office supplies

Greening Your Office Space

thegreenconnoisseur — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:09:42 -0400

Back from maternity leave or starting a new job – why not take a step in an earth-friendly direction by greening your office space? From sticky note holders made out of recycled scrap steel to all-natural bamboo chair mats that create luxuriously sleek surroundings, Bambeco offers a variety of items to make an eco-friendly return or entrance into the workplace much easier. (To see this full story and more, follow The Green Connoisseur Blog link on our homepage @ http://thegreenconnoisseur.com )!!

You and Your Laptop

flibertino — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:39:25 -0500

You and Your Laptop: All Aboard

Obviously, there is more focus on security at airports than ever before. Carry-on items are being checked with incredible scrutiny, and for the millions of business travelers who have become accustomed to toting along their laptop computers when they fly, the increase in security has prompted significant changes in pre-boarding procedures.

To follow are 5 simple suggestions for moving your portable computer equipment

through airport security with fewer hassles and less worry:

1) As has always been the case, do not be concerned about putting your notebook computer through the airports X-ray machine. Even though some X-ray machines may be more sensitive than they were in the past, any computer expert you ask will tell you that running your computer through an X-ray checkpoint will not damage the computer.

2) Do not turn your laptop computer on before going through airport security, unless you are specifically asked to do so. Theres no reason to take a chance that your data could be disrupted or your computers operating features could be jeopardized simply because the computer is turned on as its being checked.

3) Be prepared to remove your laptop from its case. Todays airport security often involves agents physically looking inside carry-on luggage. Mainly because youll be more careful with your expensive piece of equipment than an agent is likely to be, its better that you remove the computer yourself...so remember to keep at least one hand free to handle your computer.

4) Make sure not to lose sight of your laptop as it moves through security. Newly expanded security procedures have resulted in a certain amount of confusion at airport gates, and that has created opportunities for thieves to steal valuable computer gear.

5) Identify your laptop and its case clearly, perhaps by putting a piece of brightly colored tape on each piece of your equipment. Once again, in the confusion that has been created by new and more extensive security procedures, some business travelers find themselves picking up the wrong notebook computer after passing through a security checkpoint.

If there is ever a folder / filing topic that you would like for me to write about
please send e-mail too custservice@americanfolder.com

Americanfolder.com

Filing Right Away

flibertino — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:36:20 -0500

Filing Right Away Is The Right Way

Today's offices are extremely hectic and most people cannot seem to find the time to file on a regular basis. As difficult as it can be, we suggest filing right away. In other words, as soon as a paper crosses your desk and is ready for the file, put it there.
There are several reasons why this strategy is a good one, here are 5 of those reasons:

1) Prevent lost files and misfiles. The longer a document sits around on a desk, a shelf or anywhere else but in the file, the more chances it has of being misplaced, covered up, hidden or otherwise lost. Furthermore, if you let papers sit idle until you have a mountain of documents to put into the file, misfiles may occur.

2) Keep confidential information secure. Many files contain information that is not for everyones consumption, such as priority data about budgets as well as personal information about employees and customers. When such papers are allowed to sit instead of being filed immediately, the opportunity for information falling into the wrong hands is increased.
3) Raise productivity. If everything that is supposed to be in the file is there when co-workers access the file, less time will be wasted searching for documents in the file drawer. This will help make your department, perhaps your entire company, more efficient and more productive...which in turn will most likely make your job easier.

4) Avoid confusion. When papers are placed into the file immediately instead of allowed to sit idle, the chances of confusing documents are decreased substantially. In a file, instead of strewn about the office, each paper is neatly organized in its place, with a file heading that clearly identifies what the file contains.

5) Create a cleaner desktop. Rather than piling up on your desk and leaving you with two square inches of workspace, putting papers into the file right away means that you will have more room on your desktop and that can change your whole outlook every morning when you start your day!

If there is ever a folder / filing topic that you would like for me to write about
please send e-mail too custservice@americanfolder.com

Americanfolder.com

Paper Management

flibertino — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:34:02 -0500

Paper Management

Did you know that the average executive wastes 150 hours per year looking for documents? One in 20 documents is lost and never recovered. As an organizational consultant, the most common question I hear from clients is: How Do I Get My Papers Organized?

Id like to help you create a working system for your home or office. A basic filing method can be set up with3 easy steps: sort it, file it, or follow up on it.

1) Sort It. Before you can file a single piece of paper, you need to sort through the stacks. Get rid of anything that you havent used for the past year, except tax and business documents. This applies to business and personal papers, magazines, newsletters, business cards, and your Rolodex.

2) File It. 80% of what you file is never looked at again! This puts things into perspective, doesnt it? There are two basic file types: archives and current. Archive files contain legal and tax papers, while current files include receipts, warranties, instruction manuals, reference material, client information, etc.

3) Follow Up on It. There are several ways to keep track of projects you need to complete, or clients you need to contact at a later date. File Box: Purchase index cards with labeled dividers. You can use an alphabetical system, or write your own category name on the tab. Note important dates and projects on each card, then file. Accordion File Folder: Buy a 3-sided folder labeled A-Z or 1-30 for your desktop or cabinet. Place each document to be processed at a later date behind the corresponding numbered or lettered divider. Keep only the current month in the dividers, placing the distant dates in the back of the folder. At the beginning of each month, pull the papers for the current months attention to be filed. Repeat as necessary each month. Computerized Planner: The software is designed for use alone or with a companion notebook organizer. Some have an alarm or flagging feature, which automatically notifies you of upcoming projects and their due dates.

Now that youve established your paper management system, lets think about maintaining it. Just remember three easy rules: keep everything in its place, file as you go, and be consistent.

Mail order catalogs contain wonderful organizing products such as bill paying notebooks, greeting card files, budget managers and planning calendars. Discount stores or office supply stores offer magazine holders, hanging folder holders, milk crates, vertical file holders, wicker baskets, and stacking trays.

Use a tray or a folder to collect mail and process daily.
File business cards or update your database on a daily basis.
Post upcoming business and personal transactions in your planner or follow-up file, then file the documentation.
Keep receipts in a folder or envelope, then cross-reference with your itemized bills.
Purge files at least once a year.
Designate a time and place to process mail and record incoming bills.

Remember to only be as organized as you need to be. Tackle those stacks of paper ten or fifteen minutes at a time each day until you can finally see your desktop. I think youll be surprised at how much you get done in a short time.

Set up your files where they will actually be used, not where you think they belong. Once youve set up your working system, commit to maintaining it. And youll find that you have created more time to spend on the things that are really important.

If there is ever a folder / filing topic that you would like for me to write about
please send e-mail too custservice@americanfolder.com

Americanfolder.com

On the Trail of Missing Files

flibertino — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:31:04 -0500

Speedy Recovery of Missing Files
Uh oh, that original contract from your companys biggest customer is missing in action. Now what?

First, take a deep breath. Its in your office somewhere and running around half-crazed is no way to find it. Chances are very good its simply been misplaced, not lost.

To follow are 6 easy tips that will likely result in retrieving the missing document:

Start at your desktop. A desktop filled with stacks of records as well as many loose papers scattered around is a perfect hiding spot for a missing document. Carefully check under and around each pile and beneath each loose paper.
Go to your in/out box. Maybe you mistakenly placed the document in that tray on the corner of your desk, the tray thats normally reserved for ingoing and outgoing mail. Take a look, you might find it there.
Ask around. Finding a missing document could be as simple as inquiring among co-workers. As you well know, papers in a busy office are constantly circulating and it could be that your AWOL contract was routed to someone elses desk accidentally.
Visit the file cabinet. Lets say the contract is for Baxter Corporation. Possibly the document was inadvertently put into the file...either by you or a co-worker. Go to the file, check the B section. And, be sure to check surrounding sections...because in addition to being mistakenly placed in the file cabinet the document might also have been misfiled in the wrong section.
Check office machinery. Perhaps the document, without your knowledge, has been brought by a co-worker to a fax machine or to the copy machine. Take a look, you may just find it there.
Make a call to the mail room. Many companies employ mail-room workers who are continuously making the rounds throughout offices, delivering incoming mail as well as picking up outgoing mail. Maybe your document was mistakenly identified by a mail-room employee as outgoing and the document is sitting either in the mail cart or in the mail room itself.

If there is ever a folder / filing topic that you would like for me to write about
please send e-mail too custservice@americanfolder.com

Thank you for taking the time to ready my newsletter

Americanfolder.com

The Tickler File

flibertino — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:25:36 -0500

Creating a Tickler File

Anybody who files in a busy office knows that papers are constantly
coming across their desk, and if those papers are not organized on a
regular basis, messy piles can accumulate...resulting is misfiles, or
even worse, lost documents.

An easy and smart way to keep constant track of paperwork as it
mounts, particularly documents that relate to ongoing projects, is to
create whats called a tickler file. In addition to making it easy for
you to manage the continual stream of papers you have to deal with, a
tickler file helps simplify the process of determining what to save
and what to throw out by allowing you to temporarily store papers for
future use.

To set up your own tickler file, here's all you do: Just place a
hanging folder in your drawer with five interior folders inside the
hanging folder. Label each interior folder with a different day of the
week. As the week progresses, drop papers for review into the
respective interior folders and review at each days end. When Friday
rolls around, sort through the entire file for the whole weeks worth
of papers and you'll be able to easily decide what to save and what to
discard...or, what to transfer into a more permanent file.

Tickler files are perfect for projects that you work on over long
periods of time. Indeed, many projects tend to take on a life of their
own, accumulating mountains of papers some of which are not needed
right away. Its those papers that can clog up your days and weeks and
rob you of filing efficiency as well as productivity.

Using a tickler file can alleviate the challenges of paperwork
build-up, making your entire office and your life more organized every
day!

Thank you for allowing me to inform you on the many ways to file. We
at American Folder Company are experts in the manufacturing of custom
folder designs, That along with stock folders we carry can provide
your with many filing options.

If there is ever a folder / filing topic that you would like for me to write about
please send e-mail too custservice@americanfolder.com

Sincerely,

American Folder Company

flibertino — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:22:06 -0500

When you purchase from American Folder Company, you don't have to wait until there's a special sale. We offer "EVERYDAY LOW PRICES!" And we manufacture file folders on a per order basis so you'll never receive anything but fresh-off-the-line filing supplies.

American Folder Company lends itself to assure that your company will be provided with top quality filing supplies, lower prices, first class service and Free Shipping.

We invite you to browse through our web site and compare our prices with your existing suppliers...or any other supplier for that matter!

Should you should find a folder price that's lower, give us a call and we'll meet or beat the price
"GUARANTEED"!

AmericanFolder.com was created to add money to your bottom line.

Whether you're a small business owner or the purchasing director of a fortune 100 company, filing supplies can be a significant percent of operating costs.

The founders of AmericanFolder.com have been filing supply vendors since 1985. During that time, they have gained years of experience distributing products that help assist companies remain organized.

A cooperative effort between suppliers and AmericanFolder.com has allowed us to bring direct costs to you for all your filing needs. Our partners manufacture on a per order basis, thus allowing the consumer fresh merchandise on each and every order at substantial savings.

Benefit from 22 years of experience, a lean distribution network, and our manufacturing supplier partnerships, which results in savings passed on to you.

If you should have any questions please feel free to write or call anytime.

We all here at American Folder Company Thank you for the continued ongoing support of our family owned business since 1985, and we very much look forward to helping you and your company with all its filing supply needs.

Please visit us at AmericanFolder.com

Greener Office Supplies Just a Click Away

jplatt — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0400

Back when I worked in an office every day, I used to love borrowing the supply catalogs from our department's administrator. Oh, the amazing lists of products I would find inside those magic pages! Papers of all colors, pens of all shapes and sizes, filing supplies for the most obsessive cublicle jockey...

I'm not buying many supplies these days, but if I were still in an office, I'd definitely be pointing my buyer to GreenLine Paper Company, a supplier of "recycled and trade-free papers" and all sorts of other environmentally friendly office supplies. Their paper products use a high percentage of post-consumer waste, including some that are 100% post-consumer, as well as several that are processed without the use of chlorine.

The catalog also offers a wide variety of environmentally friendly pens, kitchen supplies, toilet papers, and recycled toner cartridges. They even sell organic coffee, tea and chocolate for the break room!

GreenLine also takes a responsible path for their shipping, by reusing shipping cartons.

You can request a copy of their catalog by mail, or you can skip wasting that paper and download it in PDF form.

GreenLine doesn't offer everything you might need for your office (no executive nick nacks?), but they're a pretty good solution for anyone looking to make their office more environmentally responsible.