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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Use Common Sense When Setting Up a Home Office

Before you go out and buy new office furniture or office equipment, make a real effort to determine specifically what your needs will be. You would be surprised to find out how many folks go out and buy a traditional expensive wood office desk with matching credenza only to realize later that a more modern work area, designed especially for computer use with a slide out platform for the keyboard, built in locations for printers and scanners, and perhaps even a built in flat screen monitor stand, would have worked much better.

For that matter, it is important to determine whether a desk top computer is really better for your needs than a laptop that has the same capabilities. How frequently will you be traveling? How much more convenient would it be to have a computer that you could take with you? Will the demands of your job require both a laptop and a desk top computer? Only you can answer these questions. Be sure you think of all your office needs, even to the extent of drawing a simple floor plan, before jumping in and simply buying what looks good, or seems to be the best deal.

In terms of furniture let me add one final, but very important thought, probably the most important piece of furniture in your office is your desk chair. Make sure that the one you buy suits you and is comfortable. The chair is the last place to go for price over quality. Sure you want to get the best deal possible, but be certain that the price/value takes into account that you will be spending more time sitting there than anywhere else in the house.

Speaking of deals, once you have determined what your furniture and equipment requirements are, it is not a good idea to skimp on quality. It is always cheaper to buy quality the first time rather than having to either supplement or replace at a later date. This may be hard to do especially if you are starting on a shoestring, but in the long run it is much more efficient and cost effective to not only buy products that will serve your needs well, but that will last, and be guaranteed by the manufacturer.

Manufacturers generally offer service contracts for a limited period of time. Unless, as part of your expertise, you are a computer expert capable of applying for a job on the "Geek Squad" then it is a good idea to sign up for an extended service contract on your computer. Extended service contracts on printers, scanners, fax machines, and other less expensive items are probably not worthwhile. They all come with a limited warranty and generally if they survive the warranty period they will last a long time. If not, they are inexpensive to replace.

Shelving and storage units also require some thought. It is likely that you will need more shelving and filing space than you initially think. Computers have not eliminated paper as initially predicted. In fact, generally, the use of home copy machines, scanners, fax machines, and printers, has significantly increased the amount of need for paper storage. Ask yourself, which documents are you going to be willing to have stored in memory, or somewhere on the net, and which documents are you going to want to have in hard copy regardless of where else they may be stored? A two drawer filing cabinet may be cheaper initially, but how long will it be before you need a full size four drawer? Likewise, will a standard size file meet your needs, or would legal size be more suitable? Additionally, when thinking about shelving, remember that shelves are not only used for books. Shelving is also where three ring binders are placed for easy access, and often are used to store supplies such as copy paper, ink and toner cartridges, labels, envelopes, presentation folders etc. Consider adding some portable or built in cabinets for storage in addition to shelving units. The advantage of cabinets is that they have doors which conceal the contents, and add to the overall neat appearance of your office, helping to eliminate the bane of every home office occupant, clutter. In that regard, don't forget to purchase a shredder. In today's world, a waste basket simply is not a safe place to put documents with account numbers, social security numbers and other personally identifiable information.

Let common sense prevail when setting up your office. Determine to the best of your ability what furniture and equipment will best serve your home office needs, put together a floor plan, and then shop to meet those needs. By taking the time to plan you will find that you have created an efficient office without giving up convenience and comfort. You will have created a functional office environment that you will not only be proud of, but you will enjoy working in.

I love Band-Aids

I personally owe Band-aids a huge thank you. Last year I did a post on duct-tape band-aids and last week we got a product review from a customer who said

He gave them as stocking stuffers to hubby and father-in-law (as a joke) but they work better than any other bandage we've ever used! Both of them Hunt, Fish and work on their vehicles - they told me that they are the only ones that actually stay on even when they are doing those things! and they are flexible.

Welcome to Office Land

Having worked in the office supply industry for several years, I thought it might be fun to create a casual blog that reviews various office supplies and the more common office supply vendors that most people are familiar with.

Some of the things I plan to blog about are kind of off the beaten path, but some will provide some major insight into how the office supply industry works and how to you use that knowledge to find some great deals.