WEBWIRE – Monday, April 20, 2009

April 22nd is Earth Day. Earth Day is a day in which people are encouraged to become more aware of our environmental impact, and to learn new ways to help prolong the life of our planet. At BuyOnlineNow.com, it is also a day you can save 20% on all environmentally friendly office supplies.

Earth Day was started in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson and is celebrated in many different countries worldwide. In America during the mid and late 1960s, there was an awakening among many people that coincided with the hippie movement, which resulted in a stronger appreciation for the earth that left many people asking what they could do to help protect the planet from destructive practices such as pollution and deforestation. April 22nd, 1970, the first official Earth Day, marked the beginning of the modern environmental movement.

BuyOnlineNow has a commitment to providing their customers with environmentally friendly alternatives to many of the popular office supplies they sell. In March of 2007, they opened their “Go Green” option of office supply and office product shopping. By using a strict guideline of listing only products that are made from at least 30% post consumer waste as “green,” or environmentally safe biodegradable material, BuyOnlineNow ensures that their “Go Green” program truly gives their customers the best option to make earth-friendly choices when shopping for office supplies. Ring binders, file folders, Post-it notes, cleaning supplies and calendars are just some of the office supply options available in “green” alternatives. BuyOnlineNow hopes that by offering a one day only discount of 20% on all eco-friendly office products, they can help raise awareness among their customers that there are more responsible options available for those that want to do their part to help the earth.

Since 2000, BuyOnlineNow.com has been selling office supplies and office furniture online. They currently stock over 27,900 different products in 85 distribution centers across America. BuyOnlineNow.ca opened in March 2007, offering more than 9000 products from 5 distribution centers located throughout Canada.

BuyOnlineNow was named to the Inc 500 list of fastest growing companies in America in both 2005 and 2006 and the Inc 5000 list in 2007 and 2008. BuyOnlineNow was also included in Internet Retailer Magazine’s Guide to the top 500 online retailers in 2007 and 2008.

For more information visit our web sites: http://www.buyonlinenow.com and http://www.buyonlinenow.ca.

Sharpie will recently be releasing a brand new product that we here at BuyOnlineNow are really excited about, a stainless steel Sharpie marker.  Sharpie has been very successful with the time-proven design of their sharpie permanent markers, sturdy construction, comfortable grip, smooth and even writing capabilities and a clip to fasten the marker to your pocket.  Now, with a stainless steel cap and body, the sharpie permanent marker has become more, well, permanent.

Not only does the stainless steel enclosure ensure that your marker will last forever, but it really brings the aesthetics to a whole new level.  Seeing it in person, one can really admire the smooth shine of the steel as it twinkles under the fluorescent lighting of the office, much like a movie star’s eyes reflect the hundreds of paparazzi flash bulbs as they walk the red carpet of a big time Hollywood movie premier.  The rich, elegant steel absorbs the ambiance of whatever room you’re in, instantly making you feel like the star of the show, and is sure to give it’s handler an instant and lasting sense of purpose and self-assuredness.  The brushed shaft is deliciously accented by the shininess of the clip and ring, while the understated yet bold Sharpie logo along the side projects a sense of sure-handedness that signifies the heroic personality the marker unflinchingly exhibits.

There are no worries of running out of ink either, as changing the refill is as simple as unscrewing the empty one and screwing in the fresh one.  My initial feeling, is that the marker is sure to cause ripples throughout the industry for quite a while, as putting this much power into peoples hands could reflect incredible, long-lasting changes and shake up the way we look at permanent markers.  I’m excited to see what happens.

Stainless Steel Sharpie permanent markers are available now, so my recommendation is to start mentally and physically preparing yourself so you’ll be ready to not only act, but also react, when this powerful piece of machinery finds it’s way into your hands.

Also, there's a great write up about the new Stainless Steel Sharpies on the OfficeSupplyGeek blog, I highly recommend reading. 

There are many reasons why using a remanufactured printer cartridge can make sense for your particular situation.  I’m going to go over some of these reasons and also try to dispel the myth that remanufactured ink cartridges are of low quality.

First of all, using remanufactured ink cartridges is good for the environment.  This is becoming an increasingly important factor for companies and customers.  Our landfills are filling up very rapidly, and every little thing we can do helps to prolong the lifespan of us and our planet.  Using remanufactured toner cartridges keeps them out of the landfills and puts them back into circulation.

Another great reason for using remanufactured toner cartridges is cost.  This can be very important especially as our economy seems to keep taking turns for the worse.  Ink cartridges are the second most purchased office supply in workplaces across America behind paper.  If companies knew they could be saving as much as 50% a year on ink cartridges by switching to a remanufactured model, they would probably be used quite a bit more.

A big reason why many people and companies aren’t using remanufactured ink cartridges is that they are concerned about the quality.  Up until a few years ago, there were many companies, large and small, remanufacturing ink cartridges with little or no guidelines to follow.  However, now there are strict regulations to follow and a much higher standard of product are being produced.  Companies like Nukote, for example, even offer 100% lifetime guarantees on their remanufactured ink cartridges.  On top of that, they are so confident with their products that they will repair or replace your printer should their cartridge ever fail, and cause any damage.

So, at a time when we are looking for the best way to spend less, remanufactured ink cartridges might just be a great way to start saving you and your company money. Plus it will help you feel good that you are doing something to help save our fragile environment.

Dahle paper shredders, known worldwide for their industrial quality, high-security levels and enormous daily shredding capacity, are now offered with free shipping from office supply superstore BuyOnlineNow.

Dahle shredders are manufactured in Germany using top quality parts.  The cutting cylinders are guaranteed for life, and the rubber shock mounts, innovative electronic sensors and thermally protected motors ensure a long lasting, durable office machine.  Dahle shredders are available in many different sizes and styles, with models designed for anything from small offices, to high-security government agencies and even deployment shredders with air-tight waterproof casing, made for shredding in the field.

Dahle addressed many of the concerns customers had about paper shredders, especially focusing on customers who would be doing a large amount of shredding.  One very common complaint about using commercial grade shredders is that they usually are very noisy.  By using rubber shock mounts that support and absorb vibrations at crucial areas inside the shredder, Dahle was able to dramatically reduce the noise levels.

Dahle produces many shredders that meet and even exceed the security standards set forth by the NSA/CSS 02-01, used for the destruction of Top Secret COMSEC documents.  This is also known as security level 6, and is directly related to the size of the shred.

The following diagram shows some more of the many features that set Dahle shredders apart from the rest of the paper shredder industry.

You can never go wrong with a classic wood, or laminate, reception desk.  This adds a nice sense of warmth and can be very welcoming to anyone entering your building.  Make sure you pick a color and style that fits well with the overall look of your office.  In some cases, it can also be important to provide seating options in your reception area.  If this is the case for you, try to make sure your reception seating options coordinate with the reception desk in a pleasing manner, whether it be a classic wood style, or a more modern, streamlined design.

If your reception area doubles as a waiting area, be sure to provide your guests with a comfortable environment by leaving out some magazines and newspapers to read.  It can also be a good idea to have some simple refreshments out such as coffee, tea and candy.

The reception area of your company plays a very important role in making sure that you are putting out the correct appearances, and the foundation of your reception area is the reception desk.  By first selecting a reception desk that meets your needs, you can then build the proper reception area to give your company a very professional first impression.

Fellowes paper cutters and paper trimmers have been created with a level of quality we’ve come to expect from all of their products.  As with Fellowes paper shredders , there is a strong emphasis on as evident by the name of the trimmers, SafeCut™.  The rotary trimmers have unique and well thought out designs that serve specific purposes in preventing any accidental injuries.

Fellowes has created a whole range of rotary trimmers, in enough styles that there should be one to fit any need and/or budget, with cutting capacities ranging from 10 sheets to 30 sheets.  All of the Fellowes rotary trimmers except the Atom 150 and Atom 180 use replaceable blades that come in the form of snap-in cartridges.  The blades stay completely enclosed inside the cartridge until they are placed in the trimmer and the handle is pushed down to start cutting.  As soon as pressure is taken off the handle, the blade retracts into the cartridge so there is no way that the blade can come into contact with anything except the cutting surface of the trimmer. 

There are four different types of replacement blades: wavy, perforated, scoring and the traditional straight blade.  Most of the trimmers have built in storage for the extra blades and replacing the blade cartridges is as easy as snapping them in and out. 

After time the cutting surface on the trimmer will start to wear out, so Fellowes made replaceable cutting mats, so you can be sure you’re getting clean cuts no matter how frequently you use your trimmer.

Just like with all of their products, Fellowes has found some interesting ways to optimize the level of safety while creating a highly functional and practical line of paper cutters.