Race Into the New Year with Help From Innovative Office Solutions | Innovative Office Solutions

Not only do organized races encourage a healthy lifestyle, but also increase awareness for countless different movements and organizations.  5K’s and other organized races seem to last year round.  If you’re planning an organized run – whether a 5K or otherwise – for the near future, let Innovative Office Solutions help outfit you with all the branded merchandise you’ll need!

Innovative Office Solutions is known for providing companies with high-quality products and services.  Did you know those products also include apparel and ear buds, to trail mix and first aid kits?  Being that Spring is right around the corner (we hope), 5K’s and other races are going to more and more popular.  Be sure you’ve got all the essentials at your next event!  Check out what we can provide.

 

Runners

• Apparel
  • This goes without saying.  Everyone loves a t-shirt or hat to commemorate their participation.  Leave your participants with unforgettable memories  – and merchandise!

• Towels
  • Nothing can be more irritating than beads of sweat running down your face or getting in your eye as you run.  Keep your participants comfortable with branded towels!
• Lip balm
  • Wind can be brutal on runners skin – surprise your participants with some branded lip balm.
• Water bottles
  • Water bottles and running go hand-in-hand.  Keep your participants hydrated.

• Ear buds
  • Some runners enjoy music while running.  Provide your participants with sweet ear buds so they can plug into their “running” playlist!

• Trail mix
  • Perfect for refueling after an arduous race.

For those folks who come out to support friends or family members during their race, the participants don’t only have all the fun.  Attendees can get in on the action, too!

Attendees

• Bottled water
  • Don’t let attendees sit and cheer on their friends or family members without something to drink!
• Umbrellas
  • For those rainy, snowy, or overly sunny days – umbrellas are perfect for those avid 5k fans
• Can Koozies
  • Help keep attendee beverages cold with branded koozies – another great idea when looking to give attendees something by which to remember the event!

From celebratory and commemorative metals, to finish line ribbons –  we’ve got everything to make race organizers lives that much easier.

Organizers

• Medals
  • Because winners loved to be recognized, and again – a great way for participants to remember the race

• First aid kits and Bandaid Dispensers
  • Prepare for the worst, while your first aid kit looks the best
• Ribbons
  • Let your runners celebrate their finish in style by crossing one of your branded ribbons!

 These products are all perfect for, but aren’t strictly limited to, 5k runs!  Most would also work for things like corporate golf outings – or simply having around the office.  Contact Innovative Office Solution’s Promotional Specialist Pearlee Coty at 612.386.8204 or  PCoty@innovativeos.com if you’re in the stages of planning a 5K, corporate outing, or simply need to spruce up the office space with more branded products!

Reasons to Increase Office Collaboration | Innovative Office Solutions

“A collaborative culture” sounds good on paper – but how many businesses actually put this key piece of interaction in place?  Collaborative workspaces seem to be a hot new trend in office layouts – and have proven to be beneficial to many successful organizations.

However cool they may look, the key part to collaborative workspaces can be found in the word itself – collaboration.  Cool layouts are for naught if they aren’t used properly.  We’ve touched on the benefits of collaborative workspaces on the Innovative blog before, but this post will focus on the importance of the action of collaboration – and how it will benefit you, your employees, and your business in the long run.

1.  Increased Innovation

• When one thinks about “office collaboration”, the cliche phrase “two heads are better than one” comes to mind.  In this case – that phrase is correct.  Office collaboration provides you the opportunity to work with someone you may not always work with, in order to achieve a common goal.  However, as outlined earlier, that common goal must be clearly outlined before collaboration is to being.

2.  Utilization of Multiple Strengths

• By combining teams of coworkers who don’t often work together, new and multiple strengths can be uncovered.  For instance, someone in finance may have a knack for the written word, or a member of the customer service team has a deep desire to design.  When new partnerships are forged within the workplace, coworkers strengths can be uncovered – ultimately benefitting each other and the business as a whole.

3.  Proper and Efficient Use of Resources

• If one person in the office is tasked with something they are either unfamiliar with or something for which they are unqualified, it can turn into an inappropriate usage of time and resources.  However, when multiple people are focused on one project – where each worker’s strengths are properly showcased – different employees can shine – and projects get completed more efficiently.

4.  Increased Efficiency 

• Workplace collaboration allows businesses to efficiently complete important projects and initiatives. The more departments and employees involved, work can be distributed more evenly to those who have the time and expertise.  Often referred to as the divide and conquer strategy – a larger team, consisting of six or eight individuals – where multiple members could each take a small specialized part of the project and accomplish it in a faster timeframe.

If you’re thinking about redesigning your office layout – or would like to learn more about the open office floor plan at Innovative Office Solutions – give us a call at 952.808.9900!

Increased Printing Efficiency and Security – HP JetAdvantage Pull Print | Innovative Office Solutions

Experience the benefits of HP JetAdvantage Pull Print today – at no extra cost.

Maintain print job confidentiality with the new JetAdvantage Pull Print service offered by HP, both in the cloud and on demand.

By requiring user authentication before print jobs can be released, you can be sure the right documents land in the right hands. And because it works with your existing HP fleet of printers and MFPs, you can get started quickly.

When utilizing the HP JetAdvantage Pull Print service, you eliminate accidental and misplaced print jobs – helping cut costs on paper, toner, ink, and time. Plus, you can increase productivity by enabling users to only print from the most convenient enabled HP printer or MFP.

Make your business more cost-efficient today with HP JetAdvantage Pull Print.

If you’d like to learn more about this service from HP – or to see if you qualify – visit our website or contact our Account Executive Christina Boerigter – CBoerigter@innovativeos.com – for more info!

Dry Erase Surfaces – An Easy Whiteboard Solution | Innovative Office Solutions

Dry-Erase boards are practically indispensable.  For meetings, brainstorming sessions, or just doodling – they are useful in more ways than one.  Sadly, they only have so much life to them before they start to look stained.  Until now.  With their innovation, 3M has yet again saved the day.

Take The Nerdery, for example.  An interactive software development company who’s culture thrives on collaboration, The Nerdery continually puts their whiteboards to the test.  “We are a huge whiteboard culture,” says Nerdery sales director Alan Kramer.  Because of that culture, The Nerdery needed to upgrade their white boards situation as their older whiteboards just weren’t cutting it.

“Just about every square inch of the perimeter is white board,” says the Jason, facilities manager at The Nerdery.  “We have some portable whiteboard walls that we’ve had for a long time that we’re considering getting ride of because they’re ghosted out – and now we can just resurface them.”

“We’ve resurfaced a meeting table that had a big scratch in it and we were ready to throw it out – and now its a whiteboard table.”

The act of actually installing dry-erase boarding material or resurfacing older white boards isn’t as daunting a task as it may seem.  “The process of installing it was way easier than I thought it was going to be.  It was very smooth; it went on there perfect,” says Alex, an interactive program manager at The Nerdery.

 

The Post-It® Dry Erase Surface goes on in 3 easy steps:

• Can be cut to fit custom surfaces or existing boards
• Peel-and-stick construction sticks securely and removes cleanly
• 3M’s stain-proof material cleanly erases after every use

See for yourself the in the video below what these new surfaces from 3M can bring to your business.  And if you think your business could use some new whiteboards – or dry-erase surfaces – visit our Innovative Office Solutions website or contact Customer Care 952.808.9900 for more info!

 

Custom Envelopes and Stationary | Innovative Office Solutions

As you look at your admin budgets for 2015 – take a look at what you’re currently doing to save you money – and how could you increase savings during 2015.  Let Innovative Office Solutions be a resource in your search for lowering business costs in 2015!

Standard envelops are, well, standard.  Your company doesn’t stand out much with a standard envelope.  Customized envelopes are more difficult to come by, and companies willing to work with you on customizing your envelopes are equally hard to find.  Until now!

Are you looking for a certain type of envelope?  Whatever the shape, look, color – Innovative Office Solutions has 100’s of types of envelopes to suit your company’s needs.  Sizes of envelopes we can provide range from 4 6’3/8″ to 4 3/8 by 5, and the types of envelopes we can provide range even more.

Anything from invitation envelopes, to window envelopes, to envelopes with flaps on the bottom – basically, folding flaps any way you can think of.  Did we mention all the color options we have?  It’s hard to narrow them down our second-to-none selection.

 

The levels of stock we provide can range from standard white stock to different premium grade papers.  Different window options are available as well – ranging from different sizes to different window positions.  Whatever the occasion, Innovative Office Solutions has the perfect envelope layout and design for you.

 

Based on all we can provide, it’s clear that Innovative Office Solution is your solution for upgraded business stationary, envelopes, and letterhead.  Whatever your print needs may be, know that your hometown team – Innovative Office Solutions – can do it for you efficiently and on-time.

Contact Bob Galetka our Print Specialist at 952-698-9115 for more information.

 

Simple Office Changes Help Increase Hygiene | Innovative Office Solutions

It’s that time of year again – flu season.  It may seem like whatever you do to prevent the flu, you somehow always get sick.  But – could it be – that you’re not being germ-conscious in the right places?

This blog post is timely not only for flu season approaching – but due to recent epidemics spreading across the globe.  The more familiar you are with cleanliness best practices, the more well informed you’ll be when it comes to germs.  The more conscious you are when it comes to these issues – the healthier you and your family will be during the entire year.

One product we’d especially like to showcase here – one we have in our office, in fact – is the SmartStock® Utensil Dispenser.

 

With one pull of the red lever, a utensil of your choice is dispensed – doing away with multiple hands rummaging through a box of plasticware.  A device like this – especially used in an office setting – may greatly reduce the amount of germs spread at the workplace, and keep folks healthier for longer periods of time.

Further Benefits and Features Include:

• Each dispenser holds up to 120 utensil pieces
• Promotes good hygiene – the enclosed design helps protect from contaminants
• Reduced Consumption – One-at-a-time dispensing reduces cutlery usage on average by 29% and up to 49% vs. open bins.*
• Speeds up restocking – just load the refill, insert, rip, pull, and your done in seconds
• Frees up valuable counter space – sized just right to keep things looking neat and organized

For more information on this – and other hygienic products – visit our Innovative Office Solutions website or contact Customer Care 952.808.9900 for more info!

*Independent research commissioned by Georgia-Pacific

And just how dirty are everyday devices and surfaces?

http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/willis-report/videos#p/157870/v/3825980639001

 

Innovative Office Solutions – Your One Stop Shop this Holiday Season

We at Innovative Office Solutions love the holidays.  But some of us don’t care for the bitter, cold, and snowy winters.  Having said that, we of course look forward to the holidays.  And with these awesome gift ideas, we’re sure you’ll make this holiday season – and seasons to come – memorable for all those involved with your business!

Scripto Sketch Ballpoint Stylus

The Scripto Sketch Ballpoint Stylus is perfect for the tech-fanatic at your office, the traditional note-take, or both! With the ability to transform from stylus to traditional pen, this tool is a must-have for any working professional.

“The Scripto® Sketch Ballpoint Stylus makes the transition from ballpoint to stylus easy. The click-action mechanism and soft rubber stylus transforms into a ballpoint made for writing comfort. Smooth matte metallic colored barrel with black rubber grip, black detail and chrome accents. Black ballpoint ink cartridge with tungsten carbide ballpoint tip.”

 

Thunderbolt Dual USB Car Charger

 

 

In today’s busy world, we sometimes forget to charge our devices. Thats where this comes in. Ideal for every on-the-go professional, the Thunderbolt Dual USB Car Charger can handle charging both iPhone and iPad at the same time, and is compatible with most of todays hottest gadgets.

“Get all the power you need for your devices from the Thunderbolt car charger that features dual USB’s with a total output of 3.1A That’s enough power to charge an iPad or other tablet and smartphone at the same time, at the same rate as if plugged into a wall charger. Compatible with devices such as iPod, iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tabs, as well as smartphones like Blackberry and Android OS based products.”

 

Luxe Renegade Tumbler 16oz

 

 

 

*sets down coffee cup* Most of us need some sort of warm, caffeinated beverage to function in the mornings. If you don’t, please tell us your secret. But if you do – the Luxe Renegade Tumbler is perfect. With the ability to insulate drinks, your drink stays warm for hours.

“Push-button lid used to lock drink-through opening open or close. Angles shape of lid controls beverage flow for easy drinking. Luxe branding detail etched into bottom of tumbler. Stainless steel double-wall vacuum construction.”

 

Joule Slim Power Bank

 

 

Tech and necessity meets sleek and powerful with the Joule Slim Power Bank.  This charger’s simple design makes it extra mobile, allowing you to carry it with you wherever you go.  If any of your smart devices need a quick charge, just plug in – and you’re good to go!

“This credit card sized battery backup will keep your mobile devices charged while keeping you fashionable. The 2,00 mAh slim internal battery has enough life to charge an iPhone. The 5V/1A USB output means that it charges at the same rate of most wall chargers. Includes a USB to Micro USB connecting cable which can recharge the battery backup or be used to charge devices that require a Micro USB input like Samsung, Android Smartphones, Motorola, HTC, Nokia and others.”

 

Lando Bluetooth Speaker

 

This tiny speaker packs a punch, and is ideal for an office setting, your car, or at home!

“Power your music with this Bluetooth Speaker! Quality sound in a small form factor that plays your music or other audio from a Bluetooth enabled device or via the 3.5mm audio input, making it compatible with just about anything that plays music. Rechargeable speaker is perfect for traveling or in an office setting. Bluetooth working range is 10 meeter (33 feet).”

 

Perka Mugs

 

 

The graphic says it all! Throw away that stress ball and grip this new mug even tighter!

Mug Specs:

• 17 oz. Capacity
• Soft Touch Exterior
• Insulated Removable Sleeve
• Polypropylene Lid & Liner
• Spill-Proof Flip Up Lid

 

4 Piece Bamboo Cheese Set

 

 

 

 

Perfect for those who love to host – or those who love cheese!

This set comes with:

• Bamboo Cutting Board
• Perforated Knife for Semi-Soft Cheese
• Hard Cheese Knife
• Cheese Cleaver
• Stainless Steel Tools
• Convenient Storage Drawer
• Cutting Board and Drawer Made From Sustainable Bamboo

 

Jorg Gray Signature Watches

 

Reward your employees with style! Jorg Gray time pieces are the epitome of class and sophistication.

This watch comes in both mens and women’s sizes, and further specs included below:

• 43/33mm Solid Stainless Steel Slim Case
• Polished Silver Finishing
• High Precision Japanese Movement
• Flat Mineral Crystal
• Crocodile Pattern Leather Straps
• Water Resistant to 3ATM (96 feet under water)

We offer these – and countless other holiday gift ideas for you, your employees, or clients!

Visit http://www.innovativeos.com for more gift ideas – or contact Pearlee Coty our Promotions Specialist at 612.386.8204 for more info!

Turning Recycled Water Bottles Into…Pens? | Innovative Office Solutions

Yes – you read that correctly.  Pilot, your favorite pen company, is literally breaking the mold on writing utensil creation.  Read on to check out their awesome new project!

Pilot’s product, Bottle-2-Pen (B2P), is the world’s first pen made from recycled bottles.

Approximately 2.5 million plastic bottles enter landfills every hour in the United States, and make-up close to 50% of all recyclable waste.

The B2P gel ink pens are made from 89% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.  As to be expected from Pilot, the B2P pens write smoothly, have vibrant inks and are 100% refillable.

• The world”s first pen made from recycled bottles!
• Made from 89% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles
• Vibrant G2 gel ink for smooth effortless writing
• Retractable and Refillable with G2 refills

Write the next chapter for a cleaner planet with B2P!

For more information – and to learn how to support this innovative and responsible product – contact contact Innovative Office Solutions Customer Care 952.808.9900 for more info!

And the Award Goes To…! | Innovative Office Solutions

No, no, no this award isn’t about us – but about how we can help with your company awards and award ceremonies!  Any recognition is an incredible feeling for those giving and receiving the award. It’s just another awesome service we can provide to our even more awesome customers!

At Innovative Office Solutions, we want to provide you with the most unique, fun and memorable awards possible. We’re here to let you know that your imagination is our only limitation!

Pick Your Award!

• By choosing from over 1,000 different shapes, sizes and designs, you can make the award unique to any individual or occasion. Whatever you choose, we’re happy to help select the perfect item for your organization!

Customize Your Awards!  

• In this case, your imagination is our only limitation.  By choosing from a variety of imprints, you can choose the most unique presentation imaginable.

 

Make it one-of-a-kind! 

• Any desired message and/or artwork can help make an award that much more memorable and personal.  It could be the recipient’s name and title, or a motivational quote that make the award stand out and be that much more unique.

Package It! 

• At any awards ceremony, presentation is key. To make for an even more memorable presentation ceremony, present the awards via elegant, pre-labeled boxes.

Internal Awards Program Ideas

Check out these Internal Program Ideas for inspiration on how to better recognize employees within your organization!

To learn more or for more information, contact Pearlee our Promotions Specialist at PCoty@innovativeos.com or 612.386.8204.

Does your company partake in many of these ceremonies?! If so – let us know in the comments!

A “Game-Changing” Ink and Laser Printer | Innovative Office Solutions

Imagine – a machine twice the speed and half the cost-per-page of color lasers that use HP PageWide Technology.  Well, thanks to the age in which we live, this technology is now possible with the HP Officejet Pro X Series.

With the HP Officejet Pro X series, users can enjoy the best of both the traditional ink and laser worlds — a business printer that offers exceptional quality output, and a low cost per page.  Not only will this benefit users in the immediate short term, but the device itself is chock-full of extensibility and manageability features that help make it a great long-term investment.

Further benefits include:

• Say Goodbye to Waiting at the Printer – Who else can say they own, literally, a printer that prints at Guinness World Records® speeds?  The Pro X can print up to 70 pages per minute (ppm) in black or color – or up to 42 ppm in the Professional mode.  Plus, with no warm up time required, the Pro X can print out a first page in as fast as 9.5 seconds.
• Fewer “PC Load Letter” Warnings – With the Pro X’s best-in-class paper capacity, up to 1,050 sheets can be held at once, and one black ink cartridge can last up to 9,200 pages – or 6,600 pages for color cartridges.   Each machine comes with a standard 500-sheet tray, and the output capacity is the largest when compared to competitors, and holds up to 300 sheets of paper.
• Intuitive User Experience – Time-saving business apps, easily viewable device functions, and the intuitive control panel provide all users a very exceptional and friendly user experience.  The devices “front door” allows convenient access to easily replaceable ink cartridges, and the single-slide door allows you to quickly repair paper jams.

• Connect and Print from Anywhere – As leaders of the HP mobile printing movement, HP embraces more mobile print environments than any other printer vendor.  Using a smartphone or tablet, users can print from virtually anywhere with HP ePrint.  The Pro X comes equipped with HP Embedded Web Server (EWS), making it easy for users to display status information and manage and change device settings from personal computers.

To learn more contact our Account Executive Christina Boerigter – CBoerigter@innovativeos.com – for more info!