Smart Office

Locating Product Numbers For Mead Brand

June 27, 2008 – 10:43 am
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 ...

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Making Your Office Faster & More Efficient

June 6, 2008 – 1:05 pm
Many workers, whether in an office building or working out of the home, are constantly spending valuable work time simply maintaining organization of materials. As most know, doing this can be time consuming and as they say, time is money. I know I myself, as both an office employee and a college student trying to juggle a million different things at once, would like to maximize my efficiency so I can get meaningful work done quickly, and to take advantage of all the non-academic perks of collegiate living. Luckily, there are many products out there that can be put to this use, making your office or study area more organized without spending the time, money and effort in hiring a personal assistant as I sometimes wish I could. And some of these products, for lack of a more Shakespearean description, are just downright cool. Take the Wireless USB Modem, for example. In ...

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Office Exercises Can Ease Your Body & Mind

June 5, 2008 – 5:53 pm
Working in a cubicle or office all day, looking at the same computer screen and maintaining nearly the same position all day long, can get taxing on the body and make work uncomfortable and distract you from getting important tasks done.  So why put up with it? Here are some easy exercises that can help your body and mind. The “Executive Stretch” - I bet many people do this exercise occasionally without even realizing the benefits of it.  Sitting in your chair, clasp your hands together behind your head, and press your elbows back so that you squeeze your shoulder blades together.  Repeat this 3 times, and do this several times a day to prevent your back from seizing up and to maintain your oh-so-important comfort level. As we all know, staring at a computer screen for lengthy amounts of time can be taxing on the eyes and make your tired and unable to acutely focus.  ...

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Painful Wrists or Fingers From Your Computer?

June 5, 2008 – 5:04 pm
  Working all day on a computer can get tiring, and not just to your eyes from looking at the screen. I should know, as I go to Georgia Tech, which some might label as one of the geekiest colleges. I will say that being an Institute of Technology, there is a lot of computer and other technology use in everyday school work. Whether in writing papers or lab reports, doing research, conducting Physics II lab experiments taking electronic measurement of data using a computer… you know what, I’ll just stop there to save the rest of you from boredom. But seriously, I use a computer a lot. A lot, in fact, for non-curricular activities as well. From writing on a political blog, to writing on a personal blog, to writing on this blog (I only write for 3, I swear!), and scouring the Internet daily for news tidbits that interest me, ...

Posted in Ergonomics & Comfort | 1 Comment »

“Going Green” in the Office

June 5, 2008 – 11:16 am
  We've all heard the "Going Green" initiative, especially when it comes to buying consumer products.  Well at my college of choice (Georgia Tech!) a lot of new construction is going on that also follows these eco-friendly standards. Our new College of Computing building, the Klaus building, is a giant LEED certified “sustainable” building that has turned heads in the industry. In an effort to produce more environmentally sound goods, many companies are going “green,” or making new products that use more renewable and recycled resources and less raw materials. Well, if you run a company and are looking to jump on the “green” bandwagon, there are products out there that you can use to further your office efficiency in a more environmentally palatable manner. Many of these products are more economical as well, resulting in lower costs and more efficient use in your office. For example, Quality Park Products has introduced their Park Preserve, line of products: "Providing a sustainable product line featuring ...

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MSDS Sheets: A Resource Guide

May 15, 2008 – 1:21 pm
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 ...

Posted in Government Purchasing, Office/Business Resources | 1 Comment »

The Label Maker: An Essential Time Saver

May 14, 2008 – 2:48 am
The label maker has been around for a long time, but its use in an office environment is as important today as it ever has been. While label makers do not always make for the most attractive labels, they are efficient and they get the job done. Today’s label makers offer a wide variety of options beyond the ones of yesterday, as well. There are label makers you can purchase to change the fonts, change the colors, and type on like a keyboard, making them even more convenient and helpful. Casio and Brother are just two of the great manufacturers making quality electronic label makers for the home and office.   An office can descend into disarray rather quickly. Files and folders may be neat, but without a practical labeling system, this may not matter. Sure, you could go around and write on all of them with a magic marker, but that’s ...

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How to Create a New Paper Filing System

May 14, 2008 – 2:43 am
There has been much written and said in the media lately about this country becoming a paperless culture. We take this to be the truth, simply because it’s hammered into our heads day after day. But what if we actually slow down and examine this.   Yes, you may pay your bills online, thus cutting way back on the amount of mail you send out. What else? Did you ever really write that many personal letters that have now been replaced by email? Well, maybe you did. Hmm. . .well that seems to be about it. We are still reading books, we are still printing documents, and we are still signing contracts the old fashioned way. Yes, there are online equivalents of all of these things, and yes, there will probably be a time in the future when paper is as rare as gold, but that time is certainly not here ...

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Appointment Juggling: Planners & Calendars are Critical

May 14, 2008 – 2:40 am
It’s Tuesday night. The clock says it’s four-thirty, but it feels as though it has been saying that for the last half hour. You were supposed to be finishing up some payroll busywork, but have instead found yourself fiddling with the contrast on your monitor. Perhaps making it brighter would make it more pleasant to look at. Darker? Mainly, you’re just trying to kill the last half hour before its time to go home. True, you could just leave now and no one would think the worse of you, but you like to set a good example for your employees. Besides, you like to leave your early escapes for Friday.   Then the phone rings. It’s your boss, and he wants to know why you aren’t at the meeting downtown! Oh no! You completely forgot about it. You scramble to make up an excuse, but he doesn’t sound happy. He advises ...

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Four Tenets of Office Management

May 14, 2008 – 2:18 am
When it comes to office management, there are some standards and practices you should always adhere to, regardless of your company’s specific product chain or your service industry. These tenets will help you to have a more successful office atmosphere, and keep your company on track for success in both the financial and human areas. One may be just as important as the other, because one naturally feeds into the other. You’ve of course heard the old saying about sharing the wealth.   An office that is making money hand over fist is a happy office, most of the time, or at least it should be. Of course, this won’t necessarily y be true if the employer is underpaying the workers, but as long as that is in check, everything else should flow smoothly. The following are the four basic tenets of office management that can keep an office running smoothly.   Employment   Unless ...

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