Office Signage – Beyond Pointing Folks to the Correct Bathroom.

An office has many instances where signage is necessary to facilitate function and flow.  Obvious things like restrooms and exits need to be clearly identified.  In large office buildings, with multiple tenants, it’s critical to properly guide guests to the correct office space.  However, have you considered how signage can add to your office culture?

The style and colors of office signs such as name plaques on an office cube will add an element to both your brand and also your office culture.  There is a clear difference between what an accounting office may choose as a name plaque versus an advertising agency.  Name plaques, in fact, have a big job to do.  Some of the functions names plaques could have in your office include:

1.      They need to clearly identify the person in the office space.  This helps to add a new person to the team spirit of the organization by allowing others to quickly learn their name. 

2.      Name plaques could also carry an element of recognition.  Try adding years of service as a way to recognize dedication to the company.

3.      Message boards are also helpful for team building and associating them with a person is a good way for others to know what meetings they may be attending for the day, or when that person might be back at their desk.

4.      Name plaques don’t have to been plain anymore.  Add your own company culture to them.  Different styles and colors are all options for you.

The next time you are looking for a way to further build your team, your office culture, and your brand consider how you’re using your office signage.  For more information, contact Great River Office Products at 877-793-1135 or locally at 651-293-1135.

Your Office Chair Has A lot to Answer For.

Is your office chair the culprit in making you uncomfortable at work?  

 

Office workers sit a remarkable number of hours each day with little thought given, in most cases, to how their chair fits them and their desk.  An ill-fitting chair may cause straining or slouching that creates a poor posture situation.  Ergonomically fitting your work space, specifically your chair, can significantly reduce the discomfort you feel each day. 

 The first order of business then is to assess whether or not your chair is performing optimally for you. 

When choosing your chair, there are many factors to consider.  Below is a list and short synopsis of things that make a difference in comfort for traditional office chairs.

1.      Seat height.  Choose a chair that is easy to adjust as you are sitting in it.  The seat height should be 16”-21”.  Be sure that the seat height allows you to place your feet flat on the floor.  If your feet are not able to sit flat on the floor, consider using a foot rest.

2.      Seat width and depth.  A good seat width is 17”-20”.  To see what width is good for you, sit with your back against the chair and note if there is at least 2”-4” between the back of your knees and the edge of the seat.  You’ll also want to look for a chair that has a seat edge that cascades toward the floor.

3.      Lumbar support.  The lumbar spine has an inward curve.  Sitting for a long time with no support can lead to slouching which flattens the curve and puts strain on the spine structure.  Your office chair should have a back rest that is between 12”-19” wide and be adjustable.

4.      Material padding.  While an executive, leather office chair sounds very luxurious, it may not be the best option for you.  Cloth tends to breathe better and is usually more comfortable.  You’ll also want to be sure your chair has an adequate amount of padding for comfort.

5.      Armrests.  Armrests should be adjusted so that your shoulders rest comfortably in a relaxed manner.  The perfect adjustment allows elbows and lower arms to rest lightly while the forearm is not on the rest while typing.  Some chairs come with short armrests that make it easier to get close to your work.

6.      Swivel.  The office chair should rotate easily so you are able to reach other areas of the desk without straining.

Just owning an ergonomic chair is not enough.  Adjusting it to fit you and your needs is as important as the chair itself.  Our office furniture staff members are experts in fitting chairs to our customer’s ergonomic needs. 

No matter what chair you have, remember to take short breaks.  Getting up encourages stronger posture, relieves strain on the eyes, and reduces fatigue.

Other helpful tidbits include moving desk items closer to you so you reduce reaching and straining.  By simply adjusting your most used desk items so they are easily within reach reduces the daily wear and tear on your body.

‘Tis the Season for Germs!

The cold weather, kids in school passing germs back and forth, extra holiday shopping that has many people out and about all adds up to more places for germs to spread

And when a ‘bug’ arrives at the office it is likely to work its way through you and your co-workers.  There are many places for germs to hang out in your workspace.  In fact, the 2004 Porter/Novelli Germ Survey http://uanews.org/pdfs/germsurvey.pdf lists several top spots for germs in the office, but the most notorious place to pick up a bug at the office is via your phone. 

The top four places to pick up germs at the office:

·        The phone

·        Desktops

·        Keyboards

·        Elevator buttons

It makes complete sense, your co-worker sneezes while on the phone, then proceeds to type up an order from the keyboard the next thing you know boom and boom the phone receiver and the keyboard are now both contaminated.  If you have your own workspace, your chances of picking up someone’s cold like this are obviously reduced, but if you share a phone and keyboard with others beware!

Another likely place to pick up an unwanted cold is on the elevator, not because you’re in a small space with many others, but more because you and everyone else will be touching the buttons.  From the hand to the surface germs are transferred and passed along for all to share.

What can you do to stay healthy this season?

·        Listen to your mother.  She was right!  Washing your hands does reduce your chance of getting sick.  Wash your hands and do it often!  Many germs are picked up from touching items that are contaminated and then they are passed to your nose and mouth.  Frequent washing reduces your chances of accidentally helping those germs reach your nose and mouth.

·        Cleaning your office headset, keyboard, and desktop is another good way to reduce the amount of germs you come in contact with each day.  Desk and office wipes are a great way to keep your phone and desk clean.  Our 3M desk and office wipe product, view here, quickly and easier helps you disinfect and deodorizes your workspace in one easy step.

View product here:

http://www.ecinteractive.com/6274/EnhancedProductDetail.aspx?key=MMM%7eCL564%7eMMM%7e%5e%7e11140672%7e0%7e7.98%7e7.98%7e1%7eEA%7e%7e1%7e1%7e%7etrue%7e%5e0%7e%5e

·        Use facial tissue like Kleenex Anti Viral Tissue to kills those little germy critters on contact.  This product kills 99.9% of cold and flu viruses.

View product here:

http://www.ecinteractive.com/6274/EnhancedProductDetail.aspx?key=KIM%7e28075CT%7eKIM%7e%5e%7e11964390%7e0%7e135.54%7e115%7e5%7eCT%7e%7e1%7e1%7e%7etrue%7e%5e0%7e%5e

Wash up those hands and wipe down those surfaces out there folks and stay healthy this winter!

For all of your office supply and office cleaning needs call Great River Office at 651-293-1135 or visit us online at www.greatriverofficeproducts.com.

It seems like every year right around the holidays the office is a buzz with sneezes and sniffles.

Oh Monday, How We Love to Hate You!

It’s the start of a 5 day work week.

You have to get up early.

Your time is not your own like it is on Saturday and Sunday.

The project you left on Friday is still there on Monday.

The reasons we hate Monday are almost limitless.  For the majority of working adults, Monday is the least favorite day of the week! 

We all love Friday though because it is the start of the mini-vacation called “THE WEEKEND”.  Even Geiko jumped on the “We Love Friday” vibe with their smart phone commercial, “Do People Do Dumb Things with Their Smart Phone?”  It goes like this; And that’s the weekend.  Yeah Dawg. Crack the Bubbly. Can a man with a brostache join this party?, if you don’t know the commercial you really should check it out on YouTube.  It may make Monday a bit more tolerable.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe-Y-zSd5gs.

For all of you Monday haters out there, Great River Office Products has your back.  We’re bringing a little bit of Friday to Monday with our new Monday promotion.  The first is M & M Mondays.  The concept is simple, place your office supply order with us by 3:00 pm on Friday and we will include M & Ms with your Monday delivery.

M&Ms are fun!  They’re happy!   They remind us of carefree youth when we didn’t have a 5 day work week staring us in the face.  They also have a fun Facebook page.  http://www.facebook.com/mms.  So, join us for some Monday fun.  Have your products delivered Monday and our happy delivery folks will bring you a little treat to help you through your Monday.

And remember, Friday is coming soon!  Remember to order your supplies again this Friday so next Monday will be a bit better.

Say good bye to old, bitter, nasty, office coffee!

Keeping a fresh pot of coffee available for employees and clients all day long can sometimes be a real challenge for small businesses.  Simply put, there are not enough people drinking the coffee to keep it fresh.  Dumping out coffee that has been sitting for a couple of hours seems like such a waste, but who wants to risk offering a bitter, gross cup of jo to their best client who happens to stop by for a visit? 

Keurig’s coffee maker model B150 seems to be a perfect option for many small business break rooms.  The machine accommodates offices up to 30 employees.  There are five brew sizes and works with most travel mugs!  The smaller capacity allows you to brew just what you need to eliminate waste and ensure the coffee in the pot is always good.

We also like the small, compact size.  It fits just about anywhere which is great for the smaller office where a large machine can be very cumbersome.

Some of the features and specifications of this machine are:

Features:

·        5 brew sizes: 4, 6, 8, 10, & 12 oz.

·        Full-color Interactive Touchscreen Control

·        Drainable Internal Hot Water Tank

·        Direct water line plumbing option for high capacity brewing.(NOTE: Plumb Kit Needed)

·        90 oz Removable Reservoir for Manual Pour-Over

·        Travel mug friendly - drip tray is removable

·        Quiet Brew™ Technology

Specifications:

·        Weight: 18 lbs. Empty; 24 lbs. Full

·        Dimensions: 13 3/4 in. H x 10 1/7 in. W x 14 in. D

·        Power: 1400 Watts

·        Voltage: 120 VAC/60 Hz 15A minimum

·        UL and cUL approved for commercial use

It also comes with an awesome rack to hold coffee, tea, and hot chocolate packets.

We recently installed this system for a client.  Check out what he had to say about the Keurig B150.

“Greg approached me a few weeks back to let me know that Great River Office Products is now offering the Keurig coffee system.  I was excited about the ability to offer our clients fresh good coffee ANY time of the day without worrying how long that pot of coffee sat there or if the quality was any good.  With this new coffee maker, I'm guaranteed to have great coffee any time and I'm not embarrassed to offer it to my clients.  In addition, it gives us the ability to offer our clients a wide variety of coffee, as well as tea and hot chocolate.  The Keurig system and display rack looks professional and makes our lobby more inviting.  I'm extremely happy with our decision.”

For more information on this or other office break room supplies, contact Great River Office Products at (651) 293-1135.