by Diana L. Martin
At Office Express, our passion is you - our customers. We’re constantly striving to give you the best service possible and the driving question is, “What more can we do for our customers?”
Running a business is hard work and requires an enormous amount of time and energy - and legal red tape. We can now help make that a little easier for you with the addition of notary services.
A number of studies have been done on the issue of whether carpeting is good or bad as a floor surface. Proponents note that it reduces noise levels, especially on open floor plans, and that it is aesthetically pleasing. Opponents say that it has an adverse effect on air quality and collects dust, dirt and allergens which then make people sick. You can read an interesting article on the debate here on the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s website.
Ergonomics are frequently discussed in relation to workplace environments, as is productivity. Employers spend a significant amount of time and resources trying to revamp processes to make their employees more productive. For workers who spend a majority of their day on phone calls, a headset will address both issues. Working with your neck constantly tilted to the side, either on a shoulder rest or just cradling the phone between your neck and shoulder, is not good for you. And trying to take an order or type a message while on the phone without a headset results in a definite loss of speed and productivity.
Ordering supplies for your office - whether it be pens, paper, janitorial, breakroom or some other category - can be time consuming. Especially if your company has a formal purchasing department and there are requisitions and purchase orders involved.
We are excited to announce a new function on our website that will save you time if you find yourself ordering the same items over and over again - Recurring Orders. Recurring Orders allow you to create an order and schedule the frequency of the delivery - the order will be automatically sent to you on your schedule. You can edit items and quantities or reschedule the delivery date as needed.
Best of all, it's SIMPLE!
Every so often, I like to highlight an unusual item. By that I mean an item that you normally wouldn't think to call your office supply dealer for when you need it. I think a lot of companies still don't know that the office products industry supplies more than just paper, binder clips, ring binders and the like. Another category that we can help you with is your janitorial and facility maintenance supplies.
Keeping the air clean in the office is vital to the health of everyone in the office. Mold, mildew, bacteria or other microorganisms can flourish without proper prevention and treatment. Having quality air filters in place is essential. Did you know that you can purchase air filters from us?
This month our weekly eblasts will be focusing on items to help you stay organized and on task at work. Since I know that's easier said than done for many of you, I'm going to start off the month with some handy file folders to aid you in your quest.
Now, there are seemingly ZILLIONS of filing products out there - all made by very good companies - and a file folder is a file folder, right? All the companies pretty much make them out of the same material, with similar features, so it usually comes down to the price. Not so, my young Jedi. Teach you the ways of the force, I will.
Sit/Stand workstations and adjustable height desks are hot right now. For years experts have been telling us that we sit too long at work and we need to get up and move around during our workday and sit/stand desks are seemingly the perfect solution to that problem.
But standing too long can cause problems of its own. You may experience fatigue, neck and shoulder soreness or stiffness, varicose veins, sore feet or joint pain. I have back problems and I can't stand in one place too long or walk for too long without sitting down to rest my back. I do like to stand up at my desk every once in a while although I don't have a sit/stand to work at. (I just rest my knee on my chair while I type.)
If you're a regular reader here, you know that I'm a geek for writing instruments. I love to try out the latest and <supposedly> greatest thing. (OK, I'm a little weird - but you already know that if you're a regular.) So today, I'm putting several pens and such to the test. What is their marketing angle and does the product live up to it? Will it earn fame - or shame? I had one other person help me test each of these items. Let's see how they did.
How many times have you tried to seal a package and had problems with the packaging tape? It's too thin, it doesn't tear easily, it doesn't stick well (except to itself).................. etc. If you're like me - and I know at least some of you are - you've tried several brands in an attempt to find the one tape that can perform to your standards. Enter T-Rex tape. The T-Rex line of tapes bills itself as "Ferociously Strong Tape" that is "easy unwind and tear for fast repairs."
That sounds like a challenge to me.
You know what comes next, right? Uh huh. I pick up the gauntlet - let the testing begin!
Is your office prepared for an emergency? Would you know what to do if a coworker suddenly collapsed? Do you know how to recognize sudden cardiac arrest?
A victim of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) may be fine one minute and collapse without warning the next. The victim almost always dies without immediate intervention. According to www.sca-aware.org, SCA is the third leading cause of death in the U.S, killing one person every two minutes. The number of people who die each year from it is roughly equivalent to the number who die from Alzheimers disease, assault with firearms, breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, diabetes, HIV, house fires, motor vehicle accidents, prostate cancer and suicides combined.
Employee safety is a top concern for any business. Regardless of the type of business you have, there are always safety issues to address. OSHA has rules and regulations that must be followed. (Common sense provides some more.) If you work in an office environment, you need first aid kits, fire extinguishers, exit signs and the like. Warehouse/industrial buildings need things like hearing protection, hard hats, ladders, etc.
I think it's safe to say that most people either own a personal computer or work with one at their job, so I'm sure you will understand when I say that I really, really HATE the jungle underneath my desk. I have a hard time comprehending how 4 pieces of equipment - computer, monitor, keyboard and mouse - can have 16 zillion cords attached to them. Then they're plugged into the power strip or UPS backup device, which adds another cord. And it seems like I'm kicking them all day long!
SPRING IS HERE!! YAY!!!
You know what that means, right?
My house is in serious need of a thorough spring cleaning and I'll bet yours is too. And so is your office. We carry lots of different brands of cleaning products and I could show you all the same old, same old stuff you see on everybody's website, but you already know that we carry that stuff. Instead.................
TA DA!
I'm going to show you some things I bet you have no idea you can get from us. This is going to be fast and furious, so try to keep up!
There were more than 40 major data breaches in the U.S. in 2017, which included such big names as Dun & Bradstreet, FAFSA, Gmail, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Verizon, Uber and, of course, Equifax. And just now, we all find out about Meltdown and Spectre, hardware bugs that affect the majority of computers out there (just what we needed to hear!). Cybersecurity is a major threat and it isn't slowing down or going away anytime soon.
The beginning of a new year is always a busy time. Filing and storing last year's documents, setting up new files, decluttering the office, organizing the supply cabinet, etc. A good way to organize is by using storage compartments and modules. These units give you a place to put the small items (pens, sticky notes, glue sticks, nuts, bolts, etc.). They'll save space and create a well-designed storage unit.
Regardless of the type of business you’re in, every company has safety and security issues to deal with. You need the proper equipment and supplies to keep both your employees and customers safe and to avoid workplace accidents.
What types of items do you think of when I say “Safety and Security”? Let me guess:
How many of you make mistakes at work? (Come on now, I should be seeing a lot more hands than that.) What do you do when you fill in a form with the wrong information or accidentally spell something incorrectly that you’re writing by hand? Do you throw out the form and start over? Probably not. If you’re like most people, you reach for correction fluid or correction tape – and then you either wait (and wait, and wait) for the fluid to dry or you try to avoid writing over the edge of the tape.
No, it's not a Toyota. It's a BRAND NEW, SUPER FANTASTIC.......................
We heard you! Our customers have been asking us to bring back online custom stamp ordering capabilities. We wanted to wait until we had a great website to give you - one that is easy to use, easy to navigate and has all the items you want to order - and we think we've accomplished all that with this new site.
I don't know anyone who doesn't use sticky notes. I have sticky notes at the office and at home - I'm sure you do too. They're pretty much an essential part of life. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and lots of different colors - you can get squares, rectangles, flowers, hearts, stars, brights, pastels, etc. Lots of fun options!
This week is a great time to stock up with a quick deal.
Our world is built around technology. Twenty years ago the "must have" items for business professionals were Palm Pilots (remember those?) or a Blackberry. Now, just about everyone has a smartphone, tablet or laptop computer and we take them everywhere we go. Today's Product Quick Take is a great item for today's business lifestyle - the Lorell Mobile Laptop Caddy.
If you work for a company that requires you to swipe an ID badge to obtain access to various parts of the building, you understand the importance of having that badge easily accessible. You need it within easy reach and visible to others. The solution? Lanyards or badge reels - that's what everyone uses.
Lanyards are more common, but they do present a safety issue for some job positions. They are very loose-fitting, swing around a lot, and can easily catch on something - potentially causing serious injury.
Phone: 248.307.1850
Toll Free: 877.795.2600
1280 E. Big Beaver Road
Troy, Michigan 48083
Mon - Fri 8:00 - 5:00 EST
Fax: 877.792.8110
Email: info@oexusa.com
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We look forward to helping you!
