If you're a regular reader here, you know that I'm a geek for writing instruments.  I love to try out the latest and <supposedly> greatest thing.  (OK, I'm a little weird - but you already know that if you're a regular.)  So today, I'm putting several pens and such to the test.  What is their marketing angle and does the product live up to it?  Will it earn fame  - or shame?  I had one other person help me test each of these items.  Let's see how they did.

How many times have you tried to seal a package and had problems with the packaging tape?  It's too thin, it doesn't tear easily, it doesn't stick well (except to itself).................. etc.  If you're like me - and I know at least some of you are - you've tried several brands in an attempt to find the one tape that can perform to your standards.  Enter T-Rex tape.  The T-Rex line of tapes bills itself as "Ferociously Strong Tape" that is "easy unwind and tear for fast repairs." 

That sounds like a challenge to me.

You know what comes next, right?  Uh huh.  I pick up the gauntlet - let the testing begin!

Is your office prepared for an emergency?  Would you know what to do if a coworker suddenly collapsed?  Do you know how to recognize sudden cardiac arrest?

A victim of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) may be fine one minute and collapse without warning the next.  The victim almost always dies without immediate intervention.  According to www.sca-aware.org, SCA is the third leading cause of death in the U.S, killing one person every two minutes.  The number of people who die each year from it is roughly equivalent to the number who die from Alzheimers disease, assault with firearms, breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, diabetes, HIV, house fires, motor vehicle accidents, prostate cancer and suicides combined. 

Employee safety is a top concern for any business.  Regardless of the type of business you have, there are always safety issues to address.  OSHA has rules and regulations that must be followed.  (Common sense provides some more.)  If you work in an office environment, you need first aid kits, fire extinguishers, exit signs and the like.  Warehouse/industrial buildings need things like hearing protection, hard hats, ladders, etc.

I think it's safe to say that most people either own a personal computer or work with one at their job, so I'm sure you will understand when I say that I really, really HATE the jungle underneath my desk.  I have a hard time comprehending how 4 pieces of equipment - computer, monitor, keyboard and mouse - can have 16 zillion cords attached to them.  Then they're plugged into the power strip or UPS backup device, which adds another cord.  And it seems like I'm kicking them all day long!

WRANGLE THE TANGLE!!

SPRING IS HERE!!  YAY!!!

You know what that means, right? 

S P R I N G   C L E A N I N G

My house is in serious need of a thorough spring cleaning and I'll bet yours is too.  And so is your office.  We carry lots of different brands of cleaning products and I could show you all the same old, same old stuff you see on everybody's website, but you already know that we carry that stuff.  Instead.................

TA DA!

I'm going to show you some things I bet you have no idea you can get from us.  This is going to be fast and furious, so try to keep up!

There were more than 40 major data breaches in the U.S. in 2017, which included such big names as Dun & Bradstreet, FAFSA, Gmail, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Verizon, Uber and, of course, Equifax.  And just now, we all find out about Meltdown and Spectre, hardware bugs that affect the majority of computers out there (just what we needed to hear!).  Cybersecurity is a major threat and it isn't slowing down or going away anytime soon.

The beginning of a new year is always a busy time.  Filing and storing last year's documents, setting up new files, decluttering the office, organizing the supply cabinet, etc.  A good way to organize is by using storage compartments and modules.  These units give you a place to put the small items (pens, sticky notes, glue sticks, nuts, bolts, etc.).  They'll save space and create a well-designed storage unit.

Regardless of the type of business you’re in, every company has safety and security issues to deal with.  You need the proper equipment and supplies to keep both your employees and customers safe and to avoid workplace accidents.

 What types of items do you think of when I say “Safety and Security”?  Let me guess:

How many of you make mistakes at work?  (Come on now, I should be seeing a lot more hands than that.)  What do you do when you fill in a form with the wrong information or accidentally spell something incorrectly that you’re writing by hand?  Do you throw out the form and start over?  Probably not.  If you’re like most people, you reach for correction fluid or correction tape – and then you either wait (and wait, and wait) for the fluid to dry or you try to avoid writing over the edge of the tape.

You asked for it, you got it!  

No, it's not a Toyota.  It's a BRAND NEW, SUPER FANTASTIC.......................

CUSTOM STAMP ORDERING WEBSITE! 

We heard you!  Our customers have been asking us to bring back online custom stamp ordering capabilities.  We wanted to wait until we had a great website to give you - one that is easy to use, easy to navigate and has all the items you want to order - and we think we've accomplished all that with this new site.

I don't know anyone who doesn't use sticky notes.  I have sticky notes at the office and at home - I'm sure you do too.  They're pretty much an essential part of life.  They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and lots of different colors - you can get squares, rectangles, flowers, hearts, stars, brights, pastels, etc.  Lots of fun options!

This week is a great time to stock up with a quick deal.  

Our world is built around technology.  Twenty years ago the "must have" items for business professionals were Palm Pilots (remember those?) or a Blackberry.  Now, just about everyone has a smartphone, tablet or laptop computer and we take them everywhere we go.  Today's Product Quick Take is a great item for today's business lifestyle - the Lorell Mobile Laptop Caddy.  

If you work for a company that requires you to swipe an ID badge to obtain access to various parts of the building, you understand the importance of having that badge easily accessible.  You need it within easy reach and visible to others.  The solution?  Lanyards or badge reels - that's what everyone uses.  

Lanyards are more common, but they do present a safety issue for some job positions.  They are very loose-fitting, swing around a lot, and can easily catch on something - potentially causing serious injury.

Thieves get more ingenious every day.  When we find a way to foil them, they come up with a new scheme.  Does that mean we should stop being careful?  Quit locking our doors?  Not watch when we're in a dangerous area?  Of course not.

In the area of identity theft, thieves no longer need to steal your actual credit card - all they need is an RFID scanner and they can steal your credit card information just by walking past you if you aren't protected.

Here's a simple product that can help thwart those attempts - the Quality Park RFID Blocking Credit Card Sleeve.

The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals is a worldwide initiative to promote standard criteria for classifying chemicals according to their health, physical and environmental hazards.  It uses pictograms, hazard statements and the words "Danger" and "Warning" to communicate hazard information on product labels and safety data sheets in a logical and comprehensive way. The primary goal of GHS is better protection of human health and the environment by providing chemical user and handlers, emergency first responders and the public with enhanced and consistent information on chemical hazards (www2.epa.gov).

Spring has sprung, trees and flowers are starting to bloom!  The grass is growing - and so are the sneezes, itches and watery eyes associated with allergies.  Pollen is actually present all year round, but it's much worse at this time of year.   You might have allergy meds on hand, along with lots of hand soap and facial tissues.

Yes, this is definitely not the time to run out of facial tissues and we've got a great item for you - the Kleenex zip half pack.

How many times have you purchased an item and tried to take the label off of it, only to get frustrated when it won't come off all the way (or at all)?  AAARRGH!  I hate that!  It comes off in strips and you can't peel the rest of it off.  Or, if you do get it off, it leaves a bunch of gunk behind that never completely disappears. It's especially maddening when it's a piece of glassware.

MACO  Label has a line of dissolvable labels that solves this problem.

You've probably been in this situation at least once.

The toner (or ink cartridge) runs out in your printer.  You go to your supply closet/cabinet to get another one and ..........AARRGH!  Somebody used the last one and didn't order a replacement! 

You need a new toner, but you don't know the item number because you don't have a box and you don't see the number on the cartridge.

Protecting your investment is always important.  Your floors and your employees are two important investments.  The right floor mats are essential to protecting the floors and carpeting in your building and the health of your employees.  Today I'll discuss matting and show you some options for the different uses.