Saturday, February 5, 2011

Modern Office Furniture is Growing in Popularity

With the world undergoing a sea of change, it is really obvious that offices would also undergo fantastic transformation. This transformation is not just limited to the changing work culture but has also touched all other aspects related to the office. Even furnishing styles have evolved a lot over the years and these days office owners look for furnishing styles that suit their requirements and demands.

Modern office furniture is extremely well-liked among office owners since they are reasonable in cost and are functional. Modern furniture has turn out to be a stylish way of furnishing the work space for it furnishes wonderfully with out making the location look cluttered. In reality the sleek look of modern furniture has made it all the much more common. Unlike conventional pieces of furnishing, modern furniture comes with sleek and neat lines which certainly add to its benefits.

When choosing modern office furniture, make sure you are picking up sleek, neat furnishing items since they would supply you a lot of space to work. Gone are the days when folks regarded as office furniture as items only of functionality. These days, furniture is also recognized for its appeal and folks look for furnishing items that are not only functional but also look excellent. Modern office furniture has a lot more of a fun and funky nature and does not look as classy and elegant as conventional furniture. In short, modern furniture is a true representative of this modern world, hence can impart a fantastic look to your office.

When purchasing modern office furnishings, check out whether or not the shelves are square, since they are a characteristic feature of modern furniture. Instead of the usual rectangle shelves, modern shelves are square. The cabinets of modern furniture are not just employed for storage purposes, they can even be accessorized in a wonderful manner. With modern furniture you can afford to be much less standard. You can use unconventional pieces of furniture and use tiny work stations when it comes to modern furniture.

Modern office furniture deals with clean items of furnishing that can complete the job of furnishing an office with the least quantity of furnishing items of unconventional style. Steel utilized to be an item that ruled the kitchen. But that is the story of the past. Steel is being utilized everywhere and it dominates modern furniture inventory. The modern chairs come with steel legs and steel frames. The steel theme is highly well-liked in modern furniture and they look completely stunning and refreshing. Furnishing items of steel add a fresh touch to the office which is impossible to derive from standard wooden furniture.

Non- standard modern office furniture is all the rage in modern offices. They furnish the offices wonderfully in a non standard way which in itself is a huge relief. Even the costs of these furnishing items are not too high. They are reasonably priced, meant to suit the requirements of office owners. From modern chairs to modern desks, every thing in modern office furniture shows a novelty that is extremely preferable for it makes the workplace look distinctive and various.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Shopping Guide for Your Home Office Needs

Once you have your home office set up and you have the main items in order such as your desk, your ergonomically correct office chair and of course your computer system you may think that you are ready to go. But wait! What about all of the little details that keep your office running smoothly? You will need to hit the closest office supply store and load up on all of the necessary office supplies to keep your home office running.

Before you get carried away at your office supply store, sit down and make a list of the things that you need. A lot of home offices, particularly start ups, operate on a shoestring budget, so do not go crazy at the supply store. It is very easy to blow a couple of hundred dollars on unnecessary supplies. Sit down and look around your office. What do you need to function? What would be nice to have? And what is just frivolous? Make three lists, and take them all to the store with you.

On the first list, you will likely have things such as computer paper, pens, envelopes, a stapler and filing system. On the nice to have list you might have things like colored sticky notes, desk calculators etc. Of course it depends on what type of home business you have. Obviously if you have a book-keeping business you will need a desk top calculator. Everyone's lists will look different depending on each individual business so don't expect to have a "standard" shopping list of items.

When you go to the store be sure to take all of your lists with you because you never know when you will run into a sale and be able to get some items from your nice to have list at a discount.

Remember about some of the little things that you will need. You will want envelopes, and mailing labels to send off invoices and estimates and other correspondence. Be sure to get labels that will fit in your printer. Hi-lighters, erasers, a hole-punch and other small items will become invaluable in the future. You will also want to invest in a filing cabinet and a file system. Folders and hanging files will help keep you organized and more efficient. If you are the type of person that thrives on organization, using an in-out basket will also be a time saver for you.

Bigger items that you will need for your business is a good quality printer (inkjet or laser), a photocopier and a fax machine. You can save money and space by purchasing an all in one unit that offers all of these technologies in one machine. This will likely be your most valuable office supply because you will be able to do so much with it.

My favorite place to shoop for home office supplies is: Business-supply.com.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Guide To Home Office Internet Access

No home office is complete without an Internet connection, because more and more business is being conducted on the Internet, and if you are not connected you are missing out on a great opportunity to connect with your clients, potential clients and of course your suppliers. Internet access will provide you with many opportunities to increase your productivity, although you will want to be careful that you do not use the Internet as a distraction or that it doesn't become one by accident.

The first thing that you will need to do is to contact your local Internet provider. There may be a few in your area, so shop around for the best deal before you sign up. Often there are Internet providers competing for your business so you should get a good deal. There will be a few different levels of service and speed that you can choose from. If you are going to be sending a lot of files, or large files through the Internet, you will want high speed service. However, if you do not plan on using the Internet much, you may want to opt for a dial up connection if you are on a budget. Do bear in mind that dialup is being offered by fewer Internet providers each and every day.

Once you have the Internet access you will need to set up an email account for your business for clients to contact you. More and more people are using email to contact friends and family so you will not want to miss out of this invaluable connection tool. When you set up an email address you should keep it simple and easy to remember. However, it is important to keep it professional aswell. Keep it as close to the name of your business as possible.

If you really want to maximize your growth and productivity, you should consider starting a webpage for your business. A webpage is a great way to tell people about you and what you do. On your webpage you can easily show off your skills, or pictures of your products. Include information on pricing or rates to make it simple for potential clients. And be sure that you make it easy for potential clients to contact you if they have more questions. With more and more people surfing the Internet these days, you can take advantage of this inexpensive marketing tool.

While having Internet access is a great boost to your business, you must be careful to avoid the trap of the Internet as well. It is easy to get lost surfing the Internet or sending emails and lose productivity. Be sure that you monitor yourself to stay productive while you are working from home. It is a good idea to turn your email off and only check it at designated times every day instead of every time you get a new message. At least this way you can stay focused on the tasks you need to complete - those that are a priority.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Inkjet Cartridge Choices

Inkjet printers are wonderful instruments that have totally changed the way we print text, graphics and photographs both at home and within the office. Via the use of inkjet cartridges, these affordable devices allow you to do jobs that once required a professional printing company. You can print papers with full colour graphics, photographs of professional quality, and of course pages of crisp text.

In short, inkjet printers have given you independence and convenience in all your printing needs. You can produce brochures and illustrated manuals in house on demand and no longer need to wait for a printer to be free. You keep complete control over the procedure. But fantastic as these instruments are both in performance and in price, there's one drawback.

That disadvantage is of course the price of buying replacement ink cartridges. If you use inkjet printers in your business, you've most likely noticed that purchasing replacement ink cartridges is a major expense. In fact, you may well have seen that the buy of just a few new inkjet cartridges represents a cost equal to the printer itself. Purchasing new printer ink may no doubt ranks extremely inside your expenditure on office supplies. So is there anything you are able to do about it?

You might have observed printer cartridges on sale at nicely below the prices of new products with the manufacturer's label. They are really tempting but are they safe? The last thing you want to do is to jam up your printer with dodgy ink. Not to mention the disruption to company caused by faulty printing. If printing is vital for your organisation's operations, clearly you don't want to complete something that might disrupt things. And you certainly do not want your printer to run out of ink within the middle of an essential job.

First let's look at the kinds of replacement ink cartridge available. Essentially, you have three choices - new, compatible and remanufactured. New ink cartridges are produced by or under the authority from the printer manufacturer. These are of the highest high quality and ought to give you ideal results all the time. The only issue is their very high cost. You are truly paying a premium for these original replacement ink cartridges. Buying Canon ink cartridges, for instance, will price you 12 pounds and up. Nevertheless, if reliable and quality printing is important for your company operations, this may be the only way to go. You can make certain you are getting the very best feasible price by buying on the internet from the reputable, dedicated supplier.

The following kind may be the compatible ink cartridges. They are new but are manufactured by third party firms. If you are in the market for cheap Canon ink, for example, these would be a good choice. Essentially they offer a nice balance of quality and cost. Should you visit the websites of reputable online suppliers of inkjet cartridges, you'll discover that they provide recommended compatible cartridges. The best online firms test cartridges and scour reviews to make sure they only provide quality products.

The last type may be the remanufactured inkjet cartridge. These are recycled cartridges which have been refurbished and refilled. Not surprisingly, they are the cheapest choices obtainable but also the lowest high quality and most unreliable. So while you might be able to cheaply stock up on Brother ink cartridges this way, you shouldn't be surprised to encounter difficulties at some stage.

Fortunately the internet has gone a long way towards leveling the playing field when it comes to purchasing new printer cartridges. The net permits you to check costs from a huge number of suppliers who are vying for your company. This competition means you get rock bottom costs for high quality items as vendors who sell shoddy merchandise would soon lose all credibility.

Purchasing your printer ink online brings a host of advantages other than getting the best cost. Most vendors offer free delivery, and the items arrive on your doorstep in 2-3 business days. Buying from a dedicated printer cartridges supplier offers many advantages. These firms deal only in inkjet cartridges and their expertise and massive turnover can help reduce prices and boost service.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Anatomy of a Comfortable Office Chair

The office chair is something you see in every part of the office - cubicles, CEO's room, conference
rooms, even in the cafeteria. Wherever the area may be, an office chair has one purpose - to allow
you to sit down in a comfortable and healthy manner.

Contrary to what many may think, the office chair is no longer a piece of furniture. Behind each and every office chair, there are a lot of thought and science being implemented. The reason for this, is because an office chair can be harmful to your health and also your body.

The principles of ergonomics are used with office chairs to give you comfort and safety. Below, you'll find some key points to look for in an office chair.

Chair height - The height of an office chair should always be easy to adjust. In order to do this, the chair must be equipped with a pneumatic adjustment lever. This lever should be able to move your chair between 16 and 21 inches off the floor.

This is important simply because the person sitting in the chair needs to sit according to the height of
the table or desk. The chair shouldn't be too high or too low, so the user doesn't slouch or strain at
their desk.

The important thing to remember is that the knees should be at a lower height than your hips. This
will encourage the natural "double C" of the spine and help to provide upright support for your body.

Chair width and depth - An office chair should always be wide enough to support users of all shapes and sizes. Normally, the width will vary between 17 and 20 inches. The chair depth area is the area found from the front of the seat to the back of the chair.

The depth of the office chair should be big enough for you to lean back against the backrest with 2 to 4 inches difference between your knees and the seat of the chair.

Armrests - Armrests are adjustable and will allow you to rest your elbows, arms, and shoulders in a comfortable manner.

Backrest - The backrest on an office chair will vary from 12 to 19 inches. Like all other parts of office chairs, the backrest should be adjustable enough to move either forwards of backwards.

Swivel - Working in an office requires you moving about, from one computer to another or even to a file cabinet. Therefore, an office chair should provide a swivel at the bottom to allow you to move around your area freely.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Hammermill Paper Offers a 99.9% Jam Free Guarantee

Hammermill Paper, which is owned by International Paper is now offering something that is really unheard of in the paper industry. They offering a 99.9% jam free guarantee on all their papers, not just the higher end lines.

What sets this apart from most paper companies is the fact that most only offer this type of guarantee on their really high end lines. By offering this guarantee on every line they offer, Hammermill has established themselves as a leader in quality. You can read more here.

If you happen to be in the market for some office paper, I highly recommend the Hammermill brand of paper.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Top Gun Bulletin Board for Office Organization and Amusement

I love the message board that hangs near my desk in my home office.  I can place reminders on the board to keep me from forgetting important events – you know, like the next time UK plays basketball…. opening day for baseball…. what the next Ace of Cakes will be about – important stuff.  I also have a few inspirational quotes, a few Audrey Hepburn collector stamps, an adoption certificate from where I adopted a shark (I’ve told you I’m shark crazy, right?), a picture of my daughters when they were about 4, 6, and7 doing the see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil routine, cat pictures, and a comic strip or two.

I believe in keeping things that make you smile within eye-shot at all times…. especially when you’re working.  It keeps you from becoming a grumpity grump.