Okay, another confession. Sometimes I’m the promotional products distributor who doesn’t get promo ordered early for my next event. It’s the old plumber with the leaky faucet scenario again. However, I usually can rectify the situation in a short period of time, and not because I’m in the promo business either. It’s because I use these rush order handling tips:
- Develop a List of Go-To Suppliers for Rush Projects – I have two absolutely awesome suppliers who can turn orders around for me and ship them out the next business day if I get my order in by a designated time. Establish relationships with dependable go-to sources that you can rely on when the pressure’s on. Develop those relationships BEFORE you need them. Familiarize yourself with their product offerings so you know what your options are.
- Have Your Production-Ready Artwork Ready to Go at All Times – Clean, vector artwork is an absolute necessity for promotional product imprinting. Make sure that you have your logo artwork in an .eps (Encapsulated Postscript) or .ai (Adobe Illustrator) format available to forward to your promotional product vendor. This will avoid delays caused by having to do a redrawing of your logo which could take up to several days. If you won’t be able to have a clean logo ready for a rush order, be prepared to go with a simple text imprint. (See Related Posts below for more information on artwork for logos.)
- Have “Plan B” Choices – Even if you’ve developed relationships with your go-to suppliers and are pretty confident in their ability to have inventory available on a moment’s notice, realize that there may be the occasion where stock may be low or out. Plan on making at least one or two additional “Plan B” product choices in case your “Plan A” choice fails.
- Have Your Payment Scenario Planned – Many suppliers will ask for prepayment on rush orders, usually via credit card. So arrange in advance for a business credit card you will use for rush situations so you don’t end up having to use your personal credit lines. Also realize that you may need to pay for expedited shipping to meet your in-hand date.
I know I’m not alone in this gotta-get-it-now scenario. In the past two to three years, we have processed more rush orders than at any time in our company’s history.
Related Posts
- What is “Good Artwork” for Imprinting?
- Logos – Tips for Hiring a Graphic Designer for Yours
- Branding – To Logo or Not to Logo?
Leave A Reply (No comments So Far)
No comments yet