Just a few decades ago, most people would never have dreamed that women would hold the types of positions they do in the business world now, so it would never occur to them that women might need business cards. Now, however, women are just as likely to be an online marketing genius (more info here) as their male counterparts. If you're a woman with your own business or with a good job with another business, you need business cards to help promote yourself and facilitate communication with clients. Here are some of the important things to put on your business card.

Name and Title

Your business card needs to represent your interests when you're not in the room, so your name is one of the most important things to put on it. Use your title if you have one (Dr. etc.) and the initials of any professional designations you have (O.B.E. etc.) as this will command respect. You'll also need to print your job title on the card (e.g. Talent Agent, Director of Communications, Chief Financial Officer) so whoever picks up the card will know whether or not they need your services.

Contact Information

Business cards are a form of advertising that you're available to perform services, so you need to give people who see them a way to contact you so they can hire you. Therefore you should include your phone number (both your office number and your work cell number for when you're away from the office) and your email address (make sure it's a professional one, not an immaturely named personal one). If you have a fax number for document transfers put that on there too.

Company Information

The name of the company you own or work for also needs to be on your business card. It's a good idea to include a little snippet of information on what your company does, especially if the name doesn't give it away. "Police officer" is self explanatory. "Jane's Special Touches" is not. You might include your business's tagline (e.g. "providing the best redecoration services in the area") or a short list of services (e.g. cakes - cookies - desserts), but the most important tidbit to include is your business's web address so people can look you up.

A Little Creative Touch

Women in the workplace can get away with more artistic touches than men can, such as swirly fonts or graphics, and it often helps feminize an otherwise masculine looking card. This isn't so necessary if you're the head of the expense department, but if you're in a creative field (catering, decorating, graphic design) giving your card some flair will help convince people who see it that you really are good at your job.