Office1000 Blog March Archive

Note Taking Choices

By Blog Stories at 03/31/2008 12:40

Where will you write your notes? For some, notebooks are much better. For those who are really into technology, they would prefer electronic means of storing notes. Whatever your preference is, we have them here in Office 1000.

First off we have here tow different kinds of notebooks from Mead Products. The first one is their Five Star Advanced Trend One Subject Notebooks. What separates them from ordinary notebooks is that they are wire-bound, making pulling off sheets very easy. It also comes with index cards for additional notes and plastic dividers inside. The second notebook that comes from Mead is their Five Star Flex Hybrid Notebinder. It is refillable and tearing papers from here is virtually clean as the sheets are bound by detachable rings. This is perfect for official handwritten notes where cleanliness should be observed.

Just be a responsible paper-user and ensure that when you peel pages off, have some other use for them. Store them in one of these file trays for later use. They would make excellent scratch papers.

We have concentrated on these notebooks cleanliness when it comes to pulling off sheets. What is you are environmentally conscious, desiring a paperless society--or simply a techy? Then one of these electric organizers from Sharp will suit you best. It has a good 8 MB of internal memory, good for storing thousands and thousands of lines of text. It also comes with a CDROM software and PC link cable so that transferring notes to your colleagues will be easy.

Regularly visit the Office 1000 blog for the latest note storage items.

A Clean Office is A Pleasant Office

File organization, energy efficiency, and other clerical tasks are the responsibilities when maintaining a home office or an ordinary office for that matter. General hygiene and structural maintenance are equally important if you want to have a space conducive for work. The quest for work efficiency and productivity does not end with paper work. It also includes a spotless workspace.

Just imagine, how would you like it when, one day, you were typing in front of your computer when water suddenly came seeping from the comfort room because there was an unattended leak? Or how do you like it when no client dares to enter your office because of the foul trash piling on a small hill just outside? Sure, it's somewhat an exaggeration, but it is not an impossible thing to happen.

Thus you will also have to put extra capital on these services like repairmen. exterminators. janitors, and the like. This is assuming that you are running a large office. If not, then maybe you ought not to hire janitors. There are also other items that you have to take into account items like garbage cans, detergents, air fresheners, and even faucets, pails, and buckets.

Your office may be called your second home because of the fact that you spend most of your day here. This is where you get your income. Like your home, you are obliged to make it as pleasant to stay in as possible. It is a reflection of who you are and what you are. You wouldn't want to be called a slob, would you?

Some Things That May Help You Create an Efficient File Organizatiion System

Good file management is a MUST in every office setting. Similar to computer files, you should be able to find a way to store and retrieve files in only little time. You also have to make sure that these stored files are protected from external damaging conditions. In order to achieve this, you have to create a system--and abide by it. Because only with discipline and proper strategy may you be able to keep files ready at hand.

One way to go around this for smaller files is to use tabbed folders. This way you will be able to store your files in-stack and yet be able to distinguish them. It would be ideal if the folders are color-coded, but having the folder tabs color-coded might work as well. Just remember that the labels should be readable, preferably printed on a computer instead of written by hand. Also remember to regularly check out your files, as many of them may be not needed anymore. Keeping them there may accumulate and turn into an organizational nightmare over time.

Tabbed folders are not possible for every kind of files, of course. Sometimes, we are talking about large-scale documents such as project blueprints. For these kinds of documents, large file portfolios like this one from Safco will do the trick. Organizing your portfolios is quite easy as labels are outside every container. It isn't difficult to carry around as well.

In a future post, I will be showing you a new product that may help you in your file organizing requirements. It's called the "Easi File" system, quite new in America. So keep posted and regularly visit the Office 1000 blog.

How Was Your Earth Hour?

Last night, millions of people, government institutions, businesses, and other concerned groups in major cities around the world turned off their lights for Earth Hour 2008. These cities were enveloped in darkness for one glorious hour to show that we are in unity in fighting global warming.

YouTube Video

It's amazing to know that much of what is happening to our world climate today is caused by our everyday use of electricity. From turning on lights to watching movies on our television sets, we consume electricity that is produced through the burning of fossil fuels in power plants. Since we have caused this problem (poised to sink entire island nations if the effects of this phenomenon are fully realized), we can do something to solve it.

This is the purpose of Earth Hour. One way is to decrease electricity consumption for at least an hour. It is reported that, last year (its debut year), Sydney reduced its electricity consumption by about 10 percent. If you will really analyze it, the electricity saved that time will hardly make an impact on out current greenhouse gas emission. However, it is possible that this movement of unity will inspire businesses and people to conserve electricity all throughout the year. If this happens, a significant decrease will occur, easing the pressure on Mother Nature.

I hope that this global concern will not end yesterday and just return again next year. I hope that everyday, everyone of us will celebrate our own Earth Hours. After all, this is our only planet. We have to save it.

Art Stuff

Hi dear readers, I am here again to let you know about the latest items here in Office 1000. For today I will be showing you some items that, with a great deal of creativity, will make your home office different from what it used to look like. If not your home office, well, doing some things with stationery can be a worthwhile pastime that everybody should do.

The first item here in our list is this activity kit from Sakura of America. As you will probably see right now, all kits normally have some colored pens and stickers in them, perfect for decorating just everything--from your child's art homeworks to even put some lively things on your table or even your cubicle. They are all removable/erasable so you should not worry when you have to peel the ink or the stickers off the surface.

You won't go wrong with one of these cray pas and oil pastels either. They are non-toxic, so that means your kids are free to work with them. They also come in two varieties: the Junior Artist variety, good for beginning artists who are just starting to learn more about pastel art; and the Expressionist variety, which was made for experts in the field. Be careful with choosing the right variety for the right project, as your choice may make or break your work.

Lastly, we have here Memory Book Accessories from C-Line Products. They were made for those who like to look at their photos inside scrapbooks, but who are too busy to make their own. With these memory books accessories, you can put additional panels where you'll only have to insert the pictures and you're done!

Remember, we all have to work. That is true. But taking time off (as long as you're not wasting company time) and getting creative is most recommended. It relieves stress and allows you to bond with yourself or your children.

Working With A Workstation

Bus stations are where buses stop. Fire stations are where fire trucks stop. Now, what is a workstation? Is it where your work stops? Ideally, no. Realistically? Probably yes. Kidding.

What do I have in my workstation? Well, work certainly does not stop here. I've got my printer on top of it, a study lamp on one side (this is where I read during the night; I personally feel safe when I'm reading under this particular lamp of mine), my mobile phone on the other side, and my scanner and CPU at the bottom.

This has been my home inside my home. I mean, when I am inside my home, this is where you will regularly see me. I have done my researches here. I have read books in front of this stations. Sometimes, I even sleep on it when I am too tired to go to bed. Not that I am workaholic or something, I just want to be always in front of my computer. It's made out of wood and I thing it's already been here for more than two years. It's quite old I know, but it still serves your purpose. But I might look for something new. Or maybe not.

If you are looking for a new workstation (probably just like me), then do consider one from Safco among your choices. It has a wide width (35 inches), and it is classy-looking. What I like most about this one, however, is its clean look. How clean? Apparently, it has molded side panels that hides the numerous cables from view. having a lot of computer cords going out of your station can be really messy anyway.

Probably, looking for a new workstation would be still far away for me. I dunno. It just feels bad to leave something you have lived with for a long time, isn't it?

Who Loses When You Waste Time

If you own your own company, then good for you. You are the king of the office, manager of your own time. If, on the other hand, you are just an employee of some other company, then too bad. I know that you may get bored because of the monotony. This does not give you the right, however, to waste company time.

Every minute from the time you arrived to the time you logged off, you are paid. You are paid by your company to be productive and work. You are not paid by your company to linger around the comfort room for hours, play music on your headphones (though I doubt if you have the guts to put on a large equipment on your ears), or open your Facebook or My Space account. Do you not realize how much money does your company lose when you are being unproductive? What if there is an important call from your desk that you have to answer when you are doing something wasteful? Will you compensate for the potential loss?

Time wasted is money lost as they say. When you waste your company's time, your company loses big bucks. Be considerate. You are given enough lunch and coffee breaks to do what you please.

In the end, of course, no words from anyone will make you realize what you are doing. It is all in your conscience and ability to put yourself in others' places. I am sure, once you have your own office and hire a lot of people, you won't be pleased when you see them toiling around instead of doing what they are ought to do.

(I know a similar post was already made before. I am just trying to remind you yet again.)

Save Space Through Hotelling

Land has always been an expensive property, especially if it is located in high-value locations. Of course, corporate offices would always want to get situated in the best locations, where they are accessible from their workers' and clients' homes. Because of this, prices in these areas have been high, pushing the owners of companies to look for ways to maximize whatever floor space they have, naturally.

While for smaller offices this may be solved by using portable space-saving equipments like folding tables and stackable chairs, this may not be effective (not to mention ridiculous) to use in large offices. There is a way to get around the problem in the form of hotelling.

To give you a formal definition, hotelling in the office, according to Wikipedia, is "...a method of supporting unassigned seating in an office environment." Hotelling in an office setting came around when recent studies conducted show that knowledge workers, especially consultants, agents, and other salespeople, spend only around 30% of the time inside the office. So, imagine if you will be assigning each and every one of these workers their own workstation. 70% of the time they are unoccupied! That's clearly a waste of space. In order to save space (and money as well), these workers are not given pre-assigned workstations. Instead, once they get to work, they log on to an office system showing the blueprint of the office and particular cubicles with nobody occupying. They then reserve these cubicles and start working.

So, you see, if you will be able to implement this kind of technique (assuming that your office is large enough to house such a system), then it would mean great savings for you.

Just read the Wikipedia article for more information about the topic.

More Pens from Office 1000

We are back here once again to provide you with the latest here in Office 1000 with regards to writing materials. In previous posts, we have shown you writing media such as gel pens, ballpoint pens, and the such. Now we have here more products that will keep you updated with our line.

First off are our porous point pens from Avery. One of the things that I hate most with some pens is their tendency to "bleed" through the back of the paper. I mean, some of these pens tend to leak whatever ink was put on a paper to the sheets after it. I know it can get quite messy and unorganized--really not a good idea for use in important office documents. Don't fret, though, as Avery promises that their pens do not bleed! The ink used in their products are also acid- and toxic-free. So there's no need to worry when your children accidentally swallows the ink.

And it's not only marking pens that we have here in Office 1000. We also have marking pencils. These ones are from Listo Corporation. For some purposes. they might be more suitable as using pen markers, in a heavy-erasure environment, leads to a dirtier worksheet. And these marker pencils are definitely cheaper, too, and can be wiped off with cloth.

Aside from these writing and marking materials, we also have accessories that will go along with them, such as these clips from Baumgartens, just in case that your pens do not have pre-made clips that will attach to your shirt.

So, there you have it! Just keep on visiting this blog for future updates.

Protect Your IDs with Laminating Sheets

Before computerized identification cards, it used to be that my IDs were simply paper cards that were laminated in some plastic using some specialized equipments. It really was not a good idea, I eventually found out, as the plastics covering the card were peeled off, leaving the card in bare. If course you'll have to re-laminate it again under the heat--then it will peel off again after some time. I got fed up and printed some of them (the ones that will be used for a long time) on plastic cards similar to credit cards.

If you believe that it is too impractical to have them printed on cards because you will use them for a short time only, and you are also fed up with heating your equipments and laminating all over and over again, then it would be better to have them laminated not using any kind of heat source--just like these Cleer Adheer Laminating Sheets from C-Line Products.

These laminating sheets are perfect for those who are always on the go and needs to have their ID cards laminated without having the need to use electricity in the process. Don't worry, you won't have to change them often anyway, as they are strong enough they can withstand water, tear, and other external forces. Not even old age can stop from covering your cards. That will not stop you, though, from cutting it and shaping the lamination to your desire.

Of course it would always be best to have them printed on cards but the inks on their face will fade some time, too. And as mentioned above, they are not practical if you'll be using them only for a year, like, say, if you're just an intern in some company.n So for those kind of purposes, there's nothing better to use than Cleer Adheer.