How can I provide a more secure environment for employees & customers?

Threat of theft, fire or flood, loss of confidential information and uninvited visitors are all serious security concerns. We’re here to help protect your workers, clients and important data by offering the latest advancements

THEFT

Don’t be an easy target for criminals by leaving valuables unsecured. Laptop locks, safes, locking storage cabinets and tamper-resistant envelopes help to deter theft. Identify fake bills, phony IDs, credit cards, passports, driver’s licenses and traveler’s checks with counterfeit detectors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOSS OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

If you’re worried about confidential information being seen or falling in the wrong hands, encrypted flash media, computer privacy filters/screens, shredders and confidential document containers offer additional protection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FLOOD OR FIRE

Safeguard important documents with fire and water-resistant file cabinets and safes.

 

The Dos and Don’ts of Cleaning Your Desk Drawers

No matter how neat and tidy your desktop may be, drawers always seem to get messy. It’s just so easy to shove all those miscellaneous items you collect into a single confined space. Everything from the personal: breath mints and pain reliever, to the work related: business cards and reports – all find their way into desk drawers. Problem is when you need to root around the jumbled mess for a decent working marker and can’t find one. Spring cleaning your drawers is a breeze when you keep these dos and don’ts in mind.

Do arm yourself. As long as you’re tackling your drawers, give them a thorough dusting out at the same time. Before starting, arm yourself with spray cleaner, paper towels (or old rags), rubber gloves, drawer liner and scissors. This way you won’t need to stop half way through to search for supplies.
Do empty completely. Dump every stray paperclip, staple and salt packet onto a table or even the floor so you can see the full contents. If you try to organize a drawer one item at a time, it’ll soon return to chaos. Starting with a clean slate gives you the opportunity to rethink how you use the space in general.
Don’t become emotionally attached. Many of us have a tendency to hang on to things on the off-chance we may need it again someday. This is how drawers become a muddled mess of old meeting agendas, miscellaneous promotional premiums and broken pens. Discard anything that’s out-of-date, no longer works or you haven’t used in the last year.
Do develop an organizational plan. Organize your desk drawers the way you actually use them. Maybe you use a variety of different colored markers but never use your calculator. Or you reference glossy magazines for ideas every day, but rarely need a pad of paper. The only way to organize your drawers and to keep them that way is to make them unique to you. Decide what items you’ll need regular access to and place them in the front or top drawer. Then group similar items together e.g., staples and remover next to the stapler, mechanical pencils, lead and erasers and so on. Now you can purchase desk organizers to break up drawer space into sections of various shapes and sizes. Get creative and colorful because the more appealing the drawer, the more motivated you’ll be to keep it neat.
Do designate a special place for little pieces of paper. Nothing creates more drawer disorder than tiny scraps of paper and sticky notes you’re too busy to file away. Designate a single spot for these such as a small container or envelope. Even a file folder titled “random thoughts” or “follow up items” will help tame the paper tiger.
Don’t go messy again. Now that you’ve got a place for everything it should be easier to return it to its spot. Regularly straighten the drawer’s contents and review your organizational scheme to make sure it continues to serve your needs. Readjust as needed.

When it comes to desk drawers, many of us have an out-of-sight, out-of-mind philosophy until we need to find something important and find plastic spoons, antacids, and other inconsequential junk in the way. A big hassle when you’re in a rush. Spending a few minutes today can save you countless time tomorrow. Start tidying up today!

SBM Receives “Outstanding Distributor” Award from Ability One

The U.S. AbilityOne Commission recently notified SBM (Sterling Business Machines, Inc.)  that our organization has been designated as an “Outstanding” Ability One distributor for the year 2013.

The U.S. AbilityOne Commission® is pleased to announce that Sterling Business Machines, Inc. has been recognized as an “OUTSTANDING” AbilityOne Program distributor due to your continual efforts to support the AbilityOne Program during Fiscal Year 2013.The AbilityOne Program generates jobs for individuals who are blind or have other significant disabilities through Federal Government purchases of certain products and services provided by nonprofit agencies employing such individuals.

We appreciate the effort that Sterling Business Machines, Inc. has made over the years to support the AbilityOne Program.

SBM is one of just 26 AbilityOne distributors across the entire country to earn this designation, and we couldn’t be more proud of this accomplishment.

Among the many factors that contribute to this “Outstanding” designation, including our GSA catalog and marketing efforts, we maintain that the most outstanding thing we do has little to do with our products — and more with our people.

As an AbilityOne distributor of blind-made SKILCRAFT products — we make it simple for Federal customers to learn about and order those products. But it’s the sales of those products that lends itself to a more important task: offering jobs to outstanding blind professionals.

We look forward to another year of working to be an outstanding AbilityOne distributor.

Here’s how you can attain a comfortable and ergonomic work area.

Headaches, muscle stiffness, and eye fatigue are common signs that you could work more comfortably. Keeping everyday items within easy reach is a great start to lessening strain but when your office is set up with ergonomics in mind, you’ll stay fresh longer and work more productively! See how you can make your work area more comfortable below.

SEATING

The right chair makes all the difference in being comfortable all day. Choose a chair that can be adjusted for your comfort. The height should be set so that your knees are level with your hips when your feet are on the floor.

COMPUTER STANDS, ANTI-GLARE SCREENS & COPY HOLDERS

Headaches can put a damper on being productive. Set up your computer monitor so that the top of the screen is just below eye level, about an arm’s length in front of you. Copy holders are available with highlighted line guides and adjustable viewing placement. Anti-glare filters and screens will also relieve eye strain.

FOOTRESTS & BACKRESTS

Footrests elevate feet and legs to relieve lower back pressure while backrests support your back and spine promoting good posture. Both can relieve pains associated with long periods of sitting.

WRIST RESTS & GLOVES

Soreness and fatigue in the hand, wrist and forearm is uncomfortable and preventable. Increase comfort and support and relieve pressure points with wrist rests and therapeutic gloves.

Check out all of our Egonomic Products at callsbm.com

Walking On The Job: Treadmill Desks | Neon Tommy

Walking On The Job: Treadmill Desks | Neon Tommy.

Working a nine-to-five job can be draining, especially if you’re sitting down for the majority of the day. Feeling exhausted isn’t the worst of it–heart disease, diabetes and obesity arecorrelated with individuals who don’t get enough exercise or live asedentary lifestyle.

Fortunately for some business men and women, companies like Intel, Googleand Microsoft are adopting a special type of equipment that gets their employees moving as they work. Enter the treadmill desk, a hybrid between a treadmill and a desk.

Unlike your average treadmill, a treadmill desk doesn’t have handles but instead a flat surface at the top of the machine where you can place your laptop or paperwork. The speeds are slow–they range from one to three mph. The low-impact speeds actually help with weight loss, promote blood flow and improve your overall mood.

Dr. James Levine, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic, created the first treadmill desk in 1996. For the first model, Dr. Levine simply placed a bedside hospital tray over a $400 treadmill. Companies have adapted his original idea and now make treadmill desks that range in price from $800 to a whopping $5000.

Some people opt for homemade versions, where they simply add raised tables to an already-purchased machine: an ideal solution for those who work from home.

Susan Orlean, a New Yorker staff writer, describes her homemade treadmill desk in an NPRinterview: “It’s a bit of an ungainly looking thing… I have a normal desk and then I have a kind of platform that sits on it and my computer sits on that platform… I stand on the treadmill, and I walk and I work on my computer, and I do phone calls, and I read and I do all the things that I normally do.”

Celebrities such as Jimmy Kimmel and Al Roker are also fans of treadmill desks.

LifeSpan is one of the few companies that carries treadmill desks. They currently have nine different models. In addition to their treadmill desks, LifeSpan also makes bike desks where you can pedal as you work.

Obviously, not all companies are equipped with treadmill desks. It’s good practice to incorporate a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity per day, either before or after your work day.

Susy Guerrero | October 3, 2013 | 6:54 p.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

Helping our Local United Way

At SBM we have always had a commitment to our community. We participate in numerous fundraisers and projects that contribute to the betterment of our communities. This year we added a new program that would increase the awareness of our community’s needs. So in the second half of 2012 SBM decided to use a portion of the proceeds of our sales of our private label copy paper as our means of raising funds for all United Ways in our selling area. We designed our carton labels to show commitment to this campaign. The United Way logo is proudly displayed on each carton showing the commitment SBM has to helping our local United Ways. We then had our staff promote the paper and the campaign to our existing customers. (This paper is the same great paper we have sold for years, but with a new label.)

Our customers embraced the promotion and support of their United Way. We tallied our sales and calculated the proceeds for your United Way. It is with great pleasure that we were able to present the United Way of Whiteside County with over $870 to use on office supplies, break room, and janitorial supplies from our online ordering site at www.callsbm.com. In all SBM was able to obtain proceeds for 12 are United Ways.

Wendy Johnson (SBM President) presents Russ Siefken (Executive Director of the United Way of Whiteside County) with SBM’s United Way Paper Campaign Certificate.

 

 

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