When’s the last time you dusted off that old bike in your garage? May 19 is National Bike to Work Day and to celebrate, we think you should give your two-wheeler a tune-up and take it on a field trip… to work. It might seem intimidating at first, but we’re here to boost your confidence and give you all the tools you need to get to and from work safely.

How to bike to work safely

No matter where you live, bike safety is a big issue. The idea of competing with hoards of rush hour traffic can be intimidating, even for seasoned cyclists.

To begin, visit Google Maps to find route recommendations, including designated bike paths that you can follow.

Next, brush up on the rules of the road. Just like motorists, cyclists must stop at red lights, yield to pedestrians and signal their turns. But unlike cars, bicycles are often excepted on one-way streets. Check your municipal bike code for local rules. For example, in Toronto, you must have a working bell and bike light. And though not mandatory, we can’t stress the importance of a helmet enough.

The benefits of biking to work

Decrease your travel time. Really. For those living in bumper-to-bumper driving areas, this is especially true.

Get fit. This part is a no-brainer. By cycling for just three hours a week — or less than 20-minutes each way to work — you can decrease your risk of heart disease by 50%.

Boost brain power. Not only has daily exercise been proven to prevent cognitive decline and memory loss, but in a study, two-thirds of employers said that the cyclists in their office were more productive than non-cyclists. Biking to work is just one of many ways we encourage our employees to work well.

Decrease your ecological footprint. Transportation — cars, trucks and buses — accounts for nearly 30% of North America’s greenhouse gas emissions. Taking two wheels to work instead of four is an easy way to do your part in slashing that statistic.

There is just one way to see all of this great country in a single trip: take the train. Slow and magical, a train journey across Canada is the best way to celebrate our country’s sesquicentennial — yes, that’s a word.

The best part? We’re going to help you do it. Keep reading to see the beautiful highlights of a VIA Rail trip across Canada — and how you could win one.

The Fraser River

Wind your way along the stunning banks of the Fraser River. British Columbia’s longest river has been providing salmon and clean water to local inhabitants for thousands of years. Oh, and it’s gorgeous, too.

The Rockies

The Canadian Rockies are a must-see, once-in-a-lifetime experience. And there is no experience more romantic than seeing them by train.

The Prairies

If you’re doing the cross-Canada, your midway point will be marked by golden, endless fields. Canada is full of unique landscapes, and the Prairies are among the most notable. Lose track of time and relax into the serenity of their golden glow.

The True North

So few of us ever see Canada’s true north. Travel the 1160 kilometres from Jasper to Prince Rupert for a small glimpse of the north’s beautiful forests and rugged landscape.

Jasper

Framed by mountains and stunningly gorgeous, Jasper will take your breath away. Get off the train for a stroll around town or sit still, and watch as the train winds along rivers and lakes.

Packing your bags yet? Don’t forget to enter — and your trip could be free! Just purchase any Swingline® or Quartet® product before July 1, 2017 and enter for a chance to win a $1500 VIA Rail travel voucher.

Label printers have come a long way. They aren’t the bulky, costly things of decades-past; now, you can own one for a fraction of what they used to cost. And they can fit almost anywhere.

If that’s not enough to convince you, check out some of our favourite benefits of label printers.

1. Stay organized. Does your filing cabinet look like it’s full of kidnapping notes? Admit it, the hand-written labels on some of your folders are a little less legible than you’d like. Flip through your files with ease and without wondering what, exactly, that word is supposed to be.

2. Keep things civil. If you store personal items in a shared space — the office fridge, for example — mistakes happen. Prevent someone else from drinking your last sparkling water or eating your favourite yogurt with a simple label.

3. Go green. Label printers are our favourite tool for turning recyclable containers into long-term storage. That glass jar that once held soup? Soak off the store label and put on your own. It could be for oats, baking supplies, dried beans and anything else your house loves to eat. Before long, you can have a full pantry of reused, zero-waste storage.

4. Lose less. Are your kids constantly losing things at school or daycare? Label printer, to the rescue! Now, your son’s favourite book won’t be going home in someone else’s backpack.

5. Inventory management. If you’ve got a small business that often needs labels, you’ll find a label printer to be a life saver! Print barcodes and stay on top of your inventory levels at all times.

Barack Obama. Paul McCartney. Oprah Winfrey. Tracy from accounting. These are just a few of the great left-handers that have impacted our lives. And on August 13, we’re paying tribute to them.

After years of struggling with scissors and can-openers, southpaws are getting the recognition and respect they deserve. It’s Left-Handers Day! And to celebrate, we’re sharing a few things that make lefties so special.

• 13% of the world’s population is left-handed. And it’s not by random luck. Scientists believe that the trait is genetic, meaning it runs in certain families.
• Mensa says that 20% of its brainy members are lefties.
• Lefties are better drivers. According to one study, being left-handed makes you 10% more likely to pass your driving test on the first try.
• Of the team of five that developed the first-ever Mac computer, 80% were left-handed.
• If you’re left-handed, you likely earn 15% more than your right-handed peers. Studies show that this may have to do with lefties being well-suited to leadership and entrepreneurial roles.
• Though roughly one-in-ten people are left-handed, one-quarter of Apollo astronauts were lefties.
• According to the ancient Zuni people, left-handedness was a sign of wisdom and good luck.

In our digital lives, we’ve forgotten the value of hard Copies. But who among us hasn’t experienced a computer crash, hard drive mishap or lost email?

All of these things make your digital records vulnerable and highlight the importance of the paper copy. Concerned? Read on.

Protect contracts.

These days, it’s common for employees, clients and distributors to sign electronic contracts. If you aren’t backing these up with hard copies, you could be on a road toward a setback. If your email is compromised — through hacking or crashing or an accidental ‘delete’ — you could find yourself in a real pickle. Imagine renegotiating all of the contracts with your employees or suppliers? Yeah, it’s not a pretty thought. Print hard copies and store them securely.

Maintain privacy.

Private information — like social insurance numbers or client details — is ripe fruit for hackers. Keep the information you hold dear safe, by keeping it on paper.

Prevent a catastrophic crash.

We’ve all experienced the 9th inning computer crash. It’s that moment when the presentation is set to begin, and you plug in your computer… and nothing shows up. If you don’t have your presentation in hard copy, you’re in trouble. Repeat after us: print, print and print again.

No matter how busy you are, artistic expression would do you good. Creating art relieves stress, improves cognitive function and has the same effect on the brain as meditation. So whether you’ve got five minutes a week or twenty minutes a day, consider putting it toward an art project.

This fall, we’re learning to use watercolours. And the best thing we’ve learned about the process so far? You don’t have to be a master to love it. Here are a few ways we’re getting creative with colour.

Creative uses for watercolour paints

• Add salt. Create texture, like snow or leaves, by sprinkling salt onto freshly painted watercolour. Don’t be too heavy-handed; the goal is not for the salt to stick, but to sit on top of your paint. When the paint dries, simply wipe the salt away.

• Dye flowers. This is a fun experiment to undertake with the kids. Add a dime-sized amount of watercolour paint to a vase of white flowers. You can even divide the flowers into several vases, using a different watercolour base for each one. Over several days, watch the flowers take on colour.
• Spray it out. Fill a spray bottle with water and add a few dollops of watercolour paint. (More paint will result in strong colour, and less paint will give you subtle hues.) Create different patterns by spraying from varied distances.

Chances are, the sun sets before you leave work these days. No one likes feeling dark and closed in all day long. So, it’s time to get proactive and let the light in. After all, winter isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Get brighter. It’s important to get exposure to natural light during winter months. You could invest in a desk lamp that mimics daylight. Or you can even just upgrade your bulbs — look for standard bulbs listed as 4100 Kelvin colour temperature.

Add colour. A pop of colour — be it an area rug or throw blanket — can add major light to your grey workplace. Consider the mood your want to create in your environment. For example, purple will add a sense of calm to your space while orange will energize it.

Liven up. Plants are miracle workers indoors and out. They purify the air, lift the mood and can create a general sense of well-being in the workplace. Consider the air quality in your workplace. During the winter, it’s likely warm and dry. So look for hearty plants that will add moisture to the air without demanding much upkeep. We recommend spider plants and English ivy.

Whether you working in a customer service role or not, phone calls may still be a big part of your workday. Adding a headset to your repertoire of workplace tools could help boost your phone conversations.

Free Up Your Hands

Need to be typing/browsing something? Jotting down notes? Handheld devices can limit your ability to note down information. Flipping between hands, using your shoulder as support – all posture killers. Alternatively, a headset frees up your hands to perform tasks without limiting your ability to pay attention and participate on the phone call.

Mobility

We’ve been talking about the importance of sitting AND standing during the workday. Well if you have a long phone call scheduled a headset allows you to stand up and stretch your muscles. If you’re using a wireless set you could even move around to increase blood flow!

Multi-Device Compatibility

Have to switch between Skype on your laptop to your mobile device for calls? Easy to do with a headset – whether wired or wireless, making the connection is a seamless process that give flexibility in managing multiple device calls.

Did you know that January 31st of each year is Inspire Your Heart With Art Day? Regardless if you’re an art connoisseur, hobby painter or just a doodler, art has had some influence in all of our lives. Since ancient time art has been regarded as a significant influence in reflection upon inner selves:

We hope you take some time on this day to appreciate art and what it truly means to us as a creative outlet. Here are some ways we encourage you to fill up your heart with art:

• visit an art gallery or exhibit
• start your own masterpiece
  • We’ve put together some tips on how to do so:
    • Tips for Using Watercolour Paints
    • Creative Ways to Use Chalk
    • How to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing
• add an adult colouring book as a creative outlet (offers plenty of benefits)
• connect with local artists and creative community

We hope you get your fill this national #InspireYourHeartWithArtDay! Feel free to share this day with colleagues, friends and family!

Stamps seem to be one of those outdated items that we never keep top of mind. But can be beneficial in today’s digital age? Absolutely.

Stamps, including custom options, can help your business by:

Keeping Things Organized

Have a hard time keeping track of what invoice has been paid? Need a review date on a proposal? Having a stamped date on certain documents can ensure their accuracy and allows for easy future review (who wants to memorize the dates of all paid invoices?).

Personalization

Whether you’re approving new patients, customers or prescriptions – having a customized stamp can make official documents feel more welcome. Feel free to include your logo/branding, contact information or even a smiley face (having fun is encouraged in business) to help brighten your customer’s day! Custom stamps build on your organization’s branding efforts – using them regularly throughout all documents can help with top of mind awareness with customers.

Variety of Options/Sizes

We tend to think of stamps as one-size-fits-all, however stamps (particularly custom ones) come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Whether you need something for envelopes or larger printer format paper sizes – there is a fit for all needs!

So what are you waiting for? Find one of our locations near you and stamp in to see all of our options!

March 8th is International Women’s Day! We would like to look at some recent developments of women in the workplace (our own head office consists of 75% female employees, including top leadership positions)! While there are many more strides to be made – it’s great to see gender equality taking shape over time:

• women were 47.3% of the total labour force in 2016 (compared to 37.1% in 1976) [Source]
• between 1976 and 2007 employment for mothers with children under 6 years old more than doubled from 31.5% to 68.1% [Source]
• by 2012, college attendance went up to 71% for women (while staying stagnant at 61% for men) [Source]
• Women in executive roles earn 72.3% of what men in the same position earn [Source]
• 15.6% of SMBs are majority owned by women, and 19.7% are equally owned by women and men [Source]
• in 2015, Prime Minister Trudeau named 15 women and 15 men to his cabinet, marking the first ever gender-balanced cabinet in Canadian history! [Source]

These are just some of the stats that show the progress we’re making in having equality at the workplace. While not perfect it does show change towards the positive! If you’re looking for more resources, tools and articles on the gender gap in the workplace check out World Economic Forum’s Women & Work section.

1. Boosts Energy

There is no hiding the fact that a cup of jo will wake you up in the morning but have you ever wondered why? According to Gunnars, it has to do with the fact that coffee contains three prominent psychoactive substances! The most commonly known is caffeine but theobromine and chlorogenic acid are also active compounds in coffee that have a stimulant effect and can help with those tired mornings.

In particular, caffeine blocks an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain called adenosine then releases neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. The result is heightened alertness and stamina to get you through your day!

2. Increases Metabolism

Without a doubt, caffeine is the most commercialized ingredient in coffee, but it is not because of the taste. Studies show that caffeine can increase individuals metabolic rate by 3-11 percent depending on the amount ingested. Larger doses have a stronger effect, but it is vital to control consumption as individuals can become tolerant.

Tolerance also depends on the person and is typically less prominent in obese or older individuals and more notable in younger individuals. Interestingly, most of the increase in metabolism is due to a rise in the burning of fat which leads to the next underlying reason to indulge!

3. Mobilizes Fat

That’s right caffeine burns fat! It stimulates the nervous system, which sends direct signals to the fat cells to tell them to break down fat.

Ultimately, caffeine increases adrenaline in the bloodstream which breaks down the fat tissue and releases it into the blood. This process mobilizes fat from the fat tissues and makes it available for use as free fatty acids in the blood!

4. Prevents Disease

The health benefits don’t stop there. Research shows that drinking coffee can help prevent a variety of diseases. For instance, researchers at the University of Georgia have discovered that the chlorogenic acid compound found in coffee may help prevent some of the damaging effects of obesity. Previous studies have also shown that coffee consumption may lower the risk for chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Shockingly, those are only to name a few. Caffeine intake is associated with a significantly lower incidence of Parkinson’s disease and the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s no wonder why coffee is so popular!

5. Administers Happiness

With that said, the final reason why coffee is so renowned is since it acts as a mild antidepressant by aiding in the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline. A study done by the Harvard School of Public Health determined that drinking between two and four cups of coffee can reduce the risk of suicide in men and women by about 50 percent.

Another study done by the National Institute of Health found that those who drink four or more cups of coffee were about 10 percent less likely to be depressed than those who had never touched the java. Study author, Honglei Chen, states that the proposed reason coffee makes you feel good is those trusty antioxidants!

Therefore, there are no excuses not to celebrate International Coffee Day!

So what should you do next?

Have a cup of coffee and reap the benefits that it has on the human body today!

You probably remember practicing fire drills in school but as you move into the workplace other measures can be taken to avoid accidents. For instance, there are standards put in place by Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) that outline the basics of fire safety including the causes of workplace fires, prevention practices and guidelines for evacuation.

However, according to Statistics Canada there were 247 business use/personal service fires in 2014 that cost companies millions of dollars in damages! It’s clear that there are preventative practices in place but there is no hiding the fact that unforeseen fires in the workplace can be extremely dangerous. Therefore, we have outlined four ways you can keep your workplace safe:

Accessibility

It is important to keep workplaces neat and tidy to ensure that there is full accessibility to sprinklers, firefighting equipment and emergency exits. Moreover, equipment and other materials should be properly stored and ready for use in the case of an emergency.

Precautions

It is vital to follow all recommended and required precautions to prepare for ignition in potentially explosive atmospheres. These precautions include evacuation plans, semi-annual fire safety training and proper signage. Implementing safer practices such as the use of non-sparking tools and proper static electricity control will help prevent workplace incidents!

Safe Handling

Safe handling practices are fundamental when it comes to workplace fire safety. Always read the label and the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to assess flammability and other fire hazards of substances.

It is also imperative that employees have the proper protective equipment for handling hazardous materials, access to proper waste disposal and report hazards that occur. 

Don’t forget to follow the operating procedures and established safety protocols that are in place!

Maintenance

All in all these three steps will get your establishment in the right direction for fire prevention safety, but in the long run it is essential to maintain these procedures. Check and perform maintenance on machines/tasks regularly and keep a record of this routine maintenance. In essence, following these four steps will ensure effective results in fire safety!

While not enormously popular, National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day falls on November 15 and we think it’s the ideal time to make sure it’s up to your workplace’s cleanliness standards!

As a shared space the fridge should be regularly cleaned and organized . So how should your workplace prepare? Here are a few steps that can make the process less daunting for everyone:

Keep the fridge organized:

The secret to a clean fridge is an organized fridge! Make sure there is a designated area for the communal items such as cream and butter as well as for personal lunches. Likewise, label all sections in the fridge. If possible include dates on your labels for “best before” guidelines.

Establish best practices & guidelines for fridge cleaning:

A fair and simple policy should include all employees in a rotating weekly cleaning schedule. This will keep maintenance fair and regular. If there is more than one fridge in the office divide the tasks accordingly by each department. Simple “rules” as listed below can help avoid sticky messes:

Properly clean your fridge:

Scheduling occasional fridge clean days should be welcomed and encouraged. While it can initially take a long-time (when was the last time you cleaned your fridge?!) – if your workplace sets a regular cleaning schedule the time necessary to clean should decrease. Eventually – if everyone follows the above mentioned “best cleaning practices” then there might not be a mess to clean up in at all!

Maintain good fridge etiquette:

Food past it’s expiry date? Toss it. Out of condiments or cream for coffee? Add it to the office shopping list. Be proactive in making sure that everyone at your workplace is responsible for their own items. No one want’s the below policy where food is chucked out at the end of day because it wasn’t eaten or labelled properly!

From office chairs to telephone headsets, ergonomics is prevalent. Nevertheless, you might be wondering how wireless headsets can bring users a variety of benefits that improve workplace wellness. So what are the main perks of using a wireless headset?

BETTER MOVEMENT

Using a wireless headset as part of your daily work routine will help improve your posture by freeing you to move and sit more naturally. It eliminates the need to hold the telephone in an uncomfortable position and provides the freedom to roam which results in 35% less muscle tension than handset users.

REDUCES STRAIN

Neck and upper back muscle tension are one of the most common ailments of office workers. Results from a commissioned study conducted at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, CA, provide strong evidence that office workers can reduce neck, shoulder and upper back muscle tension as much as 41% by using a headset. That is a significant improvement for just wearing a headset! 

INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY

An additional study by H.B. Maynard & Co., Inc. concluded that adding hands-free headsets to office telephones improved productivity and efficiency by up to 43 percent. By making your workstation more comfortable and freeing up your hands for other tasks, you’ll find that you can get more work done each day.

A wireless headset will also enable you to remain productive from home or out of the office.

SOUND QUALITY

With the proper microphone placement (1-2 finger widths from the corner of your mouth) wireless headsets have reinvented sound and speech perception. A lot of headsets now have noise-cancelling options that detect and analyze the pattern of incoming sound which generates an “anti-noise” mirror signal to cancel it out for clear conversations. As a result, headsets give users a better sound experience that is personalized to their individual needs and reciprocated on the other end. 

REDUCES WORKPLACE INJURIES

It’s impressive to see the difference a headset can make for the end users. A Swedish field study analyzed a hundred people and showed that for 26% of respondents, neck and back pains “totally disappeared” and for 52% of respondents, inconvenience “diminished significantly” after they started using a headset. It is clear that headsets reduce the chances of work-related physical disorders which also results in reduced workers’ compensation cost! 

This new evidence confirms that headsets are a cost-effective, preventative solution for the whole company! 

Are you looking to preserve and protect your documents? Or enhance their overall colour and shine? Well, it sounds like lamination is a perfect solution for you!  A laminated document provides a professional finish while protecting the document from fingerprints, scratches, liquid and damage. Lamination securely seals your document on four sides creating a professional, high-quality appearance that makes a lasting impression (or should I say document)!

Need an idea of what to laminate? Swingline GBC has categorized what you can laminate by industry to provide a quick guide on laminating documents!

Business

• Awards
• Banners 
• Blueprints
• Brochures
• Business cards
• Catalogue covers
• Certifications
• Charts/graphs
• Displays
• Flip charts
• ID Badges
• List of vendors
• Maps
• Marketing pieces
• Phone lists
• Photos
• Point-of-purchase displays
• Policies and procedures
• Posters
• Pre-printed labels and signs
• Presentation cover sheets
• Price lists
• Sell sheets
• Signs
• Store hours

Education

• Artwork
• Banners
• Bookmarks
• Bulletin aids
• Class schedules
• Classroom aids
• Emergency lists
• Final projects
• Flashcards
• Game boards
• Handouts
• ID Badges
• Maps
• Multiplication tables
• Periodic table
• Photos
• Reading lists
• Safety signs
• Science projects
• Special event posters
• Syllabus
• Wall calendars

Restaurant

•Door signs
• Featured specials
• Help Wanted signs
• Instruction sheets
• Menus
• Drinks instructions
• Featured entrees
• Event posters
• Special offer signs
• Store hour signs
• Table number cards
• Training information

Manufacturing

•Equipment instruction labels
• Fire routes
• Protocols 
• Industrial labels
• Operating instructions
• Health and safety posters
• Storage shelf identification
• Warning and caution labels

Crafts

• Artwork
• Babysitter instructions
• Birth certificates
• Bookmarks
• Certificates of achievement
• Craft projects
• Delivery menus
• Diplomas
• Drawings
• Driving maps
• Emergency numbers
• Greeting cards
• Household chore lists
• Household rules
• Luggage Tags
• Magazine articles
• Marriage certificates
• Name tags
• Neighbourhood phone lists
• Newspaper articles
• Photos
• Placemats
• Recipe cards
• Report cards
• Sports schedules

Everyone looks forward to the summer after the frigid conditions we experience in Canada. The beautiful weather and the leisure time brings the best out of people, however, the summer months can also bring on heat-related illnesses. These include anything from dehydration, nausea and fatigue to the rare, but more serious, heat stroke. It is common for temperatures to rise in certain workplaces, particularly outdoor professions or where there is heat-generating equipment. This makes it difficult to complete tasks comfortably or adequately. For that reason, it is vital to be aware of the various heat-related signs and symptoms to help you stay protected!

Here is what you should look for:

Heat Cramps:

Heat cramps are painful, brief muscle cramps. Muscles may spasm or jerk involuntarily typically in your calves, thighs, and shoulders. Heat cramps can occur during exercise or work in a hot environment.

Symptoms of Heat Cramps- Muscle spasms that are:

• Painful
• Involuntary
• Brief
• Intermittent
• Usually self-limited (go away on their own)

Treatment for Heat Cramps:

• Rest in a cool place
• Drink cold water or a sports drink that contains electrolytes and salt

Heat Exhaustion:

Heat exhaustion is a heat-related illness that can occur after you’ve been exposed to high temperatures and it often is accompanied by dehydration. There are two kinds of heat exhaustion that you need to be aware of including water depletion and salt depletion. Signs of water depletion include excessive thirst, weakness, headache, and loss of consciousness. Signs of salt depletion include nausea and vomiting, muscle cramps, and dizziness.

Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion:

• Confusion
• Dark-coloured urine (a sign of dehydration)
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle or abdominal cramps
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• Pale skin
• Profuse sweating
• Rapid heartbeat

Treatment for Heat Exhaustion:

• Get out of the heat and avoid it
• Drink plenty of water or fluids that contain electrolytes and salt
• Remove any tight or unnecessary clothing
• Take a cool shower, bath, or sponge bath
• Apply other cooling measures such as fans or ice towels

Heat Stroke:

Heat stroke is the most severe form of heat injury that often occurs as a progression from milder heat-related illnesses, however, it can strike even if you have no previous signs of heat injury. Heat stroke results from prolonged exposure to high temperatures – usually in combination with dehydration – which leads to failure of the body’s temperature control system. The medical definition of heat stroke is a core body temperature greater than 104 degrees fahrenheit, with complications involving the central nervous system.

Symptoms of Heat Stroke:

• Disorientation
• Throbbing headache
• Dizziness and light-headedness
• Lack of sweating despite the heat
• Red, hot, and dry skin
• Muscle weakness or cramps
• Nausea and vomiting
• Rapid heartbeat, which may be either strong or weak
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Behavioural changes such as confusion, disorientation, or staggering
• Seizures
• Unconsciousness

Treatments for Heat Stroke:

• Fan air over the patient while wetting his or her skin with water from a sponge or garden hose
• Apply ice packs to the patient’s armpits, groin, neck, and back (These areas are rich with blood vessels that are close to the skin and cooling them may reduce body temperature)
• Immerse the patient in cool water or ice bath to help cool the body

Protect Yourself:

If you, or anyone else, have any symptoms of heat-related illnesses, it’s essential to immediately get out of the heat, stay hydrated and rest in a cool or shady place. To prevent these injuries from occurring make sure to use a “buddy” system to watch for signs and symptoms of co-workers. If affected, try to avoid hot weather and heavy exercise until your doctor tells you that it’s safe to resume your normal activities!

Finding it hard to stay energized and productive at work? Feeling tired and overworked? Breakrooms are meant to encourage a physical and mental break from a stressful workday. Stocking up your breakroom can help boost you and your coworkers’ performance in the long run. Here’s how:

 Fosters Healthy and Happy Employees 

Stocking up the breakroom encourages mental breaks when you and your co-workers feel stressed out. Whole foods such as fruit and vegetables help nourish your body by providing the natural fuels it needs to take on the workday. Studies have revealed that people who maintain healthier eating habits are less likely to suffer from mood disorders and depression in the long run.

Boosts Morale and Productivity

The foods we eat have a large impact on our productivity. When you eat food, your body converts it into glucose, your brain’s largest source of energy; the fuel you burn over the course of the day. You’ve likely experienced a slump at work where you were hungry and were less productive- this was likely because you didn’t have enough energy to power you through the day. Having the extra boost of food energy helps increase your mood and overall performance.

Encourages A Strong Workplace CultureMost office employees spend more time alone at their desk during the day than with coworkers. Stocking up the breakroom empowers employees to come together to converse and brainstorm with people they may not have otherwise. In the long-run, building a strong company culture fosters innovation and new ideas, creating a strong competitive advantage.

A well-stocked breakroom helps create an environment where you and your coworkers will feel refreshed, energized and ready to take on any workday.

Have you tried Zappar yet? Zappar adds a new visual dimension to the world seen through your device as a digital discovery channel. It makes our catalogue and flyers come to life with informational and engaging content. Want to be apart of this fantastic customer experience? Follow these steps below!

1. Download the Zappar app on your device

2. Find featured products in catalogue and flyers with a Zappar code. It will look similar to this: 

3. Once installed: Open the app, hover the camera over the Zapcode and press ‘Scan Zapcode’

5. Access interactive content

6. View the interactive content

Don’t miss out. Download Zappar today and start viewing augmented virtual and mixed reality experiences!

A label machine is not just for super-organized, anti-clutter fanatics.  There are so many uses for a label machine in the office, here are some ideas you can start right away!

1. Learn a new language

Label common items with its name in the language you would like to learn.  Seeing the words daily will help you to learn that new language in no time!

2. Identify personal belongings

Stapler always go missing? Someone always using your mug?  Put your name on it with a label so everyone knows it’s yours!

3. Binder Clips

Keep your paper documents neat and tidy by grouping like documents with a binder clip.  Label the binder clip so you know what types of documents are in that pile.  You can also pre-label binder clips and use them to indicate action items like “Please Sign” or “To File”.   

4. Signs in the office 

Create a neat and simplistic label for you inbox and outbox.  You can also use labels to post subtle reminder messages, like the long-standing struggle to not leave dishes in the sink!  

5. Organize your breakroom

Indicate where dishes, cups and cutlery should go so that evertyhing is put back in its proper place. 

6. Cords & Cables

Ever reach behind your computer or TV and are overwhelmed with the number of cords back there, and finding the one you need seems like a daunting task?  Eliminate the confusion by labelling each cord or cable with its function and quickly locate the one you’re looking for.

7. File Folders

Title your file folders neatly and legibly by using a label.  This also creates a nice uniform look to your files, and you can take your efficiency even further by using various colours of label tape to identify types of files.  For example, all personnel files can be pink while invoices could be in yellow.

8. Inventory Management

Create a label for each item in your supplies cabinet and not only will people be able to quickly locate what they are looking for, but you’ll also quickly be able to identify which supplies are running low and need to be ordered. 

9. Binders

Quickly identify which binder you’re looking for and create a uniform appearance with the use of a label on the spine.  Using various colours of label tape is also an excellent way to keep organized. 

10. Flash Drives

Never have to wonder again what is on that flash drive by labelling it.  This also helps to reduce security risk by no longer having to plug in an unknown flash drive to determine what is on it.

11. Name Badge

Create a name badge quickly by using a label machine.  This works particularly well in creating guest badges for the office.   

12. Storage Boxes

Never again have to guess what’s in that storage box, and need to pull it down in order to see what’s in it when you use labels on the outside!