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Posts with tag Office

Twitter makes the front page of the USA Today business section

Filed under: Technology, Career

I don't have a Twiiter, I've never had a Twitter, and I never will have a Twitter. But in a sign of social networking site's soaring popularity, and possibly of the apocalpse, the USA Today's business section has done a feature story on it.

For the uninitiated. here's a quick summary of how the site works: people sit at their computers (or cell phones/PDAs) and type what they're doing at that very moment -- watching a movie, driving, working, cooking, heart surgery, etc.

The site has grown exponentially in popularity over the past year, with a current rank of 939 on Alexa. That's good enough to make it one of the biggest destroyers of office productivity in the market. Here's the thing: if you're Tweeting about what you're doing, you're not really doing that. If you say "I'm cooking", that is not strictly speaking true. At that very moment you are Twittering.

Fantastic Freebies: Post-it® Flags from 3M

Filed under: Fantastic Freebies

Every day, WalletPop will be bringing you information about a fantastic freebie. Like what you see? Check back tomorrow for more!

3M is offering the favorite toy of the anal retentive office worker: Post-it Flags, those little tabs that you can put at the top of pages in a binder for easy skimming. Just fill out this form.

Of course, Post-it Flags aren't especially expensive, and it's probably not even worth filling out a form for a sample pack. But if you're meticulous enough to use them, you'll probably appreciate the savings.

Are there bullies in your 'Office Space?'

Filed under: Career, Health, Relationships

A recent Forbes.com article about bullies in the workplace reads like a primer for Office Space, that fine cult comedy that anyone who's ever set foot in a cube farm can relate to. With that in mind, here are some signs of bullying to watch out for, translated into some of the movie's best-loved catch phrases:

  • A case of the Mondays: You often feel physically ill at the start of each new work week.
  • Your TPS report needs a cover sheet: Your work is constantly criticized, and your mistakes are repeatedly brought up.
  • That's my stapler: Your boss is isolating you, going as far as to move your desk.
  • Yeah, I'll need you to come in this Saturday: Your boss always schedules last-minute after-hours meetings.
  • Not enough flair: Your supervisor finds nit-picky ways to ensure you'll fail at your job.

Retro leather massage recliner, $360, Visiondecor Furniture

Filed under: Home, Retire, Shopping, Daily Deal, Health

leather chaise loungerAfter a long day on the job, I like nothing better than flipping off my steel toe work boots and plunking my aching carcass into my favorite chair. I never actually get to do that because I turn on the computer and start blogging instead. However, if I did take the relaxation route I'd like a chair similar to this one. It would be the perfect refuge for my tired body after moving 4 tons of particle board sheet stock by hand.

This retro style, leather messaging lounger has a very attractive sticker price. At just $360 plus $35 shipping, it looks more attractive than much of it's competition. This chair has classic appeal with touches of tubular steel and real wood accents setting off it's black, top grain leather seat and back. The chair's chaise lounge styling makes it a real stand out among it's puffy and clunky looking cousins. The chair even swivels for perfect body positioning, right in front of the television.

With touch button controls activating a five speed vibrating / pulsation massage system, this chair is prime for end of the day relaxation. It looks great, the price is right, and it can even make you feel good. It just might be the next best thing to a cute, kind, and loving woman.

Teamwork takes time -- maybe too much

Filed under: Career

You always suspected that social butterfly two cubicles away was slowing you down -- and now you have the research to back it up.

New research by Dr. Tim Welsh, who teaches at the University of Calgary, has written a paper that concludes what we all already knew: people in your work environment are holding you back. In fact, even if your co-workers are quiet, if they're within your field of vision, that can be enough to slow down your performance.

It's all in Welsh's paper, titled, "Seeing vs. believing: Is believing sufficient to activate the processes of response co-representation?"

From the lame business history files, Part I: the water cooler

It's been a staple of office history longer than the staple: the water cooler.

It may not be the most pressing topic on you or your co-workers minds, but the next time you're standing around the water cooler in your office, and you want to waste some time, you could start spouting out interesting facts about our inanimate but invaluable friend.

According to my admittedly casual trip through the newspaper archives, the water cooler itself has been around at least since the mid-19th century, and my guess is that it was around long before. However it worked, mostly throughout the 19th century and early part of the 20th, it was in the form of an overturned glass jug with a block of ice inside. Occasionally, there were modifications. Petersburg, Virginia's paper of record had a few enthusiastic stories of T.J. James, their inventor hometown boy making good; he had come up with a new type of water cooler, where there was a separate container for the block of ice, cooling the water below.


To office or not to office

Filed under: Budgets, Entrepreneurship

a 'hot desk' at soukWhen starting a new business, one of the first decisions to be made is whether or not to rent an office. Obviously, if you're opening a restaurant or a manufacturing facility, you must have a fixed location. But if you're an attorney, a human resources professional, an accountant, or some other type of consultant, the decision isn't quite as clear-cut.

One of the biggest concerns when starting a business is keeping expenses low, so for some, an office might be one more unnecessary expense. On the other hand, there are some small business owners who say that they couldn't do busines without an office, so it's must no matter what.

Ask yourself two questions when deciding if an office is right for you: 1. Do I need it? 2. Can I afford it?

There is no doubt that someone like a criminal defense attorney needs an office. It wouldn't be prudent to meet with clients at a home office in this line of work. For others who aren't so sure, ask yourself whether you're willing to have clients come to your home, whether meeting at a coffee shop is a possibility, and whether an office is necessary to your company's image.