Keeping teammates connected
In times of crisis, United Community Action Partnership steps up, helping ensure that people in need can weather the storm. With an overall mission of empowering individuals and strengthening communities, the organization knew it needed to move quickly to assist during the pandemic.
“We received some COVID-19 funding that we needed to get out to people in need,” Family Services Director Angela Larson said.
The United Community Action Partnership emergency-housing team quickly got up to speed. They added staff and equipped everyone with laptops so they could work from home (or anywhere else), as they assisted people needing housing stability.
“We frequently work with people who don’t have a phone or access to the internet … so, we would always have one person at the office staffing those programs. We would rotate who needed to be at home and who needed to be at the office.”
Key to making the plan work: Employees needed branded laptop bags that would allow them to transition easily from the office to home and back—a new experience for many.
“We had to ramp up our services,” Larson said. “Quite a few of our staff members didn’t have laptops before. And we needed to make sure we had the gear in place to protect the laptops.”
The bag also had another important mission: team-building.
“The imprint on the bags helped our staff remember they were part of a team, even though they weren’t seeing each other in person every day,” Larson said.
So, what’s the secret to selecting the perfect branded bag? These four tips will help you choose!
Tip #1: Think about how staff will use the bag
When it comes to team bags, think digital first. If your team will be toting laptops, headphones, chargers and other gear, consider a branded laptop bag. By contrast, if your team simply needs to get a few mission-critical items from place to place, a tote bag may be the best office bag for their needs.
United Community Action Partnership knew its team needed to transport and protect laptops and other gear. For assignments like this, bags such as the Verve Checkpoint-Friendly Laptop Messenger Bag do the job flawlessly.
Verve Checkpoint-Friendly Laptop Messenger Bag
Your logo makes regular check-ins with team members.
“A lot of our multilingual staff members were more easily able to travel from one office to another as needed,” Larson said.
Tip #2: Note ALL the add-ons
For many organizations, a bag that holds a laptop and power cable is a lightweight, easy-to-manage option. But this can also create a multi-bag situation, where employees grab extra bags whenever they need to change locations. This can result in misplaced items or forgotten equipment.
Consider asking your staff what they might need to carry on a regular basis and pick your bag accordingly. Items could include:
- Mouse
- Keys or key fobs
- Credit cards or wallet
- Writing utensils
- Notebooks or padfolios
- Phones
- Electronic tablets
- Ear buds or a headset
When you have a complete list, you can easily choose the right-sized tote to meet your team’s needs.
Tip #3: Know where your bag is headed
Once you’ve determined what needs to go into the office bag, it’s time to think about where it’ll go and how often.
Laptop backpacks can be a great choice when staff will be walking long distances. People who travel overnight might prefer a duffel with space for clothes, toiletries and other work gear.
It’s also a good idea to consider the elements—like whether the bag needs to be waterproof or reinforced at the bottom.
Tip #4: Determine what your brand should do
For United Community Action Partnership, the brand served as a reminder: We are all on the same team. To amp the team theme of your bag, consider a bag style that will stand out. That helps reinforce the team story that, together, we are part of something unique.
If you prefer your bags to serve as a billboard for your organization, choose a color from your brand palette, upsize your logo or add it in a contrasting color to make it stand out. These subtle tweaks can help turn a simple branded bag from functional to fun and make it a conversation starter in the process.
Carry your mission everywhere
As United Community Action Partnership experienced, one bag can check multiple business boxes.
“These bags made it possible for our staff to carry the equipment they needed, and the logo reminded them of the team on a daily basis,” Larson said.
After all, the best employee bag is the one that helps you and your team accomplish your goals.
Looking for more information about this topic? Email 4ideas@4imprint.com with inquiries.
