If you're like most people, you have a desk tray of some kind that functions as your "In" box at your desk.  This is the central location where people drop off assorted documents for your attention.  It probably looks something like this: 

Safco has introduced a unique new line of powered desk accessories that allow you to charge your USB devices while you work.  You can also operate USB peripherals (keyboard, mouse, etc) from it.  When I heard about them, I thought they were a fantastic idea and couldn't wait to check them out.  There are four products in the line - a monitor stand, an organizer with three drawers, an organizer with three upright sections and three horizontal sections, and an organizer with six upright and two horizontal sections. 

We're less than a month away from the dreaded Tax Day - April 15.  If you (or your company) haven't already filed your taxes, you're probably in the process of gathering all the necessary documents and organizing them, which is a process many people dread.  I've got a few items that can not only help you get organized for that appointment, but will help you stay organized afterward.

Spring is just around the corner and many of you are already planning your spring cleaning projects - home, office, school, etc.  What products will you use?  There certainly are a lot of different brands to choose from - and most of them contain harsh chemicals.  If you are concerned about the effect these chemicals have on your health, or if you want to be green and environmentally friendly, consider the CleanSmart product line.

Why do consumers laminate? Mostly for protection and presentation - you may need to protect a price list or a menu from spills or maybe you want to laminate a document that you'll display at a conference to enhance the colors.  So you buy a laminating machine and all the supplies that go with it.   Well today I'd like to show you an alternate solution - Xerox Revolution Never Tear Papers.

Logitech introduced a keyboard which may very well be answer to many people's prayers.  Dubbed the K480, this is a universal keyboard that works with all types of Bluetooth capable devices that support external keyboards.  It can be paired with up to 3 devices at once and it's super easy to switch between them or swap one device out for a different one.

On Monday I posted a blog that was a buying guide to can liners.  Today I would like to introduce you to a specific kind of liner - AccuFit Can Liners.  AccuFit liners are unique because they are sized to snugly fit your waste can.  As you will see and hear in the video below, most can liners are very wasteful - they're too large for the container.  Take a look:

This is an item that caught my eye when in January when I was reviewing some of the new products that we're carrying this year.  

The Victor Monitor Document Holder attaches to the side of a flat panel monitor.  I really like the idea of having a document holder that isn't taking up surface space on my desk, so I was geeked to try it out.

If you work in an office that uses an end tab filing system, you will appreciate today's topic - especially if you've ever run out of file folders and needed to make some new files.  Instead of having to wait until your office manager or company purchasing agent processes your request for additional folders, you can make an end tab folder quickly and easily from any top tab pocket folder, pressboard folder or expanding file jacket you have in your office.

Do you remember grade school?  I do.  Well, some of it.  One of the things that I remember is my mom always buying me a new box of crayons every year.  They got used a lot.  And what happens when you use them a lot?  Yuppers..............they get dull and they need to be sharpened.  I usually had the deluxe box - the one with the sharpener built into it.  It was definitely better than one of those little plastic handheld sharpeners, but it was a pain to have to peel the crayon before you put it in the sharpener.

Here's another product that I recently tested for cleaning and disinfecting office surfaces - Scott 24 Hour Sanitzing Wipes.

This is the time of year when people start focusing on cleaning and janitorial items - it's cold and flu season - and keeping things clean and sanitary.  So when a manufacturer's rep came to see me with a new product line called PAK-IT, I thought it would be a timely topic.

PAK-IT is a new system of cleaners that has a broad product line, encompassing bathroom cleaners, carpet cleaners, glass & hard surface cleaners, all-purpose cleaners, floor cleaners and more.  It's competitors are products such as Windex, Lysol, Pine-Sol, Tilex, Kaboom, Vanish, Resolve, Febreze and Mr. Clean.

I am excited to share another new product with you today and I think it's going to take off like a rocket when people find out it exists.  

Avery has come out with a line of self-laminating labels.  They're called Easy Align Self-Laminating ID Labels (printable) or Durable Self-Laminating ID Labels (hand write). These labels are the solution for the times that you need a durable label or a weather-resistant label.  We've all done the tape thing; you know - covering the label with tape to try to protect it.  (Yes you have.)  This product creates perfectly laminated labels with no laminating machine needed and they are super easy to use.

If there is one thing about my desk that drives me absolutely crazy, it's the tangled jungle of cords underneath.  It's almost incomprehensible to me that I need that many cords to make my one computer work.  And when I get one of those lovely messages like "The network cable is unplugged," I have to hunt to find out which one is the network cable.  Or maybe I know which cable coming out of my monitor is the one I need to fiddle with, but I don't know which one it is in the back of my tower, so I have to jiggle it and look underneath my desk to see which one is moving.  Then I have to quickly jump under the desk and grab it before it stops moving so that I can follow it to the back of the tower.   It's absolutely insane.  (Can you tell I'm not a techie?)

If your work area is a cubicle, you are most likely space-challenged and need tools to store your desk essentials that will maximize the space that you do have.  There are lot of products on the market to help you do just that.

I am a list writer.  I am constantly writing to do lists for both home and work.  My family makes fun of me and my lists sometimes, but it keeps me organized, so when I saw the new To Do Lists from Tops, I thought "Cool!  I'll grab a few pads." 

I don't like having to constantly write the same thing over and over again, so I am a huge fan of stamps.  I have several of them on my desk; some are pre-made and some are custom stamps.  They're very handy and easy to use, but the one thing that I don't like about them is that they take up so much room on my desk.  I used to have a tray that held some of my smaller stamps, but it only fit one size of stamp, so the others still had to sit somewhere on my desk.

Ruth to the Rescue!

(Sorry - if you're not from the Detroit area, you won't get that.)

Meet Stamp Stack®.

Maintaining filing systems can eat up a good portion of your budget.  You need more folders, more tabs, more tab inserts, more interior folders, more labels for the interior folders etc.  Everyone has their own preferences for how they like their filing system set up - I know I do.  Are you a tabber or a labeler?  How do you recycle your file folders?

Buying more of the hanging folder tabs and the inserts to go with them can add up if you have a large or very active filing system.  Likewise, file folder labels can be expensive - they can run between $5 and $35 depending on what kind and what size package you choose.  You can avoid those expenses with erasable file folders - they are available in both hanging file folders and interior folders and they can really save time and money. 

It’s really important to choose the right shredder for your business.  With the rise of identity theft, hacking into company computer systems, and privacy laws, shredding is more important than ever to protect your business. 

Many companies buy inexpensive shredders thinking that they don’t need anything more, or that they just don’t want to spend the money for an expensive machine - but that can be a costly mistake. 

Even if you don't officially have back problems, if you spend 8 or more hours a day sitting at a desk, you're going to have days when your back is bothering you or that chair just doesn't feel good - it goes with the territory.  Many of you will purchase a back support and/or a seat cushion to ease the discomfort.  You get the cushions, put them on your chair and fiddle with them to find the right placement.  Sometimes that's all you need to do, but sometimes they just don't feel right and they don't help.  So you return it and try a different one.