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table
The Real Risk Categories
| Risk | What goes wrong | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Existence | Ghost company, deposits disappear, nothing ships | 100% loss + deadline blown |
| Product | Wrong sizes, poor quality, color mismatch | Rewrite or unusable stock |
| Decoration | Logo shifted, wrong colors, messy backside | Unusable, client rejection |
| Delivery | Late, rushed packing, no QC, logos not cleaned | Missed event + bad first impression |
| Service | Unreachable during problems, no prototyping, rigid | No path to fix errors |
→ Most reputable suppliers have solved the first two. The danger zone is decoration + delivery + service.
interview
The Three Questions
Q1Walk me through your logo approval process — what do I see before production starts?
Strong
Digital proof within 24h, physical sample on actual fabric for orders over €500, final production approval checkpoint
Medium
PDF proof only — screen calibration risk
Weak
“Just send us the file” or “We don't do proofs”
→ Screen colors ≠ thread colors. Navy on your monitor becomes purple on their machine.
Q2What does your quality check step look like?
Strong
Every piece checked, loose threads trimmed, backing removed, steamed/pressed, individually bagged
Medium
Spot-checking from each batch
Weak
“The embroiderer checks their own work”
→ “No time for individual checks on large orders” — quality scales down with quantity.
Q3If I need a last-minute change, how do I reach you and how fast do you respond?
Strong
Named team, phone / Signal / WhatsApp, under 2h response, production manager escalation
Medium
Email only, 24h response
Weak
“Leave a message, someone will get back to you”
→ No named contact = watching deadlines evaporate while “someone” eventually checks email.
rubric
Scoring Rubric
| Question | 2 pts | 1 pt | 0 pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approval process | Physical + digital proof | Digital only | No proof |
| Quality check | Every piece, finishing included | Spot check | No check |
| Responsiveness | Named contact, fast channel, prototyping | Email, 24h | No named contact, vague |
6 pts
Solid operational foundation
4–5 pts
Manageable with explicit written agreements
0–3 pts
High risk