Last month, we asked you to tell us where you’ve been working: at home, in the office, or under a hybrid model of both. The majority of you indicated that you’re back in commercial workspaces, while the minority are working from home and a handful are doing a hybrid mix of both. Regardless of your current workspace, adding feng shui into the design plan can bring some helpful benefits to your professional life.

by Alex Plachta

In this “For Newbies” blog I want to cover the basic options for ordering booklets. Booklets are not too complicated, so I am going to jump right into three main options:

The most basic option is the stapled booklet - also called “Saddle-Stitched.” This is the least expensive type of booklet and is a great option for most situations. The only special condition to be aware of is that the page count must be in multiples of four. This is required because the process involves stapling sheets that are folded in half (for example 11”x17” sheets if your booklet is going to be 8.5”x11”). Here are a few pictures:

A bullet journal takes your typical to-do list to another level. Designed to help you practice mindfulness and remain productive, the journal helps you visually organize what tasks you have and haven’t completed, so you can determine what projects need your attention and in what priority.

by Diana L. Martin

If you’re the person assigned the task of ordering the office supplies and you just dread doing it, I’m here with a couple simple solutions for you today.

We get many calls and emails from customers who need to order an item but they don’t know what it’s called, or they don’t know the item number and they need help. They order all different ways - online, email, phone, etc. - and they know they’ve ordered it previously, but can’t find what they’re looking for at the moment.

The secret isn’t really a secret at all. It’s just this -

by Valerie Glander

Office design trends, by nature, tend to move at a slower pace than other Interior Design trends. Office furniture is expected to have a useful life of seven to ten years, although it is common for offices to have furniture that is upwards of 20 years old. By contrast, the useful life of technology products is about three years.

Over the last decade, we’ve consistently seen the industry move toward open spaces. We have partnered with hundreds of companies to create workspaces with lower panels, no panels, and more collaborative space. These designs allow natural light and improved feelings of spaciousness, but also create higher noise levels.

According to research conducted by MIT, only 50% of meeting time is used effectively, and ineffective meetings can actually hinder productivity in the long run. Here are some meeting management skills that can help you determine whether the …

by Diana L. Martin

Over the years, I’ve spoken to many a customer who called to return or exchange the monitor filter they purchased. Usually it was because it was the wrong size and they needed assistance selecting the correct one. Reason number two was that it didn’t do what they wanted it to do.

Finding the right filter for your device needn’t be difficult. There are three basic pieces of information that you need:

by Diana L. Martin

Cutting costs is at the top of every business owner’s list - especially during the past year when revenue has been so drastically reduced. Supplies purchased for internal use can put a bite into the budget. One way to lower office expenditures is to be smart about how and when you print documents Making a few simple adjustments and implementing them for all your office printers can positively impact your bottom line.

Here’s how you can save money on your ink and toner purchases.

Customer service is an integral part of the success of any organization. Studies estimate that two out of three customers are willing to spend more with businesses where they have received top-quality service. Here are some strategies to keep in mind as you improve your organization’s customer service.

Giving back to your community is a great bonding experience, but with social distancing at the forefront of interactions this year, you can still make a difference virtually. Here are some great ways to give back.

by Valerie Glander

As Interior Designers, we spend much of our time with clients discussing staff adjacencies, furniture requirements, finish selections and color schemes. A lesser discussed, but important element of designing an intuitive office environment is often left to an afterthought: wayfinding and signage.

Have you cleaned your coffee maker? Michael shows us how to routinely clean your office Keurig machine, which is especially important after returning from the holiday break. Take care of your coffee maker so it can take care of you!

by Diana L. Martin

In this age of Covid-19, janitorial/PPE products have become as precious as gold. Disinfectant sprays, cleaning wipes. paper towel and other associated products have been in extremely short supply since early March. Panic resulted in hoarding and manufacturers couldn’t keep up with the demand for these items.

Now, seven months later, some of these items are finally starting to reappear on store shelves, although they may not be the brands you’re used to purchasing. Clorox and Lysol both are still experiencing major production issues and their products are scarce in the marketplace.

by Diana L. Martin

To say the pandemic has thrown a wrench into business operations would be the understatement of the century, but one thing the slowdown has done is give us the opportunity to assess, revise and reorganize. When you’re looking for ways to improve efficiency in the office, one of the most basic processes to consider is your filing system.

Options in filing products are overwhelming and this article would be very, very long if we discussed them all, so I’m going to concentrate on just a couple aspects today.

by Diana L. Martin

Today I’m issuing you a challenge - get more from your office supplies.

More what? Office supplies are office supplies, right?

Wrong.

What can you get from them? Value, convenience, time, money and rewards, just to name a few. Let’s consider those…..

by Diana L. Martin

With more businesses starting to reopen, now is the time to stock up on the supplies you need to get off to a running start. One of the most important supplies is going to be your ink and toner. There are few things as annoying as your printer telling you to replace the cartridge, only to find that you don’t have a spare. We’ve all been there - the last person to change it never told the appropriate person to order a new spare and now you’re dead in the water until the new one comes.

by Sarah Izzo

There are two parts to any branded or decorated apparel project - the selection of the apparel and the choice of decoration. The two go hand-in-hand. The material will determine the type of decorating options you have to choose from just as much as the look you want to achieve, the size of the design and its location.

There are many types of apparel decorating that can be done separately for affordability or combined for a complex design. Here is a great article about the different types of decoration: Apparel Decorating Basic Terms and Techniques. Deciding which option is best starts with what you are trying to accomplish and how it will be used.

by Diana L. Martin

A lot has happened in the past couple days in regard to the Coronavirus outbreak. With President Trump’s latest actions, many workers are now working remotely from home and it could be an extended situation. If that’s you, there are several things you need:

• A quiet workspace - a location in the house (spare bedroom, den, basement) where you can set up a dedicated space that will be quiet, minimize distractions and allow you to concentrate.

by Diana L. Martin

It's here....................that dreaded time of year when you have to tackle the year-end filing.  It doesn't matter whether you're a business or an individual - we all have to do it.  Tax records, employment records, investment records, etc.....

Lucky for you, I work for an office supply company so I can help you with this.  You have two basic choices available - storage drawer systems or individual storage boxes.  Step 1 is to decide which of those you want.

by Diana L. Martin

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and the holidays will be here before you know it. I’m willing to bet that someone in your office has already been tasked with organizing your company party. There are lots of decisions to be made: where, when, what kind of food, games, etc.

If your company is like a lot of others, you save money by having the party onsite at the end of the workday (and into the evening). Office Express can help you with the supplies you need to make the evening a success.