Office1000 Blog February Archive

Competition is a double-edged sword. On the brighter side, competition hastens growth. This is a proven thing. Because of the race to become dominant, players are forced to excel or else end up in the trash bin. In effect, this becomes beneficial to consumers because of the rising quality of products and lowering of prices.

On the darker side, I've already said it. Competition is a costly business. Every move should be well though of. Every move is important. One wrong move, and your adversaries have already left you far behind. And this is not good producers.

In the end, it's a question of whose benefit should be prioritized: the consumers and the society that they make up or the producers? Should we go for competition or for monopoly? Obviously, we'll have to go for competition as it benefits more people.

Anyway, back to my original statement. In the current business, you have to be fast. And speed does not come from the big things alone. Work efficiency starts from little things. What little things, you ask? Take, for example, wrapping up some office supplies. Surely, you would save more time had you used one of these self-adhesive lamination sheets and self-adhesive lamination rolls than manually sticking tape unto the surface of a plastic cover, right?

Now that's saving time. And that is, in a way, keeping to the competition.

Well, what do we exactly need to successfully maintain a portfolio? After all, a portfolio will reveal what kind of a worker you have been in the past, something which is required in many freelancing jobs. It's a tough job, considering the amount of dedication you will have to put on doing what you have to do--or else end up with my sad short story portfolio. :(

I believe that we should strike a balance. Forcing yourself to continuously 'manufacture' intellectual goods is not good as, overtime, the quality of your products might decline. However, keep on practicing. A professor of mine in Creative Writing once told me that there is no such thing as 'a sudden outburst of inspiration'. You always have to practice or risk your creative mechanisms to rusting. No one would like that, I believe.

And once you are into making this portfolio-making thing, why not purchase *ahem* one of Office 1000's portfolio folders and other project folders? Well, they most probably won't give a good inspiration but, for good presentation's sake, putting your works, may they be final or a rough draft, in a decent folder like ours.

So what do I plan with my portfolio? Well, I intend to recreate it by this summer vacation. I hope I succeed this time around.

Of course, everything begins with decors of the office. No, you do not have to put up expensive vases to impose a comfortable atmosphere. Price does not necessarily equate to comfort. In fact, in some offices, all it needs is one magazine rack and everything will follow suit.

It does not end with the decorations anyway. It also includes what you wear. What your workers wear. Here in the Philippines, there are actually some call centers (business process outsourcing firms) that require their workers to come to work in some wacky costume depending on the theme. One night it is a pajama party, the next is a fairy tale party. The whole purpose of this is to break the monotony of the tiring graveyard shift. Normally, these worknights can be really painful for employees since it's already night but their works are still beginning. Oftentimes, you'll see them partying around during noon. That is not the case with this particular call center, however.

You see, you do not have to spend millions of dollars (but if you are affluent enough, then why not?) to make your office worth the time staying in. With just a bit of creativity, the typical morning-to-afternoon shift turns into a daylight party!

Of course, everything begins with decors of the office. No, you do not have to put up expensive vases to impose a comfortable atmosphere. Price does not necessarily equate to comfort. In fact, in some offices, all it needs is one magazine rack and everything will follow suit.

It does not end with the decorations anyway. It also includes what you wear. What your workers wear. Here in the Philippines, there are actually some call centers (business process outsourcing firms) that require their workers to come to work in some wacky costume depending on the theme. One night it is a pajama party, the next is a fairy tale party. The whole purpose of this is to break the monotony of the tiring graveyard shift. Normally, these worknights can be really painful for employees since it's already night but their works are still beginning. Oftentimes, you'll see them partying around during noon. That is not the case with this particular call center, however.

You see, you do not have to spend millions of dollars (but if you are affluent enough, then why not?) to make your office worth the time staying in. With just a bit of creativity, the typical morning-to-afternoon shift turns into a daylight party!

And it is a difficult task. With the many hackers now penetrating the Internet today, protecting your data from these thieves becomes harder and harder each day. Spyware and worms everywhere...Hackers abound...Phishers taking over. It's a scary world out there, if you come to think of it.

To ensure the safety of your information, you have to invest a lot of capital on computer security. It's very sad, when you think that you shouldn't be paying for these services when there are just no evil doers in the Internet. Of course, you don't have to pay that much. It is true that it's best that you know how to strengthen your network security by yourself but, if you really cant', then I'd say that the most expensive offer is not always the best. Oftentimes, the best ones are in the middle of the pack.

Security do not end with software security. your computer infrastructure should be also physically safe. Simple things like CD holders and CPU carts should be bought to ensure that they are physically safe. Obviously, a physical intruder will not be stopped by these simple tools, but they'll protect your data from more subtle invaders like dust and dirt.

IN the long run, however, protection of data does not end with the abovementioned techniques. In the end, they all depend on the credibility of the people you hire in the business.

But you do not have to worry about it all by yourself. There are always some people who are willing to help you make your event a big success. And if these kind-hearted office mates are still not enough, you can still get some professional help. Organizing an event, especially that of a big magnitude, can be really difficult--but definitely not impossible.

Take things step by step. One by one. Even though our brains have a large capacity. It can just process one thought at a give instant. This is even how a computer processes data and instructions. There's no point about fretting. You'll go nowhere when you heat up.

Make sure that you'll also please your guests. The event may make or break your company's future, remember? Make sure that they'll enjoy the day by having smooth service all throughout. Nothing irritates people more than having a very bad accommodation. And don't forget to buy one of these badge holder kits from Office 1000, too, to prevent the clothes of the wearers from being ruined.

Everything has to be presentable, too. That's a given fact. Human beings have always liked beautiful things. And, sometimes, it only takes good packaging to do the trick. Take for example these portfolios that will showcase whatever you want to showcase. They're a killer.

Good luck with the event!

Even the choice of the silent bookcase counts.

Of course, the bookcase counts. Fewer are serious with their bookcases nowadays because of the Internet rage, but it still adds some air of intellect and seriousness inside an office. I personally prefer wooden bookcases than the metal ones since they look classier. I like classy things. I am not imposing on you that that is better, though. It still depends on the mood you want your office to have. If you prefer to have a very busy, modern working atmosphere inside your place, then go for metallic designs. You can never go wrong with them as well.

And it doesn't end in choosing the right furniture. There's also the task of choosing where they can be put best. I am not an expert about this kind of stuff as I am not an interior designer, but there are things that you should not forget, interior designer or not.

Play with the light. Use it to your advantage. You shouldn't put up large furnitures in front of the window. You're wasting light. I'm telling you, light is a precious source that you should not waste.

Also, know where things go. Corner bookcases goes to the corners, obviously. Tables, on the other hand, usually go the middle of the room--unless it's a side table, of course.

Interior design isn't that difficult. Just a little bit of research and creativity and there you have a great home office.

So where am I trying to drive at? Well, I just want to say that, sometimes, people of authority are not convinced with the contents of your work alone. Sometimes, you have to put them in a special package that will convince those who are in authority. It can be quite stupid, I know, but that is how the world goes. You cannot blame these people, anyway, as effort to make something attractive might indicate that even the function was well thought of.

Take in, for example, inventories and reports. It is best to have an impressive report but, sometimes, even though the content of a report is good, if it does not look presentable, you'll just end up being dumped. The best way to go around this is probably to use some sort of decoration to lighten up the mood. No need for heavy decoration, though. That is not a scrapbook, I assume. Probably one of these colorful project folders from C-Line Products might do. It doesn't help if the sheets where your reports are printed are a mess, too. Use some kind of sheet protectors for crying out loud. Have some sense of respect to your superiors by giving presentable reports.

In the end, however, the function of something will still be the most important factor to be considered. Only those who are out of their minds will decide completely from form.

While your documents may not be as nationally and as internationally important as these great artworks and documents, I am sure that your documents are very important to you. That is why we have to protect them. As I have said, protecting these delicate items is not a permanent thing, but there's nothing wrong with protecting them, nevertheless.

We here at Office 1000 can help you with that. We sell a lot of choices for your sheet protection needs, each varying in added functions but all their main purposes are the same--to protect your dearest documents.

If budget will be taken into consideration yet you want your papers to look formal and classy, then the traditional polypropylene sheet protectors may be enough. It can be opened from three sides (yes, three sides) and will serve your archiving requirements well.

On the other hand, if you are rather affluent and need something that will protect your documents very well, then you should buy one of C-Line Products' Heavyweight Polypropylene Sheet Protectors. They're heavy duty. The binders are so strong that they will prevent tears in your documents even with heavy use.

So whether it is light or heavy protection, Office 1000 is the website to go to.

It is a must to protect our precious documents. Sheet protectors is one of the ways to go. Remember, however, to keep a backup of these documents, both hard and soft copies, to be 100% sure.

Of course, if you want to perform well in your business, then you should first invest in your manpower. Nothing beats a highly competent workforce that will be the heart and blood that will run your shipping business for years to come. You have to invest in them as they are the ones who will make or break you company. In industries like these, you don't necessarily have to hire people with PhDs in fields as obscure as asymptotic combinatorics (LoL). That isn't what you need. What you need are capable managers and engineers who will oversee the flow of your services. And we are not simply talking of competency, but trustworthiness as well.

Equally important to prolong the existence of your shipping company is the infrastructure you will be building up to help your workforce. I am talking about warehouses (they should be in a strategic location, of course), trucks, telecommunications system, to even the more trivial ones like hand trucks and small vehicles. You have to make sure that they are of the highest quality.

Worried about the capital it will take you to build a high-quality business? It will really take a toll on your purse, won't it? Well, just remember that that capital will return to you (and with profits, too!) if customers are satisfies with your service. That's part of any business. The capital can be regained. Your clients' trust, when lost, cannot.