A press kit, also called a media kit, contains a collection of information about your business. Press kits are usually distributed at a news conference; however, it's beneficial for all businesses to keep one on hand at all times. If you face unexpected press coverage - whether positive or negative - you'll have much better control of the situation with an already-prepared kit.

A typical media kit contains the following, all preferably on company letterhead:

A Company Profile. This one page list of basic company statistics begins with your company name. It might also include the name of the company founder, the year founded, what your business does and the number of locations and employees. Type "Company Profile" as the header on the page. Sample Company Profile

Bio Sheet. This page provides a one to two paragraph background on the key employees of a company. For a small business, a bio sheet might detail the educational background, experience and community involvement of the business owner. Type "Biographical Information" as the page header, then include one or more brief biographies. Sample Bio Sheet

A Press Release or Pitch Letter. Include the press release when your press kit is part of an overall effort to announce recent, newsworthy information. In this instance, your press release would be the main focus of your press kit, with everything else supporting it. Here is a sample release of Evergreen Landscaping announcing a new service.

A pitch letter would be used if you're sending a press kit to an editor to suggest a story. Write the pitch letter on your letterhead and personalize it to the person you're sending it to. In a few paragraphs, introduce yourself, your company and your idea for a story. Explain why your idea would appeal to readers and why your background qualifies you to provide content for the story.

A Data Sheet. If you're announcing a new product, a data sheet would list specific information about that product such as physical description (size, weight, special materials), pricing and uses. Print this information on a page with the heading "Data Sheet."

Images. Images may include a headshot of key people, such as the business owner; photos or illustrations of a new product or location; a copy of your logo. Images should be of high quality, so they will reproduce clearly for the media. You can include printed copies of images, but the best approach is to scan all images as .jpg files and copy them to a CD. Be sure to label the CD with your company name and a brief explanation of the CD content. If you aren't sure how to scan and copy images, I've found most printing companies can help you with this for a small fee.

Brochures. If you have a company brochure, you can include that too.

Put all parts of your press kit in a folder. Buy inexpensive 2-pocket folders at an office supply store, and simply stick mailing labels with your logo printed on them to the front. You can also work with a local printer to have simple folders printed with your logo. Another option is to order online through VistaPrint. A supply of logo folders can double for other purposes, making the expense easier to justify.

Make sure to include contact information in your press kit. If you have a business card, staple it to your folder pocket or the top left corner of your press release or pitch letter. As an alternative, simply type your contact person's name, phone and email on a sheet of paper with "Contact Information" as the title.