Home Office

Saving money is our motto, but occasionally we come across items worth spending a little more on. Yes, you can save money on these goods by waiting for a deal to come along, but generally speaking, these items are more of an investment where quality takes precedence over frugality. We've found that by spending a little more on items like computer systems, certain office gear, and yes, 500-thread count sheets, you actually wind up saving money in the long run because the higher quality of these items prolongs the need to replace them every year.

From desktop replacements to cosmetics, below is a list from dealnews of the top five items where - in their opinion - being too frugal doesn't pay.

1. Get a Laptop that Lasts: Invest in a Desktop Replacement
Buying a new computer is a major purchasing decision. Not only do you want a model that adheres to your budget, but you'll also want a machine that won't be obsolete in a year, nor one that requires constant upgrading or maintenance. Depending on your needs, you could opt for a budget laptop (you can even narrow your search to specific months for optimal savings). Or if you're a demanding computer user, why not invest in a desktop replacement?Read more

By Jeff Zbar
www.chiefhomeofficer.com

The modern home office often is bedeviled by a timeless nemesis: the dust bunny. Whether under the desk or other home office furniture, behind the technology (like the printer, the fax machine, the monitor, for example), or anyplace else, dust and debris can gather to cause unsightly clutter and allergic reactions.

Cleaning the workspace can be vital to ensuring an attractive appearance, a clean office and fewer allergens and triggers that cause sickness.

When a power outage revealed recently that my battery backup was kaput, I decided to get a new backup. I also took the chance to change and better organize the wiring behind my flat panel monitor and beneath my desk. I essentially cleaned up the rat's nest that had taken form around my space – and untangle the mass of cables that attracted dust bunnies and an unsightly mess.

My new APC Back-UPS Pro 1300 seemingly came with a mental retuning. The introduction of this device didn't just mean I had more time to power down devices in the event of a blackout. It gave me a whole new outlook on home office cleanliness.Read more

By Jeff Zbar
www.chiefhomeofficer.com
www.homeofficehighway.com

I got a voicemail today. With email, texts, pins, BBMs, Facebook, tweets, IM, LinkedIn messages, and the like, imagine that someone actually left a vmail – and that I actually check it.

In the message, the person left her query. She also commented that my outbound greeting referenced Cinco de Mayo. A greeting a month old, eh? Goes to show how little attention many of us pay to our vmail greetings.

This got me to thinking, though… Assuming people actually listen to greetings, what should we say or request of those trying to reach us? What about for teleworkers, road warriors and even workationing entrepreneurs?

I once espoused changing greetings weekly – so seemingly timely and attentive that would make us appear. I got over that once it got sufficiently old and burdensome that I forgot to update the greeting (see Cinco de Mayo reference above).

Yet the question rises anew as I prepare for a three-week excursion on Home Office Highway.

Do I say I'll be on the road? Do I give contact details for myself, or contact info for others in my stead? Since I'll be working a bit, do I forward calls to my mobile?

What about other forms of contact…? Do I actually use my Gmail Vacation Responder? Do I suggest texts, pins, BBMs, Facebook, tweets, IM, LinkedIn messages, and the like?Read more

By Jeff Zbar
www.chiefhomeofficer.com

Seth Godin wrote recently of "the end of magic." He was lamenting how the newness of the new seems to have passed us by — how the really cool tools and applications that once wowed us in the workplace and life now are so commonplace that they are taken for granted, and no longer devices of Wow!

Wait. Take a moment to ponder the tools we use and what they bring to our daily lives. You might respectfully disagree.

Every day, I use services and tools that keep me connected with the world outside in ways that still seem magical. My BlackBerry brings the Internet and its motherlode of possibilities to a device smaller than a deck of cards (iPhone users will only smirk at the possibilities borne from their device).Read more

By Jeff Zbar
www.chiefhomeofficer.com

Not every home office is in a spacious bedroom with enough square footage for all your stuff. Some are downright tight. To capitalize on the space you have, make the most of idle or ill-used space. Here are five tips to better space management…

- Go flat and wireless. Whether it's a flat-panel dispanel monitor, or use of wireless computer accessories like the keyboard or mouse or a cordless desktop phone, today's tech maximizes space while ensuring function. Moreover, it eliminates unsightly and space-consuming wires. Even a wireless telephone headset can allow you to work away from the workspace.Read more

By Jeff Zbar
www.chiefhomeofficer.com

It's well-established that the home office is no cube in the corporate hive. Its feel, funk and accoutrements are distinctively NOT Facilities Management-Approved. The Good Housekeeping Seal has a totally different definition in the home-based workspace.

That said, and beyond the two-line portable phone, the wireless headset, the ergonomics (keyboard, foot rest, and Aeron chair), the 5-Hour Energy, and the licorice Jelly Bellies, what makes your home office a place of comfort and business? My elements would include…

- iTunes. For the right audiophile, music can be great for the work or creative process. I have 2,600 tunes queued up on iTunes with an old pair of Altec Lansing speakers. They're weaker than I'd like. So for those times I want more, I plug my synched iPod into the mStation tower. Great highs and lows for full and balanced sound – especially at those times when it's just me and Stella the terrier and no one else to complain (it also includes a remote control — another killer tool for any home office device). Ahh, a little Black Crowes came on just as I'm writing this…Read more

New Single Function Models Deliver High Efficiency and Extraordinary Image Quality

October 13, 2010 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today announced the addition of four new imageCLASS laser printers to its lineup of small office and home office solutions. The new Color imageCLASS LBP7200cdn and imageCLASS LBP6650dn/LBP6300dn/LBP6000 black-and-white laser printers deliver robust performance and high-quality output in a compact, easy-to-use device. In addition, the new printers mark the entry of the imageCLASS brand into the U.S. single-function printer market.

"This is an exciting time for Canon imageCLASS, as the addition of these laser printers enables us to offer small business customers a complete solution, comprised of both multi-function and single-function laser printer products" said Jim Rosetta, vice president and general manager, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A. "These fully-featured color and black-and-white devices offer advanced imaging quality, energy-savings, ease-of-use and the performance required to help customers meet the changing needs of today’s fast-paced business world."Read more

By Jeff Zbar
www.chiefhomeofficer.com

My trusted printer died recently. I got about three years out of it. A guy at a local ink and toner store said I was lucky to have it that long. I guess that's like getting 25 months out of a cell phone's two-year contract.

So I went hunting for a new printer. We've all done this before – more times than we care to recall. The problem with consumer electronics is the built-in obsolescence and anticipation of failure. Constructed of chincy metals and flimsy plastics, we've been preprogrammed to expect failure.

Short-lived printers are only part of what keeps printer companies in business. What really puts black ink on their bottom line is the cost of replacement cartridges. Look up "Loss Leader" in the Consumer Electronics Dictionary and a picture of a printer will accompany a definition that reads, "The process of convincing consumers that an low-price printer is a good deal – but hook them on reallllly expensive ink."

Ink, it seems, is the Achilles' heel of owning a printer. So, finding the right printer and having good print strategies is important.

Having bought a few printers in my day, I have a few parameters and guidelines for the buying process. It starts with a summary of my expectations. For example, some of the things I want are…Read more