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Vol 98 January 2014

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January issue of My Office - 2013
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2014 BACK TO OFFICE VOL 98 JANUARY R50. INC VAT THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE STATIONERY, HOME AND OFFICE PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION RETAINING TALENT IN THE WORKPLACE LAPTOPS VERSUS COMPUTERS EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND TRENDS
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2014BACK TO OFFICE

VOL 98 JANUARY R50. INC VAT THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE STATIONERY, HOME AND OFFICE PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION

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RETAINING TALENT IN THE WORKPLACELAPTOPS VERSUS COMPUTER S

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

AND TRENDS

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My Office Magazine is the official magazine of the Southern African Association for Stationery, Home and Office Products. It is read by over 25 000 buyers and sellers of stationery and office products each month.

PUBLISHERRob MathewsKathy Gibson - [email protected]

EDITORMercédes Westbrook - [email protected]

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGERWendy Dancer - [email protected]

FINANCIAL CONTROLLERBill André - [email protected]

NATIONAL OFFICEWeb Master: Neil Caetano Design and Layout: Neil CaetanoNew Membership: Rachel SkinkReception: Ruth Montsho

Johannesburg OfficePO Box 3226, Parklands, 21216 Edward Street, Kensington B, Randburg, 2124Tel: + 27 11 781 0370Fax: + 27 11 781 2828 Email: [email protected]: www.shop-sa.co.za

Cape Town OfficePO Box 48431, Kommetjie, 7976Tel: +27 21 780 1209Cel: +27 78 970 7633Email: [email protected]

CONTRIBUTIONSLetters and editorial contributions are welcomed and should be addressed to the editor at [email protected]. Publication cannot be guaranteed and is subject to space and the editor’s discretion.

THE LEGAL BITWhilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy the publisher and editor cannot accept responsibility for supplied material. The opinions of contributors are not necessarily those of shop-sa. Copyright is strictly reserved and no part of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher.

PRINTED BYColorpress (pty) ltd.

Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

CONTENTS

Mailing labels sponsored by Published by

FUTUREWAVEMEDIA

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Office paper sponsored byStationery sponsored by

281624

NEWSCompany news 32 Industry related news and trade business announcements. Eco Pages 36A green sustainability update, sponsored by Mondi.On the road 28 Assessing the potential impact tolling of highway use may have on business. MARKETING SAVVY If you are worried about Online Retailers – Relax 6 Service, communication and guarantees go a long way to building trust and we just aren’t there yet says Aki Kalliatakis.PersonAbility 47Q&A time with Angela Smith, stationery buyer for Mitak.

SALES SAVVY Laptops versus computers 12 While PC usage is declining ultimately a sale still comes down to personal choice.Here’s how to sell a lot of office products 30 Jeff Dobkin provides a witty take on how to sell a lot of office products.Back to office 10 Fast lines and methods to market for 2014. BUSINESS SAVVY Are you a part of the Beta culture? 8 Gavin Moffat notes some companies are quick to respond to market, while others get stuck in the planning phases. Retaining talent in the work force 26Key employee retention is critical to the long term health and success of your business. Negotiation Skills 35 Improve your negotiation skills to improve your bottom line.

SPECIAL FEATURESRetail and rentals at the Mall 16 The dice is loaded for retail within a mall environment. Emerging technologies and trends 20 Influences and trends going forward in 2014. International Comment 29 OPI looks at a de-globalisation of the office products industry. IN EVERY ISSUEEditors’ Welcome 2 Fail to plan and you plan to fail.Crime Alert 4 An industry sponsored page assisting in the dissemination and information networking of crime tactics currently taking place in the industry.Web buttons 29 Click to a supplier or service website quickly and simply.Product showcase 38 A highlighted showcase of office products and their descriptions available for your purchasing pleasure. Buyer’s Guide 40Punchline 48 Send in your details and stand a chance to win with Rexel office products.

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I have worked for a handful of employers over the years; two stay imprinted on my memory, and with both I observed essential lessons.

One was a large corporation with over a 100 sales people on the floor and a chiselled sales manager who would pace its length like a football coach. As I moved between the Editorial and Production Departments, on-the-spot sales incentives would be called out and the bell would clang shortly thereafter. It was exciting times and I bore witness to some cutting edge sales tactics that ripped the jugular out of clients’ budgets, in a ‘clean in-and-out, never to be engaged with again’ way. And it worked. Targets were high, there were socials every Friday afternoon and eventually a major buy out… but finally the grim reaper came to visit. Returning from lunch one day, the doors had been padlocked closed by the sheriff of the

court and I was never to see my desk again.

The other company was a small family business. The atmosphere was humble, measured decisions were taken, there was no haste, and our business environment ran along a plain and simple style of honesty and integrity. The sales manager built relationships, she is still there today, almost 20 years later… so is the business.

For the wolves in sheep’s clothing, they always seem to survive somehow. You see them popping up again and again in the industry, still shooting from the hip and engaged in less than trustworthy business. But you (and the market) soon learn the difference between quicksand and solid ground.

While the world’s economy remains fragile, those with the longevity of a tortoise will outlast the hare… Failure to plan around good business practices, without a genuine intention to offer an authentic service or product for the

mutual benefit of both buyer and seller will only be planning to fail. The tortoise was all about the long game while the hare was about the short. A dash to the glittering finish line always ends in woeful story at the bank or the task of avoiding one’s own eyes in the mirror’s morning reflection.

It’s a human failing that most people are reluctant to learn from the past and move forward. Instead, they’re more interested in justifying why the situation is the way it is rather than making the situation better. That first business owner is still a high-flyer and still hunting the next ‘new business’ venture, but it’s a scary place on the dark side of the moon. The other? He is getting ready to hand the reins over to his son and his longevity will carry over into the future.

Planning is a critical component of success. Where do you want to be this time next year? What’s your plan? What’s your strategy? What’s your goal? How do you set about to win the race? m

It was the Hare which

failed to plan, not the

TortoiseOne would think the pain of the recession would make people

humble, perhaps it has just made people more desperate and willing to disregard their

internal compass of what is right and wrong…

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Document Security: How Secure is Your Document Printing?

In an age where digital file management is critical to running a business and remaining competitive, managers and workers must ensure that their documents are secure. Electronic data management is more secure than paper based documents, but only when there is a rule-based process that provides the levels of

security you need.

Document security can be divided into two parts: the electronic applications and process on the network that interact with devices connected to it and the physical placement and access to devices in the workplace. Both of these areas are complex and may require outside assistance to get the outcomes a business wants. In any case, this article explores the steps necessary to take to minimise the security breaches and risks for both the network administrator and the operations manager. The focus of this article is for MPS providers and their customers on printing documents securely.

MPS businesses spend a fair amount of time making sure their computers, network devices, and private information are kept secure (it’s the law). However, I have found that one of the most overlooked security problems could be the networked printer and/or copy room. If your company is like most, workers typically congregate around the shared printers or in the copy room. We do this every day. It’s the place where informal employee meetings take place; the main topic – complaining about the boss and company. It’s also the place where petty theft of pens and paper occur, and it’s the hotspot for confidential information lying in piles at the printer waiting for anyone

to pick them up. So if you are sharing a printer, your documents, spreadsheets, or anything else you are sending to the printer is vulnerable to someone else’s eyes.

It is amazing to me that many end users and managers do not know that they have a secure print device already. If you are using HP or Xerox printers, secure printing is built in. There is a way from your Office program to delay the print job until you get to the printer to retrieve it. In Word, Excel or any Office document, there is a section in the print dialog box that tells the printer to store your document until you come to the printer to access the print job. The dialog box will ask for a pin number and that pin is used at the printer to print that job while you wait for it. What happens if you forget your pin number? You can’t retrieve the document and neither can anyone else.

Here is how to set this up for both Xerox and HP print devices. This is the general

process; your setup may differ slightly. How to securely print to a Xerox printer:1. On the file menu, click “Print”2. Click “Properties”, and then click on “Advanced”3. Under “Job Type”, select “Secure Print”4. Enter a 4 digit code (do this twice)

5. Go to the printer and select the “job” and enter your 4 digit code How to securely print to an HP printer:1. On the file menu, click “Print”2. Click “Properties”, and then click on the “Destination” tab3. Under “Destination” features, select “Job Retention” and then click on “Options”4. Under “Job Retention Mode”, select “Private Job”

5. Enter your name, assign a name to the print job, and then enter your 4 digit pin code. 6. Go to printer, select job and enter pin code.

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Keeping shop-sa members abreast of criminal and fraudulent activity in the stationery and office products industry To sponsor the Crime Alert page contact 011 781 0370

REPORT CRIME AT [email protected]

GOLD SPONSORS:

PLATINUM SPONSORS:

SILVER SPONSORS:

Renew your Crime Alert sponsorship today! Call Wendy Dancer on 011 781 0370 to book your logo placement on the Crime Alert page as an industry leader in transparency, information sharing and anti-crime business ethics.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

FRANK TOPINKA ([email protected]) serves as president of the NPRN and Amy Jaffe ([email protected])

works independently to develop marketing strategies for MPS providers. www.enxmag.com

By following the above procedures, end-users can print securely. However there are many more threat areas to document security that can penetrate almost any system. So what are the threats and steps to take to minimise document security breaches? Both HP and Microsoft have identified threats (6 and 5 respectively) that can cause great harm to your company. The costs of sensitive documents being exposed such as confidential private information, intellectual property being stolen, and revealed business plans or customer lists are potentially devastating. HP has identified these principle threats:

• Hard copy theft - Nearly 30% of all printed documents are left at the printer for anyone to take

• Hardware theft - Documents sent to printers and MFPs can be stored for later printing. A stolen hard disk can expose these documents

• Unauthorised changes to settings - If a device’s settings and controls are unprotected, anyone can reroute print jobs and even access vital passwords and network information

• Unauthorised MFP use - MFPs can send fax and e-mail. Anyone with access to your MFP can also send confidential information to any fax number or e-mail address in the world

• Network sniffing - A “network sniffer” can read data traveling

between a PC and a printer, exposing the print job, routing addresses and more

There is also theft of a printer or theft of its hard drive that contains all the information printed on that machine. So where devices are sent after its life’s usage is vitally important. The hard drives must be erased or destroyed before sending the printer to some place outside the business’s control.

So to protect the print environment, a company’s strategy must contain methods that will include printing and imaging products, the network, and data passing across the network. The steps to take are within four broad categories of the printing architecture:1. Protect your Printer

Use a lock that requires a key to remove the lock and the printer. Disable physical ports to prevent unauthorised use. Control access to the device by requiring authentication and authorisation for access to device settings and functions. Use pin codes, LDAP, smart cards, and biometric solutions. Remove data disks from retired devices.

2. Protect your Information Authenticate users and protect data before the data prints by using pin codes, LDAP authentication, smart cards, and biometric solutions. Encrypt print jobs to protect data. Use the device’s embedded security

(IPSec) to protect information traveling to or from devices. Use encrypted storage if built-in to your device. Remove data by using the device’s built-in capability to overwrite stored data.

3. Protect your documents Use push or pull printing where users can print, authenticate and get their documents when and where they want them. Lock paper trays with sensitive media such as prescriptions or bank checks.

4. Monitor and manage your printing environment MPS solutions can give visibility to the entire printing system. End-user usage, misaligned printers, and document costs are easily revealed. Automated alerts for repairs and supplies. Control access for groups and individuals.

It is essential that security becomes an integral part of your company’s security strategy. You need to know your business and what may be attractive to hackers. IT must enforce firewall and content filtering policies. As a company you should not only be conducting security audits of your own company, but you should be assisting your customers to make sure all printing is secure. Failure to do so can lead to devastating consequences. m

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m a r k e t i n g s a v v y

Service, communication and guarantees go a long way to building trust and we just aren’t there yet.

If you are worried about Online

Retailers - Relax

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AKI KALLIATAKIS is the Managing Partner of The Leadership LaunchPad, a company dedicated to helping clients become more

customer driven. He can be contacted at 011 640 3958, or via the website at www.DelightYourCustomers.co.za.

Follow him on Twitter at @AkiKalliatakis or Leadership LaunchPad

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

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m a r k e t i n g s a v v y

It is rare that I experience such abysmal service from a business that I am spurred to write about it, but my Christmas experience with one SA online retailer named after a desert created so many negative feelings - at a time which is usually reserved for peace to mankind and love to your customers - that forgiveness becomes very difficult

for me.

Briefly, my sorry tale began with a desire to get more “with it” in the modern age of the internet, alongside an effort to avoid claustrophobic, crowded, and noisy shopping malls. This time I decided I would experiment with buying gifts for my children online.

My son wrote to Father Christmas in November, and one of his requests was for a talking Furby. I got onto the website, saw it was available, and duly placed my order on 25 November, thinking that one month should be more than enough to get the order to me. My credit card was immediately debited, and I received confirmation that my order was being processed. The item would be delivered on 5 December, they stated.

Truth be told, I was quite pleased with myself. Although unlike amazon.com and other online stores, there was absolutely no price difference, since their price for Furbies was the same as all brick and mortar retailers at R1 000. However, I thought the convenience of ordering and delivery from my office made it worthwhile.

I could hardly have been more mistaken. A few days after 5 December, mildly

worried, I got back onto the website to track progress, and they stated the new delivery date was now 12 December. On 13 December, the day after my delivery due date, I called the company’s call centre, and after a long wait, left a message for them to call me back. You guessed it: I had no response. A few enquiries at local toy shops found there were still some Furbies in stock – but they were running out quickly.

I gave the company a few days, and called back on 18 December, with exactly one week to go before Christmas. I waited until I spoke to a human being, who said she would look into the order. Two days later, on 20 December, I had my answer. Their emailed letter said:

“We want to let you know that we don’t

think your order … estimated to deliver on 23 or 24 December will be on time… It’s increasingly unlikely that we will receive [the stock from the suppliers.] We thought it best to let you know about this as soon as possible in case the order was meant as a Christmas gift. We wouldn’t want any empty gaps under your tree.”

I was furious. With three hectic crowded shopping days to Christmas, how dare they cause such stress in my life, and also be so casual about it? They did offer some alternatives, none of which was really helpful with time running out. Needless to say, in spite of spending hours on the phone and in my car trying to find my dear son’s favourite toy request, the toy retailers had now also run out of Furbies.

I wrote to them recommending that they send the item on a ‘plane, or failing that, that they write a suitably decorated letter of apology to my son from Father Christmas, including a new date for delivery and a voucher for my trouble. (I don’t think that is an unreasonable request to pay for their incompetence.)

At Christmas I wrote a note to my son from Father Christmas explaining that the elves had worked all day and night, but couldn’t keep up with the demand, and promising that Santa would be back again on a special trip to deliver the Furby.

After the festivities, I tried to get a postal address to send their CEO a registered letter, but the different people I spoke to refused to give me one. Eventually I lied about sending her an invitation to address a conference, and I was given an address. So far she hasn’t even bothered to reply.

I did get a response – but only when I used Twitter and Facebook, and even then only from a supervisor rather than a manager.

So, traditional bricks and mortar retailers, ignore my previous articles

warning about how you should be worried about online retailers wiping out your business. It may happen in the future, but if my awful experience reflects the incompetence, thoughtlessness, and arrogance of online retailers, you have nothing to worry about for now.

What can you learn from this experience that caused me great frustration, disappointment and stress?

• Nothing beats personal and caring service in any business, but even more so if you don’t have a chance to interact with your customers face-to-face

• You need to constantly ask “What’s broken in our business?” Clearly, they had a poor relationship with their suppliers, a poor follow-up system to ensure that things weren’t left to the last minute, poor communication with their customers, and poor internal communication since they still advertised the Furby on their website until after my bad experience was long over

• Most important of all, do you overreact to customer problems, especially when something is of critical importance to that customer? The managers and people of “desert.com” were simply unable to come up with creative solutions to solve my problems, nor to even communicate with me in a conversation.

The sorry end to my saga is that I purchased a Furby from a real shop, wrapped it up in Christmas paper, and put it under the Christmas tree for my son to discover on 7 January. It cost me a fortune to buy other presents so as to not disappoint him on the day, and I have vowed to never buy online again unless there are guarantees. m

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Broadly speaking, before bygones became bygones, you designed a product, marketed a product, sold a product. This could take ages. Then came seeing a need, understanding how to satisfy that need and then selling to it quickly.

Apple seems to be the epitome of the philosophy of create and sell the people what they don’t know that they want or need. Do that well and you’ll have them coming back for the next version, even though it’s not substantially an improvement.

What Apple doesn’t do though is follow a Beta philosophy. We’ve all heard of Windows operating systems or Google products being released in Beta versions - essentially a way of getting a product to users to test. Some companies, like Google, keep products in beta, literally forever. Others move on to the release candidate version after some period of bug fixing.

The Beta culture of product innovation and development is clawing its way into business ecosystems. Sure you can’t release a product that is rubbish but you can release something that is 85% and then fix. This is particularly relevant with software but can also been seen in smartphones. You also hope that customers will embrace the product as is and then there is no further need for development on that item.

What does the Beta culture bring? Speed to market. You get to develop something quickly and get it out there before a clever engineer in China, India or Russia has the time to back-engineer

it. You get to learn on the job. Get customer feedback and continue development on the fly. Bring down R&D costs because your development cycle is shorter. You get to release products more frequently, if that what you want. You get to cut projects or products quicker and with a lighter impact on the bottom line. You get to have a closer relationship with your customers as they will surely be in touch with you if your products stinks - although this should probably be on the other side of the scale.

The downside involves less research; potentially meaning that the product is not what is wanted or needed. Less focus on the big picture and more focus on the little picture, getting products out. You get trapped into something akin to the listed company quarterly cycle – driving everything for this quarters result and not focusing on the long play, to build a company that lasts forever.

An easy to understand and not-so-fictional example: My wife and I would like to write a book about parenting. However, our perception of such a book is that it needs to be 300 pages with loads of research, backed with really good interviews etc. However, a friend of ours produced a 60 page book that is made up of great stories and anecdotes and does the same job. While we are still planning our book she has released hers and it is selling. Should we rather have done it the Beta way? Just start. Get it done. Make it as long as it needs to be (re-examine our perceptions and filters relating to what a book should be) and get it out there. The 2nd edition can be different if needed.

Doing it the Beta way isn’t easy but may mean that you can innovate quicker than you currently do. That may mean you will thrive a little longer. That may mean that it will be worth it. Maybe. m

Some companies are quick to market, ready to respond while others get stuck in the planning phases.

part of the Beta

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

GAVIN MOFFAT can be contacted on [email protected]

or follow him on www.twitter.com/gavinmoffat)

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Nothing much has changed over the last decade in the credence that ‘time is money’. We will always be looking how do to things faster, cheaper and more simply.

While we remain loyal to our favourite items and office tools to get tasks done, we are always on the alert for innovation and must-haves for productivity, and of course something that is modern and aesthetically pleasing as well.

For the stationery and office products industry the relationship remains pivotal between the Procurement officer and the Supplier.

According to Dr. Soheila R. Lunney, president of Lunney Advisory Group who has more than 20 years of supply management, procurement, and business experience during the last two decades, the role of Procurement has made big strides in moving from a purely transactional activity to a more strategic function. With universities offering degrees in supply management, top performers pursuing careers in Procurement, and Procurement staff sharpening their skills with training

and certifications, the profession has shaken off its clerical persona of paper-pushing and battling with suppliers over price concessions. Today’s Procurement leaders and officers have become skillful in the way they work with their suppliers to generate cost savings, bring value, and become a competitive advantage for their organisation. Although the Procurement/Supply Management function has been recognised as an important part of the business, and the road to the corner office is no longer a long haul, Procurement representation in boardrooms is still few and far between says Dr. Soheila R. Lunney. Why is that?

CEOs’/Board Members’ Misconception of Procurement, If one asks CEOs and board members how to improve the profitability of their organisation, their responses would likely be increasing sales and/or cutting costs. If you then ask them how Procurement can help improve cash flow, the majority will associate it with cost-cutting initiatives. This misconception can have a major impact on business performance. If the CEO or board members only support Procurement initiatives to cut costs, they will only achieve short-term benefits and not reap long-term sustainable results.

CPO Reporting Structure: Talking

with heads of Procurement at various organisations, you find out they frequently report to CFOs. Often the reporting lines are more complicated in that the CPO reports to an executive with three or four secondary functions to manage. As a result, developing a close working relationship with the CFO/executive and proving the strategic value of Procurement is a challenge for a large number of suppliers.

Procurement Creditability in the Boardroom: All too often, board members complain that the benefits from Procurement are just not visible. Many CPOs make claims about the savings achieved, risk mitigation they put in place through successful supplier collaborations, and new added-value services, but fail to provide the evidence. CPOs with sketchy anecdotal evidence quickly lose credibility. Savings must not only be realised, but measured, reported, and tracked to the income statement, aligning Procurement strategies and successes to business outcomes such as working capital, operating profit, and- most important- earnings per share.

As Suppliers to the corporate world, office product providers need to assist Procurement in their role and as a bridge

Whether clad in black suits or Madiba shirts, South African corporates are back in the office and creating business grist for office suppliers hot on the heels of the festive season and the back to school spike.

First and fast to favourable markets

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

www.reportlinker.com; www.mypurchasingcenter.com

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to bringing both environments into a synergistic relationship. So what can be done?

Educate Members of the Board – Communicate, Communicate, Communicate! Take advantage of every opportunity to raise awareness, share Procurement best practices, and what you’re doing to get to the next level. Procurement leaders who are restless and speak the language of senior managers get the attention of their executives.

Report Cost Savings – This can be the best way to show your value to senior management. However, if not done right, it can also be the fastest way to lose credibility. When reporting savings, avoid showing one big number. Report true cost savings separately from cost avoidances and partially offsetting increases in volume and new expenses through negotiations. Think like a senior manager. Understand how you affect the organisation’s income statement. Account for quantity changes and price increases to match your cost savings to the true change in expenses on the income statement.

In order to remain sustainable in any industry, all participants need to take the long view to doing business within a structured environment. And, according to global statistics the stationery and office products industry is set to continue on an upward growth. Looking at the global market forecasts below, South Africa can take a measured comparison and relate it to a sign of things to come. The first being to ensure that relationships with clients and procurement officers remain strong.

Office Supply Data takes a look ahead: The worldwide office services and

supplies industry recorded more than 3% growth in 2010 year-on-year to reach almost $191 million, reports MarketLine. It is expected to expand by more than 16% over the five-year period ending 2015 to reach almost $222 million. Paper-based products represent the leading segment of the global office services and supplies industry, holding more than 45% of the overall market in terms of value.

Key Segments

The worldwide office writing and marking instrument market is expected to reach almost $22 billion by 2017, according to research from Global Industry Analysts. Product innovation will prove key in encouraging growth in established markets where consumers will demand a wide range of products. In developing markets, growth will be fuelled by rising

population, effective pricing, demand for good quality writing materials and higher literacy rates. The Middle East, Latin America and Asia-Pacific are forecast to record the fastest rate of growth over the coming years.

The worldwide printer market is forecast to record a yearly growth rate of almost 5% between 2011 and 2015, reports TechNavio. Market expansion will be driven by rising demand for all-in-one printers. There is a growing trend toward printers with customized capabilities. Globally, online business transactions may prove an obstacle to market growth.

The worldwide market for large format printers (LFP) is forecast to record yearly growth of almost 6% between 2011 and 2016, when it is expected to total almost $13 billion, according to research from Markets and Markets. The market will be influenced by textile printing and outdoor advertisement. Ink type and application are the two leading segments in the LFP market. Activity in the advertising sector is rising as companies concentrate their efforts on promotional activities to expand their consumer base. The LFP market was hit by the economic recession; however, with financial recovery, and increased business and advertising activity, the market is making a comeback. Also helping drive the market is demand from small and medium-sized companies that require large-format outdoor printing products like billboards, non-digital signage and banners.

Regional Market Share

India’s printer market can be characterized by intense competition, and is currently recording a steady rate of growth, according to research from Netscribes. Market expansion is fuelled by a high number of small and medium–sized businesses, investing a high percentage of revenue in computational spending. Other factors driving the market include enterprise mobility, a large PC base, falling prices and high content generation. India’s printer market is witnessing greater adoption of cloud printing, managed printing services, green printing and inkjet multifunction devices.

India’s stationery market is fuelled by

industrial growth and expansion in the education sector, reportsNetscribes. State initiatives to improve education through dedicated schemes are contributing to growth in this sector. Other factors positively influencing the market include

rising literacy rates, greater organised retailing and increasing income levels. International companies continue to establish facilities in India, with domestic companies expanding on the back of positive market outlook. Growth in the country’s industrial sector will drive demand for office stationery products. Possible obstacles to market growth involve a strict taxation system and the availability of cheap products.

In China, exports of writing instruments surpassed $767 million in the first half of 2011, remaining under 1% year-on-year growth, reports Global Sources. The EU, Asia-Pacific and North America accounted for almost 35% of revenue combined. Challenges to market growth include rising labor costs and swelling material prices.

France’s office services and supplies

market grew at a yearly rate of less than 1% for the four-year period ending 2010 to exceed $6.5 billion, reports MarketLine. Market growth is expected to accelerate to a yearly rate of almost 1.5% between 2010 and 2015 to exceed $7 billion. Paper-based products represented the most lucrative market segment, generating close to $2.5 billion in 2010, accounting for more than 35% of the overall market.

The US office services and supplies

market recorded almost 1.5% yearly growth over the four-year period ending 2010 to exceed $85 billion, reports MarketLine. The market should expand at a yearly rate of growth of almost 3% between 2010 and 2015, when it is forecast to total almost $97 billion. Paper-based products have represented the most lucrative market segment over the past years, generating more than $40 billion, or 47% of the overall market.

Market OutlookThe global office services and supplies

market continues to benefit from economic recovery, fuelling demand for products such as stationery and printers. Government focus on education programs will also boost demand for writing supplies over the coming years. m

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Until recently, if you were in the market for a new computer and had to decide between a laptop and a desktop, the choice was simple. The laptop versus desktop dilemma was usually decided by whether mobility or performance was more important to you. Oftentimes, students and remote workers chose laptops, while gamers and designers went for desktops.

Fortunately, computer technology has come a long way since the days of laptops with limited battery life and desktops with cumbersome hard drives and tangles of wires. Nowadays, when choosing a new computer, it’s about taking personal needs into account.

Computer specifications can vary significantly in any laptop vs. desktop evaluation. Typically, a desktop computer will boast higher performance specs than a laptop in the same price range.

The three core specs to consider when making the choice are the processor speed, amount of memory (or RAM), and size of the hard drive. While the processor speed may be close in some cases, there’s likely to be more noticeable differences in the RAM and hard drive categories. In addition, many laptops have on-board video, while desktops often provide a separate video card or at least an easy upgrade option for video - leading to the potential for better video performance overall. All of these differences combine to make desktops better performers in general than laptops of equivalent cost.The Need for Speed

One of the main complaints people have about their current computers is usually that they’re not fast enough. The need for speed can be a big issue if you’re into high-end gaming or use high-performance video or photo editing software.

In the laptop vs. desktop debate, the question of speed boils

down to price. Some high-end laptops are very competitive when it comes to speed. But if one is willing to pay the price, there isn’t a laptop out there that can keep up with a high-end desktop. It’s all about the specs mentioned above, as well as high-performance motherboards and cooling systems available in desktop systems. If one is looking for top-of-the-line speed and has the cash to spend, a desktop is the way to go.

What Will You Use it For?The bottom line is determined by how it is intended to be used.

If one is looking for portability and the requirements are everyday functions like email, surfing the web, and streaming video, a laptop should suffice nicely. Even for many work projects using software such as Microsoft Office, a laptop can still stand on its own merits.

But when usage extends to programs that require a lot system resources (such as video and photo editing, streaming high-definition video, and high-end 3D gaming), a mid- to high-end desktop is probably the best bet.

PriceGenerally speaking, one is going to pay more for a laptop than

a comparable desktop computer. Smaller components are more expensive and this is reflected in the price. If a family utilises the computer mainly for word processing and internet use, a laptop might be a practical choice. However, video games, video editing and even desktop publishing require additional memory, storage and possibly high-end video and sound cards. Each of these will increase the cost and the weight of the machine.

PortabilityLaptops are obviously more portable than desktops, so the

more important question is whether or not one needs portability. If there is no dedicated space in a home for the computer, or if family members will want to use the computer in different rooms, a laptop is an ideal option. If there is no plan to move the computer frequently, a desktop is a better buy.

Upgrades/RepairAlthough there are some things that can be upgraded/replaced

PCsVSPC usage is declining each year as more devices become

available but ultimately a sale still comes down to personal choice.

Laptops

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

www.intel.com; www.reviews.cnet.com; blog.showpad.com

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in a laptop, it is just not as easy to keep up-to-date and in good repair as a desktop machine. As desktop prices come down, it may actually be more cost effective to purchase a new computer, rather than trying to keep an older machine current. That said, if the laptop screen cracks or someone spills juice on the keyboard, it’s much more serious than similar damage on a desktop. If the environment has young children, this is certainly something to keep in mind.

ErgonomicsErgonomics refers to the design of

a workspace so that it allows for a comfortable and safe experience for the user. In this case, there are specific attributes a computer workstation should have in order to minimise strain on the eyes, neck/back, wrists/hands, etc. Although it is possible to set a laptop up in such a way to be ergonomically sound, people rarely do so. It would involve, at the very least, an additional keyboard and a stationary workstation, which might defeat the purpose of having a laptop.

SpaceDesktop computers are getting smaller

and smaller, while laptops get bigger. Still, a laptop will require a smaller footprint. You can even tuck it away when you need more free counter or table space. When free space is at a premium, a laptop is a great option.

Advantages of a desktop computer, as compared to a laptop computer:

• Desktop computers have more power and more features.

• Desktop computers are easier, and less expensive, to upgrade.

• Desktop computers are generally less expensive overall and offer a better overall value.

• Desktop computers have a more comfortable keyboard and a much easier to use mouse. It should be noted that an aftermarket large, comfortable mouse and mouse pad are also possible with a laptop.

• Desktop computers have larger monitors.

• Desktop computers are generally easier, and less expensive, to repair.

• Desktop computers have a lower risk of theft, which means less chance of losing your data and having to pay to replace your computer.

Advantages of a laptop computer, as compared to a desktop computer: • Laptop computers are highly portable and allow you to use your computer almost anywhere.

• If you are an international student, a laptop computer will be much easier to transport from home to school and back again.

• Laptop computers take up less room on a desk or table and can be put away when not in use.

• Laptop computers have a single cord to contend with, rather than the multiple cords associated with desktop computer use.

The main advantage of laptops is portability. Being able to check email, chat online, write papers and play video games anytime, anywhere may be worth giving up power and functionality. This is particularly true if one is using the computer primarily for checking email and completing schoolwork. If this is the case, you likely don’t need all of the functions and the increased power of a desktop computer. On the other hand, if one is a film student or an avid gamer, they may want to go with a desktop computer, unless they have the expendable income to purchase a high end laptop.

Considering the tablet• Sales reps need fast, smart and simple

hardware to work with. That is why, in a foreseeable future, we will see more and more sales reps using just a tablet in their day-to-day work.

• Tablets are switched on and off at the speed of light and sales reps on the road can really benefit from starting a sales conversation wherever, whenever.

• Since sales reps don’t generally need to create complicated files, for them, the new and intuitive way of working that tablets provide, actually adds value. There are smart sales apps available that are specifically designed to make the life of sales professionals better.

• Benefits of a smart sales app:• reps access all the information they

need, without being distracted,• collateral is always up-to-date• sales talks become non-linear, videos,

photos and documents can be included when the conversation calls for it,

• contact management is a breeze, • information is stored in the cloud,

keeping marketing and sales directors back in the office in the loop.

• Light productive tasks such as email, adding a keyboard makes it super easy.

• Social selling: consulting a prospects’ LinkedIn profile, educating yourself about their interests through Twitter, keeping the conversation going after a meeting. m

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Small businesses and franchises face intimidating odds when operating from shopping centres and malls where South Africa’s retail giants reign supreme. And it doesn’t help that smaller businesses

are often charged more per square metre than their larger counterparts - a practice that has attracted the attention of the Competition Commission.

Stephen Walters, a property expert from Fernridge Consulting, says that mall developers are naturally eager to secure strong “anchor” tenants who will draw shoppers into the centres, and so offer discounted rates and other perks to seduce them into taking up space. The problem is that smaller tenants usually end up footing the bill.

“When a new shopping centre comes on stream, its owners calculate the total return they need to achieve to operate profitably. What is problematic is the allocation of rentals among tenants.

“Large national retailers, who take up the bulk of the space, are charged R50 or less per square metre a month. To make up the shortfall, developers then charge smaller tenants anything up to R570/m². Such a scenario does not promote small business, yet this sector has been identified as a major provider of jobs and contributor to wealth creation in the future.” Stephen says he believes this strategy is short sighted, as it is often the smaller tenants who make or break a mall. Shopping centres also need smaller tenants, as consumers are seeking variety.

Mall rentals and relationships

When it comes to retail within a mall environment, the dice are heavily loaded against small-business owners.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

www.standardbank.co.za/site/business; mg.co.za/print

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Combine exorbitant rentals with the increases in rates and electricity in the last couple of years, and many small businesses in malls are struggling to stay afloat. It’s an issue that was discussed at a franchising think tank last year, and in a subsequent document that outlined a possible way out of the mess. Franchising expert Anita du Toit explains: “The solution that the franchise sector is hoping for is to engage with property developers to mitigate the situation. If large anchor tenants paid only R10 more per square metre, it would reduce the burden on smaller businesses by 30%.

“The centres still need smaller tenants to offer variety, specialisation and personal attention, something not typically found at larger retailers,” she says. “The hope is that developers and larger tenants alike will recognise the contribution made by small businesses and take measures towards achieving a more equitable scenario,” Anita said.

Stephan le Roux of Growthpoint Properties - a property investment company with a significant retail portfolio - explained the reasoning behind the pricing structure: “It’s a known fact that the rentals of the anchors are being subsidised by the smaller shops, the argument being that it is a relationship where the anchors will pull in feet and then the smaller retailers will trade off those feet. It’s a quid pro quo: they’re paying a higher rental to get the anchors to go into the shopping centres.”

How does the CPA protect small tenants?And on the other side of the coin, Cape Town-based commercial lease lawyer Reid Corin, a champion of small-business tenants, said hopes were dashed with the final version of the CPA stipulating that leases are only covered if the tenant is a natural person, as opposed to a juristic person such as a CC or company.

The CPA has revolutionised fixed-term contracts such as security-company contracts, cellphone contracts and gym memberships by allowing individual consumers to cancel them at will with only 20 working days’ notice. Even though the CPA as a whole classifies CCs and companies with turnovers of less than R2-million as consumers, the rules dealing with the cancellation of fixed-term contracts specifically excludes all juristic persons.

While it is theoretically possible that a small-business owner could sign a shopping centre lease as a sole proprietor, in other words as a natural person, commercial landlords are insisting that tenants register their businesses as companies.

Although it is illegal to frustrate the provisions of the CPA by discriminating against those protected by it, for example by purposefully refusing to do business with individuals as opposed to registered businesses, it is likely to become an “unwritten rule” in the shopping centre industry, says Meredith Leyds, a legal advisor for the South African Property Owners Association (Sapoa), a lobby group whose members control 90% of commercial and industrial leases in the country.

Vera Velasis, executive director of the Franchise Association of South Africa (Fasa),

concurs: “I haven’t come across a landlord who is willing to sign a lease in the name of a sole proprietor or natural person.”

She says up till now, franchisees have been subject to the whims of shopping centre managers, for example: “Suddenly there is scaffolding in front of the door (of a small tenant in a shopping centre). ‘Oh, we’re doing a revamp, we’re fixing this, we’re fixing that,’ (say the centre managers). The poor tenant’s turnover just takes a dive and there’s simply no response. There’s no reduction, no negotiation, there’s no willingness from some of these landlords to speak to tenants.”

Another point of contention is that for most retailers, having to move premises means losing more than half their customers and virtually having to start from scratch. The shopping centre landlords use this to extort huge rental increases from their small tenants when their leases - usually five or 10-year contracts - come up for renewal.

The designers of the CPA tried to counter this imbalance of power by giving small tenants the right of first refusal when their lease comes to an end, in other words, the centre management has to offer the new lease to the incumbent tenant before offering it to a new tenant.

Corin says this principle made it into the final version of the CPA, but was so “watered down” after lobbying by the landlords that it is now meaningless because the CPA does not compel a landlord to offer a new lease to a tenant at a market-related price.

Corin believes that lawmakers had succumbed to the “emotional” arguments from the landlord lobby that any weakening of their interests would lead to losses for pension funds, many of which are invested in shopping malls. But by protecting shopping centre owners too much, they hurt the retail tenants in the malls. “What government didn’t pick up (in drafting the CPA) was that retailers are a source of income. They employ people, they collect VAT, they contribute to the economy, but that seemingly wasn’t (considered) as important as protecting landlords’ rights, which is really a pity,” says Corin.

Despite the CPA’s soft stance towards landlords, the industry is not taking any chances. Sapoa is lobbying government to remove property leases entirely from the ambit of the new law. Sapoa CEO Neil Gopal says his organisation has scheduled meetings with the Department of Trade and Industry and the National Consumer Commission to clarify what he terms a “grey area” in the Act.

Sapoa argues that the CPA must be interpreted as not covering property leases at all, because lawmakers could not have intended to include immovable property in the CPA’s definition of goods and services. Treating a cellphone contract and the lease or sale of a building in the same way is impractical and will hurt the property industry, says Gopal.

Why, then, the anxiety on the part of the landlord lobby to be exempted entirely from the CPA? Apart from the possibility that landlords may in future be successfully challenged over discrimination if they refuse to sign tenants as sole proprietors, Fasa’s Velasis points to another long-standing sore point in the industry: it is the small shops, who pay up to 10 times more per square metre than the large anchor tenants, that provide shopping centres with their profits. Landlords are unlikely to give up their stranglehold without a fight.

Comment on this story – anonymous submissions accepted – at [email protected]

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Trend #1: Rise of the Digital ExecutiveThe World Wide Web celebrates its 20th anniversary this

year, and with marketers finding it harder than ever to engage with customers when attention fragments across channels, we will see more targeting and personalisation in existing customer engagement channels such as email and advertising. This means that people entering their 40′s — the time when they come into positions of power and responsibilities in organisations — have spent their entire professional career with the Internet. They will think digital first, integrating mobile and social holistically into the strategies that they develop for their departments and eventually, companies. The implications for companies is that this is going to inevitably set up conflicts in executive board rooms. If these up and coming Digital Executives are not given the support and latitude they need to fulfill their vision, they will leave and their mindsets will set the directions.

Trend # 2: Reconsidering trustBoth online education and social information sharing rely

enormously on trust – something that will prove challenging for some. For those of us who are Baby Boomers or from Gen X, building trust has always been based on face-to-face interaction – and building trust in a virtual environment can prove challenging. People from younger generations, on the other hand, have grown up working online and playing games virtually, which gives them the advantage of being able to develop trust easily without the need for face-to-face contact. A workforce is emerging where humans can build trust in a virtual environment and this promises to revolutionise how information is shared and how knowledge and expertise flow within organisations.

Trend #3: Skills gap wideningWhile the growth of high-skill, specialised occupations is

a positive sign for the economy, human resources managers are struggling to keep up with the demand to fill these jobs. Companies have come to realise that if they wait for the perfect candidate, he or she may never come, so they’re putting more emphasis on training and development to help shrink the widening skills gap. Twenty-six percent of employers are sending current employees back to school to get an advanced degree – and covering all or some of the expense. In order for companies to find and retain the best talent, they’ll need to offer competitive compensation, especially for in-demand or hard-to-fill positions.

More businesses will also embrace geographically remote

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2014ACKNOWLEDGMENT

www.enxmag.com; http://www.easyofficephone.com; http://nazareth.patch.com; www.forbes.com; www.mashable.coT

Trend: defined by a shift in behaviour or mentality that influences a significant amount of people.

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staffing solutions. Remote workers, even those on different continents, will become truly and tightly integrated into company staff and empowered to deliver an identical customer experience. Talent knows no borders in this decentralised work environment.

Trend #5: Business Communications “The intersection of mobility, cloud and increasingly fast

network speeds will continue to shape communications in 2014,” says Adam Simpson, CEO of Easy Office Phone. “As businesses seek to better compete, integrate decentralised workforces, and enhance client satisfaction, advanced cloud technologies will become a key enabler of business development.”

Expect to see the cloud become a key component of new products, solutions, and services introductions in the coming year. Cloud technology has driven the idea of a more connected world for years, but it hasn’t yet been able to fully deliver on that exciting premise. The necessary supporting technologies are just around the corner, and the cloud, rather than being a vaguely understood concept, will become a core business process across nearly all industries. The results will be transformative for both businesses and the customers they serve.

Trend #6: The Emergence of AppsTo date, Kyocera and Konica Minolta seem to be the most

prolific in the applications arena among the OEMs. While printed output within the corporate environment is on the decline, revenue growth will come from high-speed digital printing and colour because of the growing number of pages printed with some colour.

Expect those percentages to grow across the industry. Bill Melo, TABS’ vice president of marketing, services & solutions, is adamant that dealers have to push colour over monochrome devices. “We ship 40 percent of our products in colour; it has to get over 50 percent. If the number of pages are going down the value of the page has to go up.”

Last year, OKI launched its new white toner printers. Printing the colour white is an essential requirement for many businesses, particularly those in the graphic arts and related industries. Meeting this requirement is the OKI A4 and A3 white toner printers Trend #7: 3D Printers are ready for prime dealer channel time

You can probably count the number of dealers selling 3D printers on one or maybe two hands, but with Konica Minolta’s recent announcement that it is planning to partner with 3D printer manufacturer 3D Systems, expect to see more activity in the channel for this product segment. Add to that HP’s announcement that they are also entering the 3D space, albeit focused largely at the lower end of the market with more consumer level products. The dealers who are currently offering these products to prospects and customers are the first on their block with this technology, which gives them a modest advantage.

Predicts Keith Kmetz, an analyst with IDC: “It introduces a whole new realm of printing that is not of the conventional nature and not subject to the maturity we see in the traditional print marketplace. Our numbers showing exponential growth market of 3D printing has a lot of folks excited about the opportunity.”

While there’s no doubt 3D printing is on the rise, it faces two problems: The printers themselves are expensive and taking 3D pictures of objects to print is a tall order for most. Innovative companies are addressing both issues with cheaper printers and easy-to-use scanners, so the move toward more accessible 3D printing will continue in 2014, potentially leading

to mainstream breakthrough in the near future.

Trend #8: Biometrics break out and connected gearFingerprint sensors and eye scanners aren’t new, but their

presence in consumer technology was minimal until last year’s introduction of the iPhone 5S. Now smartphone and tablet manufacturers are tripping over themselves to build fingerprint scanners into their devices.

It doesn’t stop at fingerprints. Thanks to the iPhone, the whole category of biometrics is suddenly red-hot. You can bet on devices, systems and even physical locks that scan some part of your body to use as your password.

In recent years, apps and web services have taken advantage of personal data, and that trend is now trickling down to appliances, personal gadget (life fitness trackers) and other hardware. That hardware is getting cheaper and easier to set up: The idea of connected fridges (and other household tech) has been around for years, but companies like Nest and Philips have started to point the way to real usefulness.

The trend in connected gear is to make them simple and single-purposed, but when they’re connected to a network — especially one with sensors — the power multiplies.

This concept carries over to cars. Dashboard systems were held back from true “smart” status for myriad reasons, but ambitious automakers like Audi have taken steps to correct that. A rumour suggests the company will announce a new partnership with Google for a new generation of connected cars.

In the future, the Internet — your personalised Internet, with your data — will accompany you always. The idea is that real-time data will improve your life in many ways, some obvious and some subtle. m

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Key employee retention is critical to the long term health and success of your business. Managers readily agree that retaining your best employees ensures

customer satisfaction, product sales, satisfied coworkers and reporting staff, effective succession planning and deeply imbedded organisational knowledge and learning.

If managers can cite these facts so well, why do they behave in ways that so frequently encourage great employees to quit their jobs?

Employee retention matters. Organisational issues such as training time and investment; lost knowledge; mourning, insecure coworkers and a costly candidate search aside, failing to retain a key employee is costly.

Various estimates suggest that losing a middle manager costs an organisation up to 100 percent of his salary. The loss of a senior executive is even more costly. I have

seen estimates of double the annual salary and more.

Employee retention is one of the primary measures of the health of your organisation. If you are losing critical staff members, you can safely bet that other people in their departments are looking as well.

Exit interviews with departing employees provide valuable information you can use to retain remaining staff. Heed their results. You’ll never have a more significant source of data about the health of your organisation.

Top ten ways to retain a great employee:• A satisfied employee knows clearly

what is expected from him every day at work. Changing expectations keep people on edge and create unhealthy stress. They rob the employee of internal security and make the employee feel unsuccessful. Create specific frameworks within which people clearly know what is expected from them.

• The quality of the supervision an

employee receives is critical to employee retention. People leave managers and supervisors more often than they leave companies or jobs.

• It is not enough that the supervisor is well-liked or a nice person, starting with clear expectations of the employee, the supervisor has a critical role to play in retention.

• Anything the supervisor does to make an employee feel unvalued will contribute to turnover. Frequent employee complaints centre on these areas. --lack of clarity about expectations, --lack of clarity about earning potential, --lack of feedback about performance, --failure to hold scheduled meetings, and --failure to provide a framework within which the employee perceives he can succeed.

• The ability of the employee to speak his or her mind freely within the organisation is another key factor. Does your organisation solicit ideas and provide an environment in which

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A simple, frequent thank you is a factor in retention.

Retaining talent in the work force

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people are comfortable providing feedback? If so, employees offer ideas, feel free to criticise and commit to continuous improvement. If not, they bite their tongues or find themselves constantly in trouble - until they leave.

• Talent and skill utilisation is another environmental factor your key employees seek in your workplace. A motivated employee wants to contribute to work areas outside of his specific job description. How many people could contribute far more than they currently do? You just need to know their skills, talent and experience, and take the time to tap into it.

• For example, in a small company, a manager pursued a new marketing plan and logo with the help of external consultants. An internal sales rep, with seven years of ad agency and logo development experience, repeatedly offered to help. His offer was ignored and he cited this as one reason why he quit his job.

• The perception of fairness and equitable treatment is important in employee retention. In one company, a new sales rep was given the most potentially successful, commission-producing accounts. Current staff viewed these decisions as taking food off their tables. You can bet a number of them are looking for their next opportunity.

• When an employee is failing at work, I ask the W. Edwards Deming question, “What about the work system is causing the person to fail?” Most frequently, if the employee knows what they are supposed to do, I find the answer is time, tools, training, temperament or talent. The easiest to solve, and the ones most affecting employee retention, are tools, time and training. The employee must have the tools, time and

training necessary to do their job well – or they will move to an employer who provides them.

• Your best employees, those employees you want to retain, seek frequent opportunities to learn and grow in their careers, knowledge and skill. Without the opportunity to try new opportunities, sit on challenging and significant teams, attend seminars and read and discuss books, they feel they will stagnate. A career-oriented, valued employee must experience growth opportunities within your organisation.

• A common place complaint or lament I hear during an exit interview is that the employee never felt senior managers knew he existed. Take time to meet with new employees to learn about their talents, abilities and skills. Meet with each employee periodically. You’ll have more useful information and keep your fingers on the pulse of your organisation. It’s a critical tool to help employees feel welcomed, acknowledged and loyal.

• I place this final tip on every retention list I develop because it is so key and critical to retention success. Your staff members must feel rewarded, recognised and appreciated. Frequently saying thank you goes a long way. Monetary rewards, bonuses and gifts make the thank you even more appreciated. Understandable raises, tied to accomplishments and achievement, help retain staff. Commissions and bonuses that are easily calculated on a daily basis, and easily understood, raise motivation and help retain staff. You can bet that work is about the money and almost every individual wants more. m

Why you may lose key staff in the new year – and what to do about itThe new year is a high-risk period for employers, as it is a time when their teams are especially focused on securing pay raises and/or leaving your company. Of course, this also means that employers have access to a wider pool of talent in the hectic and disrupted January talent marketplace. But, to ensure a net gain in talent coming out of the January period, employers should have a talent management strategy, which has a heightened focus on both engagement/retention as well as attraction.One area to consider is pay benchmarking. Even if you find that some of your staff are underpaid and you need to give them a raise to remain competitive, think about phasing the pay rises in over a period of time and linking them to performance goals to help minimise the financial shock to the business and secure a greater ROI. Another area to consider is the introduction (or enrichment) of a bonus scheme, which is linked to individual and company performance objectives. Managed well, this is an effective way to raise the compensation level of your team with minimised risk to the business, as it is only paid if the employee and company reach performance targets, which means it can be afforded. Next, don’t overlook the performance appraisal process along with personal development planning.

Finally, consider introducing both traditional and non-traditional benefits, such as retirement savings, share schemes, and other intangible perks relating to training, health and well-being and subsidised food/drink.

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AxizWorkgroup has once again scooped the prestigious Channelwise Distributor of the Year Award, having been voted by resellers as their

favourite distribution partner for 2013.

The distributor swept the boards, winning no fewer than five out of eight category awards: Personal Computing; Servers and Storage; Peripherals; Printers and Consumables; and Software.

The Components Distributor of the Year was Rectron, while Sahara won the Mobile Computing Distributor of the Year and Tarsus Technologies was voted as the Networking and Infrastructure Distributor of the Year.

The finalists for the overall Distributor of the Year award were Tarsus Technologies, Pinnacle Africa, Sahara, Rectron and Esquire, with AxizWorkgroup as the winner.

This is the third time AxizWorkgroup has been voted as the top distributor, having previously won the award in 2010 and

2012. Rectron was the 2011 winner.The Channelwise Awards name the

top vendors and resellers as voted for by resellers.

HP once again swept the boards in the 2014 Channelwise Awards, as voted by Large/Enterprise resellers – although some surprise contenders have come through this year to challenge the vendor’s dominance in the South African market.

Enterprise resellers were asked to name their favourite vendors and distributors across seven categories.

In the Mobile Computing category, HP came up trumps for notebooks and ultrabooks, but was pipped by Lenovo in tablets and Samsung in smartphones. The overall category winner was HP, with Apple and Lenovo as runners-up.

However, it was the HP show in Personal Computing, with the vendor scooping all the awards on offer: personal computers; workstations; thin clients; and all-in-ones. HP also won the overall Servers and Storage award, followed by Dell and EMC.

In the Peripherals category, LG Electronics was the overall category winner, with Acer and Samsung both

runners-up. HP was the top vendor in the Printers and Consumables category, followed by Canon and Samsung. The overall winner of the Networking and Infrastructure category was Cisco, followed by HP and APC.

In the Software category, the winner was Microsoft, with IBM and SAP coming through as runners-up.

In the SME/Consumer awards for vendors, Transcend won the Components category, followed by Intel and Kingston.

The top vendor overall in Mobile Computing was HP, with Samsung and Apple as runners-up. HP was likewise the favourite overall Personal Computing vendor, also, winning the top spot in Servers and Storage.

The top vendor overall in the Peripherals category was LG Electronics, followed by Samsung and Microsoft.

HP also won the Printers and Consumables award, with Canon and Lexmark as runners-up.

In the Networking and Infrastructure category, APC took the top award, followed by Netgear and D-Link.

The overall Software winner was Pastel, followed by Microsoft and Kaspersky. m

All the winners at

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Small business owners were not preparing their businesses for e-tolling while they waited to see what happened with the bill that introduced e-tolls and the courtroom challenges to

e-tolling. The bill was recently been signed into law by the president and the legal bid to stop it was rejected.

Neren Rau, chief executive of the SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci), said most of the chamber association’s Gauteng members had not registered as e-tag users but were waiting until the president had signed into law the e-tolls bill.

Gavin Kelly, the technical and operations manager of the Road Freight Association (RFA), said very few of the association’s members have bought e-tags. He said many were waiting for the outcome of the e-tolls appeal in the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Business owners in the transport sector in the province will have to plan how they will deal with e-tolling since, as Alvina Dalamba of Letsema Transport and Projects says, it will have a “heavy impact” on their businesses.

Gauteng business owners can expect to pay more to travel on the 185 km of highways covering parts of the N1, N3, N4, N12 and R21 where e-toll gantries have been installed.

While those involved in public transport will be exempt from e-tolls, the tolls will apply to other businesses, particularly road transport firms such as courier companies, distributors and trucking companies; and those on the road a lot such as brokers and door-to-door sales people.

Motorists will be billed according to the number of gantries they pass, type of vehicle they use and time of travel, according to the e-tolls regulations released in May. Rates will be higher in peak traffic times. For example a small delivery vehicle travelling from the William Nicol turn-off on N1 to Lynwood, Pretoria (via the John Vorster turn-off on the N1) between 7 am and 8 am on a weekday and returning on the same route between 5 pm and 6 pm, will have to pay R65.56 with an e-tag or R126.74 without an e-tag.

Registered e-tag users will pay substantially less than unregistered vehicles with fees capped at R450 for registered users of light delivery vehicles, including bakkies). The capped monthly fees for registered users of trucks is however R1 000 and R1 500 depending on the size.

The RFA has tabled proposals on what further relief should be applied to freight transport.

Sanral’s Vusi Mona said business vehicles can claim input VAT, effectively reducing the R450 cap to R395. In addition, it will be a business expense which can be deducted for income tax purposes.

Tolls, he said, had to be seen in light of the benefits that the new freeway network offered in terms of fuel and time savings.

It is important that individual firms and industry associations investigate the likely impact that e-tolling will have on their business operations, relative competitiveness and bottom-line,

Outa (Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance) has already voiced its concern regarding the growing incidents of debt and debt-rescue cases arising as a result of e-tolling.

Neil Roets, CEO of debt management firm, Debt Rescue, pointed to a sharp increase in the number of deeply indebted consumers following the introduction of toll fees.

“In the majority of cases it was mounting toll fees and the aggressive attitude of Sanral’s collections department that scared consumers into seeking help,” he said.

“Many medium to smaller businesses are simply unable to absorb the high costs of e-tolls incurred by their fleets of vehicles which traverse the length and breadth of the region,” Outa said.

To calculate e-tolls fees per route visit http://tollcalc.sanral.co.za/etoll. m

In the Eye of the StormMany Gauteng business owners have held back from registering with Sanral as e-tag users due to the potential impact tolling of highway use may have on their businesses.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

www.deloitte.com; www.fin24.co.za

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Following Steve Hilleard and Thomas Schinkel’s announcement of their respective

organisations – OPI and Thomas Schinkel & Associates (TSA) – having entered into an informal cooperation agreement aimed at providing more in-depth support to industry players who require services in the realm of mergers and acquisitions, there have been more reports about an industry de-globilisation.

“The current pace and extent of change in the office products industry is, in my opinion, unprecedented,” said Hilleard. “The challenging market conditions we are seeing, together with secular declines in revenue from traditional product categories as a result of digitisation, mean a turbulent ride for many industry participants who do not adapt quickly enough.”

Schinkel added: “We are convinced that several waves of consolidation and restructuring are needed in order for many industry players to survive and prosper. This unique partnership will more efficiently enable affected parties to find a possible solution to their challenges.

De-globalisation is changing the face of the OP industry, says

Tom Schinkel.Everyone knows that the

digital age is having a profound impact on everything we do, whether it is in business or in our personal lives. The issues for the office products industry have been spelled out by many.

So when Office Depot and OfficeMax announced – almost a year ago – that they were planning to merge, the first thought that came to mind among more than a handful of industry veterans was whether this was an appropriate response to the market circumstances of the day.

By the early part of 2009, it had become obvious that nimble, smaller entities – manufacturers and resellers alike – had discovered and introduced new capabilities that allowed them to survive and prosper regardless of the growth and perceived power of what had become known as the global players. While the global players were building out increasingly complex value chains, and labour costs between high-cost countries and low-cost countries (ie China versus the USA) started to rebalance at a rapid clip, some regional and local players managed to thrive in the pursuit of very different business models.

Importantly, today’s market fundamentals are very different from those prior to 2008.

Energy costs in the US are lower than they have been in years. The US is well on its way to becoming energy independent by 2020, a goal that had eluded this country for decades. Total costs of labour (including the benefits of robotics) have already in many cases swung in favour of the US, and business models designed with short value chains in mind are on the upswing.

On the heels of these changing market fundamentals, today we are witnessing an interesting phenomenon that seems to be pointing in the direction, not of globalisation but of de-globalisation. Several companies in the office products industry appear to be pursuing a strategy of decoupling their international operations.

There changing market conditions pose challenges, but also unique new opportunities for business models of all sizes and shapes. While talk of full-throat de-globalisation may be premature, the phenomenon of globalisation as it was cultivated from the 1990s onward definitely appears to be at a crossroads, with some players benefiting from simplifying and retrenching from their global footprint, while others may see incredible new opportunities and growth through acquisition in international markets.

In this context, the office products industry can be seen

as a microcosm of a wider trend that is noticeable in more than a handful of industries. In fact, hundreds of internationally active companies are rethinking their globalisation strategies with reshoring/onshoring a key component in their considerations.

The impact of this rethinking is felt in the automotive industry, electronics, consumer goods, appliances and other areas of manufacturing.

In the office products industry, the most recent example of course is Esselte, which just announced the sale of their US operations to RR Donnelley. During the previous 18 months, Office Depot had already announced a number of steps suggesting that they too are looking at simplifying their business model around the globe with retrenchments in Eastern Europe, Israel and Mexico.

2014 may very well turn out to be a busy and successful year, with mergers, acquisitions and divestitures around the industry and across borders, providing the building blocks for a restructuring of the industry and laying the groundwork for new business models, new players and a fresh new look at opportunities for growth and prosperity around the world.

Comment on this article at [email protected]

A de-globalisation of the office products industry?

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

www.opi.net, Andy Braithwaite, Tom Schinkel, Steve Hilleard.

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Undaunted, I immediately shot back, “Have you been eating donuts because your eyes look a little glazed.” We can learn two things from this. 1. Never shoot back at a police officer even verbally. 2. Some police officers have very little sense of humour.

Before my wife disgruntledly bailed me out 6 hours later I had a good chance to think about the office products business. And here is what I thought. Business is good. But enough regressing. How about all those actors on the cover of People Magazine. They deserve it. Yea, right - they majored in drama in college. Now I’m kinda sorry I double majored in applied calculus and statistics - they never told me they have no practical application. And that I’d never be in the tabloids. Oh well, college still was the best 9 years of my life. Or was that high school?

Truth is, one of my wives gets People Magazine, I usually don’t recognise anyone on the covers, let alone on the inside in some of the “in depth” articles. Obviously the writers in People magazine

majored in drama, too. Amazing: 4 million copies a month dedicated to just what I

wanted to know: whose brand of dress someone is wearing, and what someone on the set of ER eats for breakfast. Outside of Robert DeNiro, I don’t like being around anyone who absolutely knows they’re God. I’m God.

Just kidding of course. I’m not God. I’m god. You know the other god, the small “g” god. One of the smaller gods the Greeks worshipped in ancient times. One of the gods you can’t really get in trouble for being. I’m already in enough trouble with the police.

Yeah, so where was I? Oh, yea… selling office products. I was selling office products while I was playing golf. Yes, I shoot in the mid 80’s. If it gets any colder than that, I don’t go out. And my drives are always in the 200 to 300 yard range. That’s 150 out, and 100 to 150 yards to either the right or the left. No telling which before the shot, the shorter side of the fairway being the better guess.

But I sell a lot of office products on the course. Well, I don’t really sell office products at all. I’m glad if I know which end of the fax machine to put the paper in. And thank god - of your

HERE’S HOW TO SELL A LOT OF OFFICE PRODUCTS… So I was driving to an appointment to sell some office furniture the other day and a cop pulls me over and says, “Have you been drinking because your eyes look a little red.”

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

JEFF DOBKIN is a funny speaker about sales, motivation, marketing and direct marketing. He writes sales letters as well as

technical business papers for clients, and also direct mail, direct selling long-copy ads, brochures and collateral, annual reports, TV scripts and stuff like dat dere. He has written 5 books on marketing and Humour.

Visit www.dobkin.com. 610-642-1000 rings on his desk. http://www.danielleadams.com/How_to_Sell...html

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choosing, we don’t have thermal fax machines anymore. I mean, is it paper towels, TP, fax paper - I get so confused. More than once I’ve left the bathroom in pain. Luckily, it seems I don’t have to know anything about office products to get firms to buy from me.

You see, in sales - and this is true for any industry - people buy through relationships. And I have relationships with most of the women that buy from me. Wait a minute - that didn’t come out right. Especially if my wives find out.

But it’s true. Clients know they can count on me when they have a question, problem, or need something. They have my cell phone number and I always answer it. Product questions? I may not know the answer but that doesn’t mean I can’t or won’t find out for them in a hurry. My efficient staff makes it easy for me to be the slacker I appear to be. Our product specialists send detailed information to people that need product specs. And pricing is a blend of my feedback along with industry norms and competitors’ bids. And I’m there before, during and after the sale.

For whatever reason, people trust me. They know while I can be pretty funny, I’m always honest, 100% trustworthy and eager to please. It’s fun being funny and having relationships and having everyone around you always smiling and laughing - isn’t that the way you’d like to do business? So would your clients.

And that’s the way you sell a lot of office products. Just be yourself and develop relationships. When clients like you and trust you, they’ll buy from you.

Here’s the bottom line. Don’t get caught speeding and give lip to the cop: it costs a lot of money and the guys in the drunk tank all look like they’ve been on one too many episodes of cops. Yeesh… you’d think if someone had only one tooth they’d take better care of it.

®

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email: [email protected]

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IMPORT EXPORTChina’s decision to place a 6% VAT charge on

freight and related costs will have an impact on the importing price from China, warned Asgar Mahomed, managing director of ICT distributor, Esquire Technologies.

Mahomed said the new Chinese policy means that all freight charges paid in China are to be subjected to the tax rise.

“In terms of the new tax law, the cost of the VAT is passed on to customers in China, who can recover it as an output tax refund. If the customer is located outside of China, it represents an additional cost,” he said.

“What this means for the import industry is that we are going to see a 6% cost increase, which is going to have to be absorbed into the prices we offer our clients.”

He said this is a surprise move by China and will have a ripple effect, as it will “be applicable to all logistic components payable in China”. Source - Fin24

Bigger screens, better specs, more tricksBoth Samsung and LG have announced plans to show off enormous

4K TVs that even incorporate curved displays, supposedly producing the best picture humanly possible today.

More important, we’ll also see progress on the content side as other companies step in to address how owners of 4K TVs will be able to obtain true 4K movies. As the prices of the sets themselves fall we’ll also see some general progress in the maturing of the technology - most notably the addition of HDMI 2.0 connectors on new sets, allowing for full 4K resolution at 60 frames per second.

Lenovo takes aim at Africa PC and mobile device manufacturer Lenovo is targeting the

top position in Africa, with a planned expansion on the continent.Last year, a Lenovo delegation, led by Graham Braum,

Lenovo Africa general manager, met with representatives from government and private organisations, as well as business partners in Namibia, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana, to reinforce it’s commitment to Africa and outline the company’s business and PC+ strategy in continent.

Lenovo said that as it marks its milestone achievement in securing the number two position in the market among PC manufacturers worldwide, it recognises the strategic importance of Africa in becoming the number one PC manufacturer.

Last year , IDC found that Lenovo has taken the number two position in the EMEA PC market, fueled by the company’s growth and success in Russia, Germany, Denmark and Lebanon, where the company is ranked first. ” With the planned expansion in Africa,

the manufacturer aims for the number one spot,” it said. ” The African continent is one of Lenovo’s key growth markets and this Africa roadshow re-affirms our commitment to customers and partners in Africa,” said Braum.

“The ICT sector is continuously developing in Africa and technology plays a key role in the development and economic growth of countries; that is why, it is important for Lenovo to bring innovative smart connected devices to Africa to empower businesses and consumers. This further complements our mission to become the leader in PC+, by addressing the increasing demand to stay connected on different devices.”

“Expanding our operations across Africa is in line with our global ‘Protect and Attack’ strategy where we attack areas of greatest potential and protect areas where we have a strong lead. It

has laid a solid foundation to make Lenovo number one in the PC industry and a leading global personal technology company in the PC+ age,” Braum said.

Green office supplies…. and edible batteries?A team of researchers at Carnegie Mellon have developed a

biodegradable battery derived from cuttlefish ink.The Carnegie Mellon team has developed the battery and tested

its power storage capacities, the team’s findings were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (paywall).

The battery could be used to make new medicine delivery systems for drugs that are currently administered as shots. ” The biodegradable battery could be used to create controlled release devices that can be swallowed like a pill, but would be able to release medicine after passing through the stomach. Many drugs

cannot be taken orally, because they would be destroyed before they could be useful. The batteries could power devices that are able to sense where they are in the digestive tract, and deliver things like vaccines or arthritis drugs.

Bettinger explains that these batteries aren’t optimized for power density or the ability to be recharged, but rather for bio-compatibility. The sodium-ion batteries are made from melanin and manganese oxide, which break down into nontoxic components. The melanin is derived from cuttlefish ink.

The biodegradable battery makes edible electronics safer for use in the body than conventional batteries. “If it gets stuck in the body, it’s not a big deal,” he said.

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On the shelf — but not for longThere might well be a purist return to dog-eared print books, but be sure to keep a few shelves open for e-readers, writes Tina Weavind

“KINDLES are the new microwaves,” says Benjamin Trisk, the newly returned CEO of Exclusive Books. The ubiquitous food-nuking boxes have increasingly been banished to dark corners of middle-class kitchens, used more to heat cold coffee than roast chicken. It’s just not cool to say you cooked dinner in the microwave anymore.

Mr Trisk is betting the “cool” must-have factor that pushed the sales of e-readers through the roof in the past three years will grow tepid as the First World reading public increasingly reverts to the literary equivalent of the conventional oven — the tactile wood-based dog-eared page.

So firmly does Mr Trisk believe that the future is in physical books that he and Purple Capital chairman Mark Barnes “snatched Exclusive Books from the altar” where it was to be wed to private equity group Medu Capital.

Last year, Times Media Group spun off Exclusive Books and academic bookstore Van Schaik, deeming them non-core assets. Medu initially bid for both, but settled with Van Schaik, which allowed the consortium led by Global Capital to walk away with South Africa’s foremost bookseller and its chain of 45 stores.

Mr Barnes and Mr Trisk make a formidable team with no small measure of business acuity.Mr Barnes has spent more than 30 years in financial services and private equity and Mr Trisk, as well as successfully leading the bookseller in one of its earliest iterations, has been a strategic partner in companies ranging from diamond mines to forests.

Books are like swimming pools in South African gardens, says Mr Barnes: everyone’s got one even if they rarely dip into it. They are gifts and messages, and they don’t run out of batteries. There are many who will agree. Most will likely be under five or, like Mr Barnes and Mr Trisk, over 50. That’s not a bad thing, says Mr Barnes: the elderly are the fastest-growing population in the world — in Japan, adult diapers are outselling babies’ nappies.

The group most likely to disagree with Mr Trisk’s assessment will be those who spent over $10bn in Apple’s app store last year. The statistics show that e-book sales have slowed to a canter from the jaw-dropping sprint circa 2010. But the plateau is coming off a high base, and while sales appear to be slowing, the annual percentage increase of electronic books is expected to far outstrip sales of physical books over the next three years at least.

A PricewaterhouseCoopers outlook report, which came

out towards the end of last year, predicts total print sales - educational and consumer books - will increase 1.3% from 2012 to 2016. Total electronic sales were expected to grow 45.7% in the same period.

But while e-book penetration is growing faster, real numbers put the physical book market light years ahead in terms of total sales. PWC predicts that in 2016 more than R4bn will be spent on printed books, while only a fraction of that — just R59m — will be spent on electronic books.

Nevertheless, technology isn’t going anywhere, and it is fundamentally affecting the printed book market. So why not embrace it? Mr Trisk says Exclusive Books was in talks to sell e-books before Global Capital took it over, but he buried the idea when it became clear that there was little upside for the physical stores.

And, as for selling the e-readers on an “electronics” shelf beside the cookbooks? Mr Trisk is emphatic: “It would be like inviting a serial rapist into your home to meet your nubile daughters.”

By Tina Weavind. This article was first published in Sunday Times: Business Times

Trends high on agenda at PaperworldMore than 1500 exhibitors will particpate in this year’s

Paperworld trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany (25-28 January), which is expected to attract in excess of 45 000 visitors.

The leading international trade fair for paper, office supplies and stationery, Paperworld 2014 will feature a significant number of new exhibitors with an international flavour.

“What makes Paperworld so special is the unique blend of renowned manufacturers and new, smaller companies that are introducing themselves and their products at an international trade fair for the first time. Moreover, Paperworld is distinguished

by a very high level of internationality on the exhibitor side. This combination guarantees successful international business and, the crowning glory, lots of new products visitors can integrate into their assortments,” said Paperworld director Michael Reichhold.

My Office Editor Mercedes Westbrook will attend Paperworld 2014 and will file highlights of the show via the website, newsletter and the February issue of My Office.

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Educational product collaborationNamed the largest educational products tradeshow in the world, Ed

Expo and CAMEX are teaming up to bring the world of school and office supplies new and exciting product choices in Dallas, Texas from 9-11 March. The combination of these two co-located events will see over 1 000 exhibitors showcasing the latest products for students, from pre-school to college.

Paperworld Middle East will take place from 4-6 March in Dubai, and will feature a speciality Green Office Area, which will showcase everything from essential office supplies like pens and paper, to the more elaborate items such as paper shredders – a helpful guide for any visitor eager to source “green” products

Hobby-X takes place on 6-9 March 2014 at the Coca-Cola Dome in Northgate, Johannesburg.

Product Recall Process SimplifiedThe Consumer Goods Council of South Africa Food

Safety Initiative (FSI) division has collaborated with retailers, suppliers, solution providers, associations, the Department of Health and the Department of Forestry and Fisheries to develop a business communication tool for enhancing product recalls in real time.

The aim of the FSI Express Recall System is to enable an organisation, of any size, to communicate critical information to trading partners in real time.

“The time it takes to become aware of and act on a recall is critical. It usually takes a well-organised business 14 days to sense and act on a recall, then about 42 days to complete the recall. In the end only 43% of recalled products with health and safety concerns are traced”, Said Chris Havenga, GS1 Executive at the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa.

Express Recall is built on the GS1 global product recall standards framework. This is a robust process and is already successful in Canada, US, Australia and New Zealand. South Africa is the fifth country to enable their industry with a Business-to-Business, Business-to-Government, and Government –to-Government and Business-to-Consumer communication tool for recalls and withdrawals.

With Express Recall the key focus areas are:• To reduce risk in the Consumer Goods Council

member companies by ensuring that they comply with regulation;

• Reduce their risk profile with insurance companies who are in a position to lower premiums;

• Reduce the risk of harm to consumers with rapid and accurate communication flowing between the relevant trading partners;

• Reduce costs by making recall more effective and targeted;

• Optimise asset utilisation through a structured and industry approved process; and

• Increase revenue through improved trading partner trust.

Street art and new forms of expression evolveContemporary graffiti whose worldwide outreach started in the 70s Bronx is deemed the prototype of the Street Art movement that today is highly recognised as part of a new youth market globally. The term ‘Street Art’ comprises varies art styles that have made it into galleries and museums due to collectors and investors interest in the form of graffiti which has been transferred to canvas and other surfaces. Techniques are similar to those of the beginnings yet the artwork has been processed into something more comprehensive to a wider public and can be found at museums, art fairs etc. The materials in use have become fine art tools. They include application tools such as spray cans, markers, screen-printing frames, paint rollers and compressed air tools but also brushes for the relevant application of 3D-effects. No longer carrying the stigma of street graffiti, modern times are recognising this new and dynamic art form onto world platforms.

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“What’s your best price?”“That’s too expensive.”“Your competitor is selling the same thing

for….”Most salespeople and business owners

hear statements like this every day. That means it is important to learn how to negotiate more effectively. Here are five strategies that will help you improve your negotiation skills and drive more rands to your bottom line:

1) Learn to flinch.The flinch is one of the oldest negotiation

tactics but one of the least used. A flinch is a visible reaction to an offer or price. The objective of this negotiation tactic is to make the other people feel uncomfortable about the offer they presented. Here is an example of how it works.

A supplier quotes a price for a specific service. Flinching means you respond by exclaiming, “You want how much?!?!” You must appear shocked and surprised that they could be bold enough to request that figure. Unless the other person is a well-seasoned negotiator, they will respond in one of two ways; a) they will become very uncomfortable and begin to try to rationalise their price, b) they will offer an immediate concession.

2) Recognise that people often ask for more than they expect to get.

This means you need to resist the

temptation to automatically reduce your price or offer a discount. I once asked for a hefty discount on a pair of shoes hoping to get half of what I asked for. I was pleasantly surprised when the shop owner agreed to my request.

3) The person with the most information usually does better.

You need to learn as much about the other person’s situation. This is a particularly important negotiation tactic for sales people. Ask your prospect more questions about their purchase. Learn what is important to them as well as their needs and wants. Develop the habit of asking questions such as;

“What prompted you to consider a purchase of this nature?”

“Who else have you been speaking to?”“What was your experience with…?”“What time frames are you working

with?”“What is most important to you about

this?”It is also important to learn as much

about your competitors as possible. This will help you defeat possible price objections and prevent someone from using your competitor as leverage.

4) Practice at every opportunity.Most people hesitate to negotiate because

they lack the confidence. Develop this confidence by negotiating more frequently.

Ask for discounts from your suppliers. As a consumer, develop the habit of asking for a price break when you buy from a retail store. Here are a few questions or statements you can use to practice your negotiation skills:

“You’ll have to do better than that.”“What kind of discount are you offering

today?”“That’s too expensive.” Wait for their

response afterwards.Learn to flinch.Be pleasant and persistent but not

demanding. Condition yourself to negotiate at every opportunity will help you become more comfortable, confident and successful.

5) Maintain your walk away power.It is better to walk away from a sale rather

than make too large a concession or give a deep discount on your product or service. After attending my workshops, salespeople often tell me that this negotiation strategy gives them the most leverage when dealing with customers. However, it is particularly challenging to do when you are in the midst of a sales slump or slow sales period. But, remember that there will always be someone to sell to.

Negotiating is a way of life in some cultures. And most people negotiate in some way almost every day. Apply these negotiation strategies and you will notice a difference in your negotiation skills almost immediately. m

Improve your negotiation skills to improve your bottom line.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Kelley Robertson is author of “Stop, Ask & Listen - How to welcome your customers and increase your sales.” Kelley can be

reached at [email protected].

55 ways to negotiate more effectively

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Wouldn’t it be nice if the best business decision were aligned with the best ecological decision? Some people say that

often it already is, and that if corporations would only wake up and see it, the opposition between profit and planet would diminish.

The business case for sustainability draws on several core arguments. Pro-environmental practices create positive brand associations among consumers, politicians, and regulators. They also anticipate regulatory trends and position the company favourably when such policies become law. The mentality that seeks to further efficiency in materials and waste carries over into other realms. Similarly, the innovation required to overcome environmental challenges promotes innovation generally. And employees have higher morale when they believe in what their company is

doing.These considerations support the idea

that the three items of the famous “triple bottom line” – people, profit, and planet – bear no inherent contradiction.

Unfortunately, nine times out of ten, the interests of profit blatantly conflict with the interests of people and planet, at least according to any reasonable calculation. What would happen to your company’s bottom line if it switched over to a green electricity supplier at twice the cost? What would happen if it insisted on using only fair trade products – throughout the supply chain? We’re not talking about cosmetic changes like recycled paper in the copiers or bike racks in the parking lot.

By appealing to the business case for sustainability, we limit green practices to the very narrow subset that involve little cost, little risk, and little disruption to business as usual. Such arguments also have a further, pernicious effect: they imply that the right basis for making ecologically-sensitive decisions is according to what makes business sense. By saying, “Go green because you’ll make more profit,”

they affirm that profit is the right motive.Let’s take it to a personal level. What if I

said to you, “Live your life in service to the planet, because you’ll make more money that way” and then pointed to the handful of remunerative jobs in the environmental sector? I would be fostering a delusion, because in general, there is more to be made in, for example, clearing natural expanses and building strip malls than there is to be made in protecting natural reserves from development. I would also be implying, “You should make decisions based on financial advantage.” I don’t think these arguments are going to turn many people toward environmental work.

Likewise, few companies are going to adopt significant environmental ethics based on profit-driven reasons.

Of course, many people – and even some companies – do make significant steps toward sustainability. If we want more to do the same, we need to appeal to the real motives behind such choices. The real motives are obvious: love, care, and the desire to serve.

Let’s stop pretending. If your company

Let’s be honest: real sustainability may not make business sense Considerations such as ‘what do you really care about’ and ‘who do you serve’ should be drivers of sustainability, not profit. If we want to make significant steps towards sustainability, we need to appeal to the real motives behind choices.

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is going to make a significant step toward sustainability, it probably won’t make business sense, at least not in any way that can be predicted or quantified. You will have to trust something other than the numbers. On the personal level it is the same.

When we take a step deeper into service, fear usually comes up, uncertainty, and a moment of self-definition. Who am I and what do I serve? Whether inside or outside the business world, the same questions arise.

In fact, the “business case for sustainability” does hint at something true. When we take a step into service, the world eventually reciprocates our generosity, albeit in a form and timing that is impossible to predict. A business “case” involves numbers and predictions, but the general principle that it is trying to convey is that the gift moves in a circle. As you do unto the world, so, in some form, will be done unto you.

Ordinarily such principles fall into the realm of spirituality or religion, separate from and opposed to the world of commerce. It is time for this separation to end. Everyone, even the most jaded corporate executive, yearns for it on some level, yearns to align his productive life with his deepest care. This doesn’t mean to ignore business realities and throw caution to the wind. It means to take the next, slightly scary, slightly outrageous, next step. It is the step for which there is no credible “business case.” It comes from a different motive.

To take this next step always requires at least a little courage, because it goes against familiar practice and predictable financial self-interest. Someday, hopefully soon, we must change the business environment to end the opposition between profit and ecological well-being. Green taxes (shifting taxation away from sales and income onto pollution and resource extraction) and laws against

ecocide promote the alignment of ecology and money, but we will never be able to rely wholly on self-interest as a way to enact love. There will always be a next step that doesn’t make sense by the numbers.

Herein lies a very different sort of “business case” for sustainability. It comes from questions like, “Who are you, really?” “What do you care about?” and, “What do you serve?” From a deep consideration of such questions, courage is born.

The other business case, the one based on profit, is just a tactical device, a way to give the bean counters – and our own internal bean counter – permission to say yes to what we all really want. Is it naïve to think there is anything beyond PR and greenwashing in corporate sustainability statements? Perhaps it is: but no more naïve than thinking anybody will forsake measurable self-interest in favour of service to our beautiful world. m

V o l 9 8 - J a n u a r y 2 0 1 4m y o f f i c e m a g a z i n e 38

p r o d u c t s h o w c a s e

THE PORTAL

The IT-Online Portal is a one-stop resource for any reader wanting to find out literallyanything that’s going on in the IT industry. The easy-to-read and easy-to-navigate stylemeans readers are never more than three clicks away from the information they need.Subscribe now free of charge www.it-online.co.za

MY OFFICE PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Showcase your products here call Wendy Dancer on 011 781 0370 for pricing and availability.

PD80 - KENTON 9.7” 3G TABLET

- Cortex-A9 1.2GHz Dual-core- Android 4.1- DDRIII 1GB- 16GB on board memory- Multi-touch capacity screen- Camera: Front 2M / Back 5M- Support WIFI 802.11 b/g/n - Built-in Bluetooth

ALL-NEW PHILIPS PROFESSIONAL DICTATION RECORDERS

The new Philips DPM6000 and DPM7000 series voice recorder is set to meet even the highest standards demanded by professional users. Philips Pocket Memo 6000 and 7000 series come with two built-in stereo microphones, enabling crystal clear recordings, perfectly suitable for speech recognition. The devices all come with best-in-class battery runtime of up to 27 hours, which is 50% more than comparable competing products can offer.

Tel: (011) 781-0370 • Fax: 086 733 2231

www.it-online.co.za

Tel: 011 887 1056

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.speech.co.za

Tel: 011 248 0300

www.koloksa.co.za

w w w . s h o p - s a . c o . z a m y o f f i c e m a g a z i n e 39

p r o d u c t s h o w c a s e

REXEL SECRETARIAL FOLDERS

Perfect for your filing needs. Rexel’s A4 secretarial L folders open on two sides to insert or remove paper easily. Available in standard 180 and premium 340 micron thickness and in various colours in packs of 10.

REXEL AUTO+ 200X SHREDDER

Rexel’s Auto+ 200X autofeed shredder shreds up to 200 sheets in one fill (80gsm). Security level S3 /P4 which cuts an A4 sheet into 400 pieces 4 x 40mm. It has an easy to empty 32 litre bin with viewing window which can hold up to 360 shredded sheets. Manual feed slot for quick and efficient shredding of up to 7 sheets (80gsm). Shreds CDs and Credit Cards.

REXEL AUTO+ 300X SHREDDER

Rexel’s Auto+ 300X autofeed shredder shreds up to 300 sheets in one fill (80gsm). Security level S3-P4 which cuts an A4 sheet into 400 pieces 4x40mm. Easy to empty 40 litre bin with viewing window can hold up to 300 sheets. Manual feed slot for quick and efficient shredding of up to 8 sheets (80gsm). Includes Mercury Jam Free technology when manual feeding, other features include door open/bin full, and check paper indicator, and 4 digit pin code lock for secure walk away shredding. Also shreds CDs and Credit Cards.

NEW SMARTPHONE DICTATION APP

The new Olympus Dictation App for iPhone and Android makes it possible to create a high-quality voice recording anywhere in the world - and then immediately send the recording directly into a back-office workflow system. With the Olympus Dictation app, users can create crystal-clear voice recordings anywhere with their smartphone. Encrypted dictation files can then be emailed or sent directly into the organization’s Olympus Dictation Management System workflow for automatic routing to a transcriptionist, voice-recognition software or a secure archive. That means increased efficiency, decreased costs and getting more done in less time.

Tel: 0860 00 1922

Email: [email protected]

www.maynards.co.za

Tel: 011 226 3300 Fax: 011 837 9489

Web: www.rexelsa.co.za

Tel: 011 226 3300 Fax: 011 837 9489

Web: www.rexelsa.co.za

Tel: 011 226 3300 Fax: 011 837 9489

Web: www.rexelsa.co.za

AADDING MACHINE, POINT OF SALE AND MACHINE ROLLSBSC Stationery - Treeline

PaperGeni Rotunda

ADHESIVES, GLUES AND SPRAYSBIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Correction Fluid,

Glue sticks & Super Glue

BSC Stationery - Treeline, BIC, Bostik, Ponal,

Pritt, Pentel, Staedtler

Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave

Freedom Stationery - Marlin

ADHESIVE NOTES3M SA PTY Ltd - Post-it ®

BSC Stationery - Stick ‘n Notes

ART, CRAFT, GRAPHIC AND DRAWING MATERIALSBSC Stationery - Treeline, Pentel, Pilot,

Henkel, Bostik, Staedtler,

CTP Stationery - A4 coloured poster boards

Freedom Stationery - Marlin

Max Frank - Uni, Artline

Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd. - Oil pastels and

watercolour paint

BBAGS AND CASESBSC Stationery - Treeline, Penflex, Gotcha,

Staedtler

Flip File - Business cases.

Freedom Stationery - Space Case and Marlin

Global Bag And Sportswear Manufactures - Custom schoolbags ,tracksuits

Kolok - Kenton

Topmark - School Bags, Laptop Bags, Pencil

Cases, Sports Bags, Luggage

BATTERIESBSC Stationery - Eveready

Nikki Distributors - Duracell Batteries

Nikki Distributors - Energizer Batteries

BIN RANGEKrost Office Products

BINDING ACCESSORIESAZ Trading - Plastic Comb, Wire, Thermal &

Covers

Beswick Office Products - Fellowes

BSC Stationery - Treeline, Rexel

CTP Donau - Donau files and slide binders,

A4 poster board

Martin Yale Africa - Comb, Wire

Parrot Products - Parrot Comb Binding

Machines

Rexel Office Products - Rexel and GBC

W Vos & Co - Renz covers & combs, ringwire

BINDING MACHINESAZ Trading - DSB, Neorel

Beswick Office Products - Fellowes

Martin Yale Africa - Martin Yale

Parrot Products - Parrot Comb Binding

Machines

Rexel Office Products - GBC and Rexel ranges

W Vos & Company - Renz.

BOARDSBIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - BIC Velleda

School Whiteboards

BSC Stationery - Bestboards, Pentel, Pilot,

Artline, Penflex

CTP Stationery - Flip Chart Pads

Hortors Stationery - Legal Notices i.e. Basic

Conditions & OSH Act and Leave and Absence

Chart

Freedom Stationery - Marlin

Max Frank - Artline Flipchart Markers, Artline,

Maxi whiteboard markers

Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave

Parrot Products - Full range of boards and

accessories. Custom boards printed to your

specification.

Rexel Office Products - NOBO whiteboards,

pinboards, easels and accessories

BOOK COVERSCTP Stationery - Poly Prop Donau heavy duty

covers

Empire Toy & Stationery - Butterfly paper

Freedom StationeryGordon’s Productions - contact paper

woodgrain, marble, pattern designs. Magic

cover back to school clear and coloured self

adhesive paper. (4M rolls, A4 and lever arch).

Plastic coated brownkraft rolls and pre-cut

polythene covers.

Grafton Paper ProductsPalm Stationery Manufacturers - brown paper

rolls, poly rolls, gift-wrap

RBE - Papersmart

BOOKS AND PADSBSC Stationery - Treeline

CTP Stationery - Impala and premier books

and pads

Freedom Stationery - Manufacturers

Hortors Stationery - Legal registers

Impala Vuwa Stationery ManufacturersPalm Stationery ManufacturersPower Stationery - Powerstar

RBE - NCR Business Books

BOXES AND CARTONSBeswick Office Products - Bankers Box to

Boxes and Cartons

CTP Stationery - Archiving Systems

Rexel Office ProductsSpecialised Filing Systems - Archive and

Off-Site

Tidy Files - Acid free archiving products

CCALCULATORSBSC Stationery - Treeline, Kaiser, Sharp

Freedom StationeryKolok - HP

Nikki Distributors - Truly calculators

Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave

Power Stationery - Powerstar

Rexel Office Products - IBICO

CALENDARSCTP Stationery - Diaries assorted sizes

CALLIGRAPHYMax Frank - Artline

40

SOURCE PRODUCTS HERE

CombBind C12 WireBind W20 ThermaBind T400ClickBind 15CombBind C20 CombBind C340

www.rexelsa.co.za

Effortless binding

with perfect results

MultiBind 230Comb & WireCombBind C150 Pro

CANTEENKolok - Tea, Coffee, milk etc,

Sunbeam(appliances), Cleansui (water filters

and refills)

CARBON PAPER AND FILMSRBE - NCR Business Books

CD’S, DVD’S AND DISKETTESKolok - Verbatim, Kenon

CLIP BOARDSCTP Stationery - DONAU brand

Parrot Products - Masonite and whiteboard

CLIPS, FASTENERS AND PINSFreedom Stationery - Marlin

Grip BindersEssentials, Stephens, Penguin

Tidy Files - Filing solution

COLOURING BOOKSEmpire Toy & Stationery - Empire books

Freedom Stationery - Marlin

Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave

COMPUTER ACCESSORIESBeswick Office Products - Fellowes

Kolok - Verbatim, Kenon

Krost Office ProductsPyrotec - Tower Inkjet-laser labels, business

cards and photo paper

COMPUTER CLEANINGBeswick Office Products - Fellowes

Pyrotec - Tower computer cleaning range

Kolok - ComputerCare

COMPUTER CONSUMABLESCTP Stationery - Full range of DONAU files

KMP - for computer consumables

Kolok Unlimited - Penguin (Ribbons, Toners,

Inkjets,) ,Till and fax rolls

Redfern Print Services - Redfern inkjet/laser/

copier labels and a full range of stationery

labels

COMPUTER HARDWAREKolok Unlimited - Blazer UPS systems, Geha

(Interactive white boards)

CORPORATE STATIONERY & GIFTINGStar Stationers and Printers

CRAYONS AND CHALKSBSC Stationery - Treeline, BIC, Henkel, Faber

Castell, Staedtler

Freedom Stationery - Marlin

Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Chalks and

Crayons

Power Stationery-Powerstar

DDESK SETS AND ACCESSORIESBIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Desk Set Solo

Delux

BSC Stationery - Treeline

Freedom Stationery - Marlin

Krost Office ProductsLedger Systems - Falcon Products

Rexel Office Products - Rexel Eco Range

DIARIES, PLANNERS AND ORGANISERSCTP Stationery - CTP Brand

Hortors Stationery - Legal diaries

Rexel Office Products - NOBO planners, refills

and T-card kits

South African Diaries - For all your diary

needs

DICTATION - TRANSCRIPTIONOlympus Audio S.A - Digital Voice Recorders,

Transcription Kits and Accessories.

Powerhouse Dictation for Philips - Dictation,

transcription, meeting recording, mini-tapes,

foot pedals, accessories

DRAUGHTING AND DRAWING OFFICE SUPPLIESCTP Stationery - A4 Poster Boards

EEMBOSSERS AND ENGRAVINGRubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Ideal

& Trodat Embossers (pocket, desk and

electronic), Trotec

ENVELOPES AND MAILINGBSC Stationery - Leo Envelopes, Jiffy

CTP Stationery - Commercial envelopes

Global envelopesGrafton/StarKZN ENVELOPESMerpak Envelopes - Simplistic, full range of

printed and plain envelopes

Narayan Wholesaler - Wholesaler of Quality

Envelopes, Peel and Seal

PaperGeniRBE - Papersmart

ERASERS & ERASING / CORRECTION FLUIDSBIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Tippex tape,

bottle and Pen

BSC Stationery - Treeline, BIC, Artline, Faber

Castell, Pentel, Pilot, Staedtler, Pritt

Freedom Stationery - Marlin

Max Frank - Uni

Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Tape/Erasers

Pentel S.A (PTY) LTD - Hi-Polymer and Ain

eraser, correction tape and pens

Power Stationery-Powerstar

FFAX ROLL MANUFACTURERSRotunda

FILES AND FILINGAfrican Filing Systems - Top retrieval filing

and arching products

BSC Stationery - Treeline, Mobifile

CTP Stationery - Full range of quality DONAU

brand

Flip File - Executive display files, expanding

files, Document folders, dividers

Freedom Stationery - Edo / Unifile

Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Lever arch,

Ringbinder files, Manilla flat folders

Grafton/StarKolok - Geha (Binding machines)

Palm Stationery Manufacturers - leaver arch,

ring binder files, manilla flat folders.

Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd. - Display book Vivid,

document file, clip file and presentation file

Rexel Office Products - Prima and Rexel ranges

Specialised Filing Systems - Top Retrieval,

Archive and Off-Site Tidy Files - Filing solutions

41

b u y e r ’ s g u i d e S e e p a g e 4 6 f o r c o n t a c t d e t a i l s

CombBind C12 WireBind W20 ThermaBind T400ClickBind 15CombBind C20 CombBind C340

www.rexelsa.co.za

Effortless binding

with perfect results

MultiBind 230Comb & WireCombBind C150 Pro

FOLDERSBSC Stationery - Treeline,

CTP Stationery - DONAU Brand

Freedom Stationery - Marlin

Palm Stationery Manufacturers - View files,

polypropylene & board folders

Tidy Files - Specialised

FORMS - LEGAL AND MISCELLANEOUSHortors Stationery - complete range of

custom, company, miscellaneous, magisterial,

etc.

FURNITURE - OFFICE & SCHOLASTICKrost Office Products - accessories

New Era Office cc - Specialising in all office

furniture desks, chairs, credenzas, boardroom

tables, etc

Reboni Furniture Group - Manufacturing and

distribution of educational and office furniture

Specialised Filing Systems - Cabinets,

Shelving and Hi-Density

GGUILLOTINES AND TRIMMERSAZ Trading - DSB, Kobra

Beswick Office Products - Fellowes, Vivid

Martin Yale Africa - Martin Yale

Rexel Office Products - SmartCut and

ClassicCut

W Vos & Co - Ideal

IINDEX TABBING AND DIVIDERS3M SA - Post-it flags, Flag pen and highlighter

BSC Stationery - Treeline, Flip File

CTP Stationery - DONAU Brand board and P.P

Flip File - Index Tabs, Flip tabs

Freedom Stationery - Marlin

Palm Stationery Manufacturers Grip BindersRexel Office Products - Rexel, Mylar and

Prima board

INKSKMP - for computer consumables.

Max Frank - Shachihata, Artline

Rexel Office Products - Numbering machine

ink

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Trodat,

Noris fastdry, security, numbering, franking.

Laundry.

JJANITORIALKolok - Goldenmarc (Cleaning products),

Brooms, Mops and equipment.

LLABELSBSC Stationery - Treeline, Tower, Midmadex

Freedom Stationery - Marlin

Nor PaperPyrotec - Tower stationery, inkjet-laser labels

Redfern Print Services - Redfern Inkjet/laser/

copier labels and a full range of stationery

labels

Specialised Filing Systems - Filing

Tidy Files - Filing solutions

LABELLING MACHINESKemtek Imaging Systems - Distributor of

Brother P-Touch Labelling System

LAMINATING MACHINESAZ Trading - DSB, Speedlam, Lamiace

Beswick Office Products - Fellowes

Kolok - GEHA and Galaxy

Martin Yale Africa - Fujipla

Parrot Products - Parrot A4 and A3

Laminators

Rexel Office Products - GBC and Rexel ranges

W Vos & Co - PEAK & Renz.

LAMINATING POUCHES AND MATERIALSAZ Trading - A0 to ID card size

Beswick Office Products - Fellowes

Kolok - GEHA, Penguin laminating pouches

and rolls

Martin Yale AfricaParrot ProductsRexel Office Products - GBC

LEGAL STATIONERYHortors Stationery - All legal registers, forms,

diaries etc

LETTER TRAYSKrost Office Products

MMAILING TUBES CTP Stationery

MARKERSBIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Permanent

Markers, Highlighters, whiteboard

BSC Stationery Sales - Treeline, Collosso,

Penflex, Artline, Maxi, Pentel, Pilot, Bic

Freedom Stationery - Marlin

Interstat Agencies - Edding

Max Frank - Artline , Maxi, Uni

Parrot Products - White board, permanent

and OHP markers. Wide range of highlighters

Penflex - White board, flipchart, permanent

markers, highlighters

Pentel (Pty) Ltd. - Maxiflo, white board

marker and paint marker

Power Stationery - Powerstar

MATHEMATICAL GEOMETRY SETS & ACCESSORIESFreedom Stationery - Marlin

Palm Stationery ManufacturersPower Stationery-Powerstar

MINUTE AND GUARD BOOKSHortors Stationery - Company registers,

minute books and other legal registers

Ledger Systems - Falcon products

42

SOURCE PRODUCTS HERE

Fusion 1000L Fusion 1100L Fusion 3000L Fusion 3100L Fusion 5000L Fusion 5100L

www.rexelsa.co.za

Simply faster to the finish...Introducing the new line of Fusion

TM Laminators

NNUMBERING MACHINESRexel Office ProductsRubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Reiner Dater/

Numberer (manual/electronic), Trodat

OOFFICE ERGONOMICSBeswick Office Products - Fellowes Back/

Wrist/Foot support; Notebook riser stand

Rexel Office Products - Kensington

copyholders, risers, footrests, Rexel range of

electric staplers and punches which reduces

chances of RSI (repititive strain injury)

OFFICE FURNITUREIXAXA Office Furniture - Office furniture

(Desks and Chairs) from reception to CEO’S

office

OVERHEAD PROJECTION AND ACCESSORIES3M SA (Pty) Ltd. - Overhead film,

transparency, multimedia

Kolok - Penguin Transparencies

Max Frank - Artline

Parrot Products - Data Projectors, OHPs,

screens and rear projection film

Penflex - Penflex Overhead projector pens

Rexel Office Products - NOBO

PPAPER AND BOARDAntalis South Africa - Office paper and

packaging solutions

BSC Stationery - Apex Paper - Typek,Rotatrim

CTP Stationery - DONAU A4 poster boards

Empire Toy & Stationery - Butterfly paper

Freedom StationeryGrafton/StarKolok Unlimited - Geha (paper media),

EPSON, HP, CANON,

Nor Paper

Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Cubes and

board

Paper World Handmade Paper, Embossed

Paper, Specialty Papers, Scented Paper Board,

Paper Products

Power Stationery-PowerstarRBE - Papersmart

Rexel Office Products - Prima Paper & Board

TRIBE - TRIBE Inkjet Paper and Film

PAPER FOLDING MACHINESMartin Yale Africa - Martin Yale

W. Vos & Co - Ideal

PENCILSBIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - BIC Evolution

Graphite, BIC Matic Clutch ,Velocity Clutch,

Atlantis Clutch, BU4 Clutch

BSC Stationery - Treeline, BIC, Pilot, Pentel,

Uni, Staedtler, Henkel

Freedom Stationery - Marlin / Edo

Max Frank - Uni

Palm Stationery ManufacturersPentel S.A (Pty) Ltd - Hotshot, Mechanical

Pencil, Techniclick Pencil.

Power Stationery - Powerstar

Rexel Office Products - Rexel HB & Derwent

Staedtler SA (Pty) Ltd - Tradition, Wopex,

Technical, Clutch Pencils and lead

PENCIL LEADSBIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Criterium 0.5mm

leads

Freedom Stationery - Marlin

Max Frank - Uni

Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd - Ain lead, standard lead

- various grades

PENCIL SHARPENERSFreedom StationeryPalm Stationery ManufacturersPower Stationery - Powerstar

PENSBIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Clic, Crystal,

Orange and Prismo

BSC Stationery - Treeline, BIC, Pilot, Pentel,

Uni, Staedtler, Henkel, Lexi, Penflex

Freedom Stationery - Marlin and Edo

Max Frank - Artline, Maxi, Uni

Palm Stationery Manufacturers

Penflex - Penflex ballpoints and rollerballs

Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd - Superb Ballpoint,

Energel Pen

Power Stationery - Powerstar

Staedtler SA (Pty) Ltd - Ball point, Fineliner,

Gel and Pigment liner pens

PEN CARBON BOOKSBSC Stationery - Treeline, RBE

Freedom Stationery - Marlin

Power Stationery - Powerstar

RBE - NCR Business Books

PERSONAL STATIONERYCTP Stationery - Home office and personal

filing system, diaries

Grafton/Star

PLANNING BOARDS AND ACCESSORIESParrot Products - Range of year planners,

term planners, maps and in/out boards.

custom printed boards designed to

specification.

Rexel Office Products - NOBO planners

POINT OF SALE PRINTER ROLLSPaperGeniRotunda

PRINTINGOlivetti Imports - Distributors of

Multifunctional Printers / Copiers

Star Stationers and PrintersKolok - Epson, Lexmark (Hardware), Hp

Printers, Oki (Hardware)

PRINTER CONSUMABLESImpression Management - Prinart, Logic,

Q-Ink, Sanchi, Oliser and ATIKMP - For

computer consumables.

Kolok - EPSON (inkjet, large format etc),

LEXMARK, HP, Brother (Toners and Inks), Oki

(Toners, inks and Ribbons), Tally Genicom

(Ribbons), Seikosha (Ribbons), Panasonic

(Toners and Ribbons), Kyocera (Toners),

Printronix (Ribbons), IBM (Ribbons), Ricoh

(Toners), Fujitsu (Ribbons)

Nor PaperPaperGeniRoyce Imaging Industries - Remanufacturers

and suppliers of inkjet and laser cartridges

43

b u y e r ’ s g u i d e S e e p a g e 4 6 f o r c o n t a c t d e t a i l s

Fusion 1000L Fusion 1100L Fusion 3000L Fusion 3100L Fusion 5000L Fusion 5100L

www.rexelsa.co.za

Simply faster to the finish...Introducing the new line of Fusion

TM Laminators

Technical Systems Engineering - Suppliers of

quality compatible cartridges and bulk inks for

Epson, Canon, Lexmark, HP and Samsung

PUNCHES AND PERFORATORSBeswick Office Products - Kangaro

BSC Stationery - Treeline, STD, Rexel

Freedom Stationery - Marlin

Krost Office ProductsParrot Products - Parrot range of punches

Power Stationery-PowerstarRexel Office Products - Rexel

RRUBBER STAMPSMax Frank - Schachihata X Stampers

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co. - Trodat

RUBBER STAMP MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENTRubber Stamp & Engraving Co - AZ Liquid

polymer, TROTEC laser engraver, flash system

RULERSFreedom Stationery - Marlin

Palm Stationery ManufacturersPower Stationery-PowerstarPenflex - PENFLEX rulers

SSCHOLASTIC SUPPLIESBSC Stationery Sales - Treeline

CTP StationeryEmpire Toy & Stationery - Butterfly

Flip File - Flip File display books A5, A4, A2,

A3

Freedom Stationery - Marlin and Edo

Gordon’s Productions - contact paper

woodgrain, marble, pattern designs. Magic

cover back to school clear and coloured self

adhesive paper. (4M rolls, A4 and lever arch).

Plastic coated brownkraft rolls and pre-cut

polythene covers.

Grafton Paper ProductsImpala Vuwa Stationery ManufacturersMax Frank - Artline, Maxi, Uni

Palm Stationery ManufacturersParrot Products - chalk boards/slates

Power Stationery - Powerstar

Pyrotec - Tower Adhesive Book Cover 45cm

x 2m

SCISSORS AND CUTTERSFreedom Stationery - Marlin

Palm Stationery ManufacturersPower Stationery-Powerstar Rexel Office Products

SCRAPBOOKINGRexel Office Products - Trimmers and

guillotines

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Making

memories, Clearsnap, Marvy, Ranger, Bazzill,

Carl

SHREDDERS AND ACCESSORIESAZ Trading - DSB, Kobra, Roto, Repairs to all

makes

Beswick Office Products - Fellowes

Kolok - GEHA entry level and high-end

shredders

Martin Yale Africa - Intimus, Martin Yale,

PaperMonster

Nikki Distributors - Nikki shredders

Parrot Products - Parrot range of value

shredders

Rexel Office Products - Rexel range

W Vos & Co - Ideal.

SLATESFreedom Stationery - Marlin

Parrot Products - Whiteboard and chalk board

SPECIALISED STATIONERY AND BOOKBINDINGLedger Systems - Law reports and periodicals

SPIKE FILESGrip Binders

STAMPS, STAMP PADS AND INKSRubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Trodat, pre-

inked stamps, stamp and fingerprint pads

STAPLING MACHINES AND STAPLESBeswick Office Products - Kangaro

BSC Stationery - Treeline, STD, Rexel

Freedom Stationery - Marlin

Krost Office ProductsInterstat Agencies - Genmes

Parrot Products - Parrot range of staplers

Rexel Office Products - Rexel range

STATIONERY SUNDRIES - SCHOLASTICBSC Stationery - Treeline, Pritt, Henkel,

Staedtler, Pentel, Pilot, BIC, Artline, Penflex

CTP Stationery - DONAU Scissors and cutting

knives

Freedom Stationery - Marlin, Edo and Unifile

Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave

Power Stationery-Powerstar

STENCILSFreedom Stationery

STORAGE SYSTEMSCTP Stationery - Archiving Systems -

Suspension Files

Kolok - VERBATIM (hard drives, USB sticks

etc), HP

Specialised Filing Systems - Filing

Tidy Files - Filing solutions

TTAPES3M SA (Pty) Ltd. - Brand Scotch® MagicTM

BSC Stationery - Sellotape, Brother

Freedom StationeryPalm Stationery Manufacturers

TELECOMMUNICATIONSNIKKI Distributors - Siemens office phones

TELEX ROLLS AND TELETEX PAPERRotundaTHERMAL ROLLSRotundaTONERS AND CARTRIDGESKMP - Computer consumables

Kolok - PENGUIN (Inkjets and Laser toners),

EPSON, LEXMARK, HP.

PaperGeni

44

SOURCE PRODUCTS HERE

Autoplus 60 XDONESHUTSTACK Autoplus 80 X Autoplus 100 X Autoplus 175 X Autoplus 250 X Autoplus 500 X Autoplus 750 X

www.rexelsa.co.za

45

TOP RETRIEVAL FILINGOptiplan a div of Waltons - Paper based top

retrieval filing systems

Specialised Filing Systems - Total Solution

and more

Tidy Files - Complete onsite and offsite filing

solutions

TOYS, HOBBIES AND GAMESFreedom StationeryPyrotec - Toby Tower Stickers and Activities

TRANSFER LETTERING AND SIGNSParrot Products - Vinyl lettering

TRANSPARENCIESKolok - Penguin transparencies for inkjet and

laser

OEM, Penguin and HP Transparencies

Rexel Office Products - NOBO range

VVISITORS BOOKS/REGISTERSLedger Systems - Falcon Products - visitors

books, hotel guest register, restaurant

reservation registers

b u y e r ’ s g u i d e S e e p a g e 4 6 f o r c o n t a c t d e t a i l s

• Buyers Guide is an affordable way of highlighting your

brands while also introducing up and coming new stockists to the

trade.

• The Buyers Guide is a valuable sourcing tool to market your business and the brands

that you carry.

• Contact Wendy to book space on [email protected] or

Tel: 011 781 0370

DID YOU KNOW?

Autoplus 60 XDONESHUTSTACK Autoplus 80 X Autoplus 100 X Autoplus 175 X Autoplus 250 X Autoplus 500 X Autoplus 750 X

www.rexelsa.co.za

3M( 011 844 9202 PvtBag X926, Rivonia, 2128

7 011 806 2388 Customer Serv: 0800 118 311

African Filing Systems( 011 896 5279 www.africanfiling.co.za

7 086 540 6892 [email protected]

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd( 011 688 6000 Box 6893, Johannesburg, 2000

7 011 688 6162 [email protected]

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Cape Town( 021 959 9600 Box 19231, Tygerberg, 7505

7 021 959 9640

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Durban( 031 714 4000 Box 284, Umhlanga, 4320

7 031 700 9253

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Pretoria( 012 379 0060 Box 4013, Pretoria, 0001

7 012 379 0052

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Bloemfontein( 051 447 8681 Box 1795, Bloemfontein, 9300

7 051 447 6765

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Port Elizabeth( 041 486 2020 Box 9088, Estadeal, 6012

7 041 486 2219

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Pietermaritzburg( 033 386 2078 Box 1425, Pietermaritzburg, 3200

7 033 386 2078

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Botswana( 00267 391 2139 Box 1705, Gaborone

7 00267 397 5459

AZ Trading( 086 111 4407 www.aztradingcc.co.za

7 011 792 9732 [email protected]

Beswick Office Products( 011 433 2686 Box 82319, Southdale, 2135

7 011 680 2166 [email protected]

BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd( 011 474 0181 PO BOX 43144, Industria, 2042

7 011 474 6068 16 Maraisburg Road, Industria, 2042

BSC Stationery Sales( 011 420 3250 Box 278, Brakpan, 1540

7 011 420 3322 [email protected]

CTP Stationery( 011 226 5600 Box 43501, Industria, 2042

7 011 474 9242 [email protected]

Empire Toy & Stationery( 011 614 2243 Box 261524, Excom, 2023

7 011 614 3075 [email protected]

Flip File( 021 638 3105 Box 2190, Clareinch, 7740

7 021 633 6942 [email protected]

Freedom Stationery - Johannesburg( 011 314 0953/4 Box 6459, Halfway House, 1685

7 011 314 0957 [email protected]

Freedom Stationery - Cape Town( 021 557 9152/3 36-38 Silverstone Rd Killarney Gardens

7 021 557 9155 [email protected]

Freedom Stationery KZN (Head Office)( 032 459 2820 Box 478, Mandini, 4490

7 032 459 3255 [email protected]

Freedom Stationery - East London( 043 731 2422 Box 14111 West Bank 5218

7 043 731 2421 [email protected]

Global Bag And Sportswear Manufactures( 031 305 6507 P.O Box 18586, Dalbridge, 4014

7 031 301 6553 www.globalbags.co.za

Global Envelopes( 031 465 5544 [email protected]

7 031 465 5634 www.envelopes.co.za

Gordon’s Productions( 031 705 8713 Suite 69, PvtBag X4, Kloof, 3640

7 031 705 8714 [email protected]

Grafton/Star Paper Products( 011 262 0777 Box 550, Bergvlei, 2012

7 011 262 0780 [email protected]

Grip Binders( 011 421 1300 [email protected]

Hortors Stationery( 011 620 4800 Box 1020, Johannesburg, 2000

7 086 612 4663 [email protected]

Impala Vuwa Stationery Manufacturers( 036 634 1535 Box 389, Ladysmith, 3370

7 036 634 1890 [email protected]

Impression Management( DBN 031 777 1222 www.impression.co.za

( JHB 011 708 7743 [email protected]

( CPT 021 592 0847

Interstat Agencies - Durban( 031 569 6550 Box 201707, Durban North, 4016

7 031 569 6559 [email protected]

Interstat Agencies - Cape Town( 021 551 9555 Box 36696, Chempet, 7442

7 021 557 5456 [email protected]

Interstat Agencies - Port Elizabeth( 041 453 2558 Box 27693, Greenacres, 6057

7 041 453 8504 [email protected]

IXAXA Office Furniture( 011 392 3628 14 Isando Road Isando

[email protected]

Kemtek Imaging Systems( 011 624 8000 Box 86173, City Deep, 2049

7 0866 101 185 [email protected]

Kemtek Imaging Systems - Cape( 021 521 9600 Box 181, Cape Town, 8000

7 021 551 5032 [email protected]

Kemtek Imaging Systems - KZN( 031 700 9363 Box 15685, Westmead, 3608

7 031 700 9369 [email protected]

Kemtek Imaging Systems - PE( 041 582 5222 Box 15685, Westmead, 3608

7 041 582 5224 [email protected]

Kemtek Imaging Systems - PTA( 012 804 1410 PO Box 816, Silverton, 0127

7 012 804 4286 [email protected]

KMP( 021 709 0190 Box 183, Steenberg, 7947

7 021 709 0199 [email protected]

Kolok Unlimited - Head Office( 011 248 0300 Box 4151, Johannesburg, 2000

7 011 248 0381 [email protected]

Kolok Unlimited - Cape Town( 021 597 2700 Box 6385, Roggebaai, 8012

7 021 297 2799 [email protected]

Kolok Unlimited - Durban( 031 570 4900 Box 4206, Riverhorse Valley East, 4017

7 031 569 6880 [email protected]

Kolok Unlimited Polokwane( 015 298 8795 Box 862, Ladanna, 0704

7 015 298 8315 [email protected]

Kolok Unlimited - Port Elizabeth( 041 406 9900 Box 3163, North End, 6056

7 041 406 9920 [email protected]

Kolok Unlimited - Namibia( 00264 (61)370500 Box 40797, Ausspannplatz, Namibia

7 00264 (61)370525 [email protected]

Kolok Unlimited - Nelspruit( 013 758 2233 Box 4338, White River, 1240

7 013 758 2235 [email protected]

Kolok Unlimited - Bloemfontein( 051 433 1876 PvtBag X01, Brandhof, Bloemfontein

7 051 433 2451 [email protected]

Kolok Unlimited - Botswana( 00267 393 2669 PvtBag B0226, Bontleng, Gaborone

7 00267 317 0762 [email protected]

Krost Office Products( 011 626 2067 Box 75401, Gardenview, 2047

7 011 626 2912 [email protected]

KZN ENVELOPES( 031 465 3992 P O Box 41259, Rossburgh, 4072

7 031 465 1669 [email protected]

Ledger Systems( 011 433 1808 Box 82586, Southdale, 2135

7 011 433 8863 [email protected]

Martin Yale( 011 838 7281 [email protected]

7 011 838 7322 www.martinyale.co.za

Max Frank( 011 921 1811 Box 200, Isando, 1600

7 011 921 1569 [email protected]

Maynards - Olympus Audio S.A / Olivetti Distributors( 0860 00 1922 [email protected]

www.maynards.co.za

Merpak Envelopes( 011 719 7700 [email protected]

7 011 885 3174 www.merpak.co.za

Narayan Wholesaler( 083 444 0959 [email protected]

7 011 869 7243

New Era Office cc( 011 334 2013 Box 10383, Lenasia, 1821

7 011 334 7358 [email protected]

Nikki - Cape Town( 0860 006731 [email protected]

7 0800 204868 www.nikki.co.za

Nikki - Durban( 0860 006731 [email protected]

7 0800 204868 www.nikki.co.za

Nikki - Johannesburg( 0860 006731 [email protected]

7 0800 204868 www.nikki.co.za

Nikki - Pretoria( 0860 006731 [email protected]

7 0800 204868 www.nikki.co.za

Nor Paper( 011 011 3900

7 011 011 4099 [email protected]

Optiplan a division of Waltons( 011 620 4000 Pencil Park, Croxley Close, Herriotdale

7 086 681 8256 [email protected]

Palm Stationery( 031 507 7051 [email protected]

7 031 507 7053 www.palmstat.co.za

PaperGeni( 011 011 3900 [email protected]

7 011 011 4099 www.papergeni.co.za

Paper World( 012 250 1477/8 [email protected].

7 012 250 0322 www.paperworldsa.com

Parrot Products( 011 607 7600 [email protected]

7 011 615 2502 www.parrotproducts.biz

Penflex( 021 521 2400 Box 36964, Chempet, 7442

7 021 521 2402/3 [email protected]

Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd( 011 474 1427/8 Box 202, Crown Mines, 2025

7 011 474 5563 www.pentel.co.za

Powerhouse Dictation( 011 887 1056 [email protected]

7 086 555 3833 www.speech.co.za

Power Stationery( 032 533 4003 Box 1305, Verulam, 4340

7 032 533 3254 [email protected]

Pyrotec( 021 787 9600 PvtBag X1, Capricorn Square, 7948

7 021 787 9791 [email protected]

RBE Stationery Manufacturers (Pty) Limited( 011 793 7321 [email protected]

7 011 793 7348 www.rbe.co.za

Reboni Furniture Group( 086 173 2664 www.reboni.co.za

7 086 627 7737 [email protected]

Redfern Print Services - Cape Town( 021 552 9680 Box 403, Milnerton, 7435

7 021 552 9681 [email protected]

Redfern Print Services - Durban( 031 205 9598 [email protected]

7 031 205 7092 www.redfern.co.za

Redfern Print Services - Johannesburg( 011 837 4119 Box 1445, Crown Mines, 2025

7 011 837 8917 [email protected]

Rexel Office Products( 011 226 3300 www.rexelsa.co.za

7 011 837 2781 [email protected]

Rotunda( 021 552 5135 Box 189, Maitland, 7404

7 021 551 3070 [email protected]

Royce Imaging Industries( 011 792 9530 www.royceimaging.co.za

7 011 792 9480 [email protected]

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Head Office( 011 262 1400 Box 931, Wendywood, 2144

7 011 262 1414 [email protected]

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Cape Town( 021 448 7008 Box 931, Wendywood, 2144

7 021 448 7014 [email protected]

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Durban( 083 377 4109 Box 931, Wendywood, 2144

7 031 266 1082 [email protected]

South African Diaries( 021 442 2340 Box 4862, Cape Town, 8000

7 021 442 2341 [email protected]

Staedtler SA (Pty) Ltd( 011 579 1600 www.staedtler.co.za

7 011 608 3497 [email protected]

Specialised Filing Systems( 011 477 0640 www.specfiling.co.za

7 011 477 3528

Star Stationers and Printers( 031 569 1061 [email protected]

7 031 569 1094 www.starstat.co.za

Technical Systems Engineering( 011 708 2304 Box 1532, Northriding, 2162

7 011 708 1799 [email protected]

Tidy Files( 011 943 4210 www.tidyfiles.co.za

Topmark( 011 837 8045 [email protected]

7 011 837 7442

Tower (Division of Pyrotec) - Cape Town( 021 787 9600 PvtBag X1, Capricorn Square, 7948

7 021 787 9791

Tower (Division of Pyrotec) - Johannesburg( 011 611 1820 59 Lepus Rd, Crown Mines, 2025

7 011 611 1834 [email protected]

Tower (Division of Pyrotec) Durban( 031 701 0192 Box 594, Pinetown, 3600

7 031 701 1285 [email protected]

Tribe( 011 314 4746 (Jhb) Box 6280, Halfway House, 1685

7 021 386 4261 (Cpt) [email protected]

Versafile( 011 226 5600 Box 43501, Industria, 2042

7 011 474 9242 [email protected]

W. Vos & Company( 011 493 7139 www.wvos.co.za

7 011 493 8807 [email protected]

V o l 9 8 - J a n u a r y 2 0 1 4

CONTACT DETAILS HERE

m y o f f i c e m a g a z i n e46

P e r s o n A b i l i t y

Meet Angela Smith responsible for the ordering of stationery products for MITAK, Johannesburg.How do you stay organised in the office?I am really not a really organised person, so it is a constant battle for me. What is your most useful office product or piece of equipment?My stapler – it has many uses throughout my day’s work. Who is your current stationery supplier?Genie Office Supplies and Forms Media Independent Africa. What is your relationship with your current stationery suppliers?I have just started out in the ordering of the Mitak stationary, so we are still building a relationship. What challenges do you face when ordering stationery?Not knowing the names of the products needing to be ordered. What do you find enjoyable about the process of ordering stationery?There are always new things coming out in the market place. What possible issues have you had when ordering stationery and how did your supplier resolve them?I battle with the names of things, but I have patient people I deal with. Do you ask for brand names when ordering stationery? No we don’t, it’s not always cost effective. What is your favourite South African brand? Why?Pentel. Their product base is large.What is the average cost to company for your monthly stationery supplies?± R10 000.How many staff members does this service?± 500 staff.What is your favourite website?Bid or Buy.

What is your favourite retail store?West Pack Lifestyle.Tell us about your childhood and some favourite memories of growing up?Growing up in a children’s home, I was lucky enough to have really special birthdays and Christmases. Every year we were invited by the Round Table in Vryheid for a week in a game reserve, and those were always the best.At what stage of life do you find yourself at now?The middle stage. I see myself still growing.What is your life’s motto or personal brand?Be yourself.Use three words to describe yourself.Loving, friendly, caring. What do you do best?Being mommy to my two girls. What has been your greatest lesson in life?Don’t try to be someone you are not.How do you handle stress?I take a deep breath and start from the beginning. What would be the most valuable question you could ask yourself?Am I everything I can be?What was the last new thing you bought?Clothes for myself.Tell us something about yourself, we didn’t know.I enjoy making people laugh, so I find myself often being the office clown.Do you practise ‘greening the earth’ in your personal or business life?Not currently, but I would like to start doing something.What are your small indulgences in life?Time with my babies and sushi.Describe your dream life in six wordsFamily, love, happiness, security, success, financial freedom.

AQ&with Angela Smith

MITAK is based in Johannesburg and has been producing wear resistant castings for forty years for export and local markets. The company has the capacity to manufacture over 1 000 tons

per month for the pumping, crushing, grinding, brick making and materials handling industries. Ten foundry moulding lines are each customised to manufacture a specific category of castings. MITAK

is able to offer versatility of supply and parts as small as 5kg, and as large as 18 tons finished mass produced in the different lines.

w w w . s h o p - s a . c o . z a m y o f f i c e m a g a z i n e 47

V o l 9 8 - J a n u a r y 2 0 1 4

p u n c h l i n e

Send us your funniest caption for the photograph below and you stand a chance to win a Rexel Laminator GBC Fusion 1100 A4 valued at R2 000. Send your Punchline and contact details to [email protected] with Punchline in the subject line.

WinThe Rexel Laminator is 33% faster than competitor machines, taking just 45 seconds to laminate a standard A4 pouch or 80 pouches per hour, with an additional cold setting for heat sensitive documents. Other features include:• Automatic switch off after 30 minutes of inactivity.• Exit tray keeps pouches straight as they come

through the heated rollers for a perfect, warp-free finish

• Incorporates SureFlow™ Technology reduces jamming significantly for stress-free laminating and maximum productivity

• Laminates up to A4 size including ID cards, notices and certificates

• Modern, compact design easy to move around and suits most office and home environments

• Single touch button interface: simple to use, no previous experience required

• Three heat settings accepts 2 x 75 micron (150 in total)

• pouches, 2 x 100 micron (200 in total) and 2 x 125 micron (250 in total).

Drop us a buzz

WINNING CAPTION DECEMBER ISSUEIm sexy and I know it ... Kim Reinhardt - Marriott

WINME

m y o f f i c e m a g a z i n e48

My Office magazine – the only accredited publication for the office and home products industry is mailed monthly to office professionals across South Africa.

Register on www.shop-sa.co.za to receive your free magazine subscription.

• Learn about cutting edge office technologies

• How to work smarter and faster and with best business practice

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• Be inspired by the hottest trends in interiors, furniture, and workplace ergonomics

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Connect to the largest and most comprehensive database of like-minded professionals in the workplace environment.

My Office magazine is the official publication of the Stationery, Home & Office Products Association of Southern Africa.

Join this expanding community of office

professionals, managers, procurement buyers and

business owners now when you register on www.shop-sa.co.za

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SHOPPING FOR STATIONERY?

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2014BACK TO OFFICE

VOL 98 JANUARY R50. INC VAT THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE STATIONERY, HOME AND OFFICE PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION

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