You see them when you enter hotels, motels and businesses of all types. I'm talking about floor mats with an imprint of the the business' custom logo. They serve a practical purpose. They provide a method for the customer to remove dirt and moisture from their shoes, thus avoiding slips and falls. They also remove dirt at the entrance to your building that would otherwise be spread throughout the building. Additionally, they add a touch of class to the interior entrance and a recognition by the customer of a committment to customer service and a pride in the business identity.

Custom logo floor mats are more expensive than off-the-shelf mats. However, there are several factors which you control to keep the costs down. These factors include size, purchase quantity and shipping. If you are a business owner considering the purchase of a custom logo floor mat, you need to consider these price influences on your purchase.

First, these mats are offered by a variety of floor mat stores in many different sizes. Consider the size of your entrance and pick the appropriate "standard" size from the vendor's available size list. Keep to the standard sizes available from your vendor. If your potential vendor does not offer the exact size you desire, check with other vendors. If the size does not appear to be available from any potential vendors, either choose the closest available size or be prepared to pay a premium price every time you have a run of these mats produced. Also, remember that the manufacturing charges are directly related to the size of the mat. Check your potential vendor's price list. The prices for the different available sizes should be very close to the same per-square-foot price. If there are substantial per-square-foot price differences across the vendor price list for various sizes, ask the vendor why! The manufacturing price is based on the size of the mat and the quantity being purchased.

When considering a custom logo floor mat, never buy a quantity of one! Realize that the manufacturer of the mat must prepare the artwork from your logo. A manufacturer utilizes human labor for the computer work and masking requirements. If a customer is purchasing a quantity of one, the manufacturer is obliged to pass this cost along to the vendor. The vendor passes this cost along to you! With any custom logo floor mat, repeat business is usually expected. However, if the customer purchases in a single quantity, repeat business is thrown into doubt and the vendor cannot reasonably expect to recupperate the manufacturing costs associated with the initial logo preparation. Therefore, the vendor must pass the artwork costs along to the customer. Smart vendors change the per-square-foot cost for the single quantity purchase to recupperate the extra manufacturing costs, rather than adding a separate artwork charge. Regardless of how the charges are added, they have to be there since the vendor must make a profit off the sale and cannot count on additional quantities for the same product to offset the additional costs. By purchasing a minimum of two identical custom logo floor mats, the vendor often does not even incur an additional artwork charge from the manufacturer. Even if the art charges are still there, the vendor has a reasonable expectation of repeat sales and can pass along quantity savings to the customer. If you are considering a custom logo floor mat for your business, purchase one for every entrance. If you have only one entrance, purchase two. Vacuum every evening or at every shift change, depending on the foot traffic and weather conditions. Rotate the mats weekly. Use the down time for thorough mat cleaning.

Always plan your purchase to allow standard ground shipping. Mats are heavy. Even ground shipping is relatively expensive due to the weight of the product. Because of the steps involved in the manufacturing process, the time between purchase and delivery of custom logo floor mats ranges between 20 to 40 business days. If the manufacturer is in a heavy purchasing period, that time can be longer. Realize that the manufacturer must take your custom logo and prepare it for transfer to a mat. If your logo is trademarked or otherwise protected, you will need to provide an authorized company officer's signature allowing the use of the logo on the mat. Once the artwork is done, the vendor must provide you the proof for your approval. This is critical. Custom logo floor mats are usually only returnable due to manufacturing defects. The vendor must have your complete approval for the proof of the mat artwork before the mats can be manufactured. If you are unavailable for several days, have an alternate point of contact who has authority to make a decision on the proof, or be prepared for delay of the delivery of your mats. Until you approve the artwork, the manufacturer cannot begin making your mats. Once the approval is given, the manufacturing usually takes 10-20 business days, depending upon the manufacturer's backlog. When considering a custom logo mat purchase make your buying decision a month to two months before you actually need the mats. This will allow ample time for the process involved and allow the mats to be shipped via standard ground service. If you need the mats sooner, be prepared to pay a premium price for two day or overnight shipping. Given the weight of matting materials, two-day or overnight shipping could add 50% or more to the cost of the purchase!

The final consideration that you need to make is the quality of the mat. When purchasing a custom logo floor mat, make sure the mat backing is nitrile rubber. Nitrile rubber-backed mats will last 5-7 years in standard high-traffic situations. Lifetime costs need to be considered in your purchase. The other mat backing choice is vinyl. Vinyl-backed mats can be expected to last 1-2 years in high-traffic commercial entrances. Either type can be visually acceptable and cleaned identically. But you need to take the lifetime costs into account. Nitrile rubber-backed mats are more expensive than vinyl-backed mats. However, they last twice as long and typically are not double the price. Make your quality choice based on your expected lifetime costs.

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