Project Organization: Amanda's Office Area Re-Organization, Part 2

I have a lot of "apparatuses" on my desk that take up a lot of room. A LOT of room. In fact, a big problem for me was that these apparatuses took up so much room, I didn't have a lot of work space! Something needed to be done, for sure. I will talk more about this in later posts, but vertical space is a beautiful thing. After dealing with this mess for a long time:

It was time for another layer of space. I needed a shelf, I determined, to hold some of said apparatuses. So my search started. I don't have a huge desk, so I needed something compact but that would be functional- not just add to my cluster I already had going. I found this in our catalog:

ITEM NUMBER: SAF 3604BL (pg 789 in new catalog)

I thought this could be a good solution- it was only 7" deep, so not obtrusive, had storage on each end for me to utilize, and had good shelf space for me to use. I decided to give it a try and I'm so glad I did! The scanner you see in my "before" picture was able to slide under the shelf, I have a check scanner for making bank deposits that sits on my desk that was able to go on top of the shelf, and my lamp also went on the shelf! It has not only given me more room, but visually it looks like I have more room, which is great. Here is the after picture:

Much better, right?! And I even have room to the right of it for my phone to sit. Which was always in my way before. This has been a great fix! And the storage on both ends has been great- things I need at my finger tips but that needed a home! Love it!

Project Organization: Amanda's Office Area Re-Organization Part 1

I love neat, organized spaces. Who doesn't!? But getting a space organized and KEEPING it that way are two totally different animals. Anyone can organize something and make it look good. But when it comes to your desk and office space, you want it to STAY that way so that it's functional and flows better.

I have worked at Tierney for twelve years. I have basically had the same desk accessories and organizational techniques that long, too. And one day I took a look at my space and it gave me hives. It was cluttered, tacky, and never STAYED organized no matter how many times I dug in to fix that problem. So I created a new mission for myself: to create an organized, FUNCTIONAL space that would stay that way! And look good while I did it :)

So, I have decided a blog series is in order. Each week I will highlight a section of my desk that I re-organized, share the products I used, and what works about the new system that didn't about the old.

My first project was to organize the corner of my desk that I use a LOT. It houses all our customer invoices, my catalog, pending purchase orders, custom orders, and important information I need to keep track of. It also (not purposely) severed as an In-Out box that I didn't like. So I needed to fix that. Here is a before picture:

Not horrible, I know. It just didn't function like I wanted. And LOTS of paper work would make it's way in there that didn't need to be there.

So I perused our catalog in search of a better option. And I came across this:

It has several different landscapes it can be used in, which makes it super versatile, it's not huge (a big criteria of mine, as the "before" picture shows my last file holder was huge and not meant for corners) and sits nicely in a corner. It is also meant to hold file folders, so the walls of it are higher than my "before", as you can see didn't hold file folders well. So this was it! Also, I saw that I could use it in a landscape that didn't allow for an in-out box :) That made me happy. (Don't you hate when there is an area that EVERYONE thinks is OK to just throw stuff on your desk? And it  gets buried under everything? Yea, this was the place on my desk where everyone put everything.)

And this is where I ended up:

ITEM NUMBER: ROL 1742322 (pg 785 of new catalog)

What I love about it: Everything has a spot. I think this is vital in any good organization plan, and certainly helps things STAY neat. The tall walls of the file folder sections are great so that nothing flops around and bends down, as did my "before" picture.  I even have a little place for my stapler! I love how clean and streamline this has made this area on my desk! I know it seems small, but it is a high-use area on my desk!

Hope you liked the first installment of Project Re-Organize Amanda's office! Stay tuned next week for bulletin board organization! Spoiler alert- this one was a MAJOR eye sore in my office! :)

Calendars have a finite shelf life

News, right? That's the kind of hard hitting information that I hope we provide you at Tierney. 

Jokes aside, there is a reason I bring this up.  By now, the majority of you have purchased your calendars, appointment books, miscellaneous dated good for 2014.  And that's good, because many if not most of them are going to be sold out any day now.  You see, the calendar manufacturers don't want extra product sitting around any more than you or I.  A set number of every SKU is created and distributed each year.  Basically enough to last through January based on the anticipated need.  The science behind determining that number isn't perfect of course so sometimes it lasts into February or March.  Sometimes a product is sold out the last week of December.  The exception to that rule is usually the most common of dated goods -- plain #17 calendar refills, plain wall calendars, etc.  Supply on these lasts into mid-Spring.  The point is, if you are still needing to order dated material for 2014, do it sooner than later.  If not, you may have to look up from your desk at a plain calendar instead of kittens in picnic baskets.

NEW catalog means NEW items to be excited about!

It's that time of year... NEW CATALOG TIME! Around here, it's always a really fun and exciting time to browse the new catalog and find all the new items. It is not uncommon to hear a gasp and an "ohhhh did you see that?!" coming from the office. If you don't have your 2014 catalog yet, you will be getting one soon. And if you don't get one in the next week or two, call and let us know so we can make sure you get one, too!

Each year, hundreds of new products are added to our catalog. They are either new items altogether for us or they are replacing an existing item. Either way it's exciting. SO, I thought that I'd take a few minutes to share and highlight MY top 10 items I'm most excited about in the new catalog!

Here it goes:

10. The Mighty Badge Name Badge starter kit.

Featured on pg. 304 of new catalog

I love this product. We have so many customers that want to order 1 or 2 new name badges for a new employee- which we gladly do custom work like that. However, it can get costly doing 1 at a time. I love that this takes that element out of the equation- you just make your own whenever you need it! And it comes in silver or brass, for laser or ink jet printers, so they look very professional and not "home-made"-- logos can also be added to customize your look.









9. Samsill Two-Tone Binders

Featured on pg. 326 of new catalog

Let's face it: office supplies can be (and look) boring. I am a person that is very attracted to fun and colorful things. And when you have to have a binder out in the open or sitting on your desk- isn't it more fun for it to be colorful?! There are 4 color combination available, and comes in a 1" or 1 1/2" capacity.














8. Redi-Tag Index and SeeNote Sticky notes

Index Sticky notes features on pg. 1167 of new catalog

SeeNotes featured on pg 1167 of new catalog

How many times have you wanted to mark your page in a catalog (specifically Tierney's catalog, ha!) and needed to make a note? Or write a note IN the catalog, but you were afraid to mess up the catalog? OR are you editing a report or document and need to make notes that aren't permanent? I love both these products- the SeeNotes are great, because they are transparent (and also come in different colors to draw your attention, not just the clear as shown) so you can make notes on anything, see the original document, and then remove the note when you're done. The Index notes are great for marking a page in something and making notes. Both products are also great to use on your work or personal calendar as well!



7. HON Purpose Seating

Featured on pg 115 of new catalog

HON has always been a leading manufacturer in style and quality of office seating, and they proved it again when they came out with their new PURPOSE line. With their innovative new "YouFit" technology, office chairs have never been more comfortable! It provides continuous support and a personal fit that is unique to each person that uses the chair. It also comes in an array of fun colors- black, orange, aqua, green, and burgundy to name a few. Visit HERE to watch a video on this chair!









6. Femme Floral Computer Totes

Featured on pg. 461 of new catalog

We have always carried a line of laptop and briefcases. And they are notoriously boring. And ugly. Or they are a backpack. And lets face it: if you're a woman in a professional position, you're not carrying a backpack. We FINALLY have a nice looking computer tote that doesn't look like a computer tote! I would carry this anywhere! It also comes in a hot pink, which is cute too.











5. SMEAD Erasable Hanging Folder Tabs

Featured on pg. 847 of new catalog

 This may seem like a tiny thing not worthy of making a top ten list, but really. If you have EVER filed before and ran out of new tabs to use (or you just couldn't re-use the old tab because you used pen to label it) you understand how great this invention is. You can write on this tab WITH PERMANENT MARKER and it will erase so you can reuse the tab! Genius! I think this should be the standard that comes in the file folder box!










4. SAFCO Onyx Stackable Mesh Storage Bin

Featured on pg. 920 of new catalog

I love organization. And I don't know about you, but I have a limited amount of space in my desk/office area. The reason I think this is a smart product is because it multi-tasks- hanging file folders, stackable items, but also small clips, pens, phone, etc. I like having it all in one place!













3. iPad and iPhone accessories/cases

iPad accessories start on page 680 of the new catalog

So this is a pretty broad catagory, but a good one nonetheless. We have always carried a limited line of these accessories, but this year they kinda exploded this year. I like the variety we carry and for all sizes of tablets, too. There are also accessories for some of the other tablets on the market (Samsung Galaxy for one).











2. BIC Brite liner Highlighter tape

Featured on pg. 1287 of new catalog

I got a lot of laughs when I got excited about this product. But come on! An eraseable highlighter that is also a tape, not a pen?! Pretty cool. Great for textbooks, magazines, catalogs, or important documents, this is sure to be popular just for the fun of trying it! It comes in a pack of yellow/pink together, or just 2 yellows.












1. PILOT B2P Bottle-2-pen Gel Pen

Featured on pg. 1231 of new catalog

A pen had to make my list. EVERYONE is so particular about their pens! If you are a "green" person, you'll love these. Each pen is made from a recycled water bottle! Good for the Earth and makes for a fun texture to grip. Also come in great colors! And I need to say- I normally hate gel ink pens, but these write great!

Why Toner Recycling Matter

Their are obvious reasons of course.  We like to think recycling with us matters even a little more.

What do you do with your empty toner cartridges?  Maybe you mail them back to the manufacturer.  Maybe not.  Whatever you do, don't trash them.  We make it easy to do good by the planet and help out the people of Kansas City.

We have partnered with Children's Mercy Hospital to take all of your used toner cartridges and keep them out of the landfill with our recycling process, and turn them into money for the children.  It is easy for everyone.

Just let us know you want to participate.  We send you a box with a prepaid UPS label on it.  You fill the boxes with your empty cartridges, tape it up, and hand off to UPS. We take care of the rest.

Each empty toner has value based on the need in the market.  Cartridges from older printers don't earn as much money as cartridges from the newest printers.  The old cores aren't used only to create remanufactured product.  That is why companies like Hewlett Packard include a label for you to return the product when you're done -- even OEM product has recycled material.

The End-of-life 6 Step Grinding Process

	1. Cartridge inspection All inbound units are inspected and designated for remanufacturing or grinding.
	2. Cartridges disassembled End-of-life units are disassembled.
	3. Cartridges sorted Components (plastic, blades, gears and PCR drums) are sorted for recycling.
	4. Grinding Cartridge plastic is inducted into the grinder to produce plastic regrind.
	5. Plastic ready for reuse Plastic regrind is reused in various injection molding processes.
	6. New product development New product is created utilizing post consumer waste which completes Clover’s closed loop process.

 

 

Welcome

We get asked questions.  A lot. All different kinds.  Some are easy ("What page is such-and-such product on in the catalog?").  Some are more difficult ("How many chairs will fit around the 18' conference table I am ordering?")  My hope is that this blog will serve as a place where we can help answer some of the more common, but difficult, questions we get. Sometimes finding the right product seems simpler than it really is.

Of course we can talk about more than just product questions in The Supply Closet.  Over the years we've learned thousands of tips and tricks to making life easier for our customers through both product selection and ease-of-ordering.  We'll feel our way through this and hope to add value to your already busy days.  If you have questions or ideas, let us hear them.  You are the reason we do what we do.

PS: The answer is 18 people.  HON suggests 18 people gather around your new 18' conference table.