Each year, the clothes in clothing stores change. Last season’s clothes go “out of style” when the new fashions appear. It’s hard to keep up. Luckily, medical clothing never goes out of style. Scrubs are sanitary articles of clothing that help protect the wearer from getting patients’ bodily fluids on their skin. These uniforms are worn by doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. They come in various colors and patterns. If you are looking to update your scrub wardrobe, you can buy it on this site.
Since the need for medical professionals isn’t going anywhere, the demand for scrubs isn’t going anywhere either. Starting a nursing uniform business could be a lucrative venture. If you are thinking about starting a scrubs business of your own, this article details how to start and run a nursing uniform business.
Things to Consider Before Starting a Nursing Uniform Business
There is a lot more to a nursing uniform business than just selling scrubs. Before starting a nursing uniform business, there are a few things you should consider.
Online or Brick-and-Mortar?
One of the first things to consider is whether you want a brick-and-mortar store or an online shop. A brick-and-mortar store can come with much more overhead, like rental space, electricity bills, payroll, etc. An online shop can be a less expensive option, but you must consider shipping costs and where to store your inventory.
Inventory
Before opening a nursing uniform store, you must consider what kind of scrubs you want to stock in your store. Do you like handmade, boutique-style scrubs or mass-market, generic scrubs you can buy in bulk from a manufacturer? The costs vary on the different types of scrubs, so it is important to decide and budget accordingly.
Know Your Market
Not all markets are created equal. Before starting your business, you will need to study your target market. If you are targeting nurses, are they hospital nurses, or do they work in pediatrics? This can determine the patterns and colors of the scrubs you need to keep in stock.
Regulations
Because scrubs are categorized as medical devices, there are some rules and regulations surrounding their sale. These regulations can include barrier levels and pathogen resistance. It is important to familiarize yourself with these regulations to avoid challenges that can delay opening.
Checklist for Starting a Nursing Uniform Business
Create a Business Plan
A business plan can help future business owners form an outline of goals for their business. The business plan includes information on your target market and your competition, as well as information that makes your business unique. The business plan should outline strategies for success and can be used to gain potential investors and obtain a business loan. Ideally, a business owner should have a location secured or in mind before finishing their business plan. The more complete your business plan, the more likely others are to fund your business.
Come Up With a Name
This may seem like a small thing, but the name of a business is important. A business name should be something that customers won’t forget. Don’t make it too difficult to spell in case they want to look your business up online later. Choosing a name isn’t easy, and choosing an available name is even more difficult. It is best to come up with a few options in case the first few are already taken.
Start a Business Entity
A business entity can be a partnership, a corporation, a sole proprietorship, or an LLC. Each of these comes with different liability, cost, and administrative regulations. A sole proprietorship is likely the best option since it is less expensive and easy to start. A sole proprietorship leaves the business owner liable if anything bad happens, so an LLC may also work. An LLC is a sole proprietorship that gives the liability to a corporation and protects the business owner.
Get Business Licenses and Permits
Depending on where you live and whether you start a brick-and-mortar business or an online one, a nursing uniform business will require different licenses and permits. The most common things needed for a nursing uniform business are a local business license and local sales tax permits. Any business also needs its own Employer Identification Number for tax purposes.
Hire Employees
When hiring employees, take your time. Conduct interviews to determine experience level and personality. You want to ensure you have the best members on your team to ensure a higher level of sales.
Marketing
Without marketing, people wouldn’t know your business even exists. Set up a Google Business Profile and social media accounts. Make sure everything is SEO optimized, so you show up on search engines. A good marketing strategy can make or break a new business.
This is not a complete list of steps, but it is a great start. Don’t forget business insurance and setting up proper accounting. Starting a business can be stressful. Research, organization, dedication, and a great business plan can make the process a bit easier.