Congratulations! So you have chosen to make life easier for yourself and your team, and will be getting a company uniform. This is a big step in the right direction in terms of simplifying dress codes at the office, increasing staff productivity and most importantly – more professional and consistent branding. Dressing work each day will be so much more undemanding for everyone. It makes sense right. But the project of creating that uniform is overwhelming.
If you’re unsure where to start with your uniform project we’ve created an easy to follow 7 step process to help you create your own uniforms. Whether you’re a small business or a larger one with a HR department, it’s important that you get it right the first time. It is a relatively decent project to take on, but the benefits will be well worth it.
Step 1
Understanding your uniform objectives up front is key to create your own uniforms and the best design for your company. HR is often driven to satisfy staff, while marketing is motivated in a uniform that enhances the company brand. Get all key stakeholders together to come to an agreement on these uniform objectives.
Step 2
It’s just as important to know WHAT DOES YOUR TEAM WANT? What are they comfortable wearing? How many items do they need in a working week? By creating your own uniforms that satisfies the majority of their needs, you will have more success! Include them in the process once you have fully understood what the uniform objectives are between management.
Step 3
If any issues arise from the step above, it may be ideal to do a focus group discussion to explore in more detail before you create your own uniforms. A smaller business would be able to do this all together. For a bigger company, this is an opportunity to select a few individuals from each department or a mixed range of age groups across your company. We recommend no more than ten people per focus group.
Step 4
This is where the fun starts! The three important aspects of corporate clothing. Fabrics, fits and fashion. Once you have chosen a uniform supplier you can discuss these based on what they have available.
Fabric
The fabric you choose for your when you create your own uniforms will most likely be determined by budget, wearability, breathability, durability, and the image your company wants to portray. There are pros and cons to all fabric types which you can discuss with your supplier.
Fit
An ill-fitting uniform is pointless. Ensuring the garments fit well is imperative. When looking at your next uniform supplier one of the first questions to explore are the fits. Does the supplier have a variety of fits in each product? For example, a slim fit shirt for men and women won’t be appropriate for all body shapes. And the same goes for a relaxed fit. A great way to ensure the best fit is to ask your uniform company to come and do a fitting first round.
Fashion
Creating your own uniforms that are fashionable is often the biggest mistake. More often it’s about marketing and branding. There is no longevity in that strategy and with uniforms often being a sizeable investment it’s important to commit to an overall look that will stand the test of time.
Step 5
The uniform policy is the only way to ensure long term success. The right uniform supplier will assist you to write your company uniform policy. A uniform policy will ensure your investment in time and money was not wasted. Policies are always boring but highly necessary when you create your own uniforms.
Step 6
We cannot emphasise enough how important it is to have the right paperwork in place for employees to order their garments and sign off on. They need to understand initially exactly what they are ordering and the costs involved to avoid staff complaints in the future. An easy to use ongoing order form for the different uniform garments also needs to be designed.
Step 7
It’s important that each employee receives a pack with their uniform with details about how to reorder, care instructions and a reminder to refer to the uniform policy. Remember your staff are your best customers, treat them well and they will be your raving fan and best form of marketing. Putting together a uniform starter pack once you create your own uniforms is a great way to thank your staff for embracing the team uniform and get them excited.
Now you know how to create your own uniforms, what’s next? There’s quite a lot of planning that goes into the above steps, but the good news is, we have designed a series on templates to help you in more detail with each step and develop a uniform rollout strategy. If you follow these guidelines you should not miss a thing and will have a foolproof plan. So get downloading and get that uniform project DONE for 2019! Uniform Templates if you require any more assistance feel free to Contact Us
