Don’t get caught unprepared. As the summer days stretch into the doggiest dog days of summer, it’s hard to imagine that it won’t be too long before the leaves change.
In fact, it won’t be long before some of us have to shovel snow. What does seem like a long time, however, is the amount of time since we last reviewed the fall uniforms. In this case, “we” is you.
Work clothes for the fall are what we wear while accepting the inevitable: falling snow.
On the brighter side of life, one shouldn’t overlook the other great things coming too: the holidays, massive amounts of candy and food, parties, and the new year. But, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.
No doubt, there’s a lot of excitement coming in the next few months. What could throw a huge monkey wrench in all that excitement is a team dressed in outdated uniforms.
If the team uniforms for fall are begging for an upgrade, don’t panic. There is still time to freshen things up, and it doesn’t have to mean blowing the holiday party budget.
Follow these six steps to make a few keys changes or a full overhaul to your autumn work wear.
Quick tip: There is a specific step for this, but try to engage your team at every point of this process. Don’t let them slow you down, but to gain better team ownership of any changes, don’t disregard their input.
Set Rollout Deadline
The first step is to set a deadline. At this point, it may seem like a narrow window, but it’s okay to stick with last year’s uniforms for a week or two if necessary.
This shouldn’t take too long if you plan to dig in right away.
The deadline, loaded into a calendar, will be your guiding light. It will dictate the pace of every step between now and that date.
Be realistic, but don’t worry if you have to extend the date once or twice. Better to set a date then move it, than to not set one at all. Without a deadline, you will not feel the urgency you need to get going.
Quick tip: Engage some help, a person or small team. Tell them about the deadline. This will help with your accountability and motivation.
Take this first step today before the end of the day. Also, pace out the following five steps on the same calendar with deadlines for completion.
Then go home knowing that you are already on the path to a smashing end of the year.
Review Existing Fall Uniforms
With your deadline looming, you need to get your hands and eyes on the fall uniforms from last year. Ask employees to bring in their best uniform from the previous year.
Put them all in one place, then go through them. This is where you may be done. If the uniforms look otherwise in good shape, you may only need to make sure everyone has enough.
This would be a good time to contact your workwear supplier to make sure they still carry those items. You may need to upgrade parts of the uniform only because you don’t have enough from years prior. (We’ll come back to ordering enough in a minute.)
Consider making a minor upgrade to something simple if you can. It will make your team see that you care. Also, your customers will appreciate minor evolutionary changes over time versus total overhauls.
This step is your chance to make those evolutionary adjustments. A simple example would be to add a new option for jackets or pants, something that matches the existing uniforms so it won’t stand out but freshens up the look.
Pool Budget Resources
Some employers provide the entire uniform, some only parts. The need for the budget will depend on those factors, but also on how many upgrades you wish to make.
A total overhaul in a company who furnishes everything but underwear will mean you have a large task on hand. Most will not face that reality.
Regardless, don’t delay in taking this step as it may take some time to pool resources. In an ideal world, you will have access to an endless account of money.
In the real world, the budget will always be too thin, and the expectations too high. It will seem impossible. This is a good time to get creative.
Quick tip: Some organizations have had success raising funds through other means, like collecting aluminum for recycling or running other fundraising efforts. A search of Google turns up some great ideas for ways to generate funds.
Work through your chain of command to stay within the boundaries of your company’s policies and brand. Don’t hesitate to contact All Seasons Uniforms for more economical uniform solutions.
Request Samples
Don’t try to order your work clothes for the fall sight unseen. The internet has come a long way with high resolution and 3D imaging, but there is nothing like testing the real thing.
Order samples of the uniform pieces you intend to consider. If you’re working with All Seasons Uniforms, order as many styles and sizes as you can.
Those items you don’t keep, you can return per the normal exchange policy. The rest you will fold into your new fall uniform changes.
This should be a fun step. In fact, it’s so fun, you may find it tempting to skip the previous steps, but you will find this one more rewarding if you’ve done the right groundwork.
Engage Your Team
This is like step part b of the previous step. You definitely want to show your uniform considerations to the team, but if you can, have team members try on the uniform samples.
Let other team members take a look and solicit responses. Keep track of their replies, even if you only keep a collection of likes and didn’t-likes.
If you’re really bold and have the time, you can post the options on social media outlets. Let the team and your customers weigh in.
Quick tip: Move swiftly through this step.
Order Enough
This is the hardest step of the bunch. Remember when we talked about having great uniforms, but not enough? Order enough to cover your existing team for sure.
Consider how many days a team member will work. They need clean uniforms every shift. Also, consider the staffing plan for the next six months, even the growth plan for the next year.
If you work for an organization which will grow quickly in the next 12 months, you want to have enough uniform sizes and options that no team member ever goes without a uniform.
Companies who can’t provide the basics scan like disorganized places of business to their team members. It damages the employee-employer relationship before there’s time to say “I’m sorry.”
This seems like a lot, and it is if you try to do it all at once. However, it won’t be if you start at the beginning and plot it out on a calendar.
Don’t forget to get as many people’s opinions as possible, and don’t forget that you have a resource of friendly professionals who’ve been at this a long time. (That’s us, All Seasons Uniforms.)
Good luck!
About the Author
Nick Warrick
Nick Warrick is the Sales Manager at All Seasons Uniforms. With over 15 years of experience in the work uniform business, he has worked with hundreds of clients across 20 different industries. Holding bachelor’s degrees in both Business Administration and Information Technology, Nick revamped the company’s online presence, offering its customers a new uniform shopping experience.