Business Etiquette For Dummies
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Every business should have a variety of stationery for communications with customers and contacts. Each type of business stationery has its function, but all types of your business stationery should share some characteristics:

  • High-quality paper: Paper for business letters should contain some rag-cotton content — typically, about 25 percent. You also want paper that is watermarked.

  • Uniform: In color, weight, and letterhead across sizes. Your company needs an identity, and one way to establish identity is through stationery.

Here are the types of business stationery you should have:

  • Corporate letterhead: Should be 8 1/2 x 11 inches, with the following relevant information printed on it:

    • Business name

    • Business address

    • Business telephone number

    • Business fax number

    • Business e-mail address or Web page, if appropriate

    Envelopes are printed with the company name and address.

  • Plain sheets of paper: Should be 8 1/2 x 11 inches and of the same quality as corporate letterhead.

    This paper is for letters longer than one page. (Second and subsequent pages are not presented on letterhead.)

  • Monarch paper: Should be 7 1/4 x 10 1/2 inches. The sheets are used for personal business letters and have the following information printed on them:

    • Person’s name, but not the business name

    • Business address

    Envelopes are printed with the person’s name and business address.

  • Correspondence cards: These small (typically, 4-1/2 x 6-1/2 inches), non-foldable cards are used for personal messages and thank-you notes. They have the same information as the monarch paper.

  • Business cards: Generally 3 1/2 x 2 inches. The card should contain the following information:

    • Person’s name and title

    • Business name

    • Business contact information (such as address, telephone number, e-mail address, and so on)

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

Sue Fox is the author of Etiquette For Dummies, 2nd Edition, and a professional member of the International Association of Protocol Consultants (IAPC) in Washington, D.C.

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