Nurses and doctors are required to wear medical uniforms, scrubs, in doctor’s offices and hospitals all around the world. This opens up a great opportunity to become a medical scrubs and uniform retailer. Below are several things to consider before becoming a medical scrubs retailer.
Business Licensing Requirements
Apply for a business license from your local municipality. This serves to register your business with your city or county. Apply for a tax account with your state department of taxes as you will need to collect sales tax on items sold – if your state has sales tax. Apply, too, for a tax identification number (TIN) or an employer identification number (EIN) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If you are still not sure about all the licensing requirements to become a medical scrubs and uniform retailer, you can contact the Uniform Retailers Association (URA), a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to the growth and prosperity of the independent uniform retailer.
Contact Medical Scrubs Uniform Manufacturers
The first thing you will need to do is find and contact manufacturers of medical scrubs such as Landau, Fashion Seal and Cherokee. Make sure to look for things such as:
- Quality. Look for brands that are made with materials and needlework that can withstand the industry high temperatures that are necessary when cleaning medical uniforms.
- Style. Look for brands that offer more colors than the conventional green and blue. Doctors and nurses may have to wear scrubs all day, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t want to express themselves with a little bit of style. For example, Cherokee offers several nursing scrubs with designs that incorporate floral patterns, cartoon characters, and pop culture references.
- Comfort. Doctors, nurses and medical personnel will be wearing these uniforms all day. It is important that they are comfortable. For example, Fashion Seal provides scrubs with moisture wicking side panels.
Where Should You Locate Your Business?
Determine if you will have a retail store location or if you will sell directly to offices, hospitals and other stores. If you decide to open a retail store, you must find one that’s suitable, negotiate to lease or purchase the space and set it up for business. However, if you choose to sell directly to hospitals, offices, and schools, etc., you only need to invest in an office space in your home or other location.
Marketing Your Medical Uniform Business
Market your business to the offices, hospitals, schools, and other businesses that will be interested in your uniforms. Bring scrub catalogs, price lists, samples, and business cards with you when you visit.
To expand your reach, invest in a strong digital presence. For example, consider designing an eCommerce website where customers can browse and order scrubs online. Platforms like Retail Commerce or Uniform Program Management by UniformMarket offer ready-made templates and drag-and-drop features for creating professional online stores with ease.
Additionally, take advantage of specialized healthcare uniform programs for hospitals that streamline inventory management and ordering processes for hospitals and clinics. These programs not only enhance operational efficiency but also ensure consistent branding and access to high-quality scrubs tailored to the specific needs of healthcare facilities.
You can also advertise your medical scrubs business in medical publications, such as The New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Public Health, and The Journal of Clinical Investigation, as well as in nursing journals like the American Journal of Nursing and The Journal for Nurse Practitioners.
