Vol 98 January 2014

VOL 98 JANUARY R50.

INC VAT

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE STATIONERY, HOME AND OFFICE PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION

2014 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

AND TRENDS BACK TO OFFICE RETAINING TALENT IN THE WORKPLACE LAPTOPS VERSUS COMPUTERS

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CONTENTS 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.

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PUBLISHER Rob Mathews Kathy Gibson - kathy@futurewave.co.za EDITOR Mercédes Westbrook - mercedes@shop-sa.co.za CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGER Wendy Dancer - wendy@shop-sa.co.za FINANCIAL CONTROLLER Bill André - bill@shop-sa.co.za NATIONAL OFFICE Web Master: Neil Caetano Design and Layout: Neil Caetano New Membership: Rachel Skink Reception: Ruth Montsho Johannesburg Office PO Box 3226, Parklands, 2121 6 Edward Street, Kensington B, Randburg, 2124 Tel: + 27 11 781 0370 Fax: + 27 11 781 2828 Email: info@shop-sa.co.za Website: www.shop-sa.co.za Cape Town Office PO Box 48431, Kommetjie, 7976 Tel: +27 21 780 1209 Cel: +27 78 970 7633 Email: info@shop-sa.co.za CONTRIBUTIONS Letters and editorial contributions are welcomed and should be addressed to the editor at editor@ shop-sa.co.za. Publication cannot be guaranteed and is subject to space and the editor’s discretion.

THE LEGAL BIT Whilst 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.

Stationery sponsored by

Mailing labels sponsored by

Office paper sponsored by

Published by

FUTURE WAVE

MEDIA Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation PRINTED BY Colorpress (pty) ltd.

NEWS Company news 32 Industry related news and trade business announcements.

Eco Pages 36 A 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 47 Q&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.

SPECIAL FEATURES Retail 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 ISSUE Editors’ 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 40 Punchline 48 Send in your details and stand a chance to win with Rexel office products.

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 26 Key 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. my office magazine

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editor’s letter

It was the Hare which failed to plan, not the Tortoise One 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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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-thespot 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 www.shop-sa.co.za

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 my office magazine

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crime alert

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Document Security: How Secure is Your Document Printing?

n 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

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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” tab 3. 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.

Vol 98 - January 2014

crime alert ACKNOWLEDGMENT FRANK TOPINKA (Frank.topinka@nprn.net) serves as president of the NPRN and Amy Jaffe (ajaffe@jaffedesign.com) works independently to develop marketing strategies for MPS providers. www.enxmag.com

By following the above procedures, endusers 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

PLATINUM SPONSORS:

GOLD SPONSORS:

SILVER SPONSORS:

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 info@shop-sa.co.za 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. www.shop-sa.co.za

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marketing savvy ACKNOWLEDGMENT 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

If you are worried about Online Retailers - Relax

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

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Vol 98 - January 2014

marketing savvy

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t 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 www.shop-sa.co.za

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 my office magazine

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online landscape ACKNOWLEDGMENT GAVIN MOFFAT can be contacted on gavin@puruma.com or follow him on www.twitter.com/gavinmoffat)

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

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roadly 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

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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

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back to office ACKNOWLEDGMENT www.reportlinker.com; www.mypurchasingcenter.com

First and fast to favourable markets 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.

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othing 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

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and certifications, the profession has shaken off its clerical persona of paperpushing 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 shortterm 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 importantearnings per share.

As Suppliers to the corporate world, office product providers need to assist Procurement in their role and as a bridge Vol 98 - January 2014

back to office 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 www.shop-sa.co.za

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. Paperbased products have represented the most lucrative market segment over the past years, generating more than $40 billion, or 47% of the overall market.

Market Outlook The 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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how to sell ACKNOWLEDGMENT www.intel.com; www.reviews.cnet.com; blog.showpad.com

VS

Laptops

PCs

PC usage is declining each year as more devices become available but ultimately a sale still comes down to personal choice.

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ntil 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 onboard 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

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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 highdefinition video, and high-end 3D gaming), a mid- to high-end desktop is probably the best bet.

Price Generally 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.

Portability Laptops 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/Repair Although there are some things that can be upgraded/replaced Vol 98 - January 2014

how to sell 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.

Ergonomics Ergonomics 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.

Space Desktop 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 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

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.

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retail savvy ACKNOWLEDGMENT www.standardbank.co.za/site/business; mg.co.za/print

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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mall 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.

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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.

Vol 98 - January 2014

TAKE NO TE . .

. . in

NEW! ColourHide

速

Notebooks in pocket size, A5 and A4, Sketch and Lecture books.

www.rexelsa.co.za

retail savvy Although it is illegal to frustrate the Combine exorbitant rentals with the increases in rates and electricity in the last provisions of the CPA by discriminating couple of years, and many small businesses against those protected by it, for example in malls are struggling to stay afloat. by purposefully refusing to do business It’s an issue that was discussed at a with individuals as opposed to registered franchising think tank last year, and in businesses, it is likely to become an a subsequent document that outlined “unwritten rule” in the shopping centre a possible way out of the mess. industry, says Meredith Leyds, a legal advisor Franchising expert Anita du Toit explains: for the South African Property Owners “The solution that the franchise sector Association (Sapoa), a lobby group whose is hoping for is to engage with property members control 90% of commercial and developers to mitigate the situation. If large industrial leases in the country.

Vera Velasis, executive director of the anchor tenants paid only R10 more per square metre, it would reduce the burden on Franchise Association of South Africa (Fasa), 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 Townbased 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 fixedterm 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.

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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 editor@shop-sa.co.za Vol 98 - January 2014

business trends

Trending in

2014

ACKNOWLEDGMENT 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.

Trend #1: Rise of the Digital Executive The 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 trust Both 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 widening While 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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business trends 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 Apps To 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

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to mainstream breakthrough in the near future.

Trend #8: Biometrics break out and connected gear Fingerprint 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 realtime data will improve your life in many ways, some obvious and some subtle. m

Vol 98 - January 2014

management savvy

Retaining talent in the work force A simple, frequent thank you is a factor in retention.

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ey 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

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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 Vol 98 - January 2014

management savvy

•

•

•

•

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 it The 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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Vol 98 - January 2014

awards

All the winners at

A

xizWorkgroup 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 www.shop-sa.co.za

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-inones. 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 my office magazine

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on the road ACKNOWLEDGMENT www.deloitte.com; www.fin24.co.za

In the Eye of the Storm Many 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.

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mall 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.

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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 Vol 98 - January 2014

international comment ACKNOWLEDGMENT www.opi.net, Andy Braithwaite, Tom Schinkel, Steve Hilleard.

F

ollowing 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 www.shop-sa.co.za

A de-globalisation of the office products industry?

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 fullthroat 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 editor@shop-sa.co.za my office magazine

29

furniture 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

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.”

U

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 Before my wife disgruntledly bailed me out 6 hours later I had worshipped in ancient times. One of the gods you can’t really get a good chance to think about the office products business. And 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 here is what I thought. Business is good. But enough regressing.

How about all those actors on the cover of People Magazine. selling office products while I was playing golf. Yes, I shoot in the They deserve it. Yea, right - they majored in drama in college. mid 80’s. If it gets any colder than that, I don’t go out. And my Now I’m kinda sorry I double majored in applied calculus and drives are always in the 200 to 300 yard range. That’s 150 out, statistics - they never told me they have no practical application. and 100 to 150 yards to either the right or the left. No telling And that I’d never be in the tabloids. Oh well, college still was the which before the shot, the shorter side of the fairway being the better guess. best 9 years of my life. Or was that high school?

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

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my office magazine

Vol 98 - January 2014

furniture

Web Buttons

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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industry news

IMPORT EXPORT China’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

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Bigger screens, better specs, more tricks Both 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.

my office magazine

Vol 98 - January 2014

industry news

On the shelf — but not for long There 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 Trends high on agenda at Paperworld More 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

www.shop-sa.co.za

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 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.

my office magazine

33

industry news

Product Recall Process Simplified The 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, Businessto-Government, and Government –to-Government and Business-to-Consumer communication tool for recalls and withdrawals.

Street art and new forms of expression evolve Contemporary 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.

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.

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.

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my office magazine

Educational product collaboration Named 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 preschool to college.

Vol 98 - January 2014

negotiation savvy ACKNOWLEDGMENT Kelley Robertson is author of “Stop, Ask & Listen - How to welcome your customers and increase your sales.” Kelley can be reached at Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.

5

5 ways to negotiate more effectively Improve your negotiation skills to improve your bottom line.

“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 wellseasoned 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 www.shop-sa.co.za

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 my office magazine

35

eco pages

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.

W

ouldn’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 ecologicallysensitive 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

eco pages

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

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my office magazine

Vol 98 - January 2014

product showcase

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.

Tel: 011 226 3300 Fax: 011 837 9489 Web: www.rexelsa.co.za

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.

Tel: 011 226 3300 Fax: 011 837 9489 Web: www.rexelsa.co.za

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.

Tel: 011 226 3300 Fax: 011 837 9489 Web: www.rexelsa.co.za

NEW SMARTPHONE DICTATION APP The new Olympus Dictation App for iPhone and Android makes it possible to create a highquality 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 crystalclear 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: sales@maynards.co.za www.maynards.co.za

w w w . s h o p - s a . c o . z a

my office magazine

39

SOURCE PRODUCTS HERE A ADDING MACHINE, POINT OF SALE AND MACHINE ROLLS BSC Stationery - Treeline PaperGeni Rotunda ADHESIVES, GLUES AND SPRAYS BIC 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 NOTES 3M SA PTY Ltd - Post-it ® BSC Stationery - Stick ‘n Notes

40

ART, CRAFT, GRAPHIC AND DRAWING MATERIALS BSC 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

B BAGS AND CASES BSC 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 BATTERIES BSC Stationery - Eveready Nikki Distributors - Duracell Batteries Nikki Distributors - Energizer Batteries

BIN RANGE Krost Office Products

BINDING ACCESSORIES AZ 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 MACHINES AZ 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.

BOARDS BIC 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 COVERS CTP Stationery - Poly Prop Donau heavy duty covers Empire Toy & Stationery - Butterfly paper Freedom Stationery 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 Products Palm Stationery Manufacturers - brown paper rolls, poly rolls, gift-wrap RBE - Papersmart BOOKS AND PADS BSC Stationery - Treeline CTP Stationery - Impala and premier books and pads Freedom Stationery - Manufacturers Hortors Stationery - Legal registers Impala Vuwa Stationery Manufacturers Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar RBE - NCR Business Books BOXES AND CARTONS Beswick Office Products - Bankers Box to Boxes and Cartons CTP Stationery - Archiving Systems Rexel Office Products Specialised Filing Systems - Archive and Off-Site Tidy Files - Acid free archiving products

C CALCULATORS BSC Stationery - Treeline, Kaiser, Sharp Freedom Stationery Kolok - HP Nikki Distributors - Truly calculators Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave Power Stationery - Powerstar Rexel Office Products - IBICO CALENDARS CTP Stationery - Diaries assorted sizes

CALLIGRAPHY Max Frank - Artline

Effortless binding with perfect results CombBind C12

CombBind C20

CombBind C340

CombBind C150 Pro

buyer’s guide CANTEEN Kolok - Tea, Coffee, milk etc, Sunbeam(appliances), Cleansui (water filters and refills) CARBON PAPER AND FILMS RBE - NCR Business Books CD’S, DVD’S AND DISKETTES Kolok - Verbatim, Kenon

See page 46 for contact details CORPORATE STATIONERY & GIFTING Star Stationers and Printers CRAYONS AND CHALKS BSC Stationery - Treeline, BIC, Henkel, Faber Castell, Staedtler Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Chalks and Crayons Power Stationery-Powerstar

CLIP BOARDS CTP Stationery - DONAU brand Parrot Products - Masonite and whiteboard

D

CLIPS, FASTENERS AND PINS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Grip Binders Essentials, Stephens, Penguin Tidy Files - Filing solution

DESK SETS AND ACCESSORIES BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Desk Set Solo Delux BSC Stationery - Treeline Freedom Stationery - Marlin Krost Office Products Ledger Systems - Falcon Products Rexel Office Products - Rexel Eco Range

COLOURING BOOKS Empire Toy & Stationery - Empire books Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave COMPUTER ACCESSORIES Beswick Office Products - Fellowes Kolok - Verbatim, Kenon Krost Office Products Pyrotec - Tower Inkjet-laser labels, business cards and photo paper COMPUTER CLEANING Beswick Office Products - Fellowes Pyrotec - Tower computer cleaning range Kolok - ComputerCare COMPUTER CONSUMABLES CTP 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 HARDWARE Kolok Unlimited - Blazer UPS systems, Geha (Interactive white boards)

WireBind W20

MultiBind 230 Comb & Wire

DIARIES, PLANNERS AND ORGANISERS CTP 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 - TRANSCRIPTION Olympus 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 SUPPLIES CTP Stationery - A4 Poster Boards

E EMBOSSERS AND ENGRAVING Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Ideal & Trodat Embossers (pocket, desk and electronic), Trotec

ENVELOPES AND MAILING BSC Stationery - Leo Envelopes, Jiffy CTP Stationery - Commercial envelopes Global envelopes Grafton/Star KZN ENVELOPES Merpak Envelopes - Simplistic, full range of printed and plain envelopes Narayan Wholesaler - Wholesaler of Quality Envelopes, Peel and Seal PaperGeni RBE - Papersmart ERASERS & ERASING / CORRECTION FLUIDS BIC 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

F

41

FAX ROLL MANUFACTURERS Rotunda FILES AND FILING African 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/Star Kolok - 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

www.rexelsa.co.za ClickBind 15

ThermaBind T400

SOURCE PRODUCTS HERE FOLDERS BSC Stationery - Treeline, CTP Stationery - DONAU Brand Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers - View files, polypropylene & board folders Tidy Files - Specialised FORMS - LEGAL AND MISCELLANEOUS Hortors Stationery - complete range of custom, company, miscellaneous, magisterial, etc.

42

FURNITURE - OFFICE & SCHOLASTIC Krost 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

G GUILLOTINES AND TRIMMERS AZ Trading - DSB, Kobra Beswick Office Products - Fellowes, Vivid Martin Yale Africa - Martin Yale Rexel Office Products - SmartCut and ClassicCut W Vos & Co - Ideal

I INDEX TABBING AND DIVIDERS 3M 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 Binders Rexel Office Products - Rexel, Mylar and Prima board

INKS KMP - for computer consumables.

Max Frank - Shachihata, Artline Rexel Office Products - Numbering machine ink Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Trodat, Noris fastdry, security, numbering, franking.

Laundry.

Beswick Office Products - Fellowes Kolok - GEHA, Penguin laminating pouches and rolls Martin Yale Africa Parrot Products Rexel Office Products - GBC LEGAL STATIONERY Hortors Stationery - All legal registers, forms, diaries etc

J

LETTER TRAYS Krost Office Products

JANITORIAL Kolok - Goldenmarc (Cleaning products), Brooms, Mops and equipment.

M

L

MAILING TUBES CTP Stationery

LABELLING MACHINES Kemtek Imaging Systems - Distributor of Brother P-Touch Labelling System

MARKERS BIC 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

LAMINATING MACHINES AZ Trading - DSB, Speedlam, Lamiace Beswick Office Products - Fellowes Kolok - GEHA and Galaxy

MATHEMATICAL GEOMETRY SETS & ACCESSORIES Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery-Powerstar

LABELS BSC Stationery - Treeline, Tower, Midmadex Freedom Stationery - Marlin Nor Paper Pyrotec - 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

Martin Yale Africa - Fujipla Parrot Products - Parrot A4 and A3 Laminators Rexel Office Products - GBC and Rexel ranges W Vos & Co - PEAK & Renz.

MINUTE AND GUARD BOOKS Hortors Stationery - Company registers, minute books and other legal registers Ledger Systems - Falcon products

LAMINATING POUCHES AND MATERIALS AZ Trading - A0 to ID card size

Simply faster to the finish...

TM

Introducing the new line of Fusion Laminators

Fusion 1000L

Fusion 1100L

Fusion 3000L

buyer’s guide

See page 46 for contact details

N NUMBERING MACHINES Rexel Office Products Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Reiner Dater/ Numberer (manual/electronic), Trodat

O

Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Cubes and board Paper World Handmade Paper, Embossed Paper, Specialty Papers, Scented Paper Board, Paper Products Power Stationery-Powerstar RBE - Papersmart Rexel Office Products - Prima Paper & Board TRIBE - TRIBE Inkjet Paper and Film PAPER FOLDING MACHINES Martin Yale Africa - Martin Yale W. Vos & Co - Ideal

OFFICE ERGONOMICS Beswick 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 FURNITURE IXAXA Office Furniture - Office furniture (Desks and Chairs) from reception to CEO’S office OVERHEAD PROJECTION AND ACCESSORIES 3M 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

PENCILS BIC 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 Manufacturers Pentel 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 LEADS BIC 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

P PAPER AND BOARD Antalis 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 Stationery Grafton/Star Kolok Unlimited - Geha (paper media), EPSON, HP, CANON, Nor Paper

PENCIL SHARPENERS Freedom Stationery Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar PENS BIC 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 BOOKS BSC Stationery - Treeline, RBE Freedom Stationery - Marlin Power Stationery - Powerstar RBE - NCR Business Books PERSONAL STATIONERY CTP Stationery - Home office and personal filing system, diaries Grafton/Star PLANNING BOARDS AND ACCESSORIES Parrot Products - Range of year planners, term planners, maps and in/out boards. custom printed boards designed to specification.

Rexel Office Products - NOBO planners

43

POINT OF SALE PRINTER ROLLS PaperGeni Rotunda PRINTING Olivetti Imports - Distributors of Multifunctional Printers / Copiers Star Stationers and Printers Kolok - Epson, Lexmark (Hardware), Hp Printers, Oki (Hardware) PRINTER CONSUMABLES Impression 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 Paper PaperGeni Royce Imaging Industries - Remanufacturers and suppliers of inkjet and laser cartridges

www.rexelsa.co.za Fusion 3100L

Fusion 5000L

Fusion 5100L

SOURCE PRODUCTS HERE Technical Systems Engineering - Suppliers of quality compatible cartridges and bulk inks for Epson, Canon, Lexmark, HP and Samsung PUNCHES AND PERFORATORS Beswick Office Products - Kangaro BSC Stationery - Treeline, STD, Rexel Freedom Stationery - Marlin Krost Office Products Parrot Products - Parrot range of punches Power Stationery-Powerstar Rexel Office Products - Rexel

Palm Stationery Manufacturers Parrot Products - chalk boards/slates Power Stationery - Powerstar Pyrotec - Tower Adhesive Book Cover 45cm x 2m

Freedom Stationery - Marlin Krost Office Products Interstat Agencies - Genmes Parrot Products - Parrot range of staplers Rexel Office Products - Rexel range

SCISSORS AND CUTTERS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery-Powerstar Rexel Office Products

R

SCRAPBOOKING Rexel Office Products - Trimmers and guillotines Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Making memories, Clearsnap, Marvy, Ranger, Bazzill, Carl

STATIONERY SUNDRIES - SCHOLASTIC BSC 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

RUBBER STAMPS Max Frank - Schachihata X Stampers Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co. - Trodat

44

RUBBER STAMP MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - AZ Liquid polymer, TROTEC laser engraver, flash system RULERS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery-Powerstar Penflex - PENFLEX rulers

S SCHOLASTIC SUPPLIES BSC Stationery Sales - Treeline CTP Stationery Empire 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 Products Impala Vuwa Stationery Manufacturers Max Frank - Artline, Maxi, Uni

STACK

SHUT

DONE

SHREDDERS AND ACCESSORIES AZ 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.

SLATES Freedom Stationery - Marlin Parrot Products - Whiteboard and chalk board SPECIALISED STATIONERY AND BOOKBINDING Ledger Systems - Law reports and periodicals SPIKE FILES Grip Binders STAMPS, STAMP PADS AND INKS Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Trodat, preinked stamps, stamp and fingerprint pads STAPLING MACHINES AND STAPLES Beswick Office Products - Kangaro BSC Stationery - Treeline, STD, Rexel

Autoplus 60 X

STENCILS Freedom Stationery STORAGE SYSTEMS CTP Stationery - Archiving Systems Suspension Files Kolok - VERBATIM (hard drives, USB sticks etc), HP Specialised Filing Systems - Filing Tidy Files - Filing solutions

T TAPES 3M SA (Pty) Ltd. - Brand Scotch® MagicTM BSC Stationery - Sellotape, Brother Freedom Stationery Palm Stationery Manufacturers TELECOMMUNICATIONS NIKKI Distributors - Siemens office phones TELEX ROLLS AND TELETEX PAPER Rotunda THERMAL ROLLS Rotunda TONERS AND CARTRIDGES KMP - Computer consumables Kolok - PENGUIN (Inkjets and Laser toners), EPSON, LEXMARK, HP. PaperGeni

Autoplus 80 X

Autoplus 100 X

buyer’s guide

TOP RETRIEVAL FILING Optiplan 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

See page 46 for contact details

V VISITORS BOOKS/REGISTERS Ledger Systems - Falcon Products - visitors books, hotel guest register, restaurant reservation registers

TOYS, HOBBIES AND GAMES Freedom Stationery Pyrotec - Toby Tower Stickers and Activities TRANSFER LETTERING AND SIGNS Parrot Products - Vinyl lettering TRANSPARENCIES Kolok - Penguin transparencies for inkjet and laser OEM, Penguin and HP Transparencies Rexel Office Products - NOBO range

45

DID YOU KNOW? • 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 wendy@shop-sa.co.za or Tel: 011 781 0370

www.rexelsa.co.za Autoplus 175 X

Autoplus 250 X

Autoplus 500 X

Autoplus 750 X

CONTACT DETAILS HERE 3M 011 844 9202

PvtBag X926, Rivonia, 2128

(

011 624 8000

Box 86173, City Deep, 2049

(

011 607 7600

debbie@parrot.co.za

7

011 806 2388

Customer Serv: 0800 118 311

7

0866 101 185

labelling@kemtek.co.za

7

011 615 2502

www.parrotproducts.biz

African Filing Systems

Kemtek Imaging Systems - Cape

Penflex

(

011 896 5279

www.africanfiling.co.za

(

021 521 9600

Box 181, Cape Town, 8000

(

021 521 2400

Box 36964, Chempet, 7442

7

086 540 6892

info@africanfiling.co.za

7

021 551 5032

brenth@kemtek.co.za

7

021 521 2402/3

info@penflex.co.za

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Kemtek Imaging Systems - KZN

Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd

(

011 688 6000

Box 6893, Johannesburg, 2000

(

031 700 9363

Box 15685, Westmead, 3608

(

011 474 1427/8

Box 202, Crown Mines, 2025

7

011 688 6162

marketing.office@antalis.co.za

7

031 700 9369

Sandim@kemtek.co.za

7

011 474 5563

www.pentel.co.za

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Cape Town (

021 959 9600

7

021 959 9640

Box 19231, Tygerberg, 7505

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Durban (

031 714 4000

7

031 700 9253

Box 284, Umhlanga, 4320

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Pretoria (

012 379 0060

7

012 379 0052

Box 4013, Pretoria, 0001

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Bloemfontein (

051 447 8681

7

051 447 6765

Box 1795, Bloemfontein, 9300

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Port Elizabeth (

041 486 2020

7

041 486 2219

Box 9088, Estadeal, 6012

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Pietermaritzburg (

033 386 2078

7

033 386 2078

Box 1425, Pietermaritzburg, 3200

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Botswana (

00267 391 2139

7

00267 397 5459

Box 1705, Gaborone

AZ Trading

Kemtek Imaging Systems - PE

Powerhouse Dictation

(

041 582 5222

Box 15685, Westmead, 3608

(

011 887 1056

info@speech.co.za

7

041 582 5224

clinth@kemtek.co.za

7

086 555 3833

www.speech.co.za

Kemtek Imaging Systems - PTA

Power Stationery

(

012 804 1410

PO Box 816, Silverton, 0127

(

032 533 4003

Box 1305, Verulam, 4340

7

012 804 4286

johlettat@kemtek.co.za

7

032 533 3254

powersta@netactive.co.za

Pyrotec

KMP (

021 709 0190

Box 183, Steenberg, 7947

(

021 787 9600

PvtBag X1, Capricorn Square, 7948

7

021 709 0199

kmppty@iafrica.com

7

021 787 9791

tower@pyrotec.co.za

Kolok Unlimited - Head Office

RBE Stationery Manufacturers (Pty) Limited

(

011 248 0300

Box 4151, Johannesburg, 2000

(

011 793 7321

sales@rbe.co.za

7

011 248 0381

infojhb@koloksa.co.za

7

011 793 7348

www.rbe.co.za

Kolok Unlimited - Cape Town

Reboni Furniture Group

(

021 597 2700

Box 6385, Roggebaai, 8012

(

086 173 2664

7

021 297 2799

infoctn@koloksa.co.za

7

086 627 7737

www.reboni.co.za sales@reboni.co.za

Redfern Print Services - Cape Town

Kolok Unlimited - Durban (

031 570 4900

Box 4206, Riverhorse Valley East, 4017

(

021 552 9680

Box 403, Milnerton, 7435

7

031 569 6880

infodbn@koloksa.co.za

7

021 552 9681

sales@redfern.co.za

Redfern Print Services - Durban

Kolok Unlimited Polokwane (

015 298 8795

Box 862, Ladanna, 0704

(

031 205 9598

dbnoffice@redfern.co.za

7

015 298 8315

infopol@koloksa.co.za

7

031 205 7092

www.redfern.co.za

Kolok Unlimited - Port Elizabeth

Redfern Print Services - Johannesburg

(

086 111 4407

www.aztradingcc.co.za

(

041 406 9900

Box 3163, North End, 6056

(

011 837 4119

Box 1445, Crown Mines, 2025

7

011 792 9732

sales@aztradingcc.co.za

7

041 406 9920

infope@koloksa.co.za

7

011 837 8917

jhboffice@redfern.co.za

Beswick Office Products

Rexel Office Products

Kolok Unlimited - Namibia

(

011 433 2686

Box 82319, Southdale, 2135

(

00264 (61)370500

Box 40797, Ausspannplatz, Namibia

(

011 226 3300

www.rexelsa.co.za

7

011 680 2166

info@beswick.co.za

7

00264 (61)370525

valne@kolok.com.na

7

011 837 2781

admin@rexelsa.co.za

BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Kolok Unlimited - Nelspruit

Rotunda

(

011 474 0181

PO BOX 43144, Industria, 2042

(

013 758 2233

Box 4338, White River, 1240

(

021 552 5135

Box 189, Maitland, 7404

7

011 474 6068

16 Maraisburg Road, Industria, 2042

7

013 758 2235

infonel@koloksa.co.za

7

021 551 3070

rotunda@iafrca.com

BSC Stationery Sales

Kolok Unlimited - Bloemfontein

Royce Imaging Industries

(

011 420 3250

Box 278, Brakpan, 1540

(

051 433 1876

PvtBag X01, Brandhof, Bloemfontein

(

011 792 9530

www.royceimaging.co.za

7

011 420 3322

sales@treeline.co.za

7

051 433 2451

infobfn@koloksa.co.za

7

011 792 9480

sales@royceimaging.co.za

CTP Stationery

Kolok Unlimited - Botswana

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Head Office

(

011 226 5600

Box 43501, Industria, 2042

(

00267 393 2669

PvtBag B0226, Bontleng, Gaborone

(

011 262 1400

Box 931, Wendywood, 2144

7

011 474 9242

sales@versafile.co.za

7

00267 317 0762

clemencem@vbn.co.bw

7

011 262 1414

trodat@rse.co.za

Empire Toy & Stationery

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Cape Town

Krost Office Products

(

011 614 2243

Box 261524, Excom, 2023

(

011 626 2067

Box 75401, Gardenview, 2047

(

021 448 7008

Box 931, Wendywood, 2144

7

011 614 3075

empire@netactive.co.za

7

011 626 2912

sales@krost.co.za

7

021 448 7014

cpt@trodat.co.za

Flip File

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Durban

KZN ENVELOPES

(

021 638 3105

Box 2190, Clareinch, 7740

(

031 465 3992

P O Box 41259, Rossburgh, 4072

(

083 377 4109

Box 931, Wendywood, 2144

7

021 633 6942

ashly@flipfile.co.za

7

031 465 1669

info@kznenvelopes.co.za

7

031 266 1082

dbn@rse.co.za

Freedom Stationery - Johannesburg

South African Diaries

Ledger Systems

(

011 314 0953/4

Box 6459, Halfway House, 1685

(

011 433 1808

Box 82586, Southdale, 2135

(

021 442 2340

Box 4862, Cape Town, 8000

7

011 314 0957

gpsales@freedomstationery.co.za

7

011 433 8863

info@ledgersystems.co.za

7

021 442 2341

phoneyman@sadiaries.co.za

Freedom Stationery - Cape Town

Staedtler SA (Pty) Ltd

Martin Yale

(

021 557 9152/3

36-38 Silverstone Rd Killarney Gardens

(

011 838 7281

phillip@martinyaleafrica.com

(

011 579 1600

www.staedtler.co.za

7

021 557 9155

cptsales@freedomstationery.co.za

7

011 838 7322

www.martinyale.co.za

7

011 608 3497

admin@staedtler.co.za

Freedom Stationery KZN (Head Office)

Specialised Filing Systems

Max Frank

(

032 459 2820

Box 478, Mandini, 4490

(

011 921 1811

Box 200, Isando, 1600

(

011 477 0640

7

032 459 3255

sales@freedomstationery.co.za

7

011 921 1569

sarah.schoeman@tigerbrands.com

7

011 477 3528

Freedom Stationery - East London (

043 731 2422

Box 14111 West Bank 5218

7

043 731 2421

elsales@freedomstationery.co.za

Global Bag And Sportswear Manufactures

Maynards - Olympus Audio S.A / Olivetti Distributors (

0860 00 1922

www.specfiling.co.za

Star Stationers and Printers

sales@maynards.co.za

(

031 569 1061

luke@starstat.co.za

www.maynards.co.za

7

031 569 1094

www.starstat.co.za

Technical Systems Engineering

Merpak Envelopes

(

031 305 6507

P.O Box 18586, Dalbridge, 4014

(

011 719 7700

sales@merpak.co.za

(

011 708 2304

Box 1532, Northriding, 2162

7

031 301 6553

www.globalbags.co.za

7

011 885 3174

www.merpak.co.za

7

011 708 1799

sales@tse.co.za

Global Envelopes

Tidy Files

Narayan Wholesaler

(

031 465 5544

envelopes@absamail.co.za

(

083 444 0959

7

031 465 5634

www.envelopes.co.za

7

011 869 7243

narayantextiles@gmail.com

(

011 943 4210

www.tidyfiles.co.za

Topmark (

011 837 8045

(

031 705 8713

Suite 69, PvtBag X4, Kloof, 3640

(

011 334 2013

Box 10383, Lenasia, 1821

7

011 837 7442

7

031 705 8714

jacquie@gordons.co.za

7

011 334 7358

kuban@neweraoffice.co.za

Tower (Division of Pyrotec) - Cape Town

Gordon’s Productions

New Era Office cc

info@topmarksa.com

(

021 787 9600

(

011 262 0777

Box 550, Bergvlei, 2012

(

0860 006731

cpt@nikki.co.za

7

021 787 9791

7

011 262 0780

sales@graftonpaper.co.za

7

0800 204868

www.nikki.co.za

Tower (Division of Pyrotec) - Johannesburg

Grafton/Star Paper Products

Grip Binders (

011 421 1300

Nikki - Cape Town

orders@tigerpaper.co.za

PvtBag X1, Capricorn Square, 7948

(

011 611 1820

59 Lepus Rd, Crown Mines, 2025

(

0860 006731

dbn@nikki.co.za

7

011 611 1834

tower@pyrotec.co.za

7

0800 204868

www.nikki.co.za

Tower (Division of Pyrotec) Durban

Nikki - Durban

Hortors Stationery (

011 620 4800

Box 1020, Johannesburg, 2000

Nikki - Johannesburg

(

031 701 0192

Box 594, Pinetown, 3600

7

086 612 4663

orders@hortors.co.za

(

0860 006731

jhb@nikki.co.za

7

031 701 1285

tower@pyrotec.co.za

7

0800 204868

www.nikki.co.za

Tribe

Impala Vuwa Stationery Manufacturers (

036 634 1535

Box 389, Ladysmith, 3370

Nikki - Pretoria

(

011 314 4746 (Jhb)

Box 6280, Halfway House, 1685

7

036 634 1890

impalastat@mweb.co.za

(

0860 006731

pta@nikki.co.za

7

021 386 4261 (Cpt)

tribe@global.co.za

7

0800 204868

www.nikki.co.za

Versafile

Impression Management (

DBN 031 777 1222

www.impression.co.za

Nor Paper

(

JHB 011 708 7743

sales1@impression.co.za

(

011 011 3900

(

CPT 021 592 0847

7

011 011 4099

Interstat Agencies - Durban

sales@nor.co.za

Optiplan a division of Waltons

(

031 569 6550

Box 201707, Durban North, 4016

(

011 620 4000

Pencil Park, Croxley Close, Herriotdale

7

031 569 6559

interstat@mweb.co.za

7

086 681 8256

rcurrin@gp.waltons.co.za

Interstat Agencies - Cape Town 021 551 9555

Box 36696, Chempet, 7442

(

031 507 7051

viran@palmstat.co.za

7

021 557 5456

Capetown@interstat.co.za

7

031 507 7053

www.palmstat.co.za

041 453 2558

Box 27693, Greenacres, 6057

(

011 011 3900

info@papergeni.co.za

7

041 453 8504

pe@interstat.co.za

7

011 011 4099

www.papergeni.co.za

(

011 392 3628

011 226 5600

Box 43501, Industria, 2042

7

011 474 9242

sales@versafile.co.za

W. Vos & Company (

011 493 7139

www.wvos.co.za

7

011 493 8807

info@wvos.co.za

PaperGeni

(

IXAXA Office Furniture

(

Palm Stationery

(

Interstat Agencies - Port Elizabeth

46

Parrot Products

Kemtek Imaging Systems

(

Paper World 14 Isando Road Isando

(

012 250 1477/8

info@paperworldsa.com.

IXAXoffice@gmail.com

7

012 250 0322

www.paperworldsa.com

my office magazine

Vol 98 - January 2014

PersonAbility 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.

Q&A

with Angela Smith

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.

www.shop-sa.co.za

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 words Family, love, happiness, security, success, financial freedom.

my office magazine

47

punchline

Drop us a buzz 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 competitions@shop-sa.co.za with Punchline in the subject line.

Win

The 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).

WIN ME WINNING CAPTION DECEMBER ISSUE Im sexy and I know it ...

48

my office magazine

Kim Reinhardt - Marriott

Vol 98 - January 2014

SHOPPING FOR STATIONERY? NEED OFFICE PRODUCTS DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR? LOOK NO FURTHER…

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.

• L earn about cutting edge office technologies • How to work smarter and faster and with best business practice • Get updates on events, promotions and latest offers • Be inspired by the hottest trends in interiors, furniture, and workplace ergonomics • Do business with accredited industry suppliers.

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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