Office Decor

Often neglected to the detriment of the organization, proper office decor sets the tone for both the employee and the client. What is "proper" office decor is of course a matter of debate but the one consistent aspect is cleanliness and organization. Without these two crucial elements, the top of the line furniture and fancy artwork is useless. Competition is fierce and therefore any edge you can have is necessary. If your establishment reflects professionalism, it can definitely assist you in acquiring and maintaining clients. Here's a site that offers a simple free guide on everything from law office decor, to color meanings.

Your Team

Unfortunately, unlike when when we were kids playing a rousing game of kickball and could pick the guys and gals we wanted our team, the workplace offers no such luxuries. It's a job, it's work, it's our livelihood. As such, we need to get along with those around us as much as we can in order to pay the bills. Sure it would be wonderful if we could work with friends, but reality dictates otherwise. Recent studies indicate that conflicts in the workplace are on the rise. One such study concluded that...“18% of an administrator's time -- more than nine weeks out of every year -- is spent resolving conflicts among employees” (“Surviving Office Politics.” Talent Scout. April 16, 1998).
Poor interpersonal relationships in the workplace can easily provide sufficient enough distraction that our job performance becomes jeopardized. We simply cannot allow these career pitfalls to occur. Someone has to play the mature roll and swallow some pride no matter how bitter it may taste. After all, when you break these poor relationships down to the core. It's simply a matter of being nicer to each other. Getting to know the individual responsible for your grief off site, is a fantastic way to address any concerns. Escaping the rigid environment of the office and going to a non-threatening, neutral, place such as a coffee house, can pay huge dividends. Plus, this approach will instantly put you in the drivers seat while offering you a tremendous opportunity to hash out differences.
Still, some relationships are truly beyond repair. In such extreme cases, never add fuel to the fire. Remain professional and in the end the disagreement will look completely one-sided.
The workplace of today often involves fewer people taking on more and more responsibilities. Privacy is often a foreign concept. Under such conditions, stress levels are higher. Separate yourself from controversy by refusing to react emotionally. Step back and take a break before taking any action that could later be detrimental.
The only winner in these office wars is the one who tries to make peace. Put something in your work area that makes you happy. It could be a family photo, a plant, or anything personal that you can refer to during difficult moments. Focusing on these items for only 15 seconds can truly impact your mood.

It's Like Milk

Not really. But because they expire, now is the time that smart business managers (especially those in law firms) start to compile their 2008 calendar orders. These products tend to go fast, then experience a bit of a backorder, then disappear altogether for the obvious whole" dated goods" reason. So, with Fall on our heels, it's time to get prepared now for the arrival of 2008. Sure technology has made standard calendars and organizers somewhat obsolete; however, reaching for your calendar and pen versus pecking on a PDA is a race most often won the old fashioned way. Besides, you'll never have a battery or power issue with a calendar/ planner. There are of course many styles and formats to select from so be sure that you know how you intend to use it before you order.

Sample layout taken from At-A-Glance product AAG-G4700 Buy Office Supplies Online

Keep It In The House

More and more smaller to medium -sized companies are realizing the benefits of true in house marketing. The quality of print that can be attained from today's crop of color laser printers is simply too great to ignore. Now, unique tailored marketing pieces can be quickly created and quantities can be easily controlled. From a single brochure to hundreds, the ability to manipulate and customize information is easier than ever. There is a virtual sea of suitable printers to choose from and of course your decision should be based on budget and projected usage. Two wonderful brands capable of producing top notch professional results would be Brother and Hewlett Packard.

A great printer that should fit nicely for smaller companies on a budget.
Brother: BRT- HL2700CN
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Black Print Speed—31 ppm Color Print Speed—8 ppm First Page Out—Less than 13 seconds (black); 19 seconds (color) Monthly Duty Cycle—Up to 30,000 pages Maximum Print Resolution—2400 x 600 dpi Processor—300 MHz Standard Memory—64MB Maximum Memory—576MB Duplex Printing—Optional Standard Paper Input Capacity—250 sheets Network-Ready—Yes, 10/100 BaseT Ethernet Connectivity (Cables not included)—Parallel, USB Compatibility—Windows® 95, 98, Me, NT 4.0, 2000, XP; Mac® OS 8.6-9.2, OS 10.1, 10.2 and later; Linux Size—18-9/10w x 16-1/2d x 15-1/5h Manufacturer’s Warranty—One-year limited on-site Black Replacement Cartridge—BRTTN04BK, (sold separately) Color Replacement Cartridge—BRTTN04C (Cyan), BRTTN04M (Magenta), BRTTN04Y (Yellow), (all sold separately)

Turn it up a notch with Hewlett Packard



Hewlett Packard: HEWCB416A
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Print/copy up to 27 ppm/black. Print quality, up to 1200 x 1200 dpi/black. Copier resolution, up to 600 dpi/black. Copy settings: collate, image adjustment, reduce/enlarge, paper selection, content orientation, optimize text/picture, original size, job build, pages per sheet, booklet format, edge to edge. Maximum number of copies: 1000. Reduce/enlarge: 25 to 400%. 256MB memory, 40GB hard disk. Scanner: maximum scan size, 8.5 x 11.7". Scan resolution, up to 1200 dpi/enhanced, up to 600 x 600 dpi/optical. Grayscale: 256 levels. Connectivity: HP Jetdirect Fast Ethernet. 50-sheet automatic document feeder. Input capacity, up to 500 sheets. Output capacity, up to 250 sheets. Warranty: One-year on-site warranty; 24-hour/7-day-a-week phone support.

Old News...Or Is It?

By now everyone has at least heard of Carpal Tunnel syndrome. This syndrome is caused when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. Women are more than 3x's as likely as men to develop it...perhaps because because the carpal tunnel itself is smaller. Because this is a painful problem that may take many months to develop (most of which pass ignored), surgery is often the ultimate solution.
Despite all the press that this topic has received over the years, many people most susceptible have done nothing to prevent it. There are simple solutions that can implemented now to avoid nerve damage tomorrow. You can stretch, take frequent breaks (from a particular task...not a trip to the coffee machine), concentrate on correct posture and positioning. Ergonomics has been a buzz word for years now but nevertheless, you should not downplay its significance. To protect your wrists in particular, there are many products out there...such as wrists rests, keyboard stands, wrist wraps, etc. One of the best spots to protect is your "mousing" wrist. One of the best is the Kennsington wrist pillow. Why this one? Because it is hypoallergenic, and repels moisture and dirt. Therefore, you not only get a great adjustable product, but that is more sanitary than most. Item Number : KMW-62816