A corporate uniform – well designed, easy-to-care for and one that is distinctive and sophisticated, one that will define your company’s goals – is essential in today’s business world.
Image by Benicio Murray via Flickr
Granted, this is not a seemingly corporate example, but the Hooters’ restaurant business model was a brilliant bit of marketing that swept the restaurant world, not only put the company on the world “map,” but secured Hooters a place in the pop-culture market, not to mention its $1 billion in revenue. And its most significant and identifiable element, something so familiar the company’s name is used interchangeably as an adjective and verb? The uniform.
Get Your Customers’ Attention
No matter how budget-conscious you are, or how you must be, there are areas of your business on which you cannot “scrimp.” Because you have your entire staff to consider, purchasing high quality corporate uniforms may seem financially prohibitive, but this is an area that greatly contributes to the “face” of your company. How your employees initially appear to customers can be equated with the first chapter of a novel. If the opening of a book doesn’t grab the reader, there’s a strong chance they’ll put it down and move on. So it can be equated thusly – if your employees greet customers wearing professional work wear it’s the first step in making the sale, completing the deal, and more.
That Critical Brand Recognition
Even if your corporate uniform consists of a low-key but classic suit, there are subtle ways to introduce your company logo. Even the most sophisticated all-over uniform can feature your logo, further creating and defining brand recognition.
Benefitting Your Business
There are several elements to consider as you contemplate the design of your corporate uniform, and can be evaluated based on questions. For example:
- What kind of activities do the employees perform?
- Are they seated at a desk all day?
- Standing behind a desk?
- Standing for most of their shift?
- Doing a combination of standing and sitting?
- Will you require the same uniform across the board or will there be specialized versions?
- How many different types of uniforms do you need?
- How will you unify the different uniforms?
- How many uniforms do you need per employee?
- Will you offer a program to clean uniforms or will it be the employee’s responsibility?
- Do you want versatility in your uniforms meaning, should employees be allowed to take off their jackets and still be considered “in uniform”?
- How many pieces of a uniform should there be?
- Will you have a consistent uniform for all days? Meaning, will you offer a summer or winter alternative? Will your office observe “Casual Fridays?” “Casual Fridays” may mean an entirely different uniform of, for example, polo-style shirts in place of the daily suit.
Choosing the Right Designer/Manufacturer
You want to be sure that, in addition to providing you with high-quality corporate uniforms, the company will offer a variety of alternatives, both to supply uniforms, as well as items to further promote the company brand. Does the company offer you:
- Ladies’ Corporate Suits?
- Men’s Corporate Suits?
- Ladies’ Corporate Polos?
- Men’s Corporate Polos?
- Ladies’ Corporate T-Shirts and Tops?
- Men’s’ Corporate T-Shirts and Tops?
- Sportswear?
- Outdoor wear?
- Sweatshirts?
- Hoodies?
- Accessories (hats and bags featuring the company logo)?
- Hospitality wear (and the variety of uniforms necessary)?
Other Essentials
Does the work-wear company offer:
- The opportunity to order bespoke uniforms?
- A variety of sizes?
- A first-class consultation service?
- Embroidery?
- Heat seal?
- Online shopping?
- Respond to your messages within 24-hours or less?
- Offer you product quotes which are valid for 60 days from the date of the quote?
- Offer product samples before you order in bulk?
- Offer you text or email messages for delivery preferences?
- Offer a policy for credit returns?
- Promotional Advertising?
- Innovative fabrics?
- Provide Swatches and Palettes?
Results
Choosing a work-wear company to provide your company with uniforms shouldn’t be a difficult task. The company should be willing to work with you, have a great reputation and years of experience backing them.
