Business Card Checklist for Local Service Businesses

Print a card that gets used

A service business card has one job. It gives the right person the right next step, whether that is call, text, book, or save the contact.

That matters for plumbers, electricians, cleaners, lawn crews, real estate agents, and salons. Cards get passed across counters, left on fridges, tucked in invoices, and handed to neighbors after a good job.

Run through this checklist before ordering business cards. Keep the design simple, readable, and legal for your trade.

• Name: Put the business name and personal name where people see them first.
• Phone: Make the phone number the largest line after your name, written one way everywhere.
• Service: Say what you do in plain words, like drain cleaning, panel upgrades, weekly mowing, move-out cleaning, hair color, or buyer agent.
• Area: List your city or service area, not a home address if you work from home and travel to customers.
• Proof: Add a license number, brokerage name, or short review line only when it is true and required.

Set up the front fast

The front should carry the facts someone needs in the first two seconds. Put your logo or business name at the top, then the main service, phone, website, and city.

A plumber should use “Water Heaters, Leaks, Drain Cleaning” instead of a paragraph. A salon should list cuts, color, lashes, or booking by appointment.

Real estate agents need the brokerage name in a reasonable and easy-to-see way. NAR’s Code of Ethics says REALTORS must not advertise real estate services or listed property without disclosing the firm name in a readily apparent manner.

If you have more than one location, match each card to the right location. Google Business Profile guidelines say local businesses should use a phone number that connects to the individual location, with a local number instead of a central call center whenever possible.

Make the back do one job

The back works best when it asks for one clear action. Use it for a QR code, a coupon, a short service list, or a small appointment note area.

Do not pack the back with tiny text. A cleaner handing over a card after a move-out job could print “Text a photo for a quote” with a QR code to the estimate page.

A lawn crew could use the back for “Weekly mowing, mulch, leaf cleanup.” A salon could use “Book your next appointment” next to a small QR code.

The SBA tells small business networkers to carry plenty of cards, a short elevator pitch, and pens for notes on the backs of cards. Leave enough open space for notes like “met at Chamber lunch” or “needs spring cleanup.”

Keep phone and QR obvious

Your phone number belongs on the front, near the middle or lower right. Do not hide it under the logo or squeeze it into a footer.

Use one main number. A busy homeowner with a leaking pipe will not study three phone numbers.

Put the QR code on the back unless the front has plenty of room. Keep blank space around it, since GS1 guidance calls for a quiet zone of four modules on all sides of a QR code.

Test the code before printing. Point it to a page that loads fast, opens booking, shows reviews, or starts a quote form.

Print required license lines

Some trades need a license line on printed items. Ohio requires licensed specialty contractors to display the assigned license number on items tied to the business, including business cards, vehicles, contracts, and ads.

Oregon’s Construction Contractors Board says contractors must include their CCB license number on everything from business cards to site signs. Florida says construction contractor advertising includes business cards, proposals, contracts, site signs, electronic media, phone directories, and other media.

Real estate rules matter too. NAR says some states require licensees to include license status on business cards, and REALTOR terms should not replace a state license-status requirement.

If a rule applies to you, print the line where people see it. Do not bury it in 5-point type.

Use type people read

Small cards tempt owners to shrink everything. Do not do it.

Make the name and phone number the two largest lines on the card, in a plain typeface. Everything else steps down from there, and nothing should need squinting.

Use strong contrast, such as dark text on a light background. Delaware’s ADA accessibility guide recommends simple typefaces, strong text-background contrast, and avoiding design choices that make printed material hard to read.

Skip claims you cannot prove. The FTC says advertisers need proof before running claims, so do not print “best,” “number one,” or “guaranteed” unless you have the proof to back it up.

Choose stock, coating, and count

The standard Super Cheap Cards option is Business Cards 3.5″ × 2″, 16pt, UV or Matte: 2,500 for $69, 5,000 for $119, and 10,000 for $199. Check the current printing prices before you order.

A 16pt card feels solid for daily handoff. Choose UV for a coated card built for heavy handling, and choose matte coating when you want a softer finish and a cleaner writing surface.

Most solo operators should start with 2,500. A crew with several trucks, techs, or agents should order 5,000 or 10,000, because cards leave fast when every invoice, thank-you note, and job folder gets one.

Different shapes fit salons, real estate, and service brands that want a different feel. The 2.5″ × 2.5″ Business Cards are 16pt, UV or Matte, at 2,500 for $84.

Hand out cards after every job

A card in the truck does nothing. Put a small stack in every glove box, toolbox, estimate folder, salon station, and listing packet.

After a good job, hand two cards to the customer. Say, “Here is one for you and one for a neighbor.”

Pair cards with larger local print when the route calls for it. A door hanger works well after lawn care, pest control, roofing, or cleaning work on a block.

For whole neighborhoods, EDDM reaches carrier routes without a mailing list. USPS says EDDM Retail requires at least 200 mailpieces and allows up to 5,000 mailpieces per day per ZIP Code, and the online tool lets businesses pick neighborhoods by demographics such as age, household size, and income.

Ready to print? Call Corey at 512-573-1977. He answers the phone himself, checks the order with you, and gives the best deals to people who call.

Quick answers

What size business card should a local service business order?

Order the standard 3.5″ × 2″ card for most service businesses. It fits wallets, invoice folders, truck consoles, and counter displays.

Should the QR code go on the front or back?

Put the QR code on the back when space is tight. Keep blank space around it and test it with a phone before sending the file to print.

Do contractors need a license number on business cards?

Some states require it. Ohio, Oregon, and Florida treat business cards as items where construction or specialty contractor license details matter, so check your state board before printing.

How many cards should I order for a crew?

Order 5,000 or 10,000 when several people hand them out. Give every tech, cleaner, agent, stylist, and installer a stack so cards leave after every job.