Get Ghoulish!

October 11, 2010 · a bit of fun, office environment · Comments Off

halloween office decoration

Halloween is almost upon us and what better way to boost morale in the office than by transforming your workspace to suit the occasion? A ghoulish desk is as fun to create as it is to behold and you can get yourself and your colleagues in the spirit of things for minimal expenditure in terms of both time and money…all it takes is some creativity (and a fun-loving boss!).

If you’re looking for a quick-fix solution then your best bet is head on over to a cheap novelty retailer or supermarket. All manner of ghostly figurines, faux spider webs and novelty witchcraft paraphernalia are available for pounds if not pence. Although it may well take a large amount of Halloween themed bric-a-brac to transform the space into a bona fide ‘House of Horrors’, you only require a few trinkets and accessories to add an eerie edge to an office. Consider draping artificial spider’s webs from your computer monitor (preferably topped off with a rubber spider), stringing Jack O’ Lantern shaped lights around your desk or simply propping a suitably scary mask up on your desk to show that you’re in the spirit.

Those with a little more flair can transform their workspace with nothing more than everyday items, office supplies and some inspiration. Orange and black streamers from the ceiling will certainly attract attention, as will carefully positioned scary images printed out from the numerous Halloween themed websites. If you’re looking to take it a little further than Paper Mache is an underrated skill which can result in incredible looking skulls, monsters, witches hats and pumpkins! This classic modelling technique is also a brilliant way to make use of those surplus newspapers and printouts.

To top the whole thing off there’s nothing better than getting everyone to dress up for Halloween itself (or the nearest Friday). There’s nothing more memorable than seeing the Managing Director of the company turn up to the office in full Elvis regalia! The whole event takes on a whole new element if you also use the day to raise funds for a local charity- maybe by running a raffle or having all staff make a small contribution in return for being permitted to turn up for work dressed as their favourite horror film character. Although you might not get as much work done as on a normal day, the impact on morale and team building can have a lasting effect.

If all of this sounds a little too time consuming then you can always cut out 2 small triangles of white paper and be a vampire for the day…it looks surprisingly realistic!

Office Supplies Online

August 11, 2010 · a bit of fun · (No comments)

Despite a colleague of mines insistence that the internet is a fad that will never catch on, I think it’s pretty safe to assume that the internet is in fact around for the long haul. For the most of us the internet already has a major impact on our every day lives and in years to come it will no doubt get bigger better and more readily available to all.

Most of us already literally have the internet at our fingertips with the use of these fancy mobile enabled phones. We have given so much of our lives over to the internet, and really do have it to thank for the amount of time it saves us. For example, the weekly shop has gone from two hours on a Saturday morning to twenty minutes in front of the computer at 11pm on Thursday evening. My mother is not convinced as she’s sure that they’ll give you the rotten fruit and dented tins. However despite her personal reservations, shopping online whether it is for food, clothes, or furniture is the chosen option for many. Not only that it can actually save you money as with internet shopping you only seem to buy what you need.

Office supplies should differ in no way, ordering them online takes the stress out of visiting the high street. It also takes much less time, so you don’t have to away from your desk, or lose an employee for half the day. You’re less likely to forget any essential office supplies if you can take a break, come back to the screen and look over your order again before you finalise. Add the fact that buying online is generally cheaper than buying on the high street and the fact you don’t have to struggle on the bus with reams of paper and your surely on to a winner

We all (well most of us) know that the internet makes working (and personal) lives so much easier. So, when ordering your office supplies, it may be an idea to keep in mind things that will make it easy for your workers to access and utilise both the internet and their computer. More efficient use equates to a much more productive workforce. One product that certainly helps to do this is the Internet Keyboard. These keyboards with a difference have been designed to make accessing the internet and your emails even easier. At the touch of a button you can open an email browser or a new email message.

8 Things You Didn’t Know

August 11, 2010 · a bit of fun · (No comments)

Office supplies may seem like a mundane topic, pens, paper, staples etc. However, behind even the most standard of office supply, there lies an interesting fact that you probably never knew.

Paper
Reams and reams of paper are often on the top of many office supplies lists. However it is estimated that it takes 6 whole trees to make just 10 reams of paper. Poor trees – think before you print!

Pens
Barack Obama used 22 different pens to sign one health bill, one for each letter (he signed his name twice). These pens are then given to those who witnessed the signing or auctioned off as souvenirs. If he has to do this every time he signs something, just image what kind of bill the White House must rack up for pens!?

Post-it Notes
Another office staple – the post-it note has been used in various artworks since their creation. They’ve even taken on an electronic form with many computer systems including a post-it style sticky note so you can leave memos on your desk top.

Envelopes
Did you know there are international postal conventions that dictate the size and width of standard envelopes and post cards/ Whilst our hardworking posties will try do their best to delivery all post on time, it is thought that you have a better chance of receiving your letter if the envelope is standard sized.

Suspension Filing
This revolutionary way of storing files in a filing cabinet was created back in 1898! No inventor has managed to come up with a better method since, meaning suspension files are still widely used today. Come on, let’s get our thinking caps on…….

Toner
No one actually knows what toner is. All we know is that when the printer or fax states that it is low on toner, it’s time to get a fresh order of office supplies in. Toner is in fact a powder that is used to form the initial outline of the printed text and images. So you can have all the ink in the world, but without toner, you’re going nowhere

Correction Fluid
This nifty little invention is an office supplies must for those who want to disguise their mistakes. One office recently reported that their workers were going through 10 litres of correction fluid over a 12 month period. Now that’s a lot of mistakes!

Paper Clips
The paper clip was originally created in 1867, for the use of attaching things to fabric – so next time you treat yourself to a rather large lunch and have the misfortune of popping a button on your skirt/trousers, a paperclip will be your saviour.

Recordable Media in the 21st Century (Follow-up to ‘Recordable Media- A Retrospective’)

August 9, 2010 · a bit of fun, office supplies · (No comments)

Following on from my previous article, ‘Recordable Media- A Retrospective (Part 1)’ it’s time to consider the world of recordable media since recordable CDs reached the height of their power. This part of the story is a little less clean cut than the previous instalment, not least because the CD-R is still with us (unlike the floppy disk for the most part). Despite the continued usage of CD-Rs and CD-RWs they are no longer the most prevalent means of removable data storage, that accolade is divided between a number of different types of media. It is fair to say however, that the rightful successor to the recordable CD is the recordable DVD given the close similarities between the two forms and that the CD compatible DVD reader/recorder is to be found in the vast majority of modern computers.

Recordable DVD

Storage capacity- 4.7GB-8.5GB

Year of commercial launch- 1997

The DVD was first unveiled in Japan in 1996 as a medium for pre-recorded video and the concept was gradually rolled out internationally. In 1997 Pioneer developed the DVD-R format which began the process of bringing home recording to the masses. The major upside of the DVD over the CD is the considerably more substantial memory capacity, whilst the standard CD can store 700MB of information; the standard DVD is capable of storing 4.71GB. This marked difference in capacity is well demonstrated by their different uses in the entertainment industry, i.e.: the CD is used for music whilst the DVD caters for video.

The recordable DVD is useful for backing up data, transferring large files and also converting and storing films and computer games for use in other DVD compatible devices. Despite the availability of re-writable DVDs however, it is by no means the most popular form of portable data storage for day to day use.

USB Flash Drive

Storage capacity- 8MB (2000) 64MB-256GB (Present day)

Year of commercial launch- 2000

The USB or Universal Serial Bus is a means of communication between a computer and all manner of peripherals and other devices. This small, rectangular port serves as a way to connect a mouse or keyboard to a computer as well as serving as a power source and means of data connection for a whole host of external devices. One of the most simple and common of these devices is the USB flash drive.

The very first USB flash drives were launched in 2000 and offered storage capacity up to 8MB,the capacity of top end flash drives today is up to 256GB: showing an absolutely vast growth in the industry. The device, also known as the pen drive is the closest replacement to the floppy disk, in that it is simply inserted-the data transferred-then it is removed, whereas the CD and DVD tend to take longer to complete the saving process. Flash memory is now present in a whole host of other portable items which require data storage.

The Modern Face of Portable Media Storage

New means of experiencing media such as the IPod, MP3 and MP4 player have brought about a serious shift in the world of portable data storage. This change is also highly reliant upon the USB port found in all modern computers. Not only do we now have the option to plug in a small device and quickly transfer information onto it for storage purposes, but also to transfer files directly from a computer onto a personal entertainment device which ultimately means that a huge number of the devices we use for portable data storage, double up as autonomous devices in their own right…a huge leap indeed from the 8 inch floppy disk.

Written by Jamie Lyons for DG Office Supplies.

Recordable Media- A Retrospective (Part 1)

August 9, 2010 · a bit of fun, office supplies · (No comments)

Computers are indisputably an integral part of not only modern business but modern life in general. Although the internet is an excellent tool for the sharing of information and media through email, file sharing services and Peer 2 Peer- physical media is essential for the distribution and safe storage of files of all sorts. Much like the computers themselves, media storage devices and methods have developed in line with technological progress and are consistently growing in terms of memory capacity, flexibility and speed whilst decreasing in physical size.

In honour of the often underappreciated world of recordable media we’ve taken a look at the changes this industry has undertaken from its first incarnation for personal use through to the modern day:

The Floppy Disk

Storage capacity (formatted) – From 79.7kb (8 inch 1971) up to 200mb (3 ½ inch 1999)

Year of commercial launch- 1971

The floppy disk ruled the roost for almost three decades; from its initial 8 inch form unveiled by IBM in 1971 through to the 3 ½ inch sized floppy which dominated until the late 1990s. The floppy disk had no substantial competition for the majority of its time and despite challenges from formats such as the Iomega Zip Drive; remained the most popular form of data storage until the recordable compact disk became affordable enough to become its successor. The floppy disk is now virtual obsolete with floppy disk drives (FDDs) absent for new computers. It is however possible to get external USB floppy disk drives if nostalgia kicks in.

CD-R and CD-RW

Storage capacity- 650mb-870mb

Year of commercial launch- 1988/90

The appropriate hardware required for saving to a Recordable CD or CD-R was initially prohibitively expensive to the extreme. In 1990 for instance the most affordable means of writing to a CD came in at around £25,000 for a hugely bulky piece of equipment. It was a further 5 years until the first CD recorder available for under $1000US was made available. From that point however, the hardware rapidly became more affordable until the point where CD-Rs and their re-writable counterparts overtook floppy disks as the storage medium of choice before the end of the 21st century. The major benefit of the recordable CD compared to the floppy disk was a combination of the considerably larger storage capacity and compatibility with audio and video CD players. The launch of the CD-RW secured the usurping of the floppy disk as it offered a re-writable alternative to the conventional CD-R and in doing so served to rectify the recordable CD’s major perceived flaw (that it could
only be recorded onto once).

The recordable CD grew to such an extent (not least due to the advent of file sharing websites allowing users to download music from the internet and create their own audio CDs) that in 2001 sales of recordable CDs outstripped recorded CDs for the first time (182 million compared to 172 million). This dominance continued to grow until the recordable DVD came along and things got a little more interesting.

Part 2: Recordable Media in the 21st Century is coming soon.

Written by Jamie Lyons for DG Office Supplies.

The Pen is Mightier Than the Keyboard

August 4, 2010 · a bit of fun, office supplies · (No comments)

Technology evolves so quickly nowadays that sometimes it you find it hard pushed to get used to a new model of phone/computer/mp3 before a brand new one comes along. In most cases of technology the old is overridden by the new. Pretty soon the old is only sold by a few retailers, then, unless it is great enough to be marked iconic or future vintage it is thrown on the scrap heap never to grace the shelves of a shop again. One little invention, however, has battled against the odds and has stayed afloat despite the myriad of technical tools that have tried to replace it.

The pen. The mighty pen is still as popular as ever no matter how many computers, laptops, notebooks and palm pilot computers are invented. Nothing will ever be easier than picking up a pen and scrawling down some notes on a piece of paper. Digital version of the pen and paper need to be removed from their wallets charged up, turned on etc. etc. and what’s more you can’t even fold it up and put it in your pocket when you’re done. And you certainly can’t discreetly pass it to your best friend in class whilst your teacher drones endlessly on about equations that you know you will never ever use. Anyway, I digress.

In the same way that technology hasn’t come along and given us a good pen alternative, pens themselves haven’t had that much of a revamp for a while either. The simple biro – technically called a ballpoint pen has been around for years and years. The ballpoint was officially patented in the 19th century. Around 50 years later, Mr Biro updated it to make the ball move as it rolled along the paper. Yes there are roller ball pens and gel pens and fancy fountain pens, however it is the humble biro that we all call on when we need a pen, propelling it to the top of our office supplies list. Ever since Mr Biro stamped his name on the pen world, we’ve not looked back.

The majority of office workers have a computer. However without a pen and paper would they actually get any work done? The humble pen and paper is the place where ideas are born, where first drafts live and where the ‘To Do’ list is formed. The keyboard is great, the computer a necessity but what always did and always will come first, is the pen.

Written for DGOS Office Supplies

Mail Room: The Land of Wonder

August 4, 2010 · a bit of fun, office supplies · (No comments)

There’s something about the mailroom; that secluded area of the office which can serve as a refuge to the stressed worker; perfect for siphoning the odd envelope, sending a covert text message or maybe even catching up on some sleep if the night before hadn’t been treated as a ‘school night’!

Mail rooms tend to be a luxury reserved for the larger offices and are the inner sanctum of procrastination, work shirking and general tomfoolery. The area itself offers abundant opportunity for harmless wrongdoing, but better still are some of the items in there which present whole new realms of time-wasting and outright silliness:

Bubble Wrap

No-one can resist the rounded nodules of a sheet of virgin bubble wrap. The mere site of this instrument of joy disguised as a packaging material brings the 5 year old out in most of us. Although seemingly a pretty fruitless exercise, there is something deeply calming about disrupting the form or a plastic bubble with a satisfying pop- it must date back to our ancestors in some way. If the office supply of bubble wrap has ‘mysteriously’ been depleted by over-zealous pop-fans or God forbid; used for packing something- then padded envelopes offer a nice substitute.

Sticky Labels

Just like the cathartic popping of bubble wrap: using and generally abusing sticky labels can also elicit the boundless joy of an infant within even the most aged of office drones. Drawing the obligatory flower, star, butterfly, thunderbolt and heart then peeling the label off it’s smooth backing paper before wandering what on earth you’re going to do with it is a mail room tradition. Even more widespread is of course the careful emblazoning of ‘Kick Me’ or a school playground inspired insult followed by the ninja-esque task of affixing said label to an oblivious colleague.

Adhesive Tape

We’re not talking about your standard sellotape here, my goodness no, the mail room is often home to that most incredible of substances: ridiculously strong parcel tape. Uses for this at times malignant staple of parcel wrapping include the binding of limbs, secure closure of that which should not be securely closed and of course the attachment of impressively cumbersome items to other items, the wall or ceiling. Kudos goes to those who have indulged in the pleasure of taping an office chair to the ceiling, yes it’s hard; but believe me- it can be done.

Franking Machines

The Franking Machine is a strange beast which often imbues the (more immature) user with the thrill they’d associate with money counterfeiting. In reality, it is absolutely legal to produce your own postage marks at the expensive of your company. It may however be frowned upon if you decide that a brick wrapped in parcel tape deserves to be posted to Indonesia and proceed to print the appropriate postage label…not that we’d ever do such a thing of course.

Written by Jamie Rock Lyons for DGOS Office Supplies

Office Supplies Management

July 8, 2010 · a bit of fun, office politics, office supplies · (No comments)


The best office I have ever worked in when it came to the office supplies, was many years ago when computers were in their infancy, and regularly we had to have ribbons for typewriters, Tippex and carbon paper, as well as the more common items of today such as pens, rulers, erasers and paperclips, to mention just a few.
The lady who ordered and looked after the stationery, before the advent of management software that allows you to order automatically on line, was an absolute mastermind.

Nothing ever ran out, a regular inventory was kept; only she had a key to the stationery closet, and all was signed out and carefully watched over with military precision. How she did it is anyone’s’ guess, but she did have a regular full time job at home looking after a husband and five children, so maybe managing the office supplies, compared to that, was a breeze.

Moving on, office supplies may seem mundane and pretty boring to those not involved, but try telling someone who needs a new toner cartridge that there isn’t one, or staples for the stapler, only to find there are none.

There are numerous specialist software packages available that make stock control and ordering blindingly simple and non time consuming.
Simply by being organized, having regular use items close to hand in a locked closet, and less often used items in a storage closet, and maintaining a strict checklist and ordering regime, there is absolutely no need to run short or run out of anything. Whenever something is running low, re-order before it is completely out.
Over a period, compare and review expenses, see if there is an area where items can be recycled or usage trimmed, it is easy to be wasteful when the bill is being footed by someone else.

Make your colleagues aware of cost cutting, be proactive and the savings will mount up. Check out other suppliers, internet websites and speak to your current supplier to see if you can squeeze savings from them. It is better for your supplier to have ninety percent of one hundred sales values, than one hundred percent of nothing.
See what special offers or sales are available on everyday items, and try to order or buy in bulk on everything. One large payment up front can keep costs low; and always ask for discount for cash. Forget the thirty days from invoice; that only benefits the supplier.
Better to have your money in your pocket for as long as possible.

Kindly Written for us by James Hill whilst taking time away from his websites focussing on bathroom suites and bathroom taps.

Unconventional Uses for Whiteboards

July 8, 2010 · a bit of fun, office supplies · (No comments)

When it comes to planning future strategies, what would we do without our beloved whiteboards? If you are an employer, you know a whiteboard is an exceptional mean of communication and that it helps your employees grasp your ideas more quickly and directly.

In fact, just like me, there are many people out there who are blessed with a photographic memory, which means that our minds take actual pictures of the things that surround us so that we are more likely to remember them. Practically speaking, our brains are photo album shaped. I deeply believe that an image is better than a thousand words and that is why, whenever our managers organize a meeting or are simply up to something, they are always accompanied by one of those giant white boards and colorful drawing pens, so that their audience will follow them more easily and will take mental pictures of what they see.

However, I am not trying to say that managers are the only ones who can use whiteboards. On the contrary, I’d like to invite all of you to get yourself one, especially if you are involved in creative and complex jobs and/or studies. If you are a wedding planner, for instance, you had better be well organized and put together an efficient team of collaborators. Now, a wedding is sure to be an important event and that is why most brides and grooms decide to hire an expert planner to make their perfect day even more perfect.
But how could a wedding planner possibly organize all of their ideas and things to do without the help of a whiteboard? I am sure they would end up buried under piles of papers, pictures and folders.

Of course, the same applies to event managers, secretaries, assistants and students.
But there’s a question I’d like to ask you: Have you ever thought about whiteboards for children?

You probably have not. Well I had never heard of them either until yesterday, when I saw my cousin writing incomprehensible words onto a pretty little Hello Kitty whiteboard that was actually meant for children! As I saw it, I must confess it got me a little confused: do children have such busy minds too? Well maybe they do and if we all bought our children whiteboards, we may give them an actual tool to communicate with us.

Well, I suggest a team of experts meditates on this delicate issue and lets us know more about it.

Between shipping out office supplies Bolton companies need and advised on office supplies Liverpool organisations should consider we still find time to muse on interesting topics here at DGOS…or so we’d like to think!

Impress With a Data Projector

July 7, 2010 · a bit of fun, office supplies · (No comments)

What is a data projector? Well, whatever it is, I am sure you have seen one at least once in your life.

They have the magical power to reflect a certain image, set of images or entire videos on the wall, so that you may show them to your audience. Needless to say that data projectors are intended for use in large spaces, such as auditoriums, theatres, big classrooms and so forth…

Well you may be wondering by now why, of all the office supplies available out there, I decided to talk about data projectors. My choice is not accidental at all, dear readers, for I strongly believe that this powerful device may enable you to impress your professors and managers and subsequently help you advance in your career.

But let’s start from the beginning. Communication experts know very well that if you want someone to memorize the message you are willing to transmit you have to use images. In fact, the human brain is known to record images pretty well, because it associated them with certain ideas. Of course, this is the philosophy that underlies the so-called “subliminal advertising”, because those who work in the sector are aware of the fact that people tend to remember those products and concepts that are promoted through images that recall a specific idea, or a complex of ideas.

I know it may sound a little bit complicated, but don’t forget it’s philosophy we are talking about.

However, returning to our beloved data projectors, you may make clever use of such devices by simply keeping in mind the mechanisms I told you of previously.

So, if you want to impress your manager in order to convince them to promote you to that post you have always longed for, why not elaborate a project and illustrate it with a data projector? You may do some research on what subliminal messages are and apply what you have learnt to both images and videos.

Now, let’s say there is a contest in the office: the employee who presents the most intriguing ideas to sell a certain product will be promoted.

Well, believe it or not, the jury, being made of people, will surely remember your project when singling out the worthiest employee, and might even select your project as the best one.

The same applies to students. When you prepare for an exam, why not spending a few hours browsing for “clever” pictures to support your theses? If I were you, I’d seriously consider this option; for it may help you get a higher score.

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