Every time you mail a letter to a prospective client or to an
existing customer, the missive leaves a long-lasting impression of
your company. In a service business, your written materials are
among your company's most important marketing items. And if you
run a homebased business that doesn't have a commercial
location or sign, introducing your company to clients through the
mail can be one of your most effective marketing techniques.
The paper stock you choose, as well as the colors and graphics
embellishing it, plays an important role in the image your
stationery presents. A hot, neon-pink stock may work well for a new
suntan cream manufacturer, but not for an accounting service. Your
stationery should tie in with your business cards, featuring the
same color scheme and overall look.
Don't get so caught up in the design elements of your
business stationery that you forget the obvious. Every piece of
stationery should include the basics: your company name or logo,
address, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail address. Make it as easy
as possible for your clients to respond to your offer by making all
the information they need readily available. And attach your
business card to each letter as well, so clients can put it in
their Rolodexes for future reference.
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Excerpted from Start Your Own Business: The Only Start-Up
Book You'll Ever Need, by Rieva Lesonsky and the Staff of
Entrepreneur Magazine, © 1998 Entrepreneur Press