Michigan Computer Supplies Shares Tips on Electronic Filing.

Do you have all of your documents listed individually on your computer? 
Does it take you extra time to scroll through “My Documents” to find anything?

Have you ever named a file something completely random, or put it in a weird place never to be found, until months after you needed it? 

If you answered yes, you may be looking for a better system to save time and eliminate extra stress!

The good news is that Electronic File Management is easier than traditional paper filing. 

• The documents on your computer should be filed in a system similar to your paper files. 

See our tips on Paper File Management for a refresher.

• Name files consistently.

For example, if you have similar files for each customer, vendor, employee, etc, it‘s smart to set up their file from the beginning… Yes, even before you have documents to file!
     
     Widgets XYZ invo |  Widgets XYZ paymts  |  Widgets XYZ docs
     Smiths Plumbing invo | Smith’s Plumbing paymts | Smith’s Plumbing docs

• Similar to paper files, try to regularly purge documents and files that are outdated or obsolete. 

• Try to avoid the urge to print.  You don’t need more paper!

• Remember the importance of backing up your electronic files regularly. 

Save files to an external hard drive, a disk, jump drive, or an on-line backup service.  Please give us a call if you need some guidance with this.  We have many options to keep your important files safe and secure.

• Keep your web browser more organized by regularly clearing out your “Bookmark” tool or “Favorites” tab.  You may have added a website to your favorites bar to make finding it easier, but it makes sense to purge it when it is no longer relevant.  

• Make time to keep up your filing system.  You may want to set aside ten minutes a day to file, or an hour once a week. 

• If you have a shared file system, make sure everyone understands the new system. 

Keep up the great work!   

Your efforts now will pay dividends in the future! 

At Michigan Computer Supplies we care about our customers and want to offer you excellent service.  We can assist you with finding ways to back up your electronic files, as well as, great prices on ink and toner cartridges.  Did you also know that we also provide computer repair and printer repair?  In addition, we are Authorized Zebra and Motorola Dealer for bar code labels and data collection supplies.   Contact us today! 

734-213-5400    contact@michigancomputersupplies.com

We also encourage you to sign up for FREE Tips and Coupons.  http://michigancomputersupplies.com/

You’ll receive coupons plus:

     “How to Make Your Ink or Toner Cartridge Last Longer”

     “How to Clean Your Keyboard With a Few Household Items”

Tips for Effective Filing from Michigan Computer Supplies.

Are you constantly searching for papers on your desk?
Is your “miscellaneous” file bursting at the seams?

If you’re like most, you procrastinate when it comes to filing.  You may have a system in place, but you rarely take time to file the constant flow of paper crossing your desk.
So what’s it going to take for you to get those piles of paper under control?  Maybe it’s hiring a personal assistant!  Unfortunately, that’s rarely an option.
Therefore, we’ve compiled a list of tips, and a helpful link, to make your filing a bit easier and more efficient.  You may begin to actually like the F word… and by that, we mean Filing!

• Start by identifying your main categories and sub-categories.   

For example, if you were setting up a Personal Finances file, the sub-categories might be: savings account, checking account, credit cards, home expenses, business expenses, and education/student loans. When your monthly statements come in, they should be placed in the appropriate file and not in one file labeled “statements.” 

• Color Coding may help make retrieving and re-filing faster. 

If you don’t want to purchase different colored folders, you could instead     highlight the label in the designated color, or put a colored sticker on the tab. 

• Make time to keep up your filing system. 

You may want to set aside ten minutes a day to file, or an hour once a week. 

• Be sure to avoid clutter by purging old, outdated documents once or twice a year.

• If you have a shared file system, make sure everyone understands the new system. 

• If the first system you try doesn’t work, it’s OK!  You can revise the system to fit your work style.  Just don’t give up!  It takes time to develop good organizational habits. 

The initial task of starting a new filing system can be pretty daunting.  We found one author, Kelly Jayne McCann, from BellaOnline.com who offers some great tips.              http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art66423.asp

You can do it! 

Remember - “It’s much easier to keep up, than to catch up!” 

At Michigan Computer Supplies we care about our customers and want to offer you excellent service.  We’re sure you know that we offer great prices on ink and toner cartridges, but did you also know that we provide computer repair and printer repair?  We can also build you a computer system to meet your needs.  Contact us today! 

734-213-5400    contact@michigancomputersupplies.com

Check back soon for our next blog on  Electronic File Management

We also encourage you to sign up for FREE Tips and Coupons.  http://michigancomputersupplies.com/

You’ll receive coupons plus:

     “How to Make Your Ink or Toner Cartridge Last Longer”

     “How to Clean Your Keyboard With a Few Household Items”

Time for a New Printer? Michigan Computer Supplies Shares Some Advice!

Do you have to put your phone calls on hold when printing because of the loud noises your printer makes? 

Could you take a long coffee break while waiting for your printer to spit out a few sheets of paper? 

If you answered “yes” to either of the questions above, it may be time for an upgrade! 

There are so many choices it can be confusing!

Let Michigan Computer Supplies help guide you into buying the best printer for your needs.  Please call us if you still have questions after reading our tips below.  We’re happy to help!

Single-function or Multifunction Printer?

Would you like to eliminate some equipment in your office?  Multifunction printers or MFPs work as a printer, scanner, and a fax machine!  Some of the MFPs also have a document server, whereas the printer will keep a digital copy of your frequently used documents.  This makes it super easy to make a few copies at a time. 

In addition, many MFP machines have an email function.  Picture this: you have a document you want to share with your office.  Instead of traditional copies on paper, you can scan the document and the MFP can e-mail it to everyone.  This cuts down on paper waste, clutter and file storage.  This works especially well for offices that have employees who work remotely. 

The Color of Money

Do you really need a colored printer?   Black and white printers are much more economical.  We encourage you to determine the quantity and the frequency of colored documents you print.  If it’s not a big volume and only a few times a year, it would most likely be a cost savings to order them from a local print shop instead. 

Size and Location Matter

Make note of the space you can dedicate to a printer.  Most printers designed for offices include a USB and Ethernet ports.  Such lines may need added to the space you intend to place your new printer.  Wireless networking is also an option in case the building you are located is not feasible to be retro-fitted for wiring. 

You Have a Need for Speed and Output

If you print a large volume of documents you may want to consider a laser printer.  Ink jet printers can rarely match a laser’s speed.   Most offices also want clean crisp text and lines, which require a laser printer. 

Paper, Function, and all the Bells and Whistles!

Check the sizes and types of paper the printer can handle.  Consider the amount of printing you do per month.  The general rule is to pick a printer that has a maximum duty cycle that is at least three times the pages you print per month.  This should keep you from damaging the printer from overuse. 

You may also want to list the functions you’ll use.  Many printers can print on both sides, staple, collate, punch holes, stack and sort.  They can keep your co-workers’ print jobs separate from yours, too.  Unfortunately, they aren’t designed to make coffee yet!

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our tips to choosing a printer for your needs.  Please contact us if you have any questions. 

We also encourage you to sign up for FREE Tips and Coupons.  http://michigancomputersupplies.com/

You’ll receive several coupons and:

     “How to Make Your Ink or Toner Cartridge Last Longer”

     “How to Clean Your Keyboard With a Few Household Items!”

734-213-5400   contact@michigancomputersupplies.com

This blog post is inspired by one we read from PC Mag.com 

Reduce-Re-use-Recycle Programs: Save Money and Planet Friendly!

Did you know that the average U.S. office worker uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper per year?  Whew! 

Are you looking for a ways to be more planet friendly?

At Michigan Computer Supplies.  We continue to improve our efforts to Reduce, Re-use and Recycle paper, toner cartridges and more. 

Below are a few tips that may help you save costs, eliminate clutter and be more green at the office and at home.  Try to incorporate a few into your day and encourage your co-workers, friends and family to do the same. 

Reduce

• Make less copies, circulate or share reports and memos.
• Proofread documents prior to printing.
• Don’t use fax cover sheets.
• Print on both sides.
• Design advertisements, newsletters and correspondences to be mailed without envelopes. The post office prefers stickers instead of staples.
• Use email to send memos and reports.
• Use a staple free stapler.
• Remove duplicate names and out of date entries from mailing lists.
• Make computer files instead of paper files with the use of removable hard drives, USB or “jump drives” and web programs such as dropbox or box.net to back up your data. Choose programs that secure your documents with encryption and password protection. 
• Download the free computer application sticky notes  to jot down your thoughts and reminders on the computer instead of paper.
• Check with your suppliers to see if they offer minimal packaging or will take boxes back to reuse.
• Reduce unsolicited mail by registering with the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) to opt out of receiving unsolicited commercial mail from many national companies for five years at www.dmachoice.org
• You can also opt out from receiving catalogs, coupons, credit card offers, phone books, circulars and more through a free service at https://www.catalogchoice.org/

Reuse

• Use remanufactured toner cartridges.See a comparison of original engineered manufactured (oem) cartridges and MCS’s        remanufactured cartridges  http://michigancomputersupplies.com/products/toner  

• Use out-dated letterhead for in-house memos/draft printing.
• Reuse old file folders.
• Shred newspapers and use for packing instead of bubble wrap or Styrofoam peanuts.
• Donate old magazines and trade journals to libraries, schools, hospitals etc.
• Use re-useable utensils, cups, plates, silverware etc.
• Reuse envelopes by placing a new label over the old label. 
• Collect paper that has been printed on one side to reuse as a draft paper, or scratch pads.

Recycle

• Call MCS 734-213-5400 when you have empty toner cartridges.  We will deliver and install new ones then remove and recycle the old ones.
• Place recycling boxes in kitchens to collect glass and plastic containers. 
• Make small paper recycling boxes available to every employee to keep at their desk.
• Educate yourself and others about what can and cannot be recycled.
• Flatten cardboard boxes and recycle.
• If you do not hire a recycling service to collect items, rotate the designated person so everyone shares the responsibility.  Encourage the staff to keep up with the recycling bin to keep it under control.
• If you just can’t give up sticky notes!  Consider purchasing Post-It brand’s Greener Notes that are 100% recycled and use a plant based adhesive.
• Donate non recyclable items to schools, daycares and libraries for crafts such as old C.D.s, buttons and egg cartons. The Scrap Box in Ann Arbor collects items for creative recycling.  For more information visit  http://scrapbox.org/wordpress1/donate/household-donations/
• Contact MCS to pick up and recycle your old electronics or e-waste such as old telephones, monitors, scanners, keyboards and more.  See the full list of items we’ll collect here http://michigancomputersupplies.com/ewaste-recycling

A Reduce-Reuse-Recycle program is only part of the process.  Ultimately, the first step is to make responsible purchases:

• Strive to purchase paper that is 100% postconsumer waste.  This will “close the recycling loop” and ensure that manufacturers continue making high quality paper from recycled materials.  Written and printed paper can be recycled back into similar print paper up to seven times before the fibers are too short.  Once the fibers become short they’re converted into items such as cardboard. 
• Use rechargeable batteries.
• Purchase refillable pens.
• Provide water fountains or a water service and discourage plastic one-time-use water bottles
• Before you purchase an item it’s helpful to “pre-cycle” which means to consider how long the item can be used, if it can be re-used or recycled. 

At Michigan Computer Supplies, we strive to build friendly relationships with our customers by offering individualized service and excellent cost savings.  The heart of our business is our remanufactured toner cartridges and the promise that if they do not work in your printer or multi-function copier we’ll replace them at no extra cost to you. 

If you would like to learn how remanufactured cartridges differ from oem cartridges check out Toner 101. http://michigancomputersupplies.com/learnmore/manufactured-toner-vs-eom-toner

We’ve removed your risk in buying remanufactured toner cartridges.  Plus, each cartridge you purchase keeps an empty cartridge from ending up in the landfill.  That’s a win-win in our book!