Anyone that works in an office setting knows there are some supplies that cannot be avoided because they are basics to a business setting. Telephones and computers are always needed, as well as desks and chairs. Filing systems and other storage units are also considered indispensable. When it comes to setting up a functional desk, the essentials for a student are virtually the same as for an executive at a corporation. Fundamental desk supplies include notepads and pencils, pens, stapler, calendar, calculator, and planner. Open a typical office drawer and you are likely to find staples, paper clips, glue sticks, post-it notes and correction tape. Office meetings are likely to take place regularly. The meetings require special supplies of course, which often begins with reports or other handouts. The individuals attending the meetings will need to take notes as the meeting progresses and there is always an official transcriber. Although, the reports and handouts may be presented or kept in cheap binders, the information contained in those documents is often priceless. The reality is that prized secrets are often shared in business and board meetings, and though the data is written on ordinary paper that is held together with staples or paper clips, it could contain a million dollar idea. Avid readers never judge a book by its cover, and savvy businessmen and women do not judge the value of a report by the way it is presented. While presentation can be impressive, it is the content that truly matters. Additionally, learned business people realize that saving costs on such things as office supplies allows additional funding for other areas. Thus, a million dollar idea presented in an inexpensive folder may lead one to believe that the creator is indeed, intelligent and moneywise. That of course makes the content even more compelling. The fact is that the cost of a binder or folder has no bearing on what it holds and a cheap folder performs the same function as a fancier, more expensive version. While a penny saved may be a penny earned, saving money on essentials like office supplies is simply smart business.

indispensable in today’s vast and versatile “arsenal” of office consumable products. The list of popular office consumables is long, including products such

as pre-printed rolls, fax paper, computer forms, telex paper rolls, plan printing paper, inkjet paper, wide format rolls, laser toner cartridges, inkjet

cartridges and many more.

High quality fax ink film is renowned for its versatility and economic character. When employing the services of a reputed, reliable provider, your fax ink

film purchases are guaranteed to attract the following series of advantages: custom made sizes and lengths; bulk packing and OEM / own branding; fast

delivery lead time even on big orders; respects all OEM specifications and with accurate notch angles; printed quality close to original dark, sharp and

clear; anti-static film with special designed backcoat to protect printhead; integrated end mark to active machine memory when film runs out; no new setting

required – just insert and use; continuous printing up to 20 pages without jamming is guaranteed; economical and save running cost on your faxes; factory

direct and customs labeling; non-glossy print-outs available.

Barcode ribbons are another extremely popular category of office consumables being available for purchasing in a variety of shapes and sizes, being suitable

for numerous applications and being compatible with many different barcode printer models. If you decide to purchase barcode ribbons from a prominent

provider, you can rest assured that these products are top-quality, corroborating efficiency with affordability. Advantages offered by quality barcode

ribbons include: custom made sizes and lengths available; extensive variety and sufficient quantity of ready stocks for prompt delivery; wide range of

formulae from wax to wax resin as well as near edge ribbons; free samples available for testing; high-quality contrast printing for error-free scanning; the

products comply with strict quality specifications and are engineered to preserve, as well as prolong expensive printhead life.

Commonly commercialized barcode ribbons can be separated into three categories: wax type, wax resin type and resin. Wax is the least expensive barcode ribbon

available and is typically used with thermal transfer paper labels, providing economical and easy printing even at up to 12″ per second; common applications

include: inventory control labels, shipping labels, hang tags, general purpose labeling. Wax resin is typically used on thermal transfer printable coated

paper, synthetic labels and tags where added moisture or certain degree of smudge resistance is required; applications include: bagging machines,

pharmaceutical labels, frozen product labels, drum and pallet labels, inventory control, mattress/cushion tags. Resin is typically used on thermal transfer

printable high-end synthetics when extreme heat, oils and solvents are present; applications include: pharmaceutical labels, drum and pallet labels, asset

labels, dry cleaning labels.

Self-contained rolls are available in various shapes and sizes, and can be purchased in either printed or non-printed form. High-quality self-contained rolls

are known to extend the lifespan of dot-matrix printers and for offering great image quality. Self-contained rolls purchases from competitive providers offer

the following advantages: extensive range of sizes available at competitive prices; one-ply or multi-ply rolls available; top ply with any color combinations

for 2 ply onwards yellow, pink, blue & green; fast image development – dark, sharp as well as clear images, clean printed image with minimal dirty stains;

blue/black images available, blank or printed roll available. Self-contained rolls are primarily designed for use in dot-matrix or impact printers without

having to use ribbons, image appears on impact. They are commonly used as cash register rolls for hospitality and retail industry, credit card processing and

so on.

For more information about Fax Ink Film or about Self-Contained Rolls please visit these links http://www.1telepapers.com.

I have 9 tips on how to declutter paper in our homes and offices:

1. Create a filing system that works for you. I use Freedom Filer that is based on placing everything in color coded categories.  The first step is to gather up all your lose papers. Sort through every piece even though you might think you know what is in that stack—a bond or some other important piece of paper could be hiding.

Create a system to handle your mail by finding a home for your mail. This could be a basket, bowl, shoe box etc. someplace that you always place your mail so you know where it is and where to go when your ready to sort through it.

3. Do you wonder how long to keep papers? Utility bills only keep one month until you get your next bill and verify you have received credit for payment. If you can prove two different ways that you have paid the bill you don’t have to keep it past one month. The exception to this is if you want to compare last year’s bill to the current year.  After you have done this, recycle, shred or trash them.

Anything that has to do with taxes put with the tax papers, don’t keep in separate folders.

Keep your will, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, adoption papers, military records, citizenship papers,  power of attorney and copies of your 401D accounts along with the names of your beneficiaries, property titles, deeds and mortgages forever—to name a few.

Go to IRS.gov for information related to how long to keep tax records. They are usually to be kept for at least 7 years.

4. Use your computer for filing instead of printing off everything you receive. Keep the information in a folder on your computer. If you need to print it out you can do so if and when the need arises.

5. Pay your bills on line. Sign up for electronic bill pay and notify the company to send your bills via the internet.

6. Get your name off junk mail lists. Go to Google and search junk mail for several places you can sign up to get off lists.  This will really help you organize clutter as you’ll have a lot less junk mail to organize.

7. Handle each piece of paper only once. Make a decision at the time you first pick up the paper and act on that decision.

8. Declutter paperwork by canceling magazine and newspaper subscriptions you don’t read. How to declutter magazines that are stacking up around your home is to go through them every three months and recycle them even if you haven’t read them, you can always find the information online.

9. Keep your inbox under control. Don’t let it overflow with papers that need filing. File on a regular basis so paper work doesn’t take over your life.

By taking care of paper that comes into your home a little at a time can free you up to do what you want to do and will help you declutter your home and life before it becomes a burden to you.

Marilyn is a professional organizer and invites you to visit her website www.marilynbohn.com, She is a sought after public speaker and author who is passionate about teaching ways to organize your life and how to reduce clutter. She works with women in their homes and offices. On her web site she teaches you to get rid of clutter by using her Lights On Organizing System. She provides practical information on how to declutter your home, office and life. In her blogs, articles, and videos she gives timely tips on how to clear clutter and how to declutter everything in your home and office. She is the author of a book called Go Organize! Conquer clutter in three simple steps which will be in major bookstores in December 2009.

Reduce, reuse

Shop for deals and returns

Try refills

Put four images on one page for draft work

Use all the ink

Do not print everything Just because there is an image or text on the screen in front of you does not mean that you need to print it. This especially goes for internet pages. An internet page will find ink and ink cartridges working overtime to blend all the colors together for the desired look. If you must print the page use black ink only and save the other three for your presentation drafts.

Reuse/reduce  Just so it is not left out of the mix, use both sides of the page. You might also find savings in using the legal size paper that you only used 20 sheets of. Mine sat forever until I began using it for drafts. If there is a large presentation coming up think about putting 4-6 printed pages on one page. Ink will go that much farther and since you are really just trying to get a look at how it will look the size should not matter too much. This will save loads of ink cartridge and paper.

Deals/returns- When you do run out of ink shop at a store that will give you a deal on recycling the ink cartridge. If you are replacing all four ink cartridges at one time there are stores out there that will give you $12.00, which of course will go toward the$ 60.00 or so for new ink cartridges.

Refills – Some swear by refills others do not. If they work for you go for it. Refill Ink is an individual thing and can save some cash so you decide. So try refills as it may make a difference to the overall cost.

Use all the ink The low ink window is like a bell ringing for a dog. The window comes up and a trip to the store is needed right away. Don’t be swayed. There is likely quite a bit of ink left in the ink cartridge. Remember that the ink comes out in a spray so it doesn’t take much. Use it all and then shake the ink cartridge to break any Ink clogs up, especially in humid climes.

There are like many more home office tips and tricks that can be used to save money in the home office. The real trick is to slow down half a step and think about the actions that your hands are making. If you have gotten into a particular habit you could be wasting materials like ink cartridges and ink.

Even if you will only be working on your business planning at home, setting up a dedicated workspace is a good idea. During the planning phase, you will be collecting important paperwork, from your research notes to your entity registration, that you want to keep safe from being damaged or lost. As you delve deeper into the process, you will need a filing system to organize your work. Information from suppliers needs to be kept handy, and your marketing materials will need to be easily accessible and organized. Whether you choose to use a file cabinet or three-ring binders to manage your paperwork, keep your system convenient enough that you will actually use it!

Phone calls with suppliers and vendors will be a regular part of your startup planning. Be sure your dedicated work space allows you to maintain a professional atmosphere for talking on the phone. An office space with a door is best. Screaming kids and barking dogs in the background will limit your credibility. Also consider installing a separate phone line or purchasing a work-only cell phone, so that business calls are not accidentally picked up by others in your home and any calls that go to voicemail aren’t greeted by your hilarious family voicemail jingle.

Developing your business idea will require significant concentration and focus, so a quiet area (again, a space with a door is best) is a must. Much of your startup research can be conducted through the internet, so be sure you have access to a high-speed connection. If you have or can get a laptop to use for your startup, wireless capabilities are great. With a wireless connection, you can work anywhere in the house, not to mention at your local library, Starbucks, and most hotels!

If you plan to work from home for the long term, a dedicated work space is critical. To remain compliant with your LLC or corporate entity registration (your business should be one or the other to protect your personal assets), you must keep all business records separate from your personal. If you plan to write the use of your home office off as a personal tax deduction, and you should, the square footage that you count as office space must be dedicated to the business. That means your home office should not double as your personal bill-paying area or as extra personal storage space.

It is very easy, when working from home, to be lackadaisical about managing your work space and allow it to become a messy mass of disorganized papers. From the first day you begin working on your startup, remember that you are establishing the culture of your future company. Force yourself to maintain the organization and discipline that you will expect from your employees. How you get work done will be the standard for how your employees get work done, so begin your startup with the future in mind.

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The benefits of using recycled paper are significant contributors in our quest for a better environment and a better world both for ourselves and the future generations. Recycling and using recycled paper in our homes, offices and schools creates a positive impact on our natural environment, available energy resources and our economy. Start today.