by Alex Plachta

In this “For Newbies” blog I want to cover the basic options for ordering booklets. Booklets are not too complicated, so I am going to jump right into three main options:

The most basic option is the stapled booklet - also called “Saddle-Stitched.” This is the least expensive type of booklet and is a great option for most situations. The only special condition to be aware of is that the page count must be in multiples of four. This is required because the process involves stapling sheets that are folded in half (for example 11”x17” sheets if your booklet is going to be 8.5”x11”). Here are a few pictures:

by Diana L. Martin

Over the years, I’ve spoken to many a customer who called to return or exchange the monitor filter they purchased. Usually it was because it was the wrong size and they needed assistance selecting the correct one. Reason number two was that it didn’t do what they wanted it to do.

Finding the right filter for your device needn’t be difficult. There are three basic pieces of information that you need:

by Diana L. Martin

Back in 2018, I wrote a product review on a new line of tape products from a company called T-Rex Tapes. They advertised that their items were ferociously strong - the strongest tapes on the market. You can read that review here: New Product Review: T-Rex Tapes. Fast forward to 2021 and 3M has come out with a new tape to give T-Rex a run for its money. Let’s take a look at the new Scotch Box Lock tape and see how it stacks up.

Slide into some office furniture history with Steve, and learn how our chairs have evolved to custom-fit you!

by Diana L. Martin

Did I pique your curiosity with that title?

We love talking to our customers and it’s our mission to give you the best possible experience each and every time you contact us. We get a lot of inquiries from you looking for a particular item and sometimes it can be a bit of a challenge to find that certain thingamajig. It can be even trickier though when the item we’re looking for doesn’t really exist.

The holidays are over and now it’s time to put our collective noses back to the grindstone and I thought we could use a little help (and a little humor along the way) so I’ve put together a short list of the top 5 requested items that don’t really exist.

by Diana L. Martin

We know that washing our hands is the best defense against Covid-19. It’s been said over and over again in all the press conferences and articles written about the virus. But although we wash our hands, we may not be doing a good enough job. Experts say we need to wash with soap and water for a full 20 seconds but time itself is not a guarantee of an effective wash.

Meritech, a U.S. company founded 30 years ago and based in Golden, CO manufactures the Clean Tech line of automated handwashing systems. These systems, made in the USA, take the variability out of the process to insure that every person has properly cleaned hands. Each automated handwashing cycle last a mere 12 seconds but has been clinically proven to remove 99.9% of harmful pathogens.

by Diana L. Martin

In this age of Covid-19, janitorial/PPE products have become as precious as gold. Disinfectant sprays, cleaning wipes. paper towel and other associated products have been in extremely short supply since early March. Panic resulted in hoarding and manufacturers couldn’t keep up with the demand for these items.

Now, seven months later, some of these items are finally starting to reappear on store shelves, although they may not be the brands you’re used to purchasing. Clorox and Lysol both are still experiencing major production issues and their products are scarce in the marketplace.

by Diana L. Martin

Everybody knows that the big box office supply stores offer better pricing and better deals than an independent dealer, right? I’m not telling you something you don’t already know. Independent dealers are usually small, family owned businesses that simply can’t compete with the major chain stores and they have a small, local client base.

Wait…………..what?

by Diana L. Martin

To say the pandemic has thrown a wrench into business operations would be the understatement of the century, but one thing the slowdown has done is give us the opportunity to assess, revise and reorganize. When you’re looking for ways to improve efficiency in the office, one of the most basic processes to consider is your filing system.

Options in filing products are overwhelming and this article would be very, very long if we discussed them all, so I’m going to concentrate on just a couple aspects today.

by Diana L. Martin

Yes, you read that correctly - if you haven’t already done so, it’s time to order your 2021 calendars!

But it’s only August, you say? You’re right, but this is what I always tell my customers: the calendar industry works like the clothing industry. Go into any apparel store in July and look for a swimsuit - you won’t find one in the regular racks. Anything they have will be on clearance and there won’t be much there to choose from. What you will find is winter coats and sweaters galore. Similarly, if you go into an apparel store in December looking for a winter coat, you’ll find swimsuits and cruisewear.

by Sarah Izzo

It defines our world, yet it is our own perception

Understanding Color

It might seem like a political statement, but this is not that article—color is just a combination of biological science and psychological perception. It is the brain’s translation of light hitting our eyes and how it makes us feel, an oversimplification to be sure but true all the same.

by Diana L. Martin

Today I’m issuing you a challenge - get more from your office supplies.

More what? Office supplies are office supplies, right?

Wrong.

What can you get from them? Value, convenience, time, money and rewards, just to name a few. Let’s consider those…..

by Diana L. Martin

Reopening during Covid requires some additional safety features - some as simple as signage and masks, others as drastic as reconfiguring your workspaces to allow more distance between people. Let’s look at the simple solutions today - signage and barriers.

You’ll need some way to indicate where & how far apart people should stand while waiting to be served and most businesses are using floor decals for that purpose. Consider these large 20” diameter decals:

by Diana L. Martin

With more businesses starting to reopen, now is the time to stock up on the supplies you need to get off to a running start. One of the most important supplies is going to be your ink and toner. There are few things as annoying as your printer telling you to replace the cartridge, only to find that you don’t have a spare. We’ve all been there - the last person to change it never told the appropriate person to order a new spare and now you’re dead in the water until the new one comes.

by Diana L. Martin

If you're reading this blog, you probably work in an office and you've come here for my sage advice on a variety of topics or my latest product recommendation to make your workday easier. Well, today, instead of imparting my usual wisdom, I decided to share some fun/interesting facts relating to the office.

by Sarah Izzo

All the different types - an overview

There are many types of signage all based on the need and the use. The top two questions when determining the correct signage are:

• How long does it need to last? Temporary, Mid-Term or Long-Term

• Is it for indoor or outdoor use?

There is overlap in the solutions depending on your answers. Here are the basic categories:

by Diana L. Martin

A lot has happened in the past couple days in regard to the Coronavirus outbreak. With President Trump’s latest actions, many workers are now working remotely from home and it could be an extended situation. If that’s you, there are several things you need:

• A quiet workspace - a location in the house (spare bedroom, den, basement) where you can set up a dedicated space that will be quiet, minimize distractions and allow you to concentrate.

by Diana L. Martin

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and the holidays will be here before you know it. I’m willing to bet that someone in your office has already been tasked with organizing your company party. There are lots of decisions to be made: where, when, what kind of food, games, etc.

If your company is like a lot of others, you save money by having the party onsite at the end of the workday (and into the evening). Office Express can help you with the supplies you need to make the evening a success.

by Diana L. Martin

We recently added a new function to our site that I think you’re going to love. It’s called Shared Cart and it lets other people add items to a shopping cart that you created. This can be a great time saver - for one thing it eliminates the need for requisition forms. Just think - no more collecting requests from employees and no more stacks of requests on your desk to be reviewed. (Or does your computer look like this after everyone leaves you notes with their needs?)

by Diana L. Martin

As I’m sure you all know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  This is a topic that has a significant personal connection to me and I urge all of you to support as many of the fundraisers as you are able.  Breast cancer has such a huge presence in our lives that I’m sure most all of you know someone who has been affected by this horrible disease.  According to the American Cancer Society, a woman living in the U.S. has a 1 in 8 lifetime risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer.

 1 in 8.