How to Cut Down on Paper Costs at the Office

Going completely “paper-less” in the workplace is quite challenging; however reducing your business printing is not only cost-effective, but also valuable to the environment. Paper is something that many companies’ use large quantities of and is often not questioned. The average American office worker is estimated to use a sheet of paper every 12 minutes, which leads to a ream per person every two and a half working weeks, and ending in a dispose of 100-200 pounds of paper each year*. While recycling is a helpful idea, the most profitable waste management strategy is reduction.  We have provided several solutions that we suggest using at your company to cut down on paper usage.

---

• Print Paper Double Sided – Changing your copier setting to default to Double Sided will help reduce the amount of pages printed by 50%. This is beneficial when you have large reports, lengthy contracts, manuals or packets. The Double Sided option can be setup on each computer individually (based on who needs it) or company-wide by adjusting the copier default setting.
• Reuse Paper – Perhaps you can’t totally prevent printing; but you can promote the reuse of paper. If you only used the front side of the paper, use the back side for notes or scratch work. Or rather than putting used paper in the trash, turn it over and place it into the copier to print on the other side.
• Think Before You Print –Printing out all emails and documents is easy… but wasteful. Be mindful of everything you print and try to only print what is absolutely necessary. Emails with only 1 or 2 lines of text is not necessary.
• Try Technology First –Printing and filling important documents causes a huge waste; scanners and virtual storage can not only reduce printing usage, but also allow you to get rid of the bulky filing cabinets used for storage. Another suggestion is instead of printing out employee and office paperwork, such as payroll, newsletters, memos, and forms; simply send it in an email. Also, choose to email recipients information rather than faxing.
• Updated Billing System – Consider switching to a paperless program to bill your customers their invoices; this will save cost on paper, envelopes, and stamps. Likewise, submit all payment to your vendors online if possible; many companies offer credit card payments via phone, email or website.
• Recycling – At the end of the day, some printing is inevitable. To help offset that, you should recycle all your paper rather than throwing it away. Some documents are confidential and need to be shredded; luckily shredded paper can be recycled too.

 

*Sourced: Hawken,Lovins & Lovins. Natural Capitalism

Google Connector

ACCESS YOUR GOOGLE ACCOUNT DIRECTLY FROM THE MFP

The increased mobility of today’s workforce has made it imperative that users be able to quickly retrieve their information when and where it is needed. With the Google Connector app, KYOCERA brings this essential capability to the MFP. Now you can easily access, search and print Google e-mail, attachments and calendars directly from any HyPAS-enabled MFP using the device’s control panel.

You can browse and preview messages, check your calendar for events, and print emails, attachments, and calendar events for hardcopy reference. You can also quickly and easily compose and send emails with scanned file attachments through Gmail directly from the MFP.

Watch this Instructional Video to learn more about the Google Connector application and how to utilize it in your office:

 

Google has become virtually synonymous with the Internet. Many businesses appreciate its convenience, intuitive calendar tool, and ability to handle larger e-mail attachments. With the Google Connector app, even when you are at the MFP you won’t miss a thing!

For more information contact your Kopier Net sales representative today by calling 770-425-5679.

Meet Our Dispatcher: Daniela

If you have ever called our office, then you are familiar with our stellar Dispatcher, Daniela. She handles a multitude of tasks at Kopier Net from answering the phones, dispatching the technicians to their calls, assisting with shipping out supplies & so much more. She is a team player that works hard to get your copier issues fixed as soon as possible. We value her so much here at Kopier Net and we thought you would like to get to know the person that you speak to when you call.

How long have you worked at Kopier Net?
I have been here for four years.
What is the best part of being a dispatcher?
My customers are the best part of my job. Everyone has their own special way of making my day fun, exciting, and different.
What is the most challenging aspect of your job and how do you handle it?
Since the biggest part of my job is talking to people, I would say miscommunication is a challenge that I face when talking to customers and my technicians. I am always trying to figure out exactly what is wrong with the machine so we can properly fix it; so I’m sorry if I ask too questions when you place a service call.
What is the best advice you can give our customers?
No matter how big or small the issue is – CALL US! Sometimes little issues can become bigger issues… and we want to prevent that from happening.
What is the most important thing that you have learned about copiers since working here?
I always knew that copiers were important for printing and making copies but with technology today, I now realize how important copiers are for scanning documents and how much a company relies on their scanning.
What do you enjoy the most about working for Kopier Net?
My bosses are great! They are the most understanding people I have ever met; they have such big hearts. It’s also nice that I can have a good laugh with my co-workers from time to time… probably more often than we should.
What is your favorite way to pass the time—what are your hobbies, your talents, your interests?
I have two daughters; Angelyna, who is nine years old and Ayva, who will be turning seven soon. We love to go roller skating, watch movies, play outside, ride bikes, etc. My kids pretty much consume all of my free time and I would not change that for the world.
Before working at Kopier Net, what was the most unusual or interesting job that you’ve ever had?
I have always worked as a dispatcher; this has been my career for almost 10 years. I used to work for various plumbing companies in the past; I am thankful to hear less gruesome stories from my customers now, lol.
What are 3 words to describe working at Kopier Net?
TOP NOTCH STUFF

Spring Printables

March 20^th is the 1^st day of Spring, which means sunshine is just around the corner. As we prepare for the season change, many will re-arrange the closet and give the home a good solid clean; but what about updating your decor for Spring? We have found some lovely and bright printables to display, blissful activities for the upcoming holidays, and more to help celebrate this beautiful time of year where everything seems to come to life.

---

Hello Spring! After the dark and blistery winter who isn’t ready to welcome the sunny climate of springtime! This printable sign will certainly put a smile on your face and have you looking forward to the pleasant adventures ahead. The fabulous part of this printable is that it is available in 4 different colors: red, pink, blue & green; so pick your favorite, print and frame.

---

Celebrate Showers! April Showers… One of the more notable weather trends of Spring. Though rain is not always pleasant, it’s nice to appreciate and know that it will help grow those delightful flowers we all love. This gorgeous watercolor printable inspires you to embrace the SUNSHINE when skies seem grey.

---

 

Scavenger Hunt! For families, the warmer weather means Spring Break is near. If your way of transportation is car, the thought of keeping the family occupied might be daunting; but fear not with this delightful Road Trip Scavenger Hunt. The printable has a variety of things for kids to keep an eye out for on the highway. You can encourage your children to cross things off as they see them and even offer incentives for the passenger who finds the most or spots them first.

---

Easter Treat! Turn these classic Easter marshmallows into a simple and quick treat for friends, classmates, or co-workers. You can use the pastel printable on its own or follow the directions on the website to create charming Peep Pops… they are almost too cute to eat! The DIY gift is adorable, inexpensive and EASY.

---

Decorative Desktop! For those that are wanting to add a little ‘Hoppiness’ to your desk but don’t have the space to display a printable, we have found these vibrant Easter backgrounds. The Bunny and Egg watercolors are cheery images to enjoy the quickly approaching holiday. The added bonus: they are also available in print form! The pink bunny would be perfect to hang in a young girl’s room!

---

 

Spring Cleaning! One of the more dreaded efforts people take on once winter is over is cleaning the house. It’s a very overwhelming feeling because it’s hard to find a place to start! That is why this Spring Cleaning Checklist is so helpful. It breaks down the responsibilities by room and provides check-boxes for you to mark off each completed task.  It will make you feel very accomplished as you complete each chore!

The Advantages of a Maintenance Agreement

When choosing to buy/lease a copier many customers debate whether or not to pay the additional cost for a monthly Maintenance Agreement. A copier maintenance agreement is a “service agreement” where the customer pays a monthly fee based on their cost per copy and in return the contract includes toner, service & repair, as well as parts. A maintenance agreement is beneficial in so many ways: it is economical, it keeps your machine running at its best, and it gives you peace of mind for prolonging the life of your copier.

Here is a list of the some of the advantages of choosing to have a copier maintenance agreement.

• Saving Money – It is cost effective for a business to have a maintenance agreement so you do not have to pay for each service call or repair. There is never a cost for a technician to come out to fix your machine and a tech will continue to service your copier until it is running perfectly if an error continues to occur.
• Priority Call Status – You are guaranteed a call from your technician within 2 hours from when a service call is placed to give you an exact ETA of arrival and all service agreement customers are put ahead of others.
• Unlimited Service & Preventative Maintenance – A technician is available to service your machine even when nothing is wrong; you can schedule cleaning and preventative repairs as often as you need. There is also no limit to how many times a tech will come out to work on your copier.
• Free Loaner – If your copier is down for longer than a day, we will provide a free loaner machine until your copier is running perfectly again.
• Toner & Supplies – You can receive unlimited free toner, waste toner, and parts for your machine.
• Machine Exchange – If the copier does not perform to your satisfaction a replacement machine will be replaced at no charge to you; within the first five years of delivery.
• Peace of Mind – By not having to worry about your machine breaking down or being able to afford to pay for parts to fix the machine, you can focus your time on other more important aspects of your business.

Printables to Help You Meet Your New Year’s Resolution!

As the New Year is finally here, it is a time to reflect on the past and look forward to what is to come in the future. This is where the infamous New Year’s Resolutions come into play; some are personal, some are family-oriented, and others are professional. To help reach these goals, we have found some useful (and free!) printables geared towards some of the most common resolutions made every year. Even if these don’t match what you plan to get accomplished this year, they are worth using as helpful tools at home or the office.

---

Keep a Clean Home: Cleaning Checklist

Cleaning the house is a rather grueling task that can take up your entire day. Rather than working hard for many hours, why not do a little each day so the burden is less. This checklist helps keep you on track with small, daily tasks and chores that leaves you with the whole house being cleaned by the end of the week. The best part of this list… it’s customizable!  This checklist will have your house looking spotless in a manageable way.

---

Lose Weight: Food & Fitness Journal

Many people commonly make it a priority to lose weight and get in shape at the beginning of the year; to assist with that we have provided a whole packet of useful printables to help you work towards a healthy 2016. There is a food journal to document everything you eat each day so you can evaluate and track your eating habits, a workout planner to keep you on track with cardio and strength training sessions, a water tracker to make sure that you stay hydrated, as well as healthy meal planner.

---

Save Money: Monthly Budget Planner

One of the more popular resolutions each year is to get out of debit or to manage money better; this Budget Planner Sheet will help a lot with that! This printable is a great visual way to see your debits, plan out your expenses, and work towards maximum savings. Managing your finances can be stressful and difficult to understand, this is great way to better focus on your goals.

---

Learn Something New: Goals List

If you don’t know where to start with your annual goals, this list is for you. This printable promotes you to reflect on goals reached in the previous year as well as encourages you to meet multiple types of goals for the year to come. This fantastic form is suitable for office employees, team members, families, or personal use. We suggest keeping them so you can look back at previous set ambitions and reflect.

---

Get Organized: Meal Planner

Planning meals ahead of time is a great way to stay organized throughout week. This Meal Planner with Grocery List is a useful printable for family dinners, weekday lunches, or for the holiday season. By planning your meals at the beginning of the week you can save money, time, and encourage yourself to eat healthy… all popular resolutions! The design of this sheet is great because it allows you to easily tear off the grocery list so you can take it shopping with you!

---

Travel More: Family Travel Checklist

Whether you are packing for yourself or a whole family, we all get that feeling that we ‘forgot something’ when packing for a trip. Well fear not with this helpful checklist! It easily breaks down every item that needs to be packed by each person in your family. The items on the list range from clothing, toiletries, beachwear, even carry-on items. Be at ease on your next trip when you pack with this trusty list!

---

Printables to FALL in love with!

Fall is officially here and there is SO much to look forward to this season: jumping in the crisp, colorful leaves…bonfires…football…Halloween…and pumpkin-flavored everything!  So to get into the Autumn-time mood, we have gathered some of our favorite seasonal printables… and to make it even better they are FREE! We provided a variety of options, from party decor to interactive crafts for the kids to enjoy. We suggest grabbing a warm cup of coffee and snuggling up to discover how you can transform your home or office with some fabulous Fall designs!

---

Pumpkin Patch Glasses

These festive Halloween printables will turn your basic drinking glasses into cute pumpkins to decorate for your kitchen or display at an event! Provided on the free template are a variety of jack-o-lantern faces that you can mix and match. There are two sizes of faces so you can decorate regular cups or a large pitcher. Be sure to fill up your glasses with an orange drink for the perfect pumpkin expression!

---

Leaf Place Cards

Bring a natural element to your Thanksgiving table with these easy-to-make leaf place cards. Type names on a colorful leaf printable or simply write them by hand then cut out. These would add a rustic chic look lying on a plated table or glue them to twigs for a countryside charm aspect.

---

Fall Bucket List

This Fall Bucket List is a wonderful opportunity to keep the whole family involved as the season get cooler. Post this list at home with a goal to check off as many exciting activities as possible. You are guaranteed to have an amazing autumn if you are doing things like: going apple picking, baking pies, & building a scarecrow!

---

Wicked Labels

Every good witch or wizard needs a fine set of apothecary jars for some playfully spooky decorations, right? These eerie, yet elegant labels can be a fun decoration for your Halloween party or to arrange on your mantel or bookshelf. This is great way to get creative with what kind of jars you stick the labels to and how you fill them!

---

PSL Love

One of the most popular trends that is now associated with Fall is the infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte. If you are one of the people that patiently awaits its return each year, you should print and showcase this proudly. This print, along with a few other coffee & tea printables that the website offers, would look lovely displayed together as a set on a wall to highlight the warmer colors of Fall.

---

Autumn Signs

For a more simple and understated Fall style, discover these wreath graphics. They are a beautiful way to welcome the harvest of happiness into your home or office. They would really stand out in a nice gold frame grouped together and hung on a wall or display your favorite saying individually and place it on the mantel.

How to Establish Printing Policies In Your Office

Companies have guidelines and procedures for every aspect of business interaction these days, and it is now important to have rules for office equipment usage so personnel do not abuse their rights. Luckily, Kyocera has customized business applications to enforce the printing policies that you would like to implement in your office. Not only do these rules help protect the company, but they also set clear guidelines and expectations for the staff. Points of concern that may need to be addressed are: employees being permitted to print personal copies, blocking certain people from seeing private documents that have been scanned, and/or disabling people from printing on copiers outside of their department.

The main reason that you need to establish policies and procedures at your business is to  setup security for your confidential papers as well as save money on excess printing to prevent unneeded expenses. Establishing copier and document management rules will help your business control copier and printer usage, track and log usage, potentially cache images of all printed material, and prevent misuse of company equipment and potential privacy issues.

Below are some concerns that you should create office protocol for in your workplace and corresponding Kyocera business applications that can support putting those procedures into effect:

Issue:  How usage will be tracked?

Solution: Pcounter – Easily manage the workflow of documents that are being printed, copied, scanned or faxed

Issue: What copier features are certain users/user groups are allowed to use?

Solution: AccessLock – Give specific MFP user groups or departments access to only the device functions they require for print, scan, copy and fax functionality.

Issue: How do we obtain stored information if our network crashes?

Solution: PreservDOX – Critical documents can be saved to a designated synced folder at your PC for safe keeping and immediate access. To protect confidentiality of the routed files, PIN codes are assigned to each folder – eliminating unauthorized access to the data.

Issue: What employees get to print in color?

Solution: ColorLock – Restrict color functionality to only those who really need it by requiring staff members to login with a password before they can access color print ability. The password can be on a person by person basis, group, or department.

Issue: How do we restrict confidential documents from being seen on the printer?

Solution: CentraQ – Helps to minimize the risk of unauthorized access to confidential paperwork left at the machine by allowing end-users to quickly access secured jobs via their HID cards. It also provide document control by allowing administrators to track user and device specific print, copy, scan and fax usage across all devices.

Other preventative questions you should be asking are:

• Are personal copies permitted?
• Who should be contacted if supplies are needed for a copier?
• Which printers and copiers should be utilized for different print jobs?
• Who is the point of contact should there be a service issue?

Interested? You can learn more about the Kyocera Document Solutions listed above here.

Thank You!

Showing your love and appreciation for a gift or gesture by sending a Thank You card is a heartfelt and genuine thing to do, but sometimes that can get expensive. We have found some wonderful printable Thank You cards that are special to give but can also save you money…because they are FREE! These thank you cards look just as high quality as the ones you can buy at the store and some let you add a unique touch to make them really special. Please enjoy and print out some of your favorite options, they are free and so adorable!

---

Stylish & Chic – Chicfetti.com has a ton of fabulous cards to choose, ranging from stripes, polka dots, anchors, and more. They are so cheery and bright, that they are sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face.  The website has lots of fun and lively printables beyond cards as well; it’s definitely worth taking a browse. *Print Here*

---

Postcard – You can save money by printing out your own card, and you can save even more by mailing a postcard! Print these on some thick, brown cardstock to add some traditional charm. These are wonderful to express how grateful you are to someone for a present or to send a few short thankful words. *Print Here*

---

Watercolor Tags – If you are giving a Thank You gift, these simple yet elegant watercolor tags are a great addition! In a variety of colors, these printables are easy to create; just print, tie with ribbon, and sign. There is another corresponding tag with the label ‘Grateful’ that could work well too. *Print Here*

---

Merci! – Everything sounds better in French, including Thank You! This chevron design is ready to print on any 5” x 7” note card that you can purchase from your local craft store. Take this card as inspiration and include some creamy cheese and fine wine for a très chic gift! *Print Here*

---

Simply Say It– Sometimes you don’t need bright colors and pizzazz to show your gratitude, you just want your kind words to say it all. These cards are simple and classic so they are appropriate for any type of occasion. We suggest printing these on a natural craft cardstock to make it look more rustic. *Print Here*

---

Laugh Out Loud – What is better than a thank you card… a thank you card that will make someone laugh! You can give this silly card to a family member, child, or anyone who enjoys a good pun. It’s such a playful way to tell someone thank you for helping you out. *Print Here*

Why It is Important to Clean Your Toner Supply Closet

When was the last time that you cleaned your toner supply closet? We just completed this task at our office and it was quite an enlightening experience. We found so many things; from outdated technology, to excessive amounts of supplies that we thought we were “out of”, and tons of loose paper. There are a lot of benefits to straightening up your supply closet and we have provided a few tips that will even save your company money! We have detailed where to start the organizational process, what you will find, and how the purge will benefit you and your office!

---

WHERE to start

Begin the clearing out process by taking every single item out of the closet. Sort everything from the closet into one of three piles: toss, keep, or place somewhere else. Objects to be tossed should be:old user manuals for machines that you no longer have, dated/no longer used devices (i.e. CD-ROM’s), and anything broken. Some materials do not need to be thrown out but might need to be placed somewhere else in the office. For example, cleaning products should be moved to the kitchen, certain booklets/binders might need to go the specific person in the office that would reference them (IT), and other stuff can be moved to storage. At the end, you should be left with only the tools that are usable and needed in the supply closet. Classify everything by type, label, and place back neatly into the closet.

---

WHAT you will find

While sorting, pay close attention to decide what you want to keep or toss. Make sure all the toner cartridges in the closet are for the current copiers in your office, and not for an old copier that you no longer have. Should you have excess or expired toner, call Kopier Net and we will have a technician pick these supplies up to clear them out of your office. Along the same note, take an inventory of your toner supply. Make sure that you have a spare set of toner for each printer in your office. If you notice that you are in need of something, simply call us or place an order online on our website.

---

HOW it will benefit you

Aside from the fact that you will have a tidy space, you will gain from cleaning out your closet in other ways as too. First off, you may save money. Hopefully you will find extra copier supplies (toner, paper, waste toner bottles) that you weren’t aware that you had; so now you won’t have to purchase those resources for a while. Perhaps you can even sell items that your office no longer needs but others might (label maker, printer, phone system, etc.) You will be able to evaluate any excess, old, or obsolete toner and copier supplies so you know how to order ahead in the future. Lastly, organizing the closet with minimal clutter and use of labeling will minimize downtown for employees when searching for what they need.