Moving To A New Office? Here's 7 Hacks to Make Things Simple!

Establishing a new headquarters for your business is an exciting prospect, but moving? Now that's a pain. However, there are plenty of excellent moving hacks exclusively for business that make the task a cinch. Enjoy today's article where we share some amazing moving hacks for anyone moving to a new office!

Know Your New Office

Knowing the layout of your new office is a major coup when trying to move. Why? Because so many people forget to come up with a basic furniture plan until the movers are asking where everything goes. Before you move, take the time to measure your current office furniture. Focus on the big pieces like large conference tables, office desks, workstations, and storage units like bookcases. Knowing the sizes of your largest furniture items will give you a better idea of what you should sell and purchase new for a better fit.

*Bonus Hack: Draw up a full, to-scale layout of the new office, making notes of windows, doors, and electrical outlets. Making to-scale cutouts of your current furniture pieces and moving them over the drawn up layout will give you a visual idea of where everything should go.

Space Prep

Anyone whose ever moved before knows the pain of realizing you forgot to do some basic preparation in the new space, like painting the kids' bedrooms. Moving to a new office is no different. Once you've figured out the layout of your new office and you have a general idea of where everything will go, go ahead and prep the space. Paint the walls to set an atmosphere in the lobby, making sure the paint color and the lounge and reception furniture are a good match. Sell old, dilapidated pieces from the old office and upgrade them with the money you make. And finally, clean up, and make sure the whole office is cleared before move-in day!

* Bonus Hack: Before moving into a rustic area, scrub the baseboards and floors with a solution of bug-killer. This kind of prep will deter office pests for years to come!

Skip the Supply Store

When it comes to hefty office supplies and furniture, typical cardboard boxes don't always hold up. You might decide to hit the supply store for a of those few flimsy paper boxes to give to employees (for cleaning out their cubicles). But when it comes to the hard-core stuff, hit up your local community college instead! Most colleges have a "duplicating services division," where staff and teachers go to photocopy stuff - and photocopy boxes are heavy-duty! Other options are rentable moving boxes, and 'freecycle' websites where you can find other movers looking to dump their boxes for reuse.

* Bonus Hack: Always overestimate the number of boxes you'll need. It's a huge pain to find you need more on moving day. Also, color-coded tape is a great way to stay organized with respect to what's what!

Give Employees Heads Up

One critical mistake first-time office movers make is forgetting to remind employees of the details! Make sure the whole office knows where the new digs are months ahead of time. Send out memos, phone calls, post flyers all over office presentation boards - do whatever it takes to make sure everyone knows. Holding an office conference is a great way to give a heads up and also receive additional moving hacks from employees who may know the drill. Finally, give plenty of notice and plenty of time (like at least two weeks) before moving day for employees to fully clean out their cubicles of everything but the essentials - then have them clean out the essentials on the last work day before the move. You don't want to break any family photographs!

Remove Furniture Down-Up

When it comes to moving an office, starting from the floor is best. Back up the data on all computers, then start off by unplugging lamps, PCs, hard drives, printers, and other office appliances. Unburden the desks by freeing them of mounted monitor arms, CPU holders, adjustable keyboard platforms, and other ergonomic products if any of those things are heavy or in-the-way. While you're down there, take the extra opportunity to untangle coils and wires, and sort them in boxes according to the cubicle/workstation or desk they go with. Next, move to the heavier items like desks, couches, and boardroom furniture. When all the stuff on the floor is cleared out, walls will be easily accessible to remove artwork, shelving, or whatever else remains!

* Bonus Hack: Unless you're letting employees take computers home, have them label all their cubicle equipment (including boxes of cables) with their name, and attach put each cubicle's computer and equipment in it's own box. You may even decide to have the employees pack up their office equipment themselves to save time!

Use Suitcases for Heavy Items

With all the books, paperwork, and files offices tend to acquire, moving boxes can get extremely heavy and painful to move. Rather than packing all these vital documents and books in flimsy boxes though, why not pack them in a suitcase! Generally, suitcases have far more room for packing. Equipped with wheels and a pull-bar, they make the perfect device for transporting heavy books without strain. This is also a great hack for employees to clean out their cubicles - just have them bring suitcases from home to pack their stuff in.
That said, don't forget to clean out file cabinets and storage devices before moving. They're a lot easier to move when empty than when weighed down by hundreds of sheets of paper!

Sell and Upgrade

Free upgrades sound almost too good to be true, but if you're willing to be a little proactive, you may be able to get some great deals on utilities for the new office! Holding a 'company yard sale' and sending out memos to other small local businesses are excellent ways to spread the word about any furniture or office equipment you're looking to sell. Of course, this takes time, so knowing months in advance that you will move soon is helpful. Furniture trade stores, Craigslist, and even recycling agencies can often yield plentiful dividends to invest in newer models. Shopping with search engines, coupons, and clearance deals can help you get the best deals on top office furniture. Calling up a reliable online furniture dealer may even get you bulk discounts and exclusive deals!

Improve Workplace Efficiency with Ergonomic Concepts Furniture and Accessories

Need a boost in your efficiency levels around the office? No problem! Choose from a variety of cool new products from Ergonomic Concepts an you'll be on your way to the highest levels of workplace productivity possible. From height adjustable workstations to versatile computer accessories, Ergonomic Concepts has your every need covered.

Unique products like this height adjustable executive workstation from Ergonomic Concepts offer the perfect way to create a cutting edge workspace designed for conducting business. This station features a wood laminate surface available in 8 cool colors to compliment the black metal base. The 6048-L3 can be customized in a variety of ways with accessories like desk side pedestals, a modesty panel, and even a retractable keyboard tray. The user friendly L shaped desk works great in corner office applications and is sure to save you valuable floor space while generating ample surface space to compute.

Open desking configurations are the hottest new trend in the world of professional quality office furniture solutions. That being said, if you don't want to waste ample desk space, using a monitor arm is a must. This Ergonomic Concepts Double Monitor Arm Support allows operators to work face to face. This awesome product is a great way to improve office communication and build a more team friendly atmosphere. Choose from your choice of clamp or grommet  mounting options to meet your specific workstations effectively. These adjustable arms will improve your efficiency in no time!

These days it's all about versatility in the workplace. Why you ask? Versatility improves efficiency and efficiency improves productivity! Unique products like this ECI-550 horizontal CPU mount will quickly and easily take your computers power source from being a pesky knee knocker to an out of this way and easy to reach tool. No more frustrating trips under the desk to plug in devices. Simply reach directly under your worksurface and enjoy a time saving experience that also looks super cool. This product will have your fellow workers asking "where did you get that" in no time at all!

Did you know that an adjustable office foot rest like this ECI-275 model will increase your blood flow while taking pressure of your knees and back? It's true! When office chairs that adjust become overly complicated or just aren't fitting your specific needs, try adding an affordable product like this foot rest. Simply adjust this unit to a level that's comfortable and begin working. We feel confident that in no time you'll be glad you added this unsung hero to your command center.

No professional workstation is complete without the addition of a keyboard tray. The use of Keyboard Trays That Retract like this ECI-600-REF model ensure you are working in the most effective way. The ECI-600-REF adjusts in height to help you maintain a proper working posture and slides out of the way when not in use. This creates a clean an neat looking workstation that creates more useable desk space for other important office tasks. Maximizing your ergonomic office desk layout potential is a must as it makes for a more efficient space to help you save time and work smarter. Helpful accessories like this keyboard tray will help you do just that.

Top 5 Benefits of Professional Office Furniture

As with any good product, there's much more to furniture than just the way it looks. In addition to a classy design, office furniture should always serve a purpose. Security, convenience, comfort, and quality all make a huge difference in the workplace, so it's important that the furniture you have supports all those ideals as well. To help you know what to look for in the best furniture products, here are the top five benefits of professional office furniture. Enjoy!

Security

Security is perhaps one of the most important features in offices all across the nation. Having vertical filing cabinets with security, as well as multi purpose storage lockers for office use, can greatly reduce the risk of business or customer information falling into the wrong hands. In health and medical facilities, patient information is delicate and highly confidential. Making sure desk drawers and cabinets have lock features before you purchase them is an excellent way to make your office a safer place for everyone.

Modular Design

The good thing about office furniture is that, while a lot of thought is given to the way it looks, even more thought is usually given to the sophistication of design. In fact, there is a relatively new style of furniture out there that has been scientifically proven to improve productivity and efficiency in the workplace. Choosing office workstations with modular design is one of the best decisions office designers can make for a workplace because they keep everything at arm's reach for the user. Cabinets, drawers, and supplies are always right there when users need them, improving efficiency. As businesses grow, easy reconfiguration features and the ability to add or remove modular units at will allows furniture to adapt as the needs of your business change, providing a valuable service to fast-paced businesses all over the country.

Quality

Quality should always be the staple of anything a professional business offers, be it quality service, quality products, or quality pricing. The same is true of furniture manufacturers. Buying from professional manufacturers of office furniture helps ensure that your furniture possesses that quality spark. Brands like Mayline, Cherryman, Global Total Office, and RFM are all about making office products the best they can. Their items are designed for long term use, durability, efficiency, and cutting edge design - all things every office should value if it ever hopes to succeed.

Resale Value

If your furniture is still usable, but you're still hoping to upgrade, why not sell that old furniture instead of throwing it out? Office furniture can get a little pricey, but the good thing about it is that it usually offers a return in resale value. The market for used home furniture may be larger, but quality office desks and affordable tables for business use tend to have a much higher value, often being better made and from more reputable brands. They are versatile, and often capable of adapting to all sorts of environments for those with the vision to see it.

Customization Capabilities

Perhaps one of the best (not to mention the most fun) parts of furniture shopping is choosing what you want! Many manufacturers of desks, chairs, and other office products will offer their customers the opportunity to choose from a wide array of finish, frames, sizes, features and upholstery options. Not only do these things help buyers better match furniture additions to existing decor, but it also helps them meet size requirements, and individual style. Customization capabilities are fun features to have that accentuate the style of any business office. As an added plus, some dealers even offer popular collections of office furniture, so buyers can choose matching furniture often with the same customizable features to unite the look of their whole workplace!

Spring Cleaning and Maintenance Tips for the Office

It's the last day of February, and hopefully, the last few days of winter! But however long it takes the thermometer to actually take a tip from the calendar, one thing's for sure - spring is definitely on the way, and what better way to start it off than with a bit of spring cleaning? Homes and businesses can get pretty grimy during the winter, especially with everyone cooped up inside. Things are bound to get a little run down with the constant use. Fortunately, these great spring office maintenance tricks can tighten things up in no time at all!

Spring Cleaning

Whether you're in a public environment or a private one, spring cleaning is important in any space. It seems like almost everyone catches some sort of bug in the wintertime, be it the flu or just a common cold. Without a touch of spring cleaning however, those bugs can stay on the surfaces of desks and chairs for who knows how long. That's why whipping out the Windex is never a bad idea. If everyone takes a few minutes at the end of the day to clean up desks, chairs, and modern cubicles for office use, the whole workplace turns into a safer, healthier environment. Keep up the routine, and it also reduces the chances of pests (both the invisible ones and creepy-crawlies). There's nothing like a freshly cleaned, lemon-scented office to you up in the morning, so don't be afraid to clean up!

Spring Flowers

Everyone loves spring flowers, but who says they have to stay outside? Recent studies by Rutgers University, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and even NASA have all conducted some amazing research on properties of plants, and guess what! Many of them are great for office use. Keeping a bit of greenery on stylish executive desks with modern design not only enlivens the look of the office, it also enlivens the people! Greens like golden pothos, peace lilies, lemon balms, and gardenias are all gorgeous plants that are scientifically proven to drastically improve air quality by removing harmful VOCs. They're especially excellent for the elderly and anyone living in the city. Users even report clearer thinking and more energy just from keeping these natural, affordable air purifiers for office use around.

Go Green

The modern age has meant some great news for the world's forests. With the advent of computers and digital technology, people are chopping down less trees to make paper. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean we're entirely paper-free. Post-its and small papers can fill up an office faster than you could ever imagine, until it seems like the whole office is swimming in a sea of colorful paper squares. Bottles, chip bags, and lunch containers can add to the melee, creating a nest of mess. Instead of cramming all of this into the trash though, why not consider recycling? With designated recycle bins for styrofoam, bottles, and paper, the trash won't fill up so fast, and will need to be taken out much less often. Furthermore, employees and janitors won't throw their backs out lifting huge trash bags. With all the clutter divided up for eco-friendly disposal, companies can save money on ergonomic office chairs for back pain, (and they may even get a bit of extra cash for going green!)

Office Tuneup

Just like cars, offices need maintenance once in a while. After a long winter spent indoors, chairs, office desks, modular workstations for multiple users, and even computers can get a little bent out of shape. Instead of letting everything fall apart, or springing for brand new furniture, try going around for a little office tuneup. Check the joints of office desks to tighten the screws and glue down any loose panels. Use an air-spray can to gently clean out keyboard trays for computer use. Scrape the gunk out of your office chair's wheels. When all is said and done, go through and empty your computer's recycle bin, run diagnostics, and clean out the hardware. In the end, your office will be faster, more efficient, comfortable, and it may even have that new-office smell!

Keep it Going

All this cleaning is well and good, but it's even better for those who keep it up. People that make a habit out of cleanliness live much healthier lives than those who don't. Instead of simply spring cleaning, try to turn the season into a lifestyle. Don't eat at office desks or around high tech furniture for computer users, as crumbs can attract bugs that spread germs and damage equipment. Afterwards, make a habit of wiping things down with disinfectants, and try to convince your co-workers to do the same. See if you can convince the boss to hire a weekly/monthly cleaning service, and be sure to keep hand sanitizers available for use by everyone. Living a sanitary life prevents illness and improves overall health. Make a habit out of spring cleaning, and you'll never have to do it again!

Ways to Improve Concentration At Work

Getting distracted at work isn't a hard thing to do. With all the talkative co-workers, tempting break times, and cool gadgets now allowed in the office, it's amazing we get anything done at all. Staying focused at work is super important for all sorts of reasons. It looks good on you as an employee, especially if everyone else is off task. A little extra focus may even lead to promotions, increased pay, better positions, and greater opportunities should you ever decide to leave your current job. Choosing to pursue a more productive lifestyle is efficient in every way, but sometimes we need a few tips on how to concentrate. Fortunately, that's what today's post is all about!

Brain Food

Eating the right foods is essential to a healthy lifestyle, but it's also a big part of how we function throughout the day. Just having something in your belly when you go into work is super important, but junk food like doughnuts, sugary cereals, and pop-tarts do little to help our focus throughout the day. To focus, you need brain food! At testing times during the semester, students in school are told to eat things that are high in protein and antioxidants, because it helps them concentrate, and the same is true for adults at work. Studies show that eating things like blueberries, wild salmon, avocados, whole grains, and nuts are amazingly helpful in improving concentration, and they all make wonderful nutritious breakfasts. Instead of just popping a freezer-waffle in the toaster, get up a little earlier to blend yourself some go-go juice using frozen blueberries and other fruits, with yogurt or milk. Make yourself a nice, delicious egg breakfast like a salmon omelet, and use the leftovers to make a salmon sandwich on whole wheat for later at work (which totally goes great with some avocado slices!) Nuts, seeds, and dried fruits make excellent snack food while at work, so take advantage of the Food Network and some other healthy food recipe sites and get focused! You'll feel healthier, and are much more likely to lose some weight too!

Keep Friends At Bay

Not many blogs will tell you to keep your friends away from you, but a work environment is the one place where you may need to, especially if you're easily distracted. We all love our buddies, but the last thing you need when you have two minutes to finish typing that proposal is Joe coming over to discuss last night's football game. If it does sound like a buzz-kill, your manager is right when he says the modern executive desks for office use are for work, not socializing. If you know you're prone to distractions, let your friends know; they'll understand. If you work at home with kids, pets, roommates, and spouses as your distractions, it can be a little more difficult to curb their attention on you. To do this, try writing your work hours on stylish presentation boards for office use so they know when not to bother you. At work, save the talking for break times. If you've got kids at your home office, take the opportunity to go to the park for lunch with them as a distraction. If you're park allows pets, you may even kill two birds with one stone this way. Playing around a bit is a good way for all of you to unwind and enjoy the best part of the day. Who knows, they may even take a nap when you get home!

Turn Off the Tech

Technology is probably the biggest distraction of the modern age, and it doesn't help that most of us are surrounded by it at work. A lot of companies have rules against phone use at the office, but with a computer right in front of us, it's not always easy to keep from opening a new tab for Facebook or some other fun websites. If you know the computer is your worst enemy as well as your best friend, block all your favorite sites from your work computer. Have friends set the passwords if you must, so you can't access them even if you do happen to click on one. Many of us have reasons for keeping our phones on, but if you know deep down that yours could be turned off, go ahead and do it, or at the very least, keep it on silent and out of sight. Most technology nowadays comes equipped with time blocks designed to keep kids on task by not allowing them use of a certain device between set times, so set those up for yourself if you need to. Do whatever it takes!
The good news is that not all technology is your worst enemy. Things like air purifiers for office use can clean the air of toxins that probably aren't doing anything to help your concentration, and they aren't very tempting toys either. Get one, and let the focus flow!

Keep Calm and Prioritize

Its easy to feel overwhelmed at work. Some of us have so much to do, we just don't know how not to freak out about it, and for this, we offer a simple but of advice: to keep calm and prioritize. Prioritizing tasks is a great way for those prone to distraction to get things done. Putting the more important or more difficult tasks at the beginning of the day when you're more focused helps you to get them out of the way faster. Also, with the easier tasks at the end of the day, you're more likely to feel better leaving work. If you know you're prone to fits of freaking, set up an atmosphere in your office that helps you keep calm. Have yourself and your co-workers post photos of the ones you love or the places you want to visit around cool office cubicles for business use, so all of you work a little easier. Scented candles like lavender, chamomile, coconut, flowers, and sandalwood are good stress-busters, and many of them have been proven in studies to calm. If you need a bit more energy, try something citrusy or spice-scented. Setting up the right atmosphere is a great way to stay focused, and prioritizing can keep you from looking for distractions in the first place!

Clean Up Your Act

Keeping clean at work is great for all occasions, but did you know it can also improve your focus? Taking the time during a week when you're not so busy to de-clutter your workspace can make a world of difference the next day when you come into the office. Knowing where to find things keeps you from getting distracted by looking for them (and from getting distracted by the cool things you find!) When organizing your office space, it's a good idea to keep things off of the floor. Not only does it make a space look cleaner, but it also gives you more room to move around. Choosing to go with cabinets for office storage and shelving that mounts to the walls is the perfect way to give yourself more square footage to get things done. Also, providing yourself with more places to keep things isn't a bad way to get organized either.

Get Comfy

Even if technology, stress, and talking doesn't faze you, sometimes distractions can come from a whole new avenue. Discomfort is one of the biggest stressors around, and it can be super distracting. Common office aches like back pain, joint problems, and poor circulation are all caused by poorly designed furniture. If you've been sitting in the same old office chair for years, perhaps it's time for an upgrade, and nothing is better for comfort than ergonomic furniture! Ergonomic furniture is designed to improve all aspects of the modern workplace, from efficiency, to work ethic, and even health.  Many businesses have already made the leap, providing comfortable computer chairs with ergonomic features for their employees because they recognize the benefits. All ergonomic chairs are designed to relieve the biggest office aches, like back pain, and many of them also offer other benefits, like height and arm adjustment to relieve joint pain, and waterfall seats to improve circulation in the legs. If you're not comfortable at work, it can take a huge toll on you. Getting comfortable just eliminates one more potential distraction.

How to Easily Feng Shui Your Office

We've all heard the word. The "fung-shway" one that is spelled completely different than it sounds, and a few of us have an idea about what it means, but did you know it can help you improve your whole lifestyle? Feng Shui is a Chinese word that refers to the ancient art of harmonizing one's personal space with the surrounding environment. It can even help improve the productivity and efficiency of your office so that you work faster and feel more energized while you do it. However, principles of feng shui are hard to learn for beginners unfamiliar with the practice, but don't worry! We're here to help you out by highlighting some simple ways you can apply feng shui to your office!

Know the Right Colors

Feng shui depends largely on the individual. The right feng shui for each room (or each section of your office or cubicle) is  determined largely upon that person's zodiac, energy, and sign. The best way to determine how to use all the feng shui elements is by using a "bagua," or a device that helps you map the energy of your space. Once you find out your signs and where north is in relation to your space, you can apply the right colors to the right areas. Since the bagua is divided up by the five elements, earth, water, fire, metal, and wood, we'll help you out here by defining which colors go in which areas and what they do to help improve the efficiency of your space.

Water: Black, Blue

*Blue is very good in the East and Southeast areas of your home or workspace to help improve the energy of your career growth. Who doesn't want more of that in their office, right?

Wood: Green, Brown

* Green improves health and helps balance family and the people you work around when used in the East feng shui area of your office.

Fire: Orange, Red, Pink, Strong Yellows

*These colors help in the Southern Area of your decorating space by creating a cozy, comfortable space to work that promotes happy gatherings and warmth between individuals.

Earth: Light Yellow, Light Brown (think sandy, earthy colors)

* These neutral colors help to ground the space, harmonizing it with the environment. It also brings in the sense of a touch of nature, so the work environment doesn't feel so stifled.

Metal: Gray, White

* White is a wonderful influence on creative energy

While all these colors are well and good, make sure that they don't clash and that they sit in harmony with the other objects in your space such as furniture, office desks, and chairs. You don't want all the colors and furniture fighting for your attention all the time. Its very distracting…

It's All About Orientation

Feng shui is big on proper alignment with the universe. In the ancient days, if just one thing was off, the world fell apart in landslides, earthquakes, bad harvests, and poor imperial rule. Don't let that happen to you! When you're redecorating your office space in the feng shui style, make sure you pay attention to position. The bagua is decided up into five sections. We already learned that each section is associated with an element and a color, but its also associated with direction and elements of lifestyle. Here's a quick list to help you out:

South (Fire): Fame and Reputation

Southeast (Wind): Prosperity and Abundance

East (Thunder/Wood): Family and Health

Northeast (Mountain/Earth): Skills and Knowledge

North (Water): Career/ Path in Life

Northwest (Heaven/ Metal): Helpfulness, Blessings, Travel

West (Marsh/ Metal): Creativity, Children, Future

Southwest (Earth): Relationships, Love

A few extra tips: if you work out of a home office, make sure your office is as far away from your bedroom as possible. Whether at work or at home, try to have your desk facing the door, but far away from it in order to give a commanding feel that attracts successful energy. Do you best so that your desk does not have to face a wall. If it must, or if you are working in a cubicle, try to make the wall disappear with the cunning use of artwork, or choose a wall with a window. Having a view of nature will keep you energized so that you feel less trapped.

Keep Things Light and Airy

Literally. Poor air quality is terrible for health and a big no-no in feng shui. If your brain doesn't get enough oxygen, it can slow your work, depress you, and tire you of your job no matter how much you love it. Consider bringing in some plants that will purify the air such as peace lilies and small palms to lighten the mood. Adding small fishtanks are also great to help bring in positive, flowing energy, adding a touch of nature. Opening windows and doors is good for feng shui too because beneficial energies can flow on the cross-breeze rather than collecting or swirling stagnantly in each room. Also, try to get plenty of natural light for your office and make sure it is sufficient for working. Natural light is the best because it has a scientifically proven positive impact on the mind, making individuals feel less trapped and more energized. However, artificial lights are better than nothing since you need them to work. Just be sure to try and go for a walk during your breaks to get some fresh air!

Clean and Organize

Whether your decide to practice feng shui or not, keeping things clean is never a bad idea for an office environment, or any environment for that matter. In a public workspace, cleanliness improves the health of all employees, and creates a positive image for your business. Be sure to clean things that people touch a lot, like keyboards and stylish chairs for guest use (which do best in the northwest section of your office building). Keeping things organized with the use of shelving and storage cabinets for office use saves space and improves the look and energy flow of your workspace by keeping things off of the ground. It also helps if your room has a focal point such as your office desk to attract positive attention, but make sure to add other things like decor plants elsewhere in the room to absorb any negative energy. They eye should be able to flow around the room without getting distracted by clutter. You can practically see the positive energy flow, and if not, you can certainly feel its effects when you sit down to a clean desk!

Ergonomics

A great way to apply feng shui in today's high tech age is with contemporary furniture for office use in both homes and businesses. Modern furniture such as office chairs with ergonomics can drastically increase the health, efficiency, and productivity of any workspace. If ergonomics existed in ancient China, they would have undoubtedly have used it in their feng shui art, because of the positive effects it has on home and work environments. Because ergonomics refers to the study of efficiency in the workplace, every piece of ergonomic furniture is designed to help improve all aspects of work. Not only is it adjustable to meet the needs of individuals, it is also healthier for people than traditional office furniture. If you're seeking harmony in your workplace, there is no better way to do it than by bringing the advanced technology of ergonomics with the ancient art of Chinese feng shui to your office!

Cutting Edge Tools For The Modern Receptionist

Most modern businesses are highlighted by a guest waiting area designed to impress valued clientele while providing a professional look. In order to do this successfully while providing the best customer service possible, you'll need to outfit your receptionist with some of the industries best new tools. The cutting edge products highlighted in today's post are sure to make your front desk personnel business super heroes!

The first key product you should provide your office receptionist with is a high quality headset. 2013 has brought with it a variety of cutting edge new products that are sure to provide any front desk employee with fast and effective hands free phoning capabilities. Units like the cutting edge DW Pro 1 ML by Sennheiser offer a stylish look that also provides helpful ergonomic benefits. No more straining your neck to hold the phone clamped on the shoulder! That's just not healthy. Instead, products like this comfortable set from Sennheiser provide the perfect solution for all day operators looking for a fail safe option for their work days. A seemingly limitless array of user friendly features come standard with this versatile office tool!

Tablets like the iPad are becoming an essential part of modern business. Healthcare professionals are using these valuable tools on a daily basis to improve productivity and save time. Equipping your receptionist with a versatile tablet provides a modern alternative to sign in sheets as well as a great way to stay organized. While a tablet is great, leaving it sitting around the office is just not wise. Luckily, stylish and secure mounts for tablets are now available like the the ORION by ESI. Priced at only $149.99 this product is a great investment for those businesses looking to use tablets in front office locations and other open areas. Mounting a tablet on the outside edge of your receptionist's desk, you can provide your clientele with quick and easy info that saves your front desk employee time explaining the simple order of office procedures several times throughout the day. The benefits are just plain awesome. Every business utilizing tablets should improve themselves by adding a versatile mounting option.

Providing your receptionist with a quality workstation designed for conducting business at the highest levels is essential. In 2013 the industries hottest brands are all offering exciting new desks for reception area applications that are sure to improve your corporate decor. One station that stands a cut above the rest is the 55314 unit from the popular Marque collection. This stylish unit features a curved design that gives an excellent vantage point from any angle. The trend setting style is best accented by the silver frame and translucent transaction screen. Needless to say, high quality furnishings like this don't come cheap! Priced at $4895.99 the 55314 is still worth every penny and will provide your receptionist with the command center needed to provide the absolute best customer service possible.

Efficiency is a key trait any quality receptionist must possess. Equipping your front desk personnel with mounts for multiple computer screens is a great way to provide just that! Versatile units like the adjustable mounts from ESI provide increased desk space by keeping your monitors supported on a single beam that can be grommet or clamp mounted. Models like the MMFS2 are an affordable choice at only $335.99. Your receptionist will be able to quickly multi task by using two screens at once. The swivel and turn adjustment capabilities will allow guests to see a screen when needed. Cutting edge monitors can even be added that allow for easy sign in without those old school pads that take up valuable counter space.

Any receptionist will tell you that high levels of productivity can't be achieved without organization. In order to keep an organized welcome station, receptionist's will need to be armed with several of 2013's coolest and most cutting edge desk organizing products. Items like powered desk sets offer the ability to charge devices quickly while keeping your pens and pencils nice and neat. In addition, simple items like wire organizers will keep all those various plugs nice, neat, and at hands reach when needed. It's no secret that power outlets are always at a premium. Equipping your station with labeled power strips is always a great way to help. In 2013, stylish power options are available that can be mounted underneath or on the side of desk walls to save floor space and improve organizing. In the long run, the little details make the biggest difference. Adding helpful accessories for desks and office workstations provide helpful ergo benefits that make us better employees that work happier and smarter!

5 Ways to Convince Your Boss to Purchase New Office Furniture

Is your office beginning to look decrepit? With beat-up old office chairs, torn up guest seating, and worn out desks, the place may be starting to resemble a zombie movie, but it definitely shouldn't stay that way. Bad furniture can have a huge impact on businesses, reducing clientele, diminishing productivity, efficiency, employee self-esteem, and worst of all, revenue. Terrible office furniture can take a huge toll on the business and everyone involved, so why let it stay that way? Your boss may try to argue, saying "how much could chairs and desks have changed in the past ten years?" Well, we're here to tell you that the office furniture world has been bursting with great new innovations like ergonomics scientifically proven to improve all aspects of the workplace. If you think your office could use a furniture makeover, here's a few of the best reasons that may help you convince your boss!

Ergonomics


Since its recent rise in popularity, ergonomics has become the pride of the office furniture industry. Just about every office furniture manufacturer has cashed in on this brilliant scientifically proven innovation that maximizes comfort, efficiency, and productivity in the workplace. Ergonomic furniture is all about comfort, with highly adjustable features designed to improve and make efficient whatever task the object performs. Things like ergonomic desks and ergonomic office chairs are nearly always equipped with features that allow their users to change comfort settings so that they feel as though the furniture was made precisely for them. Even better, ergonomic furniture is specially designed to improve the actual efficiency of the workplace through technological improvements adapted to whatever environment the furniture can be used in. For example, things like computers can become more efficient by adding wall or desk mounted ergonomic monitor arms. Inventions like these save desk space and can adjust the reach and tilt of the computer screen so that users don't have to lean over desks to get work done. The best part? Just about anything with the potential for structural improvement can be made ergonomic. Already, hundreds of office desks, chairs, and accessories have been improved using ergonomics. Why not improve your office by making it ergonomic too?

Long Term Value

One of the greatest things about new furniture, especially furniture of the ergonomic variety, is its long term value. The new office furniture of today is typically designed to last a long time, so that it not only provides indispensable benefits to the workplace, but does so for as long as possible. Today's furniture is typically made out of quality hardwood, tempered safety glass, chrome, metal, or high intensity plastic for things like office desks and chairs, so that their structural supports are built to last.  The furniture not only provides indispensable benefits to the workplace, it is also a great investment in the future. Much of the today's office furniture is designed with the future in mind, often incorporating technological features for inventions that are expected to enter the workplace sometime in the future. This way, business owners who invest in high quality ergonomic furniture know they are getting their money's worth.

Organization

Another cool feature of modern office furniture is its organization. It may not seem like it at first glance, but office furniture today is far more advanced than it was ten years ago. In the past, most furniture lacked the ability to comfortably adapt to changing work environments and conditions. Nevermore! Actually, much of office furniture nowadays incorporates modular designs. This means that modular office desks can often support more than one user. While bigger than most conventional office desks, many multi user workstations are smaller, yet more efficient than an office that is cluttered with multiple islands of ordinary office desks strewn about the room. Cubicles are designed in a similar fashion. With them, business owners are still capable of adding or removing cubicle units to meet the needs of a changing work demographic, while also receiving the benefits of modern design. All of these things come together to make a workplace much more efficiently organized so a business can spend less time getting itself together and more time making itself known!

Design

Obviously, a professional design is very important in the work environment. When office furniture functions efficiently, work gets done faster, employees and guests are comfortable, and the business blossoms in kind! So many of all these great benefits come as a direct result from incorporating modern office furniture into the workplace. As we've said before, office desks with modular capabilities can drastically improve the efficiency of a workplace by getting employees to work comfortably in close quarters so that the rest of the office space looks larger and cleaner. However,while functional design is important, so too are looks. Believe it of not, the way an office looks has a strong psychological effect on both guests and employees. If a place doesn't have any stimulating colors, artwork, or natural sunlight, it can be very easy for employee self esteem and work ethic to drop. Guests may become bored and uncooperative in an unsightly environment, so that the whole business suffers as a result, just from lacking visual stimulation. Don't let that happen to your office! Choose office furniture, desks, and office cubicles for collaborating so that your workplace looks as good as it functions. You may be surprised with the increase in business you get!

Customer Impression



For many businesses, everything revolves around the customer. Since the country's recent move from a production to a service orientation, businesses everywhere have been working like mad trying to get their companies noticed. For these places, the customer's impression of the business is the most important. What you may not realize is that furniture influences this too in a big way. When visitors enter a workplace as guests, they like to be treated with respect and to feel cared for. One of the best ways a business can show appreciation for its visitors is by comfortable chairs for office guest use. When guests can sit comfortably for long periods of time on affordable furniture for the office reception area without complaining about a wait time, its a good sign that the business has done the right thing in picking out quality guest furniture. Additionally, many businesses have taken customer satisfaction a step further by adding televisions, reading materials, and refreshment stations to their waiting rooms. This bit of extra effort pays for itself in the long run by allowing the business to work slightly more at its own speed, since guests are willing to wait longer without getting bored or irritated. It also improves the overall look and perception of the workplace in the customer's eye, and there's never anything to lose from that!

5 Easy Ways to Improve Office Efficiency for Free

Everyone's looking for new ways to improve their office, but why spend a fortune? If your chair is uncomfortable or your computer is slow, you certainly don't have to put up with it just to increase your productiveness, but you don't have to grab a hammer and break the piggy bank either. If you're on a budget, try some of these easy tricks to help improve your office efficiency without giving up the green!

Clean Your Keyboard Tray

One of the things you may never even about doing is cleaning out your keyboard. A dirty keyboard can be the cause of slow typing, and is often the impetus for purchasing a pricey new keyboard whenever a letter gets jammed and won't work anymore. Fortunately, keyboards and keyboard tray attachments can be cleaned out to prevent having to buy a new one. The sad part is that when most people consider it, they usually think it requires calling a service that will charge them more money than a simple cleaning is worth. Well, there's a great trick to cleaning out your keyboard with something you likely already have in the garage at home. Simply use a can of compressed air to blast the gunk out of it if the keys are slow. If a particular key is jammed, use a small screwdriver to pop it off and dislodge whatever is causing the jam (usually small pebbles, pencil tips, or crumbs). Then finally, wipe it off with a few disinfecting wipes to remove grease. You won't believe the difference!


Properly Route Your Wiring

Computers are extremely useful, but if the wires that connect them to printers, external hard drives, and presentation projectors are tangled up in a huge mess, you could get roped into a pretty expensive mess if any accidents happened. In order to get maximum efficiency from your computer and other devices, make sure you keep your wiring properly routed - that is, make sure the cords and cables connecting your devices are short and connected properly. Keeping wires and hard drives off the ground is a great way to avoid damage from spilled beverages and office pests. Consider adding CPU holders that mount under desks to keep hard drives off the floor and out of the way. Keep your wires together in bunches using velcro, duct tape, or wire chases mounted to the underside of your desk so your legs don't get tangled in them. Making use of grommet holes (the little holes at the front of your desk you've always wondered about) by running all your wires through them helps clear up desk space so you don't have to wade through a web of cables when searching for the stapler. If you still need more desk space, add monitor arms to your computers so they're mounted to walls instead of taking up space. Doing any of these things will help keep desks and workstations looking clean, organized, and easily maintained.

Purge Your Old Files

Another quick way to increase your office efficiency is to get rid of old files. That's right! In both computers and file cabinets, a good cleaning is a great way to improve your space and your speed. If you rely on paper filing systems, take the time one afternoon to go through and clean out the old records you haven't used or needed in a while. The same can be done for the literature racks and bookcase in the waiting room or reception area. If you don't have the heart or the ability to toss old files in the garbage, move them into boxes or smaller file bins sorted by date or type and keep them in a storage closet so they're out of your way. If you use computers, this task can be much simpler. Just go through and click delete on old files you no longer need. Run a quick scan to get rid of any malware or cookies that may be slowing your computer down, and empty your computer's recycle bin. The space you'll free up in your computer and storage cabinets will not only give you more storage options, but it will also increase your speed and functionality!

Adjust Your Office Chair

If you've been putting up with an uncomfortable office chair for far too long, you may be thinking that its time to get a new one. Unsupportive chairs can cause terrible back pain, depression, and  serious medical problems like sciatica and even blood clots! The only thing likely holding you back is the exorbitant prices of quality office chairs these days. Well, while you can find fabulous deals if you look long enough, chances are you can greatly increase your comfort without having to buy a new chair. In fact. most offices provide comfortable ergonomic office chairs without their employees even knowing it. If you've been experiencing  discomfort, just try adjusting your chair. Almost all modern task chairs have a height feature that can be adjusted so you don't have to bend down or reach up over desks to work, and often the back, seat angle, and arms can be adjusted as well. Some chairs even have an air pump feature on the under the seat to fluff up the cushion or deflate it. Instead of replacing your chair, just work with it a bit. You may find that its not so bad after all!

Clean Your Work Surface

There is no better way to increase your office efficiency that is more simple than an easy spring cleaning. Few like to do it, but no one can deny the affordability and helpfulness presented by a clean office space. If you find that you've been lining things like papers and business cards along the edges of cubicle layouts, you may actually just need a few stackable trays to help you keep things organized. Adding a whiteboard is a great way to keep daily notes without wasting papers that are easily lost. Some presentation boards not only include whiteboards, but also cork board doors to hold cards and post-its as well. Consider adding utility carts or file trucks that can be kept in corners or under desks but can be wheeled out until they are needed. Try to put everything easily within arms reach for added efficiency.