by Diana L. Martin

The Green Movement has been around for a lot longer than most people realize. It actually has its roots in Europe and has been active in the United States since at least the time of the Industrial Revolution, although most people here probably think it began in 1970 with the first Earth Day celebration.

Many of you are concerned about environmentally friendly and safe office products, especially as it concerns janitorial/cleaning supplies.

Last month, we asked how you like to relax after a long day of work. The majority chose watching television or listening to music, while others chose exercising or spending time with friends and family. If you’re looking for a few more ideas to incorporate into your after-work routine, here’s how you can unwind after a long day.

by Kim Schroeder

When contemplating commercial carpeting for your business, there are some things that need to be considered before buying. For example, what type of business do you have, and what kind of foot traffic comes through on a daily basis? The answers to these questions will determine what type of carpeting you will need to install.

Commercial carpeting is durable and intended for heavy traffic. It is designed to last a long time and has stain-resistant properties to make it do so.

While some people feel somewhat confident in the workplace, others are not nearly as confident as they feel they could be. No matter where you are on your confidence journey, here are some helpful strategies that can help you reach your full potential.

One way to boost your career is to ask for more responsibility at work. However, while you’re taking on more responsibilities, you also need to keep up with the scope of your current workload and meet, if not exceed expectations. But how does one achieve such a fine balance? Here are a few tips that can help…

by Diana L. Martin

IT’S BACK!!! Have you seen it?

You’ve been asking for the ability to pay your invoices online ever since we switched to our new website in 2021 and we’re happy to announce that the feature is finally back! You can now pay your outstanding invoices online with a credit card.

It’s super simple. The Pay Invoices function is located on your Dashboard. Here’s a quick tutorial. Click on any of the images to enlarge them.

Modern workplaces have become a hub of collaboration and idea sharing. While everyone has ideas they should share, feeling comfortable communicating them can prove to be a challenge for some people. If you find yourself hesitating to speak up, try these tips.

by Diana L. Martin

If you work with sensitive information, you undoubtedly need ways to keep that information away from unauthorized eyes. File drawers and office doors can be locked - that's an obvious solution. But you also need to keep the information on your computer screen private while you work.

Last month we asked you to share what inspires you during the winter months. The vast majority of you chose to listen to music as your preferred method while exercising came in at a close second. If you’re looking for some additional ways to think outside of the box and make the most of the winter season, we have some helpful tips to get you started.

by Diana L. Martin

Here we are at last. The final installment of the totally epic series "How to Choose an Office Supply Vendor." The series that has overtaken Harry Potter as the most read of all time! The one that has had you riveted to your seat!

Just kidding.

No, really...I'm kidding.

Seriously.

(Yeah, like you really thought I was serious.) So anyway, we've arrived at the last of my topics - Payment Terms and Refunds. I think I'll work backward here and start with the refunds.

Regardless of what your resolutions are, we’ve come up with some helpful tips that will help you stay on track and maintain your resolutions throughout the year.

Setting goals is an important exercise that gives you a long-term outlook as well as motivation in the short term. Creating your 2022 goals now can help you organize and prioritize your time and resources for the new year. Here are some ways to help set achievable goals this year.

by Diana L. Martin

Hello again!

I know what you're thinking. You're talking back to your monitor right now wondering what took me so long to get to this point. Well, if you've been following this series, hopefully you've started to realize that there are many things to consider when choosing an office products vendor - not just one. People put too much emphasis on that one thing. But it is there, and we do need to talk about it, so here we go.

Let's discuss the dreaded . . .

P R I C I N G

by Diana L. Martin

So here we are on Part 4 of my current series - How to Choose an Office Supply Vendor. Today we’ll look at ease of ordering.

There are lots of things to discuss on this topic and I’ll start with the most basic question - "How many ways can I order with your company?"

Believe it or not, there are companies out there that don't take phone orders. Or fax orders. Uh huh. All orders have to be placed online. Friendly, eh?

by Diana L. Martin

Welcome back! The next thing to consider in your search for an office supply vendor is products and delivery.

PRODUCTS

A big question here is: Does the supplier carry the items you purchase regularly?

Ideally, the answer is yes. A good office supply vendor will carry a vast array of items - not just typical office supplies like paper, writing instruments and binder clips. Can your company buy its basic supplies, ink and toner, electronics, furniture, breakroom and janitorial supplies all from the same vendor? What about specialty supplies? Make a list of your frequently ordered items and verify that the supplier carries them. If not, are you willing to switch brands? A good supplier will offer multiple name brand and generic ("house brand") items to choose from. Also, is the supplier willing and able to special order items for you?

by Diana L. Martin

Everyone has had bad customer service experiences - some worse than others. I know I've had many, many more than I care to remember. Customer service is a fundamental part of any business and should be one of your top priorities when selecting an office products vendor - or, for that matter, any other supplier.

Usually people start with price when evaluating suppliers, and we’ll get to that in a future blog, but customer service before, during and after the sale is extremely important. Can you call and speak with a live person or are you limited only to email or chat? Does the supplier hide their phone number on their website? Is their phone tree endless? Do they have knowledgeable representatives with industry experience who can answer your questions or are they outsourced (usually overseas) and reading off a script? Do they even offer customer service?

Last month we asked if you tend to multitask when in online meetings. The overwhelming majority of you said you typically are doing two things at once, while a small group indicated that they occasionally multitask, and the minority stating that they try not to, but their mind tends to wander. Wherever you fall on this list, have no fear! Here are some of the best ways to multitask like a pro and get your work done efficiently.

by Alex Plachta

This sounds like a more complicated topic than it really is - I promise! This article is intended to give a functional understanding to a casual person who needs to order print but does not have a graphic design background. It will not provide any ground-breaking information to someone with design experience!

Basically, file type is important because certain files may not translate well to physical printed products even if they look alright on your computer screen. These files (known as raster images) and their images are made up of many individual color pixels

by Diana L. Martin

Go to any office product supplier's website and read their blog and you'll undoubtedly find a post about how to choose an office products supplier. They'll talk about price, selection, ordering, brands, delivery, etc. And they'll always give you reasons why they're the best choice. So ..............here you are reading my blog post titled "How to Choose an Office Supply Vendor" ......................and I'm not going to be that much different. I mean, really - you don't expect me to recommend someone else, do you?

Yes, in this and subsequent "parts" I will discuss those topics - and others- but I'm going to start today with one that everybody else seems to forget. And yes, I'm going to tell you that Office Express is great at it - because we are. That topic is:

Last month, we asked you to tell us what your productivity secret was, from coffee and meditation to music and to-do lists. The majority of you chose music as your secret weapon, while to-do lists came in a close second. No matter what your current productivity hack is, it can be helpful to try some new techniques.