It’s common for a business to somewhat overlook the importance of quality workwear for employees during the early years at least there are so many more pressing matters to focus on. However, it’s no secret that the right work uniforms can work wonders when it comes to furthering the reputation of any given brand or business, which is why sooner or later it is a subject that must be brought to the table.
According to the embroidery digitizer experts, when the time comes to source workwear there is very much a right and a wrong way of going about it. Bearing in mind the way in which each and every employee will from then on be nothing less than a walking marketing tool for the brand as a whole, it’s crucial to avoid making rookie errors and to end up with a contingency of clothing that makes wholly the wrong statement about who you are and what you do.
So, with this in mind, here’s a quick overview of just some of the rules to follow when buying workwear for your business:
1 – Take Your Time
It takes just a split second to rush into a bad decision but the consequences could last for a lifetime. In the case of work uniforms, rushing into a decision can lump you with a load of uniforms that do more harm than good, in turn leaving with the unenviable choice of living with your mistakes or paying out once again to get it right the second time. Whether it’s you yourself that feels the need to rush or you find yourself being pressured by any given uniform design company, take your time and don’t make a move until 100% confident in doing so.
2 – Take Inspiration, but Don’t Imitate
When it comes to choosing the very best design and colour choices for your uniform, it can be extremely helpful to take a look at industry standards just to see what others are doing. At the same time however, you should never fall into the trap of partially or wholly imitating a bigger or more successful brand in your industry segment. The reason being that if you do, your staff will only remind your customers of the other brand you’re actually trying to compete with, meaning additional and free advertising for them and a sort of reverse-marketing for you. Take inspiration by all means, but beware imitation.
3 – Ask for Samples
If you plan to provide at least three examples of every garment chosen to a pretty large workforce, it’s of course in your best interests to first ask for a sample to be tried out in person. The reason being that what looks good on screen doesn’t always translate to a great look in real life. What’s more, when dealing with a lacklustre provider that gorgeous red stripe may in fact be more of a shocking pink when seen in the flesh – not the ideal representation of your brand’s usual red standard. If the company is worth dealing with and your own brand images matters to you, samples should not be too much to ask…or even demand.
4 – Don’t Forget Comfort
There have been so many examples over recent history of brands that have gotten far too carried away with making their uniforms look good and in the process have totally forgotten things like functionality and comfort. As such, they’ve ended up with workforces that are unable to do their jobs properly and find it difficult to move an inch without being irritated half to death by garments that are massively uncomfortable. Yes, it’s important to focus on your brand’s image, but not at the expense of your employees being able to do their jobs effectively and happily.
5 – Quality Counts
Last but not least, the overall quality of the garments you choose and the customisation thereof count for so much when it comes to making sure your brand is viewed in the right light. First of all, it’s easy for anyone these days to see when a brand’s uniform has been made from quality materials and printed or embroidered by a manufacturer that knows what it is doing. Professional uniforms and garments simply scream good taste and are just the kinds of things needed to make that important first impression that sticks. Not only this, but it’s crucial to remember that the way they look today may not in fact be the way they’ll look next week. Will they fade, shrink, warp or fall to pieces entirely the first time they’re washed? Always worth thinking about before going ahead with an order.
