Articles: small business

The starting point is usually the same: plenty of needs, less time and money than you would like. That is why these articles work from the essentials towards the extras, rather than the other way round.

Where to begin

Before ordering anything, list the moments when you hand someone a piece of paper. A client meeting, a parcel going out, a trade fair, a visit to your premises. Each of them calls for something different, and that is where the shopping list comes from. The list is usually shorter than expected, and it shows at once what to order first.

• Business cards - still the most used print in a small company.
• A leaflet or folded card - a short answer to what you do and how to reach you.
• A logo sticker - seals a parcel, marks equipment, comes in useful everywhere.
• Materials for your premises - a menu, a table mat, a poster by the till.
• A small gift - a pen or a keyring for regular customers.
• A branded folder or envelope - useful anywhere you hand documents over.

A consistent look on a smaller budget

The second group of texts is about order. The same set of colours, the same version of the logo and a similar layout on every piece do more than one striking design. Keep the current files in one place and reach for them with each new order instead of starting again. There is a separate thread on shops, salons and restaurants, where print works on site: at the table, in the window and by the till.

The guide to choosing promotional materials is a sensible first read, followed by whichever article matches your trade. The order in which to buy things then works itself out. Start with a few items and add the rest once they prove genuinely useful.