Category: Office/Business Resources

Interior designer likes uplifting office spaces

Posted on by chase

Found this interesting blurb over at the ArgusLeader. In it, Marcia Young, a commercial interior designer, talks about office design and what it means to have a well-designed workplace. When asked about some essentials that should be included in any office design, she had this to say:

The workplace is constantly changing, and one way to easily adapt is by designing with modularity in mind. This allows the customer to change the configuration with minimal cost and downtime. Other key essentials are good task lighting and ergonomic accessories, such as keyboard trays and storage solutions that fit the needs of the user.

Makes sense to me. The main reason I find this article interesting is that I personally had no idea there was such a thing as a commercial interior designer. I can certainly see the need for such an occupation; most of the offices I have worked in seem very much slapped together on a whim, cramming the furniture and items they already had into whatever space they could wrangle up.

Young also says that the trend seems to be going more toward open-plan design, with a tendency to shy away from the traditional “cubicle farm”. They want something that promotes collaboration while still offering some privacy. This means lower heights on cube panels, more modularity, and so on. Again, I find myself in agreement, and wonder why so many businesses lack the wherewithal to make these kinds of decisions on their own.

Still, if it means more work for Marcia Young, I’m all for it. Adding to the list of things I didn’t know existed, she’s a National Council for Interior Design Qualification Certified Designer. Quite a mouthful, but it’s great that there’s someone out there making sure standards are upheld in the design arena. Check out the NCIDQ here.

Blurb: Manage Expenses Strategically

Posted on by chase

As part of a larger Reuters article on ways in which businesses can better manage their funds, I came across this useful tidbit:

Office supplies. Cancel unnecessary subscriptions and services. When re-ordering supplies, look for discounts and consider items that do the job without the frills. Perhaps you can reduce costs on items such as paper with the efficient use of e-mail.

Not the most mind-blowing of observations, but it highlights an important element of what we do: find people the best office supplies at a price that works for them. If you’re flush with cash and want only the highest name-brand items, we’ve got them. If you’re trying to trim your budget and just want something no-frills that can do the job, we’ve got that too. By not being propped up by huge vendors the way some big-box stores are, we can afford to be flexible and meet your needs, rather than just trying to sell you the priciest widget we can.

Just another reason I love my job.

Blurb: Using Social Media to Drive Sales

Posted on by chase

SmartBrief.com has a tiny piece mentioning that a lot of Office Supply companies are using social media to help boost sales:

Traditional retailers such as Office Depot, Staples, Macy’s and Nordstrom are finding success with using social media to boost sales, according to Brett Hurt, founder and chief executive of Bazaarvoice, which manages user-generated ratings and reviews for manufacturer and retailer sites. Among the firm’s products is BrandVoice, a service for manufacturers to place real product reviews on retail sites.

Hrmm. Is that so? Social media driving sales? This is breaking news! Tell your friends! When you get to our twitter page, tell them you read about it on our blog.

Home Office Ideas: The “Command Center”

Posted on by chase

Over at CommercialAppeal.com, there’s another interesting take on the home office that I find quite interesting. Rather than a separate room for a home office, they recommend the “command center” be a small, dedicated space somewhere in the home where the “family manager” can handle the countless tasks, responsibilities and decisions that need to be made every day. From the article:

Basic equipment for the best home office or command center should include a laptop or desktop computer, printer, scanner, copier, fax machine and telephone. It’s OK if you don’t have a computer. The most important thing is to have a designated place (other than the kitchen counter/coffee table/dinning room table) to take care of the day-to-day activities.

The article goes on to say that by using some simple office supplies such as a plastic storage box for supplies, a Rolodex and/or cork board for organizing information, and baskets and boxes for storing documents, you can create a small, dedicated hub for all your home office (or just home-business; even if you don’t work from your house, just being there can accumulate a lot of paperwork these days.)

This article is interesting to me because it flies in the face of a lot of other home-office planners that say the best way to conduct business from home is to have a private, shut-away space that is “office” without being too much “home.” This approach instead has your command center seated as an island in the sea of daily life; a place where anyone can stop off to replenish supplies, coordinate tasks, and generally make sense of day-to-day home management.

It’s an interesting concept, and I imagine it would work much better for some people than trying to wall off their home office from the rest of the house.

Do you have a home office plan or tips that have worked for you in the past? Let us know in the comments.

Article: Continued Slump Seen for Office Depot

Posted on by chase

Over at GoErie.com, the web division of the Erie Times News, columnist Malcolm Berko has some dire predictions for Office Depot. In addition to their nefarious dealings, which we have covered at this blog in great detail, there are also a lot of elements of this once-great company that call its future into question. Some of Berko’s highlights?

1. Nearly 80 percent of its customers are small businesses and the economic slowdown is forcing these firms to reduce purchases, become more efficient and to search for less expensive products.

2. Office products are a lucrative $350 billion market and are attracting the attention of big box merchants. But, ODP has failed to acquire the scale advantages or supply chain efficiencies to compete with these lower cost providers.

3. Office Depot’s management really “stinx.” Proof of the stink is the ignominious failure of management’s multiyear plan to improve profitability, remodel stores, expand inventory of private label merchandise, streamline operations, improve efficiency of store employees, and increase working capital.

Since the article is primarily focused on the big-box world, I won’t fault Berko for not mentioning the upswing in reliable, affordable online retailers. A common oversight, but one that big-box giants are going to be hard pressed to ignore for long. In the meantime, as much as it warms my heart, this article is nothing new. It’s just nice to see more and more people taking notice of how these corporate mega-stores are losing ground in the ongoing race for your office supply dollar. Soon we won’t have to talk about them at all.

Press Release: Avery Launches New Online Mailing Center

Posted on by chase

Avery Dennison, makers of fine labels and mailing products, have put out a press release today with some interesting info:

Today, Avery Dennison Office Products announced the Avery(R) Mailing Center, a one-stop shop for addressing and shipping products, tools and services. The new Avery Mailing Center provides small businesses and home office professionals with quick access to the tools and resources needed for day-to-day shipping and mailing needs. Additionally, Avery Dennison has aligned with Stamps.com(R) and PhotoStamps.com(R) to offer complete Internet mailing and shipping solutions along with personalized postage through the Avery Mailing Center.

As a fellow online provider of office solutions, I’m jazzed to see respected companies teaming up to help out the small business or home office user. Soon you won’t just be able to get your supplies from the internet, you’ll be able to conduct a bigger and bigger percentage of your business itself there. I salute you, Avery, for making it easier for people to get ahead in these troubled times. We’re honored to carry your products.

Question: Can I use any ink I want in my printer?

Posted on by chase

Short answer? Yes you can.

A lot of manufacturers try to bully you into buying official, name-brand ink from them at exorbitant prices by claiming that you will be voiding your warranty or have to pay more for maintenance if you use anything other than their ink. Well, it was recently brought to my attention that not only is this claim ridiculous, it’s also illegal.

Under the Warranty Improvement Act, United States Code Annotated, Title 15 Commerce and Trade, Chapter 50: Consumer Product Warranties 15, Section 2302:

(c) No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer’s using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the tears of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the commission if:

  1. The warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and
  2. The Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest.

So basically, unless the manufacturer can claim (and prove) that using a third-party product, like printer ink or toner, is doing some kind of harm to the device, than anything else they say about it is forfeit. And guess what? No one has yet come forward with that kind of proof.

Not only does this mean you can use any ink or refill kit you want without fear of your warranty being voided, but the company can also not threaten to remove or discontinue support, break a lease, or basically do anything else about it, either:

The Supreme Court (IBM vs. The United States) held that IBM could not threaten customers with termination of their data processing equipment leases just because they did not use supplies manufactured by IBM. Such practice constituted a “tying agreement” and was found to be to violation of the Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Law.

So there you have it. Buy whatever ink you want, to your heart’s content (though remember, buy from your friendly neighborhood online store, not those other guys). This goes for computer parts, replacement parts, and just about anything you might need to buy. You learn something new every day!

 

Article: Top Ten Home Office Hacks

Posted on by chase

My best pal Lifehacker has posted a great list of Home Office Hacks (hack being their word for modify, improve, or change…in case anyone didn’t know) that has some pretty great tidbits. This article is a bit older, but was recently referenced again and I was reminded to pass it on.

Highlights from the list include tips like getting a good whiteboard, cleaning up your filing cabinet, increasing natural light and so on. Definitely worth a look-see.

Big Box Watch: Plummeting Stock Roundup

Posted on by chase

Seems like all is not well in the land of the big-box retailer. According to a few articles passed my way this week, looks like almost everyone is in trouble.

First up is Staples, most recently seen violating overtime laws, which according to Bloomberg.com reported a record 33% drop in stock price from last year, despite claims of increasing sales. Like everyone, they are quick to cite the failing economy, and I will not deny them that. However, they also cite a lowering of demand for office supplies, which anyone who is in the industry can tell you simply isn’t true. No matter how many people you lay off, you still need enough pens for everyone who is left.

Also on the chopping block is Office Depot, which stock market blog Seeking Alpha lists as a stock to dump if you’re still holding on to any. Though it has recovered from its “economic crisis” plunge, OD stock is nowhere near where it used to be. And with long-term prospects not looking good and intense competition from online retailers, analysts are thinking this is as good as it’s going to get for the big-box chain. A last, dying gasp? Maybe.

All in all, it’s not a good time to be clinging to old business tactics. There’s a reason companies like this are called “dinosaurs”, and it’s not just because they’re old. They’re also lumbering, not too bright in many areas, and tend to get killed off by change.

Article: Porsche Consulting Debuts the “Lean Office”

Posted on by chase

In an interesting article from The Financial, they talk about Porsche Consulting (yes, that Porsche), who have developed an innovative strategy for, of all things, dealing with office management and workflow. Using design tricks they learned from the automotive assembly line, they’ve come up with some interesting solutions:

In order to make their office “lean” the consultants turned to the same methods that they also use for external customers in order to optimize their own workflows. The Porsche Consulting employees first analyzed the amount of time they spend walking around the office, the capacity of meeting rooms and the use of individual workstations. Then the optimization process began.

So, several small instead of a few large meeting rooms were set up. This arrangement allows work groups to implement their respective projects faster because the waiting times for available meeting rooms have been reduced and it is easier to call meetings on short notice. Through modular shelving systems and lockers with an integrated post box, work-related walking distances have been shortened and space saved. Just as on the Porsche production line the availability of office materials is controlled by a “just-in-time” system. This ensures that the most important office tools are available at all times at each workstation.

It’s one of those articles that makes you want to slap your forehead and say “duh.” Why has it taken so long for us to realize this? More meeting rooms means less wait time. Modular, mix-and-match furniture means the office can be quickly reconfigured to optimize workspace and flow. Simple concepts, elegantly implemented. I guess there’s a reason this is coming from Porsche.