SSIA Articles

What Does Your Business Card Say About Your Shop?

by Dana Huval, Huval's Boot and Shoe Repair,

Crowley, LA

At SSIA's 103rd Annual Convention in Chicago, we asked repairers for their business card when they registered for the show. Some had great cards with all the information that would make you want to do business with their shops. Half of the repairers did not have a business card with them. I would hope they realized how important it is to have cards in their possession at all times.

Look at you business card. What information does it give about your shop?

Some cards were in full color, which made them very attractive. One shop had a bright yellow card that really stood out among the 75 cards we collected. Here is a breakdown of information that was printed on the business cards:

• Complete addresses – 68

• Incomplete addresses – 4 (city and state were left out)

• No address – 3 (One shop is a pick up and delivery)

• Area code included with phone number – 68

• No area code – 6

• No Phone Number – 1

• Contact / owner's name – 50

• Hours – 46

• Services offered – 41

• Website – 14

• Years of experience – 13

• E-mail – 8

• While-u-wait – 5

• Certified Pedorthist – 4

• Toll free numbers – 4

Some unique things I saw include:

• Silver Cup award winner

• Pick up and delivery

• Before and after repair pictures

• Visa, Master Card, Cash and checks accepted

• Mission statement

• Drive thru

• We relace baseball gloves

• We sharpen knives

• Zipper repairs

• Shorten belts

I was also impressed with some of the tag lines on the cards such as:

• Professional quality service

• We make your old shoes look new again.

• If you walk, we need to talk.

• We save soles every day but Sunday

Logos were another nice feature on some cards. Some had a picture of a shoe or boot.

Adding color is a great investment to help your cards stand out. Some had a professional logo with their name highlighted. Some even had the SSIA logo on their business cards.

Business cards can be a very inexpensive form of advertising. They should be placed in a nice business card holder right next to your cash register. I have been in a shop before where their business cards were located inside a bright red high heel shoe. What a clever idea!

Perhaps your business cards need remodeling. Think of the questions you are asked most about your shop. That is the information that needs to be on your cards. Take a trip to your local office supply store or check out the internet for some nice and unique business cards to help promote all of the services you offer-- along with your shop information on them.

The comment I hear most often from my customers is, “Can I take a card to give to a friend”? I always tell them to take as many as they like. It’s a very small investment for me and a great recommendation for a future customer from one of their friends. It's difficult to find a quality shoe repair shop. If we offer great services to our customers, they will tell their friends. This is a win – win situation.

Is it time to order new business cards?

This was one of my favorites: