The Datamax Thinking Blog

Reliable copier service providers and a solid relationship go together like chocolate and peanut butter. If you’re going to consume the calories, you want it to be worth it. Like a peanut butter cup. Its not much different with a service provider and a relationship – if you’re going to find one, you want it to be the right one. Life is too short to suffer through poisonous relationships (or a high calorie, unsatisfying treat) – either in your personal or professional life. When I typed “relationship” into Google search, this quote above was the first result:

If the following sounds familiar, consider document management.

You need to find a contract proposal – immediately – because a potential client has moved their timeline up a week. But, you don’t have a copy because Todd’s been working on it and he hasn’t shared it yet – assuming he’s even created a draft.

In Western culture, white symbolizes “purity” and “cleanliness” (or taken to extremes, “sterility” or “coldness”), while in traditional China white is the color of mourning. Black cats are seen as a sign of bad luck or a bad omen in the West; but are a symbol of good luck in Japan and most of England. Color has meaning (and, yes, the color scheme in McDonald’s is designed to get you to eat more!).

When it comes to communicating with your office documents, a little color can make a big difference. Consider these two statistics:

• Institute for Color Research – up to 90% of subconscious judgements about a person, environment, or time are based on color alone.
• CAP Ventures (From 2008/9) – full color variable documents enhanced customer loyalty and retention, generating 34% faster response rates, a 48% increase in repeat orders, and a 32% increase in overall revenues.

Remember the Karate Kid? Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel, “Focus, Daniel-San!” and “Look eye. Always look eye.”

Who knew that he was also delivering great business productivity advice!

As busy as you are, and you are, it’s important to focus.

For some, there’s a badge of honor associated with multitasking. “I can do it all,” we like to say. And the ability to juggle multiple tasks – and get them done – is a commendable skill.

But.

You still need to focus. Trying to accomplish multiple things at once is really making us all less effective. And we are distracted. I came across this infographic recently – smartphone users check their phones 150 times a day. If you’re constantly checking your phone at work, you’re distracting yourself and by removing your attention from the task at hand to check a text, a Facebook or LinkedIn status alert, or to just make a quick status update is making you less effective.