Ordering leavers hoodies for an entire school year can seem like a daunting task. There is a lot to consider to make sure that everyone gets what they want and are happy with their hoodies.
We've been working in this industry for over ten years and want to share our experiences to help take some of the pressure off, as it can often be overwhelming to meet the expectations of tens (or often hundreds) of students and parents.
1. Find a reputable company
This is the first and most crucial step. You want to choose a company that specialise in printing leavers hoodies. General garment printing companies who dabble in a bit of everything won't have tried-and-tested processes or the high standards required to meet your needs, so look for the specialists!
Use a search engine to look up "leavers hoodies", go through all the companies on the first page and take a look at what they offer. The best companies will guide you through the available options and ask you to complete a form to determine your preferences, then they'll send you a visual proof and quotation.
2. Decide on a design
Design is subjective, so that's up to you. All we will suggest is that, in order to please an entire year group, it's best to stick to the classic designs. For example, a large number on the back to represent the year with all of the students names printed within the number. You might find companies doing 'funky' alternatives, but we'd recommend to stick with what's familiar and meets the vast majority of expectations. For a more in-depth guide, see what makes a great leavers hoodie design.
3. Pricing
This is where it so often goes wrong. There will always be companies who can print leavers hoodies for "cheap". We've lost count of the amount of times a school has come back to us after having a nightmare with a "cheaper" company who often cancel orders that they can't fulfil or provide an inadequate product.
As the saying goes "you get what you pay for" and here's a few things that are really worth paying for... You want a good quality hoodie, printed by a team who have a great attention to detail, no silly mistakes (spelling, positioning, etc), professional and punctual communication by a company who handle your order with care and deliver before the deadline.
4. Collect orders
Traditionally, orders would be collected using a spreadsheet and collecting money from each student. Most companies still work this way and they might send you a nice template to get you started.
However, there's a couple of top companies who now offer an online shop. This really takes all of the time and responsibility off of your shoulders. They will set up a link so that students and parents can click through and choose their hoodie colour, hoodie size, etc and even pay for it on the website. You'll be sent a summary when the shop closes and the hoodies will go in to production. Too easy!
5. Distribution
The final step; leavers hoodie orders are typically delivered directly to the school, with the details enclosed, to make it nice and easy when handing them out.
Conclusion
We hope this guide gives you some clarity on what to expect and what to look out for. If you're not reading this directly on our blog, we are HoodieHut and we (unsurprisingly) specialise in school leavers hoodies. We have the best attention to detail, transparent pricing, great quality hoodies, and offer the online shop ordering method.
Thanks for reading!