Now when I was at school, maths was never my strong point. Trigonometry was truly trying. Algebra was anathema. Logarithms were loathed. But give me some basic adding and subtraction, and I was fine. The basics of maths, however, seem to have evaded our troubled Chancellor Alistair Darling, as evidenced by his latest attempt at balancing the country's books. And don't even get me started on MPs' expenses.

A new a service for textile companies to test for substances of very high concern (SVHC) in garments, fabric, sewing thread, accessories and any other component in the supply chain has been launched by Shirley Technologies.

BTC activewear reckon their On-Line-Ordering system is arguably the best designed and simplest to use in the industry. And to remind customers of the many benefits, they've created a cute and memorable character called OLO (short for On-Line Ordering).

Leading Danish workwear brand Mascot is one of the many iconic new names launched earlier this year by BTC activewear to the imprint industry.

Speedbird Promotions Ltd, a leading innovator and marketer of unique promotional products and branding tools for the road transport and promotional industries, has formed a strategic partnership with Florida-based Branding Group.

Anvil has been ranked as the sixth largest organic cotton using brand in the world, according to the Organic Cotton Market Report 2007-2008 released by the non-profit organisation Organic Exchange.

According to UK pressure group the Soil Association, the value of trade in organic textiles and apparel could rise to £280 million in 2012 from sales of £100 million in 2008.

A new range of socks made from sustainable and renewable bamboo has been launched by performance socks manufacturer Bridgedale.

Russell has launched a suite of new sales support material for all their brands. The A6 booklets and DL flyers are all small enough to fit in any standard envelope, making for cost effective postage.

A number of companies chose this Spring's Promotional Marketing Exhibition (PME) at the Royal Horticultural Halls, London, to launch new products and services.

M&R has added the In-Tac internal shirt adhesive application system to its line of ancillary screen-printing equipment.

The new In-Tac streamlines and simplifies oversize and all-over printing by providing a simple, effective way to apply adhesive inside garments before they reach the press.

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is helping hundreds more companies than ever before to export. The latest quarterly survey shows that a record 20,700 businesses were helped to generate £3.6 billion in additional profit.

Fruit of the Loom has produced a new, informative flyer to promote the budget-friendly benefits of the Screen Stars Original Polo.

PenCarrie has extended the number of customisation options available for customers wanting to use its online catalogue on their own website.

Sporting iD has been collaborating with The FA and Umbro for the past 18 months to develop the letters and numbers which appear on the England football team home playing kit for the 2009-11 period.

M&M's Centurian high speed automatic multicolour textile printer has been upgraded to include the latest electronics.

The bpma's first Academy graduation ceremony has taken place at the House of Commons with 65 guests in attendance.

UKL's annual Trade Show will take place on December 9 and 10, 2009.

The show will launch the company's 2010 brochure and will preview new styles from all the brands.

Summer's here and the race is on to kit out the cycling fraternity with stylish bikewear. Daiber's own brand James & Nicholson has a good range to choose from, including cushioned bike short tights (JN 322) which help take the strain over rough terrain.

Functional knits pioneer Eschler has launched an innovative fabric development for bike wear.

The Swiss brand knits a carbon core yarn into its technical stretch material e1 Carbon. This allows the fabric to achieve improved temperature management, prevents formation of odour and features anti-static properties.

Twenty-five out of a possible 30 medals went to athletes wearing race suits made of Eschler material at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Val d'Isere.

Liz Young has joined Farnborough-based Sourcing City as supplier services sales manager. Liz was previously marketing manager at Pen Warehouse, a leading trade exclusive pen supplier.

ETC Embroidery Supplies has a new name - ETC Supplies - to reflect developments and changes that have taken place this year, including a new website. MD, Jas Purba said: "The industry is no longer segmented into different suppliers for each product. Many embroidery companies now offer sublimation and heat press vinyl onto garments and vice versa. We now offer our products as ‘garment decoration', which covers all aspects of the industry."

Last week I had one of those days. You know the ones I mean. My drive into work reduced to a crawl thanks to seemingly unnecessary roadworks, deliveries delayed for no apparent reason and a queue so long in the sandwich shop at lunchtime you would have been convinced they were giving away gold bars. For the first time, however, none of this bothered me. No, I haven't converted to Buddhism but I have recently discovered that when it comes to sloooooooow nothing quite compares to the European Union.

Small businesses must keep a close eye on current and future financing while credit is tight. It is no good putting your head in the sand. The most important thing is to raise the issue at every management meeting and not let it out of your sight.

Only a few years ago the idea of printing just one or two T shirts with a full colour print would have been something of a fantasy and yet, today, that same fantasy has become a reality.

Ronald Reagan famously told a meddling congress: "Don't just do something, sit there." Especially when times get tough there's a tendency to wish this on the Chancellor at budget time. The law of unintended consequences is one that governments - and the treasury in particular - have an infallible habit of passing, so many people would prefer leaving things to the invisible hand of the market. 

The Blue Max Group offers an ever-increasing selection of products to the industrial workwear industry. The range is synonymous with quality and style, with a solid reputation for withstanding the rigorous demands of the working environment. 

BTC activewear has recognised the massive potential that branded workwear can offer the imprint industry and has lined-up an exceptional stable of leading workwear names to complement the well established Dickies and Yoko brands.

Cosalt Workwear's technical rescue suit won a prestigious Blue Light Award at the Company Clothing Awards held in London.

Industrialised workwear is a specialist clothing area and often requires a specialist brand that really understands what companies need. Davern Workwear and Harbour Lights are just such brands, and with an expanding range for 2009, there is sure to be something for everyone.

Fruit of the Loom has extended its range of workwear styles with the launch of the new and highly versatile sleeveless fleece, made in the same 100% polyester pill-resistant fleece fabric (300 gm/m2) that's used for the company's proven half zip and full zip fleece jackets.

Customers are looking for workwear that offers good quality at a reasonable price.

A perfect example is the Jerzees J010M workwear T shirt in 100% cotton. It can be washed at 60 degrees and tumble dried. It also features double layering on shoulder panels for added durability.

In autumn 2007, workwear company Mascot launched a new product group - Mascot Safety Footwear.

Mascot's Michael Grosbøl commented: "We see an increasing trend for the user to demand more and more from their work products. It is no longer enough for clothes and accessories to be simply functional. 

Kustom Kit offer an extensive range of stylish corporate and work apparel for women suitable for all applications, including a superb choice of co-ordinating options all available in an unrivalled choice of colours and sizes.  

PenCarrie views workwear as one of the most important sectors of the promotional clothing market. The company stocks a broad choice of styles from key brands such as Dickies, RTY Workwear, Russell Workwear, Premier and Result.

Prestige Leisure UK have strengthened their 2009 workwear range with the addition of the Dickies brand.

Dickies workwear is a much sought after brand and Prestige are stocking 27 styles including the WD001 Redhawk zipped coverall. This comes in black, navy, red and royal, sizes 42 to 50. This coverall has full back elastication and action back, a two way metal zip front with studded over placket, two zippered chest pockets, rule and tool pockets, two swing pockets with side access, a double pencil pocket on the sleeve and reinforced knee pouches to incorporate the WD120 kneepads.

RTY workwear has been established now for over ten years in the promotional industry and as such has a great reputation for design, durability, quality, reliability, washability and availability, the things that matter most, sorry we have to set exciting aside!

With more than 4 million people in the UK employed in construction and manufacturing in 2008, the industrial workwear market certainly opens up a number of opportunities for decorators to provide uniforms and protective clothing embellished with company logos, names and insignia. With styles from leading brands such as Russell Workwear, Dickies, Premier and RTY, Ralawise provides customers with all they need for the workwear environment.

With over 25 years of experience producing clothing and footwear for the outdoor market, Regatta has a head start when it comes to creating great outdoor workwear. Much of the styling and fabric technologies mirror that in the retail range and provides the same great standards of quality and style.

We all know that workwear has to work hard for you and often, when looking for performance workwear, it's not the individual garments but the complete uniform solutions that you require. 

Sharon Lee has been producing innovative headwear since 1947. Complying with the latest EN812:1997 A1 in 2001 standard, TuffCap is the company's greatest innovation to date.

Industrialised workwear is a specialist clothing area and often requires a specialist brand that really understands the needs of the user.  Davern Workwear and Harbour Lights are just such brands, and with an expanding range for 2009, there is sure to be something for everyone.

Travel offers a variety of opportunities for promotional merchandise, covering everything from airlines to hotels and from car hire to travel agents. It is also one of the industries which is being hit hardest by the struggling economy, posing a potential problem for the promotional merchandise industry.

I write this column sometimes not thinking that some of my readers may not be aware of PROMOTA and what it stands for. For those in the know, my apologies, but I hope this helps those of you who may be interested in learning what PROMOTA is all about...

Losing is just not an option at Team Colours. Since Stanley Rogers and his wife Pearl founded the company in the late '70s, the business has been totally transformed. This Hertfordshire-based family firm was forced into making significant organisational changes, as its core business - manufacturing garments for the major catalogue companies - evaporated overnight. They simply could not compete with Far East companies offering the same for less. Some quick thinking was required.

Beezer have been producing tailor-made garments alongside their stock and specials ranges for well over a decade, but the last few years have seen a sizeable increase in demand for a more indivdual look.

Personalisation of clothing has long since been regarded as a key requirement to developing a strong brand image, and a sense of identity. Blue Max, a leading supplier of clothing to the schoolwear, workwear and leisurewear industry has a long history in the development of bespoke clothing for a wide range of applications. 

If you can't find what you're looking for, Continental Clothing can make it for you in no time.

The made-to-order department offers bespoke T shirts and casual garments, with low minimum quantities, speedy delivery, competitive pricing, great customer service and award winning manufacturing facilities.

Edun Live are proud to announce nine new colours, all of which are 100% organic garments, from the cotton through the entire garment making process, topped off with GOTS certified ecological dyes.

In these difficult times the need to project an original image and to stand out from the crowd has become even more important than ever and that is exactly the business of Livingstone International, the bespoke arm of major distributor Prestige Leisure based in Livingston, near Edinburgh.

Mantis World work closely with customers to give them the greatest possible choice to meet their specific needs. Most customers can find what they want from stock.

While Ralawise offer over 1700 products in a wide array of colours, sometimes customers need something unique to let them stand out from the crowd or to satisfy the requirements of a workwear uniform.

"It's the attention to detail which I find surprises and delights customers," says Papini's CEO Gary Fisher when describing his bespoke garments.

"There is, for example, the ‘texturised rubber badging' on the micro-fleece jackets, which I've not seen anywhere else, or the channels for MP3-player cables in the jackets."

Russell Solutions believes designing and ordering garments of your choice should be simple. In fact, it really should be as simple as buying stock product.

For 2009, Russell Solutions have launched a new bespoke service, expanding their full service and adding a host of sales tools, to provide you with a complete solution; with the aim of helping you meet all your bespoke garment needs.

When times are hard, clients will start looking at cutting costs thus putting more pressure on your margin or forcing you to shop elsewhere.

But there can be an alternative option; you could offer a bespoke range of clothing. By selling on the uniqueness of a totally made to order range, not only will you be offering something different but you can claw back some of that lost margin.

Want something new and different? Need something special, in your unique colours? Looking for something to make your branding outstanding?

To those involved in branding or printing onto garments such as polos, T shirts, sweatshirts, and all the other standard fare, it always comes as a welcome thought to remember that there are alternatives to settling for the usual off-the-shelf answers.

A close working relationship with customers and suppliers forms the basis of UKL's B-Spoke service.

With 17 years experience within the distribution and garment industries UKL's B-Spoke service offers customers the real opportunity to offer something unique to their own customers.

Promotional merchandise offers so many more opportunities than people realise, according to industry guru, Gordon Glenister.

"But is our industry hungry enough? No. And I think it should be. Quadruply so," he argues.

Not so very long ago the internet was a world populated by nerds in Joe 90 specs, computer geeks and the ubiquitous bedroom developers. Strictly a male domain, the web was just about as much of a no-go area for the female of the species as the public bar of the Rover's return.

Alo's unique sustainable recycled T shirt (W1065) is made of recycled polyester and organic cotton. The poly used in this fabric is made from plastic bottles. Therefore the fabric is a sustainable and recyclable material making it an environmentally responsible choice.

A great way to distinguish yourself is by patterns. Bella's unique burnout pattern is designed to give a semi-sheer tone on tone appearance and is created through a process that actually burns out one layer during production.

Continental Clothing is taking a fresh approach to womenswear this summer with exciting new fabrics.

Bamboo T shirts are cooling in summer and environmentally friendly all year round.

Edun Live's classic Eve Gal's T shirt (EL7W7002) is now available in a raw vintage look.

Specifically cut for women, this seductive top hits all the right places and the extra soft feel of the African cotton means it's a perfect second skin.

Daiber's latest ladieswear is a tribute to fashion-conscious women. The diversity of the range can be seen in James & Nicholson's Workbook 2009 as well as Myrtle Beach's catalogue Caps 2009.

Spring and summer mean increased demand for lighter, more comfortable clothing that's easy to wear and keeps you cool. Front Row strikes the right balance between comfort and style with ladieswear that keep you looking good and feeling great.

Hoodies have long since stopped being the preserve and fashion statement of young people hanging out. They are now just about everywhere and that includes womenswear.

Whether you require women's polo shirts for work or play, school or sports, a promotion or a souvenir, Fruit of the Loom has a Lady-Fit style to meet your requirements. The Lady-Fit polo, rib polo and 65/35 polo offer a compelling combination of quality and value, whichever market you are servicing and whatever the size of your budget.

Hanes presents the ideal solution for fashion-conscious women expecting more: the brand new TasTy collection.

With its unique fit, the range accentuates the figure without skimping on comfort. In other words, that all-too-familiar choice women face between a T shirt that's tight (or even too tight) and bigger but somewhat shapeless garments is now a thing of the past.

With more than 50 brands in its portfolio, PenCarrie offers huge choice in women's wear.

"The range available is a reflection of just how sophisticated the garment decoration industry has become," said Andrea Charteris, customer services manager. "All the designs available focus strongly on the key elements of fabric, fit, fashion and colour."

Womenswear continues to be a growth area with many brands adding female styles to match their existing men's styles and sizes.

Fitted styles, long lengths and feminine fabrics and colours are in demand more and more.

The Saturn Platinum II flatbed graphic press, right, is ideal for printing transfers. Compact and affordable, it sets the standard for high tolerance printing in a small-format flatbed press, with a level of control and quality normally found only in large, expensive presses.

Hereford based firm Lewis Print, now in their second year, have seen a substantial increase in demand for their specialist trade services since exhibiting at this year's Printwear & Promotion exhibition.

Over the years, many methods of decorating a substrate have been and gone, while others have remained and many more are still being proven - methods like direct to garment printing and crystal printing to name but two.

PenCarrie now offers the EZtrans range of inkjet and laserjet papers in addition to a choice of transfer technology materials from both TheMagicTouch and Xpres.

Doro Tape have added to their popular ranges of textile film with the new Fast-flex, a polyurethane material which has a super-fast application press time.

Ralawise are now authorised resellers of TheMagic Touch, with a range of materials, consumables, vinyls and equipment making transfer technology easy to use.

Target Transfers are one of the longest established custom transfer manufacturers in Europe offering a wide range of heat transfer systems to suit virtually all textile and fabric types.

TheMagicTouch continue 2009 with a host of original developments and innovations.

After almost 20 years as global image transfer pioneers the company continue to issue a "Five Star" compatibility rating for the TMT enhanced Oki 5750 and 8800 printers.

Victory Design has announced the launch of their latest new product easiMARK Advance, heat sealable garment film, a competitively priced soft, semi-matt garment film for heat transfer onto most garments.

Rhinestone application for textiles just got easier thanks to a new process unique to Castle Donington based transfer systems specialists, Xpres.