Many new entrepreneurs hoping to put up a open for business sign on the Internet miss learning about the most essential item to include in their email communication - signature files!

New Internet users come online everyday to seek information and begin communicating, but few know how to guide potential customers to their web site or leave formal "cyber dust trails." 

A "sig" file is nothing more than an online business card. You wouldn't go to a network business meeting without a business card now would you? Or send non-letterhead paper. What makes email any different? 

Generally, most email programs provide a "signature" tool. If not, it's easy to create one using any word document. Start out by selecting which type of signature you'll want to use.

Three main types include:

1. Business
Name, position, company name, company address, phone, fax, email, 
and web site.

2. Personal
Name, mailing address, phone, fax, cell phone, email, and web site.

3. Pleasure
Name (most commonly used for chat AKA name), email, and web site.

Important Note- a common courtesy is to include a sig file in all email messages to let the recipient know who sent it. Keep the length below the highest tolerable limit of eight to ten lines. The normal size is six lines for all three types.

For business communications, the length of the name and nature of the business declare size limitations. 


The most common business signatures include:

1. Your name
2. Name of company
3. Position with company
4. Mailing address 
5. Phone
6. Fax
7. Email
8. Web site

You may want to consider a disclaimer at the bottom of your sig file, especially if you wish to protect yourself or any part of the email transmission. For example, you might use... 

"This email transmission may contain confidential and proprietary information, which is the property of (your company name). No person other than the recipient (so indicated by the sender) may use or distribute or disclose the contents of this message, links or attachments hereto to any person or organization whatsoever. Unauthorized disclosure and or use may result in civil and or criminal penalties." 

A signature for business and personal must be appropriate for both with the recipient in mind. Think about "who" your email is going to. For example; you want to contact a company about your product and construct your message using fancy ASCII art with a catchy phrase. The company reviews your email only to delete it. Why? The company may use Web based programs that generally don't read coded art, or their filters have flagged it as spam. 

The difference between sending your email in text rather than HTML, text is the lowest common denominator. Unix mailers and other programs that send HTML is designed to balloon the kilobyte size of your email, thus causing your email to be ignored or deleted. Text email will make your messages more accessible and be less buggy than HTML. If your readers parse code, it will leave them with broken messages or blank screens with JavaScript errors.

Signature files are an important part of email communication. You can let others know what you've been doing lately, where you hang out on the Web, and express how you feel. Keep a short sig file handy at all times with your messages concise and as readable as possible.

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