd like to do a couple more details and take that money towards a go daddy or wix website (got some great advice from that thread I started)

everyone I've showed that card you made to liked it MUCH more than my current one- not surprising (yours is much better) but good to hear as well
Click to expand...

Is [email protected] taken? Sounds cleaner if it is.

I think that slot needs to be your title in the company. Either owner/operator or detail technician or detailer supreme. I can put "Serving the Kyle-Buda area since 2012" in the bottom section.

Let's stay focused on building your card. I don't need to know about your plans to buy a paint thickness gauge. :blink: lol
 
512-detail-back.jpg

Ok replaced beads. Good call.

Added serving the kyle buda area

Promoting your Paint Thickness Gauge acquisition. ( Yes I can be a smart ass ) :)
 
Troy@Protekt said:
attachment.php


Ok replaced beads. Good call.

Added serving the kyle buda area

Promoting your Paint Thickness Gauge acquisition. ( Yes I can be a smart ass ) :)
Click to expand...

lol - well played!!!!

ok so 512detail.net is SAFE

I just need to buy separate email hosting which I can buy once I determine which one suits my needs best

[email protected] sound good ?
 
Troy@Protekt said:
[email protected] sounds better. It's a personal business card. Let them know who they are e-mailing.
Click to expand...

I can live with that

Troy you have no idea how much I really appreciate your help..you single handedly made my business more appealing

im just trying to get somewhere close to some of you Pros in like 10 years or so... card is a good start towards that validity
 
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