Desk Analysis

July 6, 2010 · a bit of fun, office politics · (No comments)

Have you ever found yourself thinking about office desks? Well I have and my conclusion is that an office desk tells us a lot about the person who sits at it.

If you work for a company, you surely know what it means to be invited into the manager’s office to discuss certain issues. If not, wait for that moment and as soon as you step through the office door, take a look at his desk. What does it look like?

Busy? Dirty? Clean? Shiny? Covered in papers and pencils? And how are his pens and pencils ordered? Do they follow a geometrical design?

You may now rightfully ask: How am I to notice all of these things and listen to what my boss has to tell me at the same time?

Don’t worry! It’s just a matter of practice. All you have to do is develop your observational skills and make the most out of them, learning to analyze your colleagues and managers, in order to elaborate strategies that will help you improve your office life.

Those who spend entire hours buffing their desk surfaces and silver photo frames, ordering all of their files in piles and sharpening their already sharp pencils are not to be teased. In fact, it is very likely that they are very precise and serious people, who would never be up for a beer with their colleagues and aim high at work.

Generally, this kind of persons dream of occupying managerial posts and do not allow themselves to lose control.

Here comes your turn.

How are you supposed to behave with such complex individuals? Well, do never joke about them, do not hide their papers just to upset them so that the other colleagues will laugh at them, for they would consider it an unacceptable attempt to humiliate them and will not forget you.

There are, then, those people who don’t really care that much about tidying their desks up and are not as lunatic as the previous category we analyzed. They are very likely to have pencils, pens, rubbers, staplers, post-it notes and files all over the desk and, should they need some space to write something down, well they simply move all that stuff aside and do what they have to. How should we catalogue these people?

Easygoing, funny and extremely friendly.

So what are you waiting for? Tomorrow, when you reach your office, start analyzing as many desks as you can and you will figure out that being the desks’ psychologist will help you interpret those around you and act accordingly.

The Coffee Maker

July 5, 2010 · a bit of fun, office environment, office politics · (No comments)

I have often wondered why, when making up a list of essential office supplies, that the coffee maker or a supply of coffee is not top of the list.

First one in the office in the morning should, as a matter of course, set things up for the day. Maybe it is a perk from the company, or maybe you all club together to buy, but whatever the set up, there is no more important purchase.

Okay, okay, the pragmatists out there will be shouting paper clips, staples, printing paper and any one of a number of other essential supplies, which if missing, will bring the place grinding to a halt (well, almost).

But an office without a good coffee maker and a ready supply of good Costa Rican or Colombian coffee on tap is like an American Football game without the cheerleaders, a politician without an expenses scandal looming, or England not being knocked out of the World Cup.

Okay, so it could well be claimed that coffee serves no PRACTICAL purpose, it doesn’t hold papers together, and coffee is not a good substitute for printer toner, but a cup of coffee, in that compulsory break from the screen every hour, will just help you relax, ready for the next session (or keep you awake, whichever is applicable).

And is there better place, other than the water cooler, to catch up on all the gossip? Whether it is the office gossip, your local football team, or just generally putting the world to rights, the coffee machine, for me, has to win hands down, if only because it is a great place to skive off work for an extra ten minutes while you get everyone else’s coffee.

Perhaps that short break that one has to take from the screen every hour should be used as an opportunity for mini social get together; talking about the kids, shopping or virtually anything.

But talk about anything except work, the best office and work environments are those that heave the boundaries well set out, but allow for social interchange at a less formal level.

The office manager here is top notch. She appreciates that everyone works diligently, and that the work place is a real world, not something used as an escape from home. A happy group of workers is a productive group of workers.

Plus the bonus for us is she loves her regular cup of coffee.

Written by Howard Mayers, expert in Bathroom Taps and Kitchen Taps…alongside coffee of course.

The Eternal Debate: Mac Vs. PC

July 5, 2010 · a bit of fun, office politics · (No comments)

In this world where technology rules, no business can survive without a computer.  Not only that, but it is also necessary that computers are updated to keep up with new technology being released every year. So which computer is the best for your office based business?

When buying a computer, the main thing to realise is what you will need in terms of the business requirements, then do a little research to find out what suits your requirements best.

Not wanting to be simple, but we have to start somewhere! So, there are two different types of computer processors, PC and Apple Mac. PC stands for Personal Computers and is the term used to refer to all computers that are IBM compatible. Most software available on the market, especially games software, is PC compatible though because the PC is so common; it is also beset with virus problems while Apple Macs do not encounter the same degree of problem areas.

Apple Mac computers are for the most part well designed and look more stylish than the majority of the business targeted PCs on the market. A Mac is widely used by designers and photographers and most computer savvy users believe that the Mac is a much better computer, with improved audio and video software compared to a PC. This isn’t to say it is best for you business, as individual company needs do vary. For example if you are storing lots of images on your computers, a Mac may sound like a good option though if you don’t intend to edit the photos or do not particularly need to see those images in such high quality, then a standard PC with a good processor and lots of memory may suffice.

Though the Mac is easier to use, it can be difficult to train up employees that have been used to using a standard PC. It is worth noting that a lot of computer experts are only experts in PC and only a few specialise in Macs. Though it is seldom that Apple Mac breaks down, when it does, it can be difficult to find someone to fix it and it can be expensive visiting the Apple stores for repairs, so these computers don’t always allow for a small budget.

There are many more software programs available for a PC; this may be the reason that so many companies take this option. And with personal computers being available at most office suppliers, it makes it an easy all round option – Mac’s are generally only sold by stores authorised by Apple and there aren’t many specialists that deal with them, hence the price.

We couldn’t possibly tell you which computer is best for your office based business, though we hope that you carry out good research and spend your budget wisely!

Written by E. Sharp for DGOS office supplies Liverpool and office supplies Bolton

Shred Security Concerns

July 2, 2010 · office politics, office supplies · (No comments)


With ID fraud on the rise, destroying confidential documents is a must for every business. Therefore, a shredder is now an essential office supplies purchase, that should be considered a staple item. Buying a shredder for business is almost like a minefield with so many brands available in the market and with so many technical terms used as well.

So here are some guidelines in our simple guide to buying a shredder to help you wade your way through the jargon.

What’s in the cut? Should you go for strip cut or cross cut? As the names imply, a strip cut shredders cuts the paper into a long thin line while the Cross Cut shredder shreds the paper horizontally.

Cross cut shredders cut the paper into thinner and smaller pieces to make it difficult to put the documents back together, so of course it would make sense that the smaller the cut, the higher the security level it will offer – though the more expensive the shredder will be. Aside from the two cuts mentioned, there are also the diamond cut, confetti cut and the micro cut. The micro cut is the smallest cut there is.

If you are reading a shredder catalogue and come across the words “sheets per pass” in its technical data, this simply means how many sheets of paper you can shred at a time, a good quality product may allow you to insert from 20 pages up at a time, a great time saver although a shredder fit for business use should have a minimum of 12 sheets per pass. A shredder for business use should also be able to shred any document without the need to remove staples or paper clips.

Another bit of jargon you will come across when checking out shredders is “duty cycle.” Duty cycle indicates how well built the shredder is. The higher the duty cycle, the better the machine is which means, again, the more expensive it is. A duty cycle is counted in sheets per day. A wonderful quality business shredder should at least have a duty cycle of 100 to 150 sheets per day.

An additional sign of quality and durability of a shredder is its “Continuous Run Time” rating. A suitable shredder for business should have a continuous run time of 20/40 minutes, 20 minutes continuous run and 40 minutes cool down time.

Finally, when buying a shredder for business, get one that can destroy a CD or DVD and your data will be fully protected against theft and fraud.

Environmental Credentials are Modern Business Essentials

June 30, 2010 · office politics, office supplies · (No comments)


A ‘green’ mentality in business was historically considered a mere gimmick or attempt to cut out a niche within a particular industry by centralising focus upon environmental awareness and sustainability. Times have however changed and green credentials are not something to be sneered at, but by all accounts an absolutely imperative aim of any business. Whether it’s for the somewhat cynical purposes of positive PR, in order to cut costs attributable to wastage, to cohere with increasingly stringent legislation, for genuine ethical reasons -or most likely a combination of these and other factors: ever increasing numbers of organisations are positioning themselves firmly within the ‘environmentally friendly’ camp.

Putting aside the moral aspects of an enviro-conscious business model, the benefits of green consideration are numerous and can have a healthy impact upon a company’s profit margins. It has been reported for instance that businesses in the UK squandered £120 million last year as a consequence of leaving lights switched on. In fact ignorant use of electrical equipment has a monumental impact on the energy bills (and proportionately their carbon footprint) for a huge number of businesses. Leaving a monitor on stand-by rather than switching it off at the socket or neglecting to shut down a computer overnight are amongst a huge number of ways in which energy is wasted and all of these small incidents can amount to a high level of energy wastage and inflated overheads.

It is really not hard to transform your office from a wasteful place into one which makes maximum use of office supplies, equipment and resources and impacts on the environment as little as possible, a few simple changes can make a world of difference. Paper is found in various forms around the office and wasted consistently and needlessly, from envelopes to printer paper, this essential material is squandered frequently and more often than not condemned to a standard bin rather than one for recycling. Firstly, all offices should opt for recycled paper across the board, it is rarely more expensive than non-recycled paper and is of equal quality. In addition to this, this paper should be re-used where possible possibly for note taking or as part of a scratch pad made from multiple sheets of scrap paper- and then when all use has been had it can be recycled and start the process all over the again.

Heating and cooling are also major contributors to energy consumption in office environments and even the most imperceptible of adjustments can result in lower bills and lower carbon emissions. In winter, simply turning down the heating by 1 degree or in summer, raising the air conditioning temperature by 1 degree will have little impact on the office environment but a noticeable impact on the electricity bill.

There are myriad ways in which a company can attune themselves better to environmental concerns and in doing so save a fortune: it is all a matter of common sense and sensible practice.

This post was republished with the permission of OfficeYoo Blog

The Impact of the World Cup on Businesses

June 30, 2010 · a bit of fun, office politics · (No comments)


The sporting event of the year is finally upon us and across the world spirits are high. The World Cup is one of the few spectacles that draw the attention of all nations and in doing so it creates a sense of international celebration, hope and (far too often) disappointment! Despite the unifying spirit of the World Cup, it must be accepted that the impact it can have on business isn’t always quite so positive. Although the host nation generate a great deal of revenue through an increase in tourism, top of the range television sales soar and pubs serve a never-ending procession of pints: most offices are blighted with an increase in absenteeism and an at least partially pre-occupied work force.

Staff motivation is going to be a major issue over the course of the World Cup; the big question is what’s the best way to go about it? There is no universal answer here; it depends heavily on the nature of your business. In some cases it may be possible to show matches in the office provided it doesn’t cause too much of a distraction, in other circumstances this may not be possible or conducive to productivity. The key is to minimise instances of unauthorised absence, maintain a high level of efficiency and to keep the staff focussed and happy.

In addition to the potential impact on staff, the World Cup could also damage retailers of non-football watching related items. Many online retailers are likely to be aware that something as seemingly trivial as a few days of good weather can result in a vast reduction in website traffic: with events such as the World Cup this effect is at risk of being emulated on a grander scale. Many people go on the internet in their spare time, if something else such as football is monopolising this spare time then they are likely to spend less time surfing the internet and as such less likely to visit your website. Similarly, funds which may otherwise have been available for luxury purchases could well end up contributing to the cost of visiting a pub to watch football or even heading over to South Africa.

If you’re a business owner hoping to avoid suffering as a result of the World Cup, the key may be to embrace it! From the staff perspective some form of themed incentive may yield positive results in terms of keeping employees motivated whilst retailers would be well advised to consider launching promotions relating to the World Cup- however tenuous the link!

Written by Jamie Lyons for OfficeYoo Office Supplies

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