Corporate Swag Buying Guide: What to Order for a 10-Person Team vs a 200-Person Company
Quick Answer- A 10-person team and a 200-person company need very different swag setups.
- Small teams should start with one or two products and grow from there.
- Mid-size and large companies benefit from a full self-serve shop instead of a manual gifting process.
- Plan tier (Free vs VIP) should match how often the company plans to order.
"How much swag should we order" is really two questions: how many products should be in the shop, and which plan fits the company size. A 10-person startup and a 200-person company are not solving the same problem, even though the underlying platform is the same. Here is a practical buying guide broken down by headcount.
Under 20 Employees: Start Small
- Plan. Free plan, 3 live products, is usually enough while the swag program is still new.
- Starter lineup. One tee, one hoodie, one hat. Covers onboarding gifts and casual team wear.
- Budget. $50-$80 per new hire for a small welcome piece, plus occasional team-event orders.
- Distribution. Manual is fine at this size, an owner or office manager can share the shop link directly.
20-75 Employees: Add Structure
- Plan. Self-Service VIP ($59/month, 200 products) once ordering happens more than a couple times a year, since the lower base price pays for itself quickly at this volume.
- Lineup. Expand to 5-8 products: tee, performance tee, hoodie, polo, quarter-zip, hat, beanie.
- Budget. $60-$100 per employee per year across onboarding and milestone gifts, plus a separate event budget.
- Distribution. Set up department-specific ordering windows or a recurring quarterly reminder rather than ad hoc requests.
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75-200+ Employees: Full Self-Serve Program
| Element | Recommendation |
|---|
| Plan | Self-Service VIP or Done-For-You VIP ($105/month) if the team lacks bandwidth to manage design and merchandising |
| Lineup | 10-15 products across tees, outerwear, polos, joggers, and hats |
| Access | Employee-only ordering with a company credit code, see the store access setup guide |
| Cadence | Quarterly refresh of featured products, seasonal collections |
At this size, the Done-For-You VIP plan is worth considering: a shop advisor applies the logo to 15 trending products, builds mockups on every color, and curates seasonal collections, which saves real hours for an HR or ops team already stretched thin.
A Quick Decision Table
| Company size | Plan | Product count |
|---|
| Under 20 | Free | 2-3 |
| 20-75 | Self-Service VIP | 5-8 |
| 75-200+ | Self-Service or Done-For-You VIP | 10-15 |
Build the Right-Sized Shop
Free plan for small teams, VIP for growing companies. Scale the shop as headcount grows.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to upgrade plans as my company grows?
Only when the volume or feature needs justify it. The Free plan works fine for occasional ordering, VIP pays for itself once ordering becomes regular.
How many products should be in a starter shop?
Two or three: a tee, a hoodie, and a hat cover most onboarding and casual-wear needs before expanding further.
Whats the difference between Self-Service VIP and Done-For-You VIP?
Self-Service VIP gives you 200 products and full control at $59/month. Done-For-You VIP at $105/month includes a shop advisor who builds mockups, curates products, and manages the shop layout for you.
Should every employee get the same swag budget?
Many companies tier it, more for client-facing roles or senior staff, with a baseline welcome kit for everyone else.
Eli GoldbergSmall Business Branding Writer
Eli writes about small business and startup branding. He spent eight years in B2B marketing before going independent and covers how small companies use apparel for swag, conferences, hiring events, and team building.
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