Some of my fondest memories from childhood are of the most common, everyday occurrence of having dinner together. Every member of our family understood it was their responsibility to show up at the dinner table at 6:00 p.m. to share a meal; no excuses. Along with enjoying a delicious meal prepared by the best cook, my mother, we shared stories from our day and discussed current events. There was a lot of laughter...

Whether you live in McCook, Norfolk, Omaha or anywhere in between, chances are that Eakes has been a long-term presence in your community. We take pride in the service we provide, both from a repair standpoint and a sales perspective. When you are shopping for new office equipment or software, we hope you will think of us first – but here are some things to keep in mind, regardless of who you choose...

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve had several discussions with folks about retirement – specifically about retirement savings accounts. First, my 22-year-old daughter was proud to show me her first paycheck from her first teaching job after college. It was ‘real money’ and she wanted to show me. It was, indeed, pretty cool to see...

I personally love coffee and can’t imagine starting my day without it. I hate to admit it, but I have to plan time out of every morning to get my caffeine fix, which has become something of a morning ritual. I’m not alone though. As most of you have probably noticed, there are specialty coffee shops popping up all over your communities. Lattes, iced coffees, shaken teas and even alcoholic coffee drinks are popular with many...

I write this post with a grain of salt, as it speaks to the opposite of what I do from day to day as an IT Manager at Eakes Office Solutions. But, I gave it try a month ago, and it resulted in one of the best vacations I have ever had. I am talking about turning off the technology. This means taking phones, tablets, laptops…

Fostering creativity and innovation in the workplace requires a new strategy that might take some business leaders by surprise. It requires a rigorous focus on organizational and employee wellbeing. “The most successful organizations are now turning their attention to employee wellbeing as a way to gain emotional, financial and competitive advantage,” notes Tom Rath, Gallup’s leader of workplace research and co-author of the bestselling book “Wellbeing.”...

Every organization has a culture. For some, this culture has developed over many years, and for others it is still in its infancy stage. Regardless of where your company is at as it relates to developing its culture, it is one of the most important (if not the most important) aspects of your business. Ensuring that the leaders of the company understand it and everyone lives and breathes it, is as important as anything else...

Imagine yourself moving into a new house or apartment. What is one of the first things you want to do before you start unpacking all of your belongings? A good deep clean! With so many products on the market these days, most people have no idea where to begin. That is where we come in! The majority of chemicals you will find at a local grocery store or hardware store...

Deciding to use an outside company for lead generation is a tough decision for any organization. First, there is the concern that the people making the phone calls to potential customers will present your organization in the professional manner that you personally conduct business every day. Second, there is the price. Lead generation is not cheap...

You may have heard the term “managed print” used a time or two, but what does it really mean? To put it simply, it is the management of all of your printing and imaging devices, such as copiers, printers, scanners, faxes and more. While all of that may not seem like a lot, to Eakes, a true managed print solution is much, much more...

The use of paper in the U.S. has declined slightly for the past several years. What this means to Office Supply dealers is a slight decline in the sales of paper and associated products like paper clips, staples, file folders, etc. No one thinks the sales of Office Supply dealers across the country are at risk – the reduction has been just over 1% per year for the last five years...

Since I was a little girl heading off to school for the very first time, I have appreciated possessing nice pens, markers and, at the time, high quality crayons. Although my needs have changed over the years, I still have my favorite pens, markers and highlighters...

One lingering misconception about office furniture today is that a desk is just a desk, and storage is merely storage. That is no longer true! Yes, we can achieve similar looks and layouts across an office space with multiple manufacturers. But some manufacturers are innovating and creating unique pieces that function in a way to better support daily work routines. Here are a few things to consider when creating new workspaces...

Recently, you may have heard something in the news regarding the “Wanna-Cry” virus, or the term ransom-ware being used. Unfortunately, this is not new topic to in IT world, and is something that is always out there as a threat to you and your files. The “Wanna-Cry” ransom-ware virus is just one of many variants that have been floating around the cyber world in the past few months...

Even though the two terms are often used to mean the same thing, there is a difference between having a job and having a career.A job by definition is a paid position of regular employment. When someone refers to a job, most likely they are referring to a place where they spend their time doing a task(s) in exchange for a paycheck. People get a job to pay the bills, learn new skills...

How do you keep it clean? By “it”, I mean your individual workspace. Most companies either use a Building Services Contractor or designated staff to assure their business is regularly cleaned. While these folks will clean the shared spaces like conference rooms, breakrooms, restrooms, floors, etc., they often do not clean the surfaces in individual workspaces or offices...

As a Marketing Coordinator, I write press releases quite often. My usual topics will range anywhere from acquisitions and industry awards, to new hires and charitable donations. I’ve been doing this for almost three years, so I’m no longer a rookie – but not yet an expert. To keep my skills sharp, I recently had the opportunity to attend a quick seminar...

When any device with technology enters your workplace and becomes part of your everyday business process, security can and should be a serious concern. Securely managing business and user data is critical for companies to be successful. Whether it be one of our print and document management software solutions, or one of our award-winning copiers, we understand – and will address your security concerns well-before and long-after any purchase has been made...

Starting April 6th and ending June 1st (less than two months’ time), our company will have rolled out three major initiatives. These are not just so-so, middle-of-the-road initiatives. We are talking about the transition of our largest acquisition ever, the addition of a major new product line to our company and the adoption of a new back-end computing system. Never in my 20+ years at the company have we ever come close to pulling off so many big projects in such a brief period of time!

I wouldn’t put myself in the category of “organization guru”. However, in my role at work, I have many requests that come in daily. Lots of meetings and large time-consuming, data driven projects. Because I am frequently pulled away from what I am working on, I needed to come up with a system that worked for me. Amid all of the chaos, here’s how I stay organized...

I never thought I would be talking about patience, as it is one of the things that I have the least of in my life. I pretty much dislike waiting on something that I know can be done quicker, and this was all I ever knew, that is, until my wife and I had our son two years ago. That defining moment – when he entered our lives – will always be what can make me step back and let things progress in a timely fashion...

The future comes to the classroom every day. A new generation of tech-savvy and connected students arrives with radically different experiences and expectations. Aware of the global economy and the competition it represents, students and their families are placing increasingly higher demands on education at all levels. For the first time in decades, schools...

In just a few short days, my oldest child will be turning 16. This is a time of mixed emotions – excitement, happiness, anxiety and fear. Our household will undoubtedly change and I’m sure the little hair I have left will thin even more. With this milestone in his life, I recently found some quiet time to reflect...

In our business, as probably with yours, we are always looking for talented people to fill key positions. Our scouting situation is more specifically created by growth, advancements within the company and retirements. Over the last several months, several of our managers were looking to fill positions in their departments. Being an avid reader, I shared an article...

In my years of experience at Eakes, I have found myself in many offices selling equipment and other business solutions. Although the technology has changed over time, one thing that has stayed true: even the best laid plans have room for improvement. Speaking more specifically, it’s your print environment that has room for improvement...