Is a clean desk really good for business?

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Clean desk vs post-it notes & ringtones

is a clean desk really good for business Is a clean desk really good for business? There’s been a lot of objection in the media recently surrounding BHP Billiton’s newly released office policy that includes restrictions on everything from post-it notes and mobile phone ringtones to the consumption of foods with a strong odour. The policy also states the amount of paper that should be left to sit on desks and even outlines that the use of iPods within the office is forbidden.

While a lot of companies have a ‘clean desk policy’ in operation, it is the detail with which BHP outlined its policy that intrigued outsiders. Many would argue that actions such as not eating smelly foods and keeping mobile phone ringtones on a low volume would be considered common courtesy; however BHP deemed it necessary to put these into writing.  According to BHP, the rules were outlined to improve efficiency and allow for “desk hopping” for those who travel.

Sounds good but problems can arise from having such stringent policies on office behaviour. Employee morale, for instance, can suffer from working in such a sterile environment, with research showing a clean desk can “leave employees with a smaller brain”. Given estimations you spend over 22% of your life at work and over 91,250 hours in a total working life, surely there’s an argument that making your desk ‘homely’ can improve productivity?

At Upstream we allow our employees to express themselves openly and aim to build a better company culture. The basis of such workplace activities needs to be trust, and we entrust our employees to know their boundaries and use their best judgement in common courtesy.

That isn’t to say we don’t see the value of keeping desks clutter free – especially when it comes to printing.  Keeping desks free of paper isn’t just about tidiness – it’s about business efficiency.  That’s why we’re currently working with organisations across Australia to move them away from paper filing toward electronic filing systems.  Moving toward electronic filing makes it easier to access documents, track the flow of information and reduce the wasted costs and resources associated with printing materials.  The fact it also cuts down on the amount of paper stored on employees’ clean desks is a bonus.

Clean desk conclusion?

So, what do you think?  Are clean desks the key to greater efficiencies or are organisations better to first focus efforts on the cause of messy desks?

What’s in a business name?

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Choosing your business name

naming business What’s in a business name?It might sound trivial but when you’re setting up a new business deciding what name to give the business is an important decision.  Especially today.  In the past the main considerations concerned picking a name people could remember and a name that wasn’t being used elsewhere.  These considerations are still important.  So much so that the Australian Federal Government has launched a tool to ensure business owners don’t pick a name that’s already been trademarked.  The tool’s called TM Check and as reported by Dynamic Business, it will help business owners avoid legal bills, disputes and even the closure of their business.

But it’s not just about legal requirements.  Businesses owners today also need to think about the online world.  That means picking a name that can easily be spelt so people can search for it online.  It also means picking a name that encapsulates what you do.  People today are overloaded with information online and offline so the simpler and more focused you can make a name the better.  Take us as an example.  We’re widely known as Upstream but our officially registered name is Upstream Print Solutions.  It’s a name that’s not too long but one that clearly articulates what we do.

The name Upstream has an interesting origin. The name was adapted from an old story about a group of villagers who lived by a river. The villagers’ river and main water supply became polluted and a number of solutions were floated to fix the problem such as filtration plants and chemical treatments. One villager however asked “Why don’t we go upstream, find what is causing the pollution and fix the problem at its source?”

Given that’s what we do to help business improve efficiencies (i.e. help organisations reduce printing rather than simply selling more printers to meet their needs) the founders of our business thought the word Upstream was a great name.  And over the years it’s served us well.  It’s short, easy to remember and of course, simple to spell.

Things to think about when choosing your business name

What led you to pick the name for your business and what advice would you give to entrepreneurs looking to name their first business?

 

Blogging for Dynamic Business

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Neil Tilley – guest blogging at Dynamic Business

Neil Tilley, CEO and co-founder of Upstream, is now blogging over at Dynamic Business so if you’re interested in reading about everything from how best to strike a work/life balance to managing corporate culture during times of change make sure you check out the blog.

.Guest Blogging Blogging for Dynamic Business

If you like what you read or have any thoughts to share please comment on the posts to let Neil know what you think of his blogging…

To read Neil blogging visit: http://www.dynamicbusiness.com.au/search?search=Neil%20Tilley

 

 

Small Business September

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What is Small Business September?

NSW’s Small Business September is just around the corner so if you haven’t already thought about how you might get involved, check out the website for more detail.

This year is the 11th Small Business Month in NSW and will involve more than 300 events across the state offered by NSW Trade and Investment, sponsors and about 150 partner organisations.

According to the organisers, ‘events are designed to equip small business owners and operators with information, resources and networks to effectively build and manage every aspect of their business.’  This year, the theme’s: ‘See your business from a new perspective’ and there’s something for everyone with experts covering a broad range of topics including:

  • Business Growth
  • Business Online
  • Business Planning
  • Export and Trade
  • Finance and Money
  • Green Business
  • Innovative Business
  • New to Small Business
  • Sales and Marketing, and
  • Skills and HR

small business Small Business September

Getting involved in Small Business September 2011

The Australian small business community has always been a tight knit one but with Small Business September just a few weeks away what better time to dust off those business cards, get networking and learn from peers.  If you’re planning on getting involved with Small Business September we’d love to hear what your plans are.

Think before you print

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With more organisations than ever looking at ways to improve the sustainability of operations it’s no wonder printing is under the spotlight.  The amount of documents printed unnecessarily within organisations is staggering.  Anything that can be done to reduce printing volumes can therefore have a significant impact both in terms of the environment and bottom line.

For those wanting to do more ask yourself the following questions.  If the answer to any of them is ‘no’ it’s probably time to consider managed print services.

  • Are you monitoring how much you print?  Almost all organisations are aware of the benefits of printing less but often don’t know where to start.  Without detailed insight into who is printing what it’s difficult to know where you can begin making improvements.
  • Do you always have good supplies of paper and tonner in stock?   Even when someone within a business has responsibility for managing a printer fleet it’s easy for paper and tonner orders to slip through the net, causing problems when jobs need to be urgently completed.
  • Do your employees pick up every document they print?  Uncollected documents is a big problem in terms of paper wastage for Australian businesses.  It’s also a security risk given there’s often a lot of sensitive information contained within documents.
  • Do you have tight budget control over your printing?  Without detailed insight into what you print it’s difficult to know how much to budget for printing, which means costs can fluctuate.
  • Are you aware of the environmental impact of your printing?  In the months ahead organisations will be under greater pressure to track the environmental impact of their operations so anything you can do to be on the front foot will be beneficial.
  • Are you using electronic forms?  Many businesses print the same forms on a regular basis.  A lot of the time these forms can easily be replaced with electronic forms – saving both paper and unnecessary admin.
  • Do you have a print policy in place?  Social media policies that outline acceptable employee use of social networking sites at work are now common place but organisations are often more lax when it comes to policies around printing.