The Brother PT-2030AD will make organizing your office, files, cords, or anything else you can stick a label on…a snap!
For more information, download the Brother PT2030AD Brochure or contact us. Happy organizing!
Making Labels Just Got Easier
June 24, 2011
General Posts Cool Products, Labels, organization Leave a comment
Preparing At Work Before You Leave For Vacation
June 9, 2011
General Posts organization, planning, travel, vacation Leave a comment
We all look forward to vacation time, but making sure all of the loose-ends are tied up at work before we leave can be stressful.
Our friends at Smead have put together some great tools to help you get organized before you go on vacation so you can relax and have a great time.
Here is a handy Travel Checklist to help you prepare for your next vacation.
Save travels!
Secret Weapons for the Workplace Brought to You by Avery!
May 12, 2011
General Posts Avery, organization, Productivity, Tips Leave a comment
Have you ever had days like this: you walk into the office and—wham!—you’re hit with a million different requests before you even get around to your morning coffee. Looks like it’s time to whip out some secret weapons to conquer whatever comes your way. Here’s the lineup:
The quick flip move
Do you order supplies by flipping through our catalogs? Those paper cuts on your fingers could star in their own horror movie.
Secret weapon: Tab the pages of your frequently ordered supplies with Avery NoteTabs™ (click the link and log in as a guest to view the items if you don’t already have an account with us). The sturdy tabs are made of durable material so it’s easy to turn pages. Plus, you can write—or even highlight on the tab or see-through surface area so you can add personal notes, such as the quantity of supplies you need or order-by date.
The divide and deliver tactic
Need to organize a bunch of meeting binders but don’t have time to order custom dividers from a print shop?
Secret weapon: Put together organized reports, presentations, and office manuals in a jiffy with Avery Index Maker® Clear Label Dividers. Just customize on avery.com, print and apply all your labels onto the dividers at once with the Easy Apply™ label strips. The clear labels virtually disappear onto the surface, giving your dividers a neat, professional look.
The follow-up plan of action
You’ve got meetings and projects to follow-up on every month. How do you stay on top of it all?
Secret weapon: You’ll be able to see what’s going on at a glance with a “follow-up” drawer filled with hanging folders labeled 1 through 31 for each day of the month. For each upcoming event or project, create a file folder labeled with Avery Removable File Folder Label Pads and drop each file under the follow-up date. When you’re done, either permanently file or discard the documents inside the folder. Then remove the label so you can reuse the folder.
The time-saving mailing technique
Got a large mailing project that needs to get out the door, pronto?
Secret weapon: Armed with your mailing list database and Avery Easy Peel® Address Labels, it’s easy to creating address labels in no time. Just log in to Avery Design & Print Online, start your project by choosing your product and design, then select “Mail Merge” under the editing options and follow the step-by-step instructions.
The birthday recovery maneuver
You just remembered it’s a co-worker’s birthday. Do you slink off to the stationery store to buy a last-minute card?
Secret weapon: Keep a supply of Avery Greeting Cards handy so you can create personalized cards at a moment’s notice using the free Avery Design & Print Online software. Then slip the card in a folder with a routing slip so everyone gets a chance to express their best wishes.
The print shop-in-a-pinch strategy
Someone at work needs business cards for a client meeting, on the double. Are you in trouble?
Secret weapon: When a business card emergency strikes, turn to printable Avery Clean Edge® Business Cards to help you save the day. Instead of using a print shop that can take days to fulfill an order or may charge extra for a rush job, you can create professional-looking cards yourself and customize them with Avery Design & Print Online software.
The package tracking device
Looking for an easy way to track packages from multiple carriers?
Secret weapon: It’s a no-brainer, the Avery Universal Package Tracker’s Avery Universal Package Tracker’s got it covered. Save time tracking incoming or outgoing shipments with this free one-stop solution that tracks and saves up to 50 packages at a time. View by carrier, progress or recipient. Best of all, there’s no download required, and no strings attached.
When workplace requests come at you in a flurry, count on these weapons to help you triumph over office tasks and overthrow disorganization. With Avery on your side, you’ll soon discover your own arsenal of tricks to get the job done.
To purchase any of the above products, please visit our website at www.FirstClassSOS.com!
5 tips for a cleaner desk
January 10, 2011
General Posts Desk, office supplies, organization Leave a comment
Does this look familiar? It’s not a picture of my desk, but it could be. For some reason, filing papers is on the bottom of my list of things-to-do. It seems that I always find something more important to do. Lucky for me, Anne Chase Moeller’s dad had the same problem. Her solution was to set aside one day a year (the second Monday in January) and proclaim it “National Clean Off Your Desk Day“ So…today is the day!
It’s time to wrangle those papers and get control of your desk once again.
Here are 5 tips to help you get your desk in order:
(and maybe even keep it in order, so that next year you can go out to lunch instead of clean your desk)
1. Letter Trays
Instead of having one big pile of papers, create separate action trays for your desk based on the importance of the document. The inbox is only for documents you haven’t looked at yet. Once you touch it, look at it and take action. Create a paper flow system that works for you and your job.
2. Desk Organizer
Only keep the items on your desk that you use on a daily basis – and have a place for them. A desktop organizer can go a long way when you’re on the phone and you can’t find a pen. If your supplies have a home, you will always know where you can find them. You can even go one step further and get a desk drawer organizer and minimize the clutter on top of your desk even more.
3. Vertical File System
Wall-mounted vertical file systems are another way to get your desktop clutter under control. There are many different configurations. Most are modular, which means that you can add as many ‘pockets’ as you need. There are also some that are magnetic – great for the side of a file cabinet. If you are in a cubical – there are systems that easily attach over partition walls.
4. Wastebasket/Shredder
This might seem like a no-brainer, but keeping a wastebasket within arm’s reach is a necessity if you want to keep control over your desktop. When you don’t need the document anymore, don’t set it down…toss it! It’s also a good idea to have a shredder close by so that you can safely dispose of those documents which might have sensitive information in them.
5. Cleaning Wipes
Keep a canister of cleaning wipes in your desk drawer. Make a habit of wiping off your desk on Friday before you got home. You’ll wipe away dust and germs, plus it might just help you keep your desk free of clutter. Not only will you get sick less, Monday morning will be a lot less of a drag if you can start your day with a clean desk. Cluttered desk = cluttered brain.
For these products and more, visit us at www.FirstClassSOS.com.
If you have a way to keep your desk organized that you’d like to share, leave your tip in the comments.
Select the Right Filing Product for the Job
January 6, 2011
General Posts Files, organization, Post-it, Smead Leave a comment
Our Favorite Office Objects: The Endlessly Versatile Binder Clip (via Lifehacker)
September 17, 2010
General Posts office supplies, organization 1 Comment
Our Favorite Office Objects: The Endlessly Versatile Binder Clip
Patented 100 years ago to mitigate the time-consuming process of manually hole-punching and thread-binding papers and manuscripts, the classic piece of office-supply brilliance known as the binder clip deserves a prominent spot in every office, home, and quick-and-dirty DIYers’ toolkit.
A Brief History of Binder Clips
Let’s marvel for a bit at the design mastery behind the binder clip. It’s made of one solid but flexible piece of steel and two hinged wires. When folded back, the binder clip’s metal hooks provide the leverage necessary to open the powerful spring-loaded clasp. After you’ve bound your papers (or whatever you’ve fit into the mouth of the binder clip), the metal arms fold forward, flush against the bound object. Or you can remove them altogether.
Unlike its older and significantly more simplistic cousin, the paperclip, the binder clip binds significantly larger stacks of paper together with ease; unlike staples, hole-punches, or thread, the binder clip is a completely non-destructive method of binding and organizing paper with a vice-like grip. (You can even completely remove the wires if you prefer to keep the clip fastened and want to lose the cruft.)
Per Wikipedia, the binder clip has undergone next to no significant design improvements or changes since it was invented nearly 100 years ago. You can find the indispensable gadgets in a variety of sizes, from the tiny roach-clip style to clamps the size of your hand (but with a significantly stronger grip).
In the UK, it’s called a bulldog clip. Yeah. Update: Reader Mark clarifies that the Bulldog clip is actually just a brand, like saying Kleenex instead of tissue.
Beyond Paper
So yeah, binder clips hold paper together. That’s not terribly sexy, and even the fact that it’s stood the test of time and remains one of the most reliable and ubiquitous office supplies doesn’t really change that. But the binder clip transcends the yawn-factor of office knighthood through the many brilliant and clever ways they’ve been put to use outside the piles of workspace papers. Let’s look at a few of our favorites:
Binder Clip as Cable Catcher
The picture says it all, but you can also combine binder clips with magnets for an even better hidden alternative.
The Hipster PDA
Sick of digital tools like Evernote and long for the days of analog capture? Personal productivity guru Merlin Mann’s classic Hipster PDA is a bundle of 3″x5″ notecards and a binder clip. Done.
Smartphone Stand
Combine binder clips with a sturdy sync cable and you’ve got yourself a syncing stand. Or you can do a little bending for a smartphone stand of a different style.
And So On
The binder clip can also stand in as emergency cuff links in a pinch, keep your toothpaste squeezed, stop hanging folders from sliding, create a quick DIY photo wall, hold your duvet cover, and more. It’s one of those “let your imagination run wild” DIY tools, and its surprising versatility seems almost endless.
So it’s in that spirit that we salute the classic binder clip, this editor’s favorite understated workplace timesaver.
Send an email to Adam Pash, the author of this post, at tips+adam@lifehacker.com.
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What now? every time i post a post with this pic it dont get posted and the text is all in a red background…
I had to not mention the word “D-ra,g’on f`ly”, ad rename the file to make it post ?
What the phuque is that about? Reply
MaxellDVD1 approved this comment
I did a Google search. Man did I see a ton of other clever uses.
Sleeve Holder:
Link: [davidscrimshaw.blogspot.com]
Pic: [2.bp.blogspot.com]Bucket Tubing Holder:
Link: [silverbased.org]
Pic: [silverbased.org]Wallet/Key-Chain:
Link: [www.realsimple.com]
Pic: [img4.realsimple.com]Picture Holder:
Link: [www.realsimple.com]
Pic: [img4.realsimple.com]Poster Hanger:
Links: [www.abovethemedia.com]
Pic: [www.abovethemedia.com]I mainly use them to close bags of potato chips. Reply
Nice. I have friend who uses a binder clip, attached via elastic to the top tube of her bike. The clip is attached to her skirt to stop it riding up her legs. Disappointing for some, but reassuring for her. Replydanielblakes approved this commentThere are three kinds of people in the world:Those that roll the toothpaste from the bottom up.Those that don’t care.
And then Those that use a paperclip and fold the toothpaste tube from the bottom up.
I am proud to be the latter. Works wonders
Reply
I buy the biggest of them all (1″ wide)and used them on cereal, potato chip, pretzel, cheetos, coffe bean bags an so on….At any time I have dozens in use…. work 1000 times better than those silly plastic clips. ReplyYou know when those crappy little plastic keyboard feet snap off? Yep, replace them with the little metal handles. ReplyI used a mini binder clip with one arm removed as a cable minder in my car to keep the power cable from flapping around between my 12v outlet and my PDA that I used for nav and music. The clip was the same color as the piece of trim that it clipped to and the whole solution was so tidy that most people never noticed it. ReplyHow do you make the binder clip as cable catcher? I’m fiddling with one right now, and none of my cables fit through the clip. ReplyThey are used in molecular biology labs around the world for holding gel electrophoresis rigs together.There’s even a company that sells stainless steel ones for this purpose. ReplySeveral uses of the binder clip were still not mentioned here Adam.Though, those uses may be better covered in a post on the Gawker blog not mentioned in the banner at the bottom of the page. ReplyPut several clips on their side and place your laptop on it to improve airflow and viewing angle.
#laptopstands ReplyIt also makes the best money clip you can use. That’s been my “wallet” for the last 7 years. ReplyI use them to clip the edges of blankets to furniture and as tie-offs for impromptu tents and forts in my daughter’s room.We also use them as clamps for small projects – especially school projects. Reply
Combine binder clips with a sturdy sync cable and you’ve got yourself a syncing stand. Or you can do a little bending for a 
| via lifehacker.com
More office supply awesomeness!
Can’t find your files? Try these!
August 9, 2010
General Posts Files, Folders, New Products, Office, office supplies, organization, Video, YouTube Leave a comment
If you use manila file folders inside a hanging folder in your file cabinet, these are a must-have! The top rail is lowered so you can see your tabs. With these, it is much easier to find your files in your file cabinet. Order #IDEFT07033 for the standard green hanging file folders or #IDEFT07034 for 5 assorted bright colors, if you really want to be organized and color-code your files!
While you’re organizing your file cabinet, why don’t you try these too? 3 tab locations in 1 manila file folder!
Order #IDEFT07046 and have the best looking file cabinet in the office!
Filing Organization Storage Get Simply Organized with Your Filing from Avery.com
January 11, 2010
General Posts Avery, Office, organization Leave a comment
Get Simply Organized with Your FilingPaperwork—sometimes it seems like it has a life of its own. Stacks grow and documents multiply. Before you know it, your desk is covered in a flurry of loose paper and folders, and you find yourself spending more time sorting through piles and hunting down important files. In fact, according to the Delphi Group, a Boston consultancy, 15% of all papers are lost, and 30% of the employees’ time is spent trying to find lost documents.But there’s an easy way to get simply organized. Check out these tips on how you can make your job and life a bit easier.
Divide and conquer your paperwork
First, take stock of all the paper that surrounds you. Sort through each item and determine whether it’s something you want to toss, forward to someone else, or keep. When you’ve narrowed it down to your “keep” stack, go through each piece of paper and decide:1) if it’s something you’ll refer to it often;
2) if you’ll refer to it only occasionally;
3) if it should be archived for recordkeeping.Interesting fact: 80% of filed papers are never referenced again, and 50% of all filed materials are actually duplicates or contain expired information, as reported in Document Management.
Build your go-to binder
For the paperwork you refer to often, it’s important to keep them where you can access them quickly and easily. An Avery Heavy-Duty Binder is a convenient place to house your active, most-wanted documents. The durable design can hold up to frequent referencing, and One Touch™ EZD™ rings open and close easily when you need to add or remove pages.And because these documents are the ones you’ll refer to most often, it’s a good idea to create easy-access sections that hold up against wear and tear with Avery Durable Ready Index Dividers. There’s a reason why they’re known as durable dividers. With stronger, heavier paper, stronger tab reinforcement and double-sided hole reinforcement, they’re three ways stronger to last longer.
Organizing your documents is a snap—just create customized Table of Contents with free Avery Templates for fast and easy organization. You can also keep your important pages such as phone lists and other guides intact with Avery Sheet Protectors.
Create simple, easy-to-use files
For paperwork you refer to only occasionally or documents that need to be referenced by several people in the office, an ideal place to keep them is in a filing cabinet that’s easily accessible to everyone.The filing system doesn’t have to be complicated, just workable for everyone that needs to access it. So set up your system with the users in mind. Consider adding visual cues onto your file folder labels. Using elements such as color coding or recognizable icons and symbols make it easy to find the right file quickly.
You can improve the look of your existing folders or update and reuse old folders with Avery File Folder Labels with TrueBlock™ Technology. They’re specially designed to cover old labels or markings underneath, while giving your file folders a professional appearance.
Pack it up and store it away
Recordkeeping is important to any company. But outdated accounting and tax documentation, past research reports and old employee records tend to pile up. For things that should be archived, pack them away safely in labeled boxes for storage.If you’re reusing old storage boxes or want to update the labels on your current boxes, use Avery Shipping Labels with TrueBlock™ Technology. These powerful labels are useful for more than just shipping. Use them to completely cover old markings or labels on your current storage boxes so you can create a clean appearance.
Organizing your paperwork is easier said than done. But once you’ve taken the challenge to get them in order, you’ll appreciate the speed and efficiency an orderly filing system will bring to your workplace.
via avery.com
More tips to get yourself organized. Time to break out the file folders & labels and Get Busy!
Posted via web from First Class School and Office Supplies’ Posterous
A Clean Desk: 7 secrets that get you in the clean desk club.
January 11, 2010
General Posts Office, organization, Smead Leave a comment
The feeling a clean desk gives you is energizing and sometimes inspiring. The desk is clean, you are focused and work is going to get done! This usually lasts a day or two and a few big projects later the clean desk returns to its original chaotic state. Some people are blessed with large work surfaces – looming desks that command attention upon entering an office. Others reading this article can only wish to have such spacious surroundings while working. Regardless of the amount of desk surface space you have, here are some guidelines to help keep that desk clean.
- Think of your desk as prime real estate. Whatever sits on it needs to deserve to take up the space. Only items you use on a daily basis should sit here.
- Keep supplies close by. Drawers and pencil caddies are convenient ways to make sure often-used items are handy.
- Keep things in reach. Resources, files and other items you use on a daily basis should be within arms reach. If you keep a telephone book on your desk, but use an online directory, then the phone book needs to go.
- Think “up”. By putting your computer monitor on a stand, you’ll not only raise it to a proper ergonomic level, but you’ll give yourself more clean desk surface space. If possible, install shelves above your desk, providing an area where you can keep binders and other resources within arms reach.
- Create a system. Organize your current projects by placing them in project jackets, poly file folders or other manila folders. Take the time to label each file and store them upright in an incline sorter. This is a great way to avoid piles of files and allows you to visually see all of your projects. Now you have a system that will help you maintain your clean desk.
- Use a stacked In/Out tray. Papers and unopened mail coming into your office need a temporary home until you can make decisions regarding them. Make sure that the bottom of the two trays acts as your In-Box, thus limiting just how much stuff can accumulate before you give it some attention. This helps you keep a clean desk and stay on top of projects that need attention.
- Get rid of distractions. Between people stopping by your office, your phone ringing, email coming in at a steady pace and keeping up with appointments and meetings, it’s no wonder it’s such a feat to maintain a clean desk. To simplify, get rid of excess personal items, including things that need to return to home. You should also pay close attention to the space under your desk as it’s often an easy hiding place for clutter. These distractions will only keep you from your goal of obtaining a clean desk.
These simple but useful ideas can help you keep that clean desk year round. Now you will have more time and energy to devote to more important tasks.
By: Audrey Thomas
via smead.com
Have you ever heard the saying “Do as I say, not as I do”? Yeah, you really don’t want to see my desk right now. Let’s just say…it’s a work-in-progress.
Posted via web from First Class School and Office Supplies’ Posterous
![[2.bp.blogspot.com]](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LINCmry4sGI/SSzC4SFCKpI/AAAAAAAABN8/34bNoyZTbGQ/s400/Binder-Clip-Sleeve.jpg){kind=link}
![[silverbased.org]](http://silverbased.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/bucket-binder-clip.jpg){kind=link}
![[img4.realsimple.com]](http://img4.realsimple.com/images/work-life/money/0309/money-clip_300.jpg){kind=link}
![[img4.realsimple.com]](http://img4.realsimple.com/images/home-organizing/organizing/0505/Metallic-PaperClip_300.jpg){kind=link}
