Investing in a uniform for your company is a great idea for a number of reasons. It’s an excellent way to present your team in a professional, well-branded manner while making sure they’re comfortable and protected where need be. Once you’ve decided to invest in uniforms, it’s important to take some time to choose where your money is going, and what elements in particular you want to spend your hard earned cash on.
Where to spend your money
1. Durability
As a business owner, spending more money than the minimum can initially sound unproductive. But the reality is, spending a little more money in the short term will save you money in the long run as you don’t have to constantly replace uniforms. Studies have shown that increasing the active life of all clothing by nine months would reduce the annual carbon, water and waste footprints of clothing by up to 30%, and cut resource costs by around $10 billion NZD. The more durable clothing is, the longer it will last - meaning not only do you spend less money buying new things, but less time sorting out issues and sourcing replacements.
2. Ethics
Think about your company values and what you stand for ethically, then make sure your uniform providers line up with these values. Sometimes shopping ethically is slightly more expensive, but when you remember you’re getting a uniform that’s ethically made from sustainable materials and well-paid workers - it’s all worth it. Promoting ethical uniforms will also attract workers with similar values, while making your employees feel good as they put on their uniform each day.
At Arrow, we're proud of our ethical standards. You can check out our commitment statement and environmental policy online, and read more here about the ethical questions you should be asking your suppliers.
Where to Save your money
1. Management inventory systems
Technology is helping businesses everywhere save money and time, and an excellent example of that is uniform management inventory systems. Luckily the My Arrow Uniform Management Software can help you streamline your inventory system. The software is tailored to your companies branding and prices, and staff can only see what they’re personally allowed to wear. This means it is perfectly tailored to your business and eliminates any confusion. And while your staff can order for themselves to save time, as a manager you also have the ability to approve or reject requests, keeping you in control.
2. Retrieve AND REISSUE uniforms
If your company has a high staff turnover rate, so may your uniforms. This could be an area where you’re losing a lot of money, that you could actually be saving. Taking a few simple steps to ensure tighter regulations of uniform retrieval, such as including a clause in your contract and following through with it. It may just seem like one or two uniforms, but over time this can become build up significantly. Retrieving uniforms is not only financially beneficial but hugely environmentally beneficial as you will be helping to cut down waste.
So choose to spend your money on what matters to you. Investing money in ethical and durable clothing is not only your most sustainable option but also pays off over time as your employees will be wearing more lasting clothing. Save your money by creating a workplace that has an efficient inventory system and good practices in place to protect your uniforms, save time and make sure you’re not replacing items you shouldn’t have too!
Book a consultation now to find out we can help you manage your uniform spend!
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