The New Old Way to Save Money on Office Supplies

Posted on by Frankye

The newspapers tell us that the economic climate is better than it was this time last year. However, I know I’m still in a cost-saving mode, and polls show that most of you are too. We here at Smart Office are always on the look out for new and creative ways to save money. The internet yields helpful tips, such as new uses for vinegar (is there anything that liquid can’t do?) as well as impractical tips. After all, are time so tough that I really have to join the Amish in making my own office furniture? While looking for new ways to cut expenses, it’s easy to overlook one method that makes great sense in any economic climate: buying in bulk.

Bulk buying isn’t just for stocking up on enormous bottles of ketchup, or in my case, coffee in bags the size of newborn child.  No, bulk buying is often the most economical way to stock up on the supplies you use the most, including a wide variety of office supplies. For example, every office needs a good supply of pens. BIC Clic Stic pens are among the most popular pens sold at OnTimeSupplies.com. A 12-pack of BIC Clic Stic pens sets you back $6.49 at OnTimeSupplies.com, unless you buy in bulk. You only spend $4.57 when you order BIC Clic Stic pens in bulk, a savings of 30%. Why wouldn’t you wouldn’t you cut your recurring expenses by 30%? It’s not just pens. You reap significant savings on a wide variety of office supplies when you buy in bulk. At OnTimeSupplies.com, you’ll pay between six and 31% less when you order clipboards in bulk, and on bulk orders of virtually every other office supply.

Buying in bulk is an even bigger money saver when you target the supplies you use at home and in the office, or the supplies that both you and your school-age children need. For example, sheet protectors in bulk, pocket folders in bulk and other school and office supplies all cost significantly less than purchasing those items individually. Since you go through those supplies like water anyway, do your self a favor and stock up.

After all, you don’t just save money when you buy office supplies in bulk — you save time and frustration too. The office supplies you use every day are always on hand when you need them when you buy in bulk.  So look out for bulk order discounts when you’re shopping for office supplies. It’s not just your wallet that will thank you.

Cut Printing Costs in One Easy Step

Posted on by Frankye

Cost-cutting is always a business priority. Smart business have adopted a number of cost cutting measures during this recession, from common sense approaches such as making sure all the office computers and lights are shut off at the end of the day, to more elaborate approaches, including equipment upgrades and green initiatives. We’ve been tightening our belts at home too, as all of us, business owners and consumers, weather this recession.

Printing costs are a significant and recurring expense at home and in the office.  You may have already started thinking before you print and using duplex printers that print on both sides of a page. Yesterday, the Associated Press offered another practical, money saving solution you can adopt at home and at work. To save money on printer ink, the AP recommends changing your font. I didn’t know this, but some fonts use more ink to print. According to the AP, Century Gothic and Times New Roman use the least amount of ink to print.  In fact, Century Gothic uses 30% less ink than Arial. Depending on how large your organization is, making the switch could save you thousands of dollars a year. Furthermore, Serif fonts use less ink than Sans Serif fonts because the lines of the characters are usually thinner.

The AP article provides a few more ink and money saving solutions any office can adopt, including printing in draft mode whenever possible. Of course, best, greenest way to cut your printing costs is to print less. After all, we do live in a technological age. Use email.

Use Office Politics to Help Your Career!

Posted on by Frankye

If you thought your left the cliques and drama behind when you graduated from high school, the reality of the work world must have come as a surprise. Anytime you take the same group of people and lock them into a building together eight hours a day, five days a week, things will get a little hairy, especially when you add the competition and hierarchies of the work place. Failing to successfully navigate the social scene in high school just means you don’t get to sit at the cool kids lunch table. If you don’t get a handle on the politics in your workplace it can cost you your career in the form of lost promotions and poor working relationships.

Officepolitics.com, a great site that features an advice column offering solutions to workplace dilemmas, recently featured a reader letter in which a woman said she felt psychologically scarred by the backbiting and gossip in her office. The phrase “office politics” leaves a poor taste in everyone’s mouth, but the reality is, most of us have to participate to get ahead and get noticed at work. Successful office politicians aren’t rumor-mongers or back stabbers; they’re people who understand that actively pursuing power and prestige is just one of the steps to a successful career.

So how do you become a successful office politician? Louellen Essex, co-author of “Manager’s Desktop Consultant: Just-in-Time Solutions to the Top People Problems That Keep You Up at Night,” says one the first things you have to do is  emulate the movers and shakers. “Think of playing office politics as a game of strategy through which you are able to get the resources and influence you need to accomplish your goals. Most often those who are diplomatic, respectful and build coalitions with effective people win,” she says at CNN.com. Essex offers more great advice, including: don’t get sucked into one faction or another and don’t hesitate to talk about your own successes in the work place. A word of caution — tooting your own horn as Essex recommends is great. Bashing your co-workers is not. Office politics is for advancing your own career, not hindering someone else. If you are constantly running down you colleagues, you look unprofessional and you create a miserable work environment. Don’t be that person! Office politics also turns nasty when it turns personal. For that reason, the folks over at Suite101.com recommend drawing a bright red line between your work life and your private life. In the modern office, that includes not friending your co-workers on Facebook. That’s what the relatively staid LinkedIn is for.

The best way to be an office politics winner? Be a good employee. Take initiative, do your work well and talk about your successes. Those are the best ways to separate yourself from the pack.

It’s Spring. Time to Clean Your Office!

Posted on by Frankye

The weather took a turn towards balmy here in Chicago yesterday. Then it rained all this morning. It’s not official until March 20th, but I think it’s safe to say that spring is here. This past winter was the first I spent working from home, and while I was thrilled about not having to commute to work through the ice, I don’t relish the prospect of spending the warmer months cooped up in my home office. Especially since my office got a little…let’s say cluttered over the long winter months. I know I’m not the only one. There’s a reason Spring Cleaning is a widely observed yearly ritual. Spring is the time to throw open the windows, snap on the rubber gloves, grab a bucket a wash rag and get cleaning. Even if your office isn’t in your home, it could probably use a little sprucing up, particularly if you don’t engage a janitorial service.

Every task is easier to accomplish if you approach it methodically. So attack your messy office with a plan! Realsimple.com put together a great checklist for people who work from home. It starts with the bookshelves and ends with your window blinds. By the time you’re done, your home office will look and smell great. You’re at your productive best working in a clean and organized office.

It’s even more important to keep public offices looking great. Your clients and customers will judge your business by the cobwebs in the corner, the state of your restrooms and your office’s general appearance. You may want to hire a cleaning crew and leave it to the professionals, but even if that is not an option for your business, you can still have a great looking office. Just take your cue from the work-from-home folks and start with a plan. MrsCleanUSA.com recommends making a list of priorities — foyer, restrooms, reception area, etc. — and offers some great tips for tackling each one.

Once you’ve done the big Spring Clean, maintaining your office’s neat and tidy appearance is a breeze. Just hit the windows, mirrors and restroom fixtures once a day, run the vacuum before you leave on Fridays and dust your desk, shelves and electronics from time to time and you’re good until next spring. You’ll also make a good impression on your clients and you’ll work more comfortably and efficiently.

Claim ALL the Deductions You Can This Year!

Posted on by Frankye

With the April 15 IRS tax deadline looming, its time to start thinking about deductions.  Tax deductions are expenses you incur that lower your income in the eyes of the IRS. The lower your income, the less the government expects you to pay in taxes. Most of you know you can deduct mortgage and student loan interest, but there are a ton of other totally legit ways to lower your tax bill.

In “The Most-Overlooked Tax Deductions” Kiplinger lists 19 tax breaks you may have forgotten about or didn’t know existed in the first place, including state sales tax, moving expenses for your first job, refinancing points, charitable donations and more. In addition, property taxes, vehicle registration fees, the annual cost of your safe deposit box and child care are all tax deductible expenses. You can even deduct tax preparation fees. If you work from, you can deduct a percentage of you housing costs. For example, if your home is 2,000 square feet, and you use 200 sq.ft. for business purposes, you can deduct 10% as business operating expenses. For more deductions, check out this informative article from Helium, an awesome personal finance site.

A word of caution: be sensible when combing over your expenses while looking for deductions. You do not want to get on the wrong side of the IRS! Entrepreneur offers some expert advice on how to properly claim your deductions.  Approach the whole enterprise with the right attitude–you just don’t want to pay more taxes than you owe, not put one over on the government!

So, What Exactly Does “Ergonomic” Mean Anyway?

Posted on by Frankye

so-what-exactly-does-ergonomic-mean-anyway

Ergonomic is a huge buzzword in office supplies, and with the word being used to sell every thing from office chairs to correction tapes, it can be a little hard to take the concept seriously.

Ergonomics is not [just] a marketing ploy, it’s a science — one that’s been around since the 1800s and concerned with designing work spaces and tools to be safe, comfortable and easy to use. Ergonomic designs prevent repetitive use injuries, that buggaboo to office workers every where.

While  ergonomically designed office supplies such as corrections tapes are great, but unless you wield them all day, you should focus on ergonomically designed office furniture and workstations to improve your comfort and safety in the office.

As one who once ended many a work days with lower back pain, I recommend that you first invest in a good office or task chair. You need a chair that provides lumbar support, and holds you back and knees at a 90° angle to the seat.  Your feet should sit flat on the floor. If you’re on the short side, use a footrest.

Desk stands can help your complete the ergonomic design of your workstation. For example, our arms should be at a 90° angle and your wrists straight when you use your keyboard. You can use a keyboard stand and wrist wrests if your keyboard sits too low. Moniter stands, telephone stands and laptop stands can all make your work area more comfortable.

Once you’ve made these changes to your office, you’ll really notice a difference! You should experience fewer headaches and less muscle and joint pain.

2/9 Daily Deals at OnTimeSupplies.com

Posted on by Frankye

There are just under six hours left to take advantage of the today’s office supplies and office furniture bargains at OnTimeSupplies.com! You’ve got until midnight to take 66% off view binders and 54% off task chairs and file cabinets. Check out OnTimeSupplies.com and  Smart Office everyday for the Daily Deals — great bargains on office supplies, school supplies and office furniture!

How to Clear Clutter from Your PC and Improve Its Performance

Posted on by Frankye

I’m one of those people who thinks my PC runs on magic and wishful thinking, but even I know that too many files and unused applications suck up loads of RAM and slow down my machine. I try to delete old and temporary files from time to time, but sometimes, you’ve just got to snap on the rubber gloves and do some serious deep cleaning. Knowing what is safe to delete can be hard, but that’s what patient and generous computer nerds are for — explaining PC maintenance to the rest of us.

Stephanie Vaughn Hapke is practically the queen of the computer nerds. She’s the President and CEO of GeekGirl Consulting LLC, a computer consulting company. In an article in the Huffington Post, Hapke shares some startling statistics on just how much time workers waste wading through the digital files clogging up their computers. Thankfully she also shares some tips on how to better manage your files.

PC World is another great resource for us overwhelmed Luddites. They feature a series of articles with step by step instructions on clearing unwanted files from your machine. In “Reduce Windows Clutter, Improve Performance,” Steve Bass explains how to cleanup your desktop. Matt Lake’s “PC Workout” offers a few easy steps that will have your computer running as smooth and as fast as it did when you bought it.  Lincoln Spector uses his Answer Line column to identify the mysterious running applications listed when you hit Ctrl+Alt+Del, and tells you which you can close and which should always be running.

I get nervous futzing around with anything on my PC. That’s why I’m glad people like Hapke and publications like PC World exist. Nothing soothes an anxious technophobe like easy to understand advice from a certified computer nerd.

2/8 Daily Deals at OnTimeSupplies.com

Posted on by Frankye

I hope you’ve been following the Daily Deals at OnTimeSupplies.com. If not, you’ve already missed some great bargains on office furniture and office supplies! It’s not too late to get in on the money saving action though — On Time Supplies offers bargains every day. Today’s Deals are all about comfort in the workplace — they’re featuring steep discounts on workstations, task chairs and monitor filters. Check them out now because the Deal disappear at midnight!

Save Money By Making Your Own Great Looking Business Cards

Posted on by Frankye

If It Prints, I’ll Let You Know, an awesome blog about printers and accessories we love here at Smart Office, has a great post up on how to make your own professional-quality business cards at home. As If It Prints notes, all you really need to make your own business cards is card/cover stock paper and basic design software such as Microsoft Publisher. You can get the card stock fast and cheap at OnTimeSupplies.com, and there are a number of sites offering free business card templates you can try as an alternative to the Microsoft software. Give it a try–every business and professional needs a good supply of great-looking business cards, and this way you can eliminate professional printing expenses from your budget!