Work uniforms offer quite a lot of benefits to businesses of all sizes. They reinforce the brand, boost team spirit, and enhance the customer experience. Some of the most iconic brands out there stand out with their own unique sets of workwear, making them more memorable to everyone. However, designing company clothing for our own business is not as easy as it might seem.
When it comes to clothes, the choices are practically limitless. It is no wonder if we don’t even know where to start. If we want to make the most of our workwear, we need to keep a few important things in mind and make some tough decisions before we make the actual order. In this article, we will outline the key factors when it comes to choosing workwear for your business.
1. Keep It Professional
Uniforms are essential to a company’s image, so they need to demonstrate professionalism, reliability, and our brand’s overall message. Of course, what “professional” means largely depends on the type of business we are dealing with. For example, teachers and nurses need to have workwear that reflects their authority. If we run a formal restaurant, our staff needs to be equipped with elegant clothing that demonstrates their professionalism.
We must carefully think about the type of image we want to portray with our company uniforms. Even though the other factors on this list are important, we need to maintain a look of integrity and professionalism.
2. Pick the Right Fabric
When it comes to selecting the correct fabric for your company uniforms, we need to take into account the type of work our employees do on an everyday basis. Our staff needs to be comfortable in their workwear and the uniforms should not be restrictive in any way. Additionally, we need the fabric to be resistant and durable, so we don’t have to buy new uniforms frequently.
For people who work indoors, we should opt for lighter fabrics that are flexible. Light fabrics are especially important if our staff needs to move around a lot while performing their daily duties. Construction workers, on the other hand, need to be outfitted in uniforms made from a sturdier fabric that is resistant to wear, tear, and weather conditions.
3. Safety Is Essential
Naturally, safety should be one of our top priorities when choosing work uniforms for our staff. Certain industries have safety standards to which all workwear must adhere to and health and safety inspectors are guaranteed to check if our uniforms meet all the requirements. We need to check all laws and regulations that apply to our business and apply them when designing our uniforms.
For example, our kitchen staff should be equipped with clothes that are flame retardant. On the other hand, construction workers are required to wear a hardhat — an item that can easily be branded properly but still needs to meet all industry standards. If we do not take this matter seriously, we might get in trouble with the law, or even worse — a member of our staff might be harmed.
4. Maintain Brand Identity
We must never forget that our branding reflects each aspect of our business. From reputation and awareness to sales and profit — it all starts and ends with developing and maintaining our brand. The uniforms we design must be fully in line with our branding and marketing guidelines. This way, our brand identity will be more memorable for customers and stand out from the competition. Branding that is inconsistent is one of the biggest mistakes we can make, as it dilutes our brand perception and top-of-mind awareness.
First, we need to ensure that the colors and fonts used for the uniforms are the same as what we use on our website and other marketing materials. Our logo should be fully visible and easy to spot. Any mottos and marketing messaging should also be featured in a prominent way. With consistent branding, we can effectively build trust in our customers, thus ensuring repeat business and growth.
5. Extra Personalization
If we really want our staff to stand out, we can go beyond just sticking to our overall corporate branding. We can kick things up a notch by personalizing the workwear of each staff member. For example, we can include a badge with their name, or even embroider it into the clothing itself. This can be especially helpful if our staff has to deal with customers, as clients will want to know who they are talking to and how they can address them. Personalizing each worker’s uniform can do wonders when it comes to building relationships with customers — it also makes the onboarding process easier for new recruits.
6. Don’t Forget About the Budget
No matter if we are running a startup or a multinational corporation, the budget will always be a hot issue when it comes to investing in workwear for our staff. We need to carefully plan our expenses in the short and long term since we do not want to overspend. Clothing gets damaged and wears out after a certain period of time, so we would have to order new uniforms on a regular basis. If we go over the top when it comes to fabric choices and additions, we might find this expense too much in the long term.
Keep in mind that in certain situations, workwear can be tax-deductible. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the local laws and regulations within your industry.
Conclusion
Designing company uniforms can be quite beneficial for a business, no matter its size, scope, and industry. However, if we want our uniforms to serve their purpose in the most optimal way, we need to approach the subject with care and pay attention to even the finest details. If we take our time and consider all the factors listed above, we can be sure that our workwear will be effective, comfortable, safe, and not overly expensive.
