Category: Office/Business Resources

How-To: Locate Product Numbers For Mead Brand

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The other day I found some very helpful information on the Mead brand web site about how to locate product numbers. The product number or SKU number is almost considered like a social security number, meaning it is the product and the key to identifying the correct product. We get calls all the time where customers are looking to match a product or find an existing product that they own and by identifying the actual product number on the product you are guaranteed a perfect match. I really hope that you find this helpful, and if anyone else out there has helpful links please feel free to pass them along.

Locate My Product/Order #

Depending on your product, the product number can be found in one or more locations:

On the product UPC/barcode.

Embossed on the outside back cover, lower right hand corner.

On the reorder reminder found around the months of August, September and October for regular year products and the months of May and June for Academic/Fiscal/Student products.

For Standard Diary products the product number is on the spine.

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Miles D. Young
On Time Supplies
A Division of M2 Commerce, LLC

MSDS Sheets: A Resource Guide

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As an office supply dealer we get a number of request for MSDS sheets and we are always happy to help a customer with this need.  I have added some great resources that we use on a daily basis to help service our customers, and some information regarding what an MSDS sheet is all about.  I really hope that these resources will help our Smart Office readers.
A material safety data sheet (MSDS sheet) is a form containing data regarding the properties of a particular substance. It is intended to provide workers and emergency personnel with procedures for handling or working with that substance in a safe manner, and includes information such as physical data (i.e. melting point), storage, disposal, protective equipment, and spill handling procedures. The exact format of an MSDS can vary from source to source.
According to MSDS Writer “The need to communicate hazards of chemicals to users is of the utmost importance. The widespread use of chemicals, the development of new chemicals, and the need to re-evaluate the hazards of pre-existing chemicals contribute to the importance of MSDS Compliance. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has created the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to mandate the use of a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and provide information to people who use, handle or store hazardous industrial chemicals. The MSDS is used to convey the details on a material’s identity, manufacturer information, hazard identity, emergency information, instructions on what to do if a hazardous situation has occurred, information on the prevention of hazardous situations, as well as other technical information. Recognizing the importance of this document, many other countries (e.g. the EU, Australia, Canada) have adopted the HCS into their own chemical safety initiatives. Article can be found at the MSDS Writer Resource Guide.
To quickly look up MSDS sheet on Office Supplies, check out http://www.biggestbook.com/msds/home.asp (Just enter product SKU or description)
If none of these resources work out for you, contact the manufacturer directly. Biggest Book has contact information for all the manufacturers in addition to the MSDS sheets. I really hope that this article helps!
Miles D. Young
Smart Office
An Office Resource Guide by:

The Four Greatest Applications of Virtual Technology

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The modern world has given us a variety of tools to use in both our everyday life and our business life. It seems like every day brings us a new application or piece of technology we can put to work for us. Some of it sounds too good to be true, but it is amazing how many things are possible today, and how many more things will be possible tomorrow.


With this in mind, we thought it would be fun to take a look at the four greatest applications of virtual technology. Each of these applications can be used to shoot your business to the next level if you haven’t already implemented them. Even if they don’t mean an entirely new system of profits, they will undoubtedly make your life easier in one way or another. If you have not heard of these applications, or if you have and have not yet been convinced of their usefulness, read on and we shall convince you otherwise.


#1. The Blogosphere


You may be tired of hearing the word “blog”, and if you are, we can’t really blame you. But there is a reason this word has caught on so fast and a reason so many people have turned to it as a means of expression. Not only is it the domain of many who wish to get their personal feelings out on to the Web, but it has become a powerful marketing tool for companies and businesses.


If you have not started a company blog, you could be missing out on a key element in attracting future business. If you are not sure what to blog about, simply take a look at your company. What do you do? What business are you in? You will want to blog about topics that mean something to your customers. You can then either run the blog on your company website, or put it out on one of the major internet blogging channels with a link back to your website or the phone number of your office.


The concept is tremendously powerful in its simplicity. Potential customers surf the web looking for topics that interest them, and they come across your blog. If it is well written and attractive, it will entice the surfer to become a customer of your company.


#2. Online Appointment Books


For every old style way of doing things, there seems to be a virtual upgrade. Some of these upgrades are superfluous, but online appointment books are not one of them. With an online appointment book, you can keep fast track of your deadlines and meetings, and even have them open to interactivity with your assistant or even your clients. Have a way to schedule meetings and appointments, and then plug in a way that the online appointment book alerts you to new entries. It is much more efficient than the old way.


#3. Virtual Conferencing


If your company has not brought virtual conferencing into the system, you really are missing out. There is no further need for expensive trips across the state or country in order to have meetings with your important clients, attend trainings, or visit with partners. With virtual conferencing, you don’t have to go any further than your desk to be in touch with anyone in the country or the world.

In order to do it right, you need a high speed internet account and you will need to shell out the money to provide the right equipment for your own company and the companies you wish to have contact with. In the long run, however, this method of contact could save you thousands and thousands of dollars. Not to mention, it simply makes your company look better to be on the cutting edge of new technologies, and causes your customers to instill trust that your business is headed in the right direction and is ready for the new millennium.


#4. Virtual PC Connectivity


Of all the virtual applications, this may be the greatest. We’re not here to promote specific companies, but there now exists a way for you to access your office computer from home, and vice versa. This new technology allows you to get on your home desktop, log in to a system, and then be able to do everything with your office computer that you could do if you were actually at the office. The implications of this are grand. No more late nights at the office, burning the midnight oil. Now, taking your work home with you is easier than ever before. With security being an issue, make sure you invest in a quality piece of computer software lock, such as those programs made by Kensington.