Office employees spend most of their days at a desk, working on time-sensitive projects, entering information into a database or answering email. A clean, aesthetically pleasing office desk makes work less cumbersome and more enjoyable. Here’s how to achieve this desirable end.

An ideal office desk is one that is inspiring—not drab. It should be clean and organized, allowing staff to find the supplies they need with a quick glance. A clutter-free office desk represents a clutter-free mind—which is what employees need to thrive in a professional environment.

The key to decorating an office desk is balance: the workspace should facilitate work projects and be personalized. An office desk should be primarily geared toward professional work, so it’s important to not go overboard with personal knickknacks and décor.

1. Hang Artwork

This leads to keeping the desk space professional. Work should be the priority; but feeling at home in the office is inspiring. Hang up artwork or place a framed quote on the desk—these décor items are appropriate as long as they serve to motivate the staff member.

2. Clear Clutter

As mentioned, clutter distracts an office employee from the tasks at hand. Clear the desk and floor of extraneous items, such as reference books and piles of paper. The space surrounding the desk is as important as the desk itself—and should be clean and clutter-free.

3. Bring in a Plant

Greenery offers numerous health benefits to a staff member. Having a plant on the desk comforts and sooths the employee, thereby reducing stress levels. A desk plant is known to boost productivity, making it the best cubicle buddy an office worker can have.

Plants improve the quality of the air, too. Office staff who desire a plant but have limited room on their desk should opt for a hanging plant. If drilling a hole into the ceiling is impractical, hang a small plant from hooks on a peg board.

Employees feel greater job satisfaction when a potted plant sits on their desk. They show more commitment compared to staff whose office environments lack natural elements. Aloe vera, fern, and aromatic lavender plants are excellent options for the office desk.

4. Install a Lamp

The fern on the office desk will benefit from ample lighting. Staff, too, feel energized when bright lights are added to the desk. Cool blue lights help employees concentrate. LED lights mimic natural lighting; their brightness can also be adjusted to gradually dim as the end of the workday approaches.

5. Enhance Comfort

A throw blanket or pillow for the office chair facilitates comfort throughout the workday. An oversized throw blanket in bold colors and wild patterns adds not only a touch of home but showcases the employee’s outgoing personality. Alternately, opt for a warm, solid color for a tranquil feel.

A throw blanket provides practical benefits, too. Offices get chilly when the air conditioner runs, but sitting at the desk with a colorful blanket over the legs adds warmth. A throw pillow also improves posture and gives the employee something to nap on during the day.

6. Add Photos

The choice of photos is key. Photos of the family or pet dog are appropriate for decorating an office desk. On the other hand, pictures of a significant other in swimwear is distasteful for a professional environment. Keep the number of photos to a minimum: 1 to 3 suffice.

7. Personalize

Every office desk needs functional items, like bowls and mugs. Add personality to the desk by choosing baskets, bowls, and antique boxes that show off individual personality. A vintage jar, for instance, might hold pens. Place the desk plant in a favorite-colored ceramic vase.

Rather than accept papers in the standard plastic office in-box, change it up by using a textured woven basket instead. A beautiful, hand-crafted bowl serves as a paperclip holder. Fresh flowers add pizzaz to an office desk, so bring an intricately designed vase for those occasions.

8. Install Shelves

Office desks are limited in surface area. But when it comes to decorating the desk, added shelving can expand an employee’s aesthetic horizons. Shelf space can be used to hold a potted plant or a framed quote, photo, or work of art. Plus, extra shelves eliminate desk clutter.

9. Explore a Color Scheme

Peel-off décor can beautify an office space. Use wallpaper or contact paper to create the preferred color scheme. Modern ones start with neutrals, like black, gray and white. Layer accent colors, like royal blue or emerald green, to create a high-energy look. Moss green offers a subdued feel.

10. Add Mirrors

A small desk space can be significantly opened up by installing decorative mirrors. Since they are reflective, mirrors have the ability to make a work area that is limited in size appear twice as big. Hang mirrors on the wall or even use one as a desktop.

Employees who work in the office sit at desks filled with important papers, supplies, and technology. When it’s time to relocate, packing up the large and small office goods can be time-consuming. Instead of wasting valuable work time, let the commercial movers at Chicago Office Movers handle the packing.

As a highly experienced office mover, we help companies move from one office building to another, on-time, within budget and as seamlessly as possible. Our professional crews take care of the relocation planning, packing, transporting as well as unpacking at the destination.

Whether your company has plans to relocate precious antiques, fragile IT servers, bulky office furniture, or heavy equipment, the trained crews at Chicago Office Movers handle all goods carefully and securely. Our trucks feature air-ride suspensions and lift gates that protect items during transport.

Chicago Office Movers has successfully relocated prestigious universities and major corporations. We are committed to giving our customers an excellent relocation experience. When you plan to move your business locally, long-distance or internationally, call our Elk Grove Village, Illinois, office for a free estimate.

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Chicago can be an ideal place to work—but an expensive, noisy, and overwhelming city to live in. Many Illinoisans flock to the suburbs for its many benefits yet choose to work in the city. Commuters have a wide selection of Chicago suburbs they can call home.

A large metropolitan city like Chicago offers endless dining and entertainment options. But parking is a hassle and residential homes and apartments are pricey. Chicago’s suburbs, however, allow residents to live within their financial means while having access to all the excitement the city has to offer.

It’s important to choose a Chicago suburb that makes it easy to commute to the city. Proximity is a key factor to a daily stress-free commute. Following are vibrant suburbs that make traveling to the city a breeze, whether in a car or via public transportation.

1.      Skokie, Illinois

Vehicle owners can travel to and from Skokie to Chicago’s premier downtown area in 23 minutes. The 15-mile distance from this suburb to the city makes it a quick commute. Traveling by the Metra rail allows commuters to reach downtown within 45 minutes.

Skokie is also an ideal place to call home. Artistic and cultural opportunities abound here, with venues like the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, Northlight Theatre, and Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra drawing regular crowds. Skokie even has a historic corridor for glimpses into the past.

2.      Evanston, Illinois

Another short commute to the city can be made from Evanston, a sophisticated suburb located along Lake Michigan’s shoreline. Commuters can make the 12-mile trip to Chicago in 23 minutes. The Metra allows commuters to reach the city after a comfortable 40-minute train ride.

Known as “Chicago Lite,” Evanston is highly walkable. Dotted along its tree-lined streets are numerous cafés, restaurants, and shops. Northwestern University is located in this suburb. Attend a concert at one of its music venues, like SPACE. Excitement and entertainment options are plentiful here.

3.      Oak Park, Illinois

Commuters reach downtown Chicago in 20 minutes from the historical treasure, Oak Park. When opting for the CTA, the commute time is 37 minutes. Oak Park is located a mere nine miles from the loop. The village even has its own Metra station as well as buses and bike paths.

Frank Lloyd Wright architecture can be enjoyed by residents of Oak Park. Walking tours take visitors throughout the suburb to see Wright’s architectural footprint left on private homes and public structures. Oak Park was the birthplace of author Ernest Hemingway, whose home can also be toured.

4.      Naperville, Illinois

Ranked as the nation’s best suburb to live in, Naperville is located 30 miles west of Chicago. By car, commuters can reach the city in 36 minutes, while Metra riders on the express line can arrive in Chicago in 45 minutes. The suburb offers multiple train stations and major highways.

Naperville boasts of an excellent school system, an acclaimed library, and a vibrant downtown. This highly desirable suburb is known for offering all the amenities of a modern city along with charming small-town living. The suburb’s 145,000 residents attest to its appeal.

5.      Hinsdale, Illinois

Hinsdale is located 20 miles from Chicago, making the commute by car a quick, 32-minute ride. By the express line on Metra, commuters reach Chicago in 22 minutes. Hinsdale’s historic downtown allows commuters to park and spend time browsing its 100 local shops.

Katherine Legge Memorial Park is located on 52 acres of Hinsdale’s picturesque woodlands, offering residents plenty of opportunities to play frisbee, golf, or go sledding in the winter. Hinsdale entices walkers and joggers alike with its rolling hills and woodlands.

6.      Wheaton, Illinois

Farther from Chicago is an active suburb known as Wheaton. By car, commuters can drive to Chicago in 41 minutes. By Metra, the trip to the city is one hour. Wheaton residents enjoy numerous events, shops, and farmers’ markets in the suburb’s historic downtown.

Nature lovers visit Wheaton’s robust forest preserve district. Walkers, hikers, and joggers can take advantage of its 145 miles of trails. Families can enjoy leisurely weekends at its 31 lakes and 1,450 picnic tables. Horseback riding lessons are available at the Danada Equestrian Center.

A few more suburbs make the list for the best commute to the city. Flossmoor requires only a 33-minute commute by car and a 40-minute ride on the Metra express line. Reach Chicago from Buffalo Grove in 45 minutes by car and 40 minutes on the Metra express line.

Highland Park is another opportunity for suburban living and easy access to Chicago. From Highland Park to Chicago, the commute by car is 36 minutes and 45 minutes on Metra’s express line. This list wouldn’t be complete without Park Ridge, which is just 15 minutes northwest of downtown Chicago.

Illinoisans have diverse options for commuting to Chicago from any of the city’s many surrounding suburbs. When your company is amping up to relocate to a Chicagoland location, choose Chicago Office Movers for a seamless, stress-free, and on-budget corporate relocation.

As an experienced office mover with crews of trained, union moving specialists, we’ll handle your move from start to finish. Included in our efficient services are help with planning the details of the move, packing, transporting the goods safely, and unpacking them at the destination.

Our highly rated corporate relocation service is utilized by major local companies and prestigious universities, such as Alcatel Lucent and Northwestern University. Whether your business is large or small, our dedicated moving crews deliver exceptional service to all valued customers.

Chicago Office Movers is experienced in handling a wide range of office goods. Our crews have successfully moved fragile antiques, complex IT systems and servers, sensitive electronics, and bulky office furniture. No matter the size or weight of the items, our movers transport them with care.

We also offer several conveniences, such as short- and long-term storage, insurance contracts, and add-on services. When you are planning a local, long-distance, or international corporate relocation, Chicago Office Movers in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, will exceed your expectations.

Call our Chicago, Illinois, location at 312-244-2246 (CHI-CAGO) or fill out a form for a free estimate.

Offices run smoothly when they are equipped with the necessary supplies and maintain their inventory. Running out of much-needed supplies at an inopportune moment can lead to disaster. Here are best practices to ensure the office remains well-stocked with supplies and inventory is well-managed.

Supplies most utilized in the office span a wide range, from desk supplies and writing supplies to technology supplies and kitchen supplies (a break room will be less popular without an adequate store of can openers, paper towels, plastic plates and cups, and tinfoil!).

Most offices rely on supplies, like rubber bands, paperclips, dry erase boards, printer paper, mailing labels, legal envelopes, binders, hole punchers, and file folders. Printer toner and ink are necessary to operate the printer. Surge protectors and extension cords keep the electronics running safely.

Staff often utilize time tracking supplies, such as day planner refills, calendars, and to-do lists. When sending off packages to customers or business partners, padded envelopes or bubble mailers come in handy. Employee birthdays wouldn’t be the same without a stock of birthday candles.

Considering this partial list of office supplies, it’s easy to see the necessity of managing them regularly. If the printer runs out of paper when an important document must be mailed, panic in the office can ensue. Avoid this and similar hassles by following these best practices for supply management.

1. Track Inventory

Successfully managing inventory starts with an efficient tracking method. Numerous options are available to businesses large and small. Keeping track of inventory via paper and pen is convenient for small companies, for instance; manual record-keeping of maintenance records also works well.

Mid-size businesses may utilize a spreadsheet to enter the dates of equipment repairs and warranties. Companies may alternately opt for a more robust method of tracking—an inventory management system. This software may include integration capabilities that decrease overhead expenses.

Inventory management software is especially useful when offices buy and store a large quantity of supplies. The software can be set up so that it sends out alerts as soon as supplies run low. An office supply manager is the ideal person to manage the software.

2. Assign a Supplies Manager

Who goes about tracking the inventory? As mentioned, a company will appoint a supplies manager to the task. Assigning one person to organize, monitor, and track inventory helps streamline the process. This individual is also the go-to team member for supply related questions.

The supplies manager acts as the gatekeeper, controlling the flow of outgoing supplies. Employees may accidentally take more than what is needed, leading to overordering and overspending on supplies. If one supplies manager isn’t practical, give the task to a select group of employees.

3. Organize Supplies

A neat and tidy supply room helps simplify inventory maintenance. Office staff should be able to easily find paperclips and thumbtacks, and this can be achieved by grouping similar supplies on the same shelf. Store frequently used items at eye-level, and place less popular ones higher up.

4. Maximize Existing Supplies

Office supplies deteriorate over time, making them unusable. Printer ink dries out after a few months and highlighters can lose their vibrancy. Encourage the office staff to use their existing supplies before opening new ones. Both office waste and its carbon footprint are thereby reduced.

5. Order in Bulk

Supply companies often offer discounts for bulk orders. Taking advantage of the price perks for larger orders involves keeping track of heavily used supplies and calculating the amount of time for the shipment to arrive. This strategy requires extra effort but pays off in the long run.

6. Create a Master List

One product’s brand may be preferred over another. When offices are loyal to a specific brand of toner, for instance, it’s helpful to keep track of it for re-ordering purposes. Create a master list containing not only the brand, but the name, color, number, and any other product details.

7. Perform Routine Supply Checks

Some offices may go through supplies quickly. Stay up to date on the amount of inventory available by running weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly supply checks. This step simply involves counting the toner, bags of pens, or boxes of paper and updating the spreadsheet with the current quantities.

8. Establish a Day to Reorder

Reordering supplies is simplified when it’s scheduled for a specific day. The appointed day should be one when supplies normally run low. This best practice prevents the confusion associated with placing multiple orders on random days. It’s a plus when all the supplies are delivered together.

Managing office inventory and supplies is a critical step to ensuring a business runs without interruptions. Workflow is also seamless when you partner with a commercial mover, like Chicago Offices Movers. We will get your company from point A to point B with the least disruptions.

As the city’s premier commercial moving company, Chicago Office Movers is the go-to resource for corporate relocations in the surrounding area. Our dedicated crews are available to transport your office goods locally, long-distance or international, while staying within budget and the estimated timeframe.

Our licensed, background-checked office movers are experts in packing, moving, and unpacking a wide range of bulky and fragile goods, such as office furniture, antiques, IT systems and servers, cubicles, and electronics. We handle your possessions with care and use protective equipment during loading, transport, and unloading.

Chicago Office Movers also offers convenient services to ensure your corporate move is stress-free. Short- and long-term storage options, insurance and service contracts, and help with planning the relocation are just a few of the many services we provide to our valued customers.

Corporate moves can be stressful and disrupt workflow. Working with Chicago Office Movers, however, minimizes disruptions and ensures that your company resumes operations quickly after a move.

Call our Chicagoland office at 312-244-2246 (CHI-CAGO) for a free estimate or to learn how your business will benefit from our highly rated corporate relocation services.

Today’s offices are designed to meet the needs of both remote employees and in-house staff. A flexible hybrid office design encourages work-life balance and provides greater autonomy to workers—all of which promote satisfaction, stability and enhanced engagement in tasks.

The hybrid office space is not intended for every industry. Rather, this contemporary type of design is meant to benefit employees whose primary duties can be done on the computer and offsite. A hybrid office design is not a temporary solution—but the future of agile workplaces.

Covid-19 accelerated the transition to hybrid offices, although the move toward this type of design was happening long before then. At the height of the pandemic, teams became dispersed, and management had to find a way to continue productivity and oversight without losing morale.

Since the end of the pandemic, workers have been reentering the office. The hybrid office design is becoming increasingly commonplace, and employees are beginning to favor this flexible style of working. The goal is to design an office that supports everyone’s needs.

The hybrid office is the solution for both in-house and remote workers. Employees have a choice of when, how, and where they work—this flexibility boosts the number of high performers to 55 percent, whereas the number of high performers who work solely in the office remains at 36 percent.

What are elements of a hybrid office design?

1. Diverse Workspaces

What does a hybrid office look like? The primary design feature is ample space for all types of work. Two-person meetings are held in booths; specific work tasks are accomplished at desks; and, meeting rooms are scheduled for team collaborations—all within the same office.

An office ecosystem that allows employees to find the ideal setup helps them get work done. Pods and booths support specific needs. Staff must also connect with remote workers. Virtual meetings are most successful when they are held in quiet, private workspaces.

Rather than knock down office walls, managers can repurpose existing equipment. Acoustic screens and whiteboards, for instance, can be positioned to establish physical boundaries around collaboration areas. Digital screens are moveable technologies that can be rolled to designated work spaces.

2. Technology

Technology is essential in the success of a hybrid office design. Depending on the company, some offices must be equipped with optimal video conferencing technology, while others may need improved spaces fitted with moveable acoustic screens or virtual whiteboards to better use digital gadgets.

Organization is also key—and technology makes this element easier. Booking systems, for instance, can be adopted to allow office workers to “book” a desk for a day. This type of system prevents staff coming into the office from being unable to find places to work.

A challenge to scheduling desks, however, is making employees feel connected to their workspaces. The answer to this problem is the team pod. Neighborhood desks give staff a home base from which to conduct their work three to four days out of the week.

3. Social Areas

Similarly, employees must feel connected when they work in a hybrid office. Face-to-face encounters are vital to fostering empathy and emotional connections. A hybrid office design encourages serendipitous meetings, such as when colleagues bump into each other and discuss projects.

In-person meetings are necessary for not only collaborations but building trust among employees. As a result of frequent in-person interactions, employees experience professional rewards, like greater commitment, support, and cooperation between teams. The hybrid office design makes these face-to-face meetings happen.

Opportunities for social interactions can occur in other ways. Companies may bring colleagues together once a year for a weeklong getaway, where long-lasting, influential bonds are built. Or, winding staircases can encourage impromptu meetings between office workers from different departments.

When these informal encounters happen, acoustics goes a long way toward motivating colleagues to socialize. Sounds around desks can be muted by sound-absorbent materials on ceilings and floors. But in areas designed for socializing, using less sound-absorbent material promotes chatting among staff.

Hybrid office designs cater to the needs of both in-house and remote workers, but real-life interactions rank highly. While employees value socializing with colleagues and impromptu in-person chats, they also want access to technology, professional development opportunities, and to feel a part of the community.

The most effective hybrid office motivates employees. Companies should focus on not only office design but technology and general office procedures to make their hybrid office a space workers want to walk into when they work onsite certain days of the week.

The ideal hybrid office is a place where staff members can absorb the workplace culture, receive mentoring, share ideas, and engage in impromptu meetings with their colleagues. The challenge remains in creating a seamless transition between home and work environments.

When your company has plans to relocate to a building that suits the needs of both in-house and remote staff, you’ll need a reliable office mover. Chicago Office Movers is the area’s most trusted commercial mover and our experience ensures your move will be successful.

Moving a business is a major feat, but with our skilled moving crews, the task can be accomplished on time and within budget. Our background-checked, union movers pack, transport, and unpack all office goods. Move specialists can also help you plan every phase of the relocation.

We offer a wide range of convenient moving services, including short- and long-term storage, paperwork storage, and insurance contracts. Our trucks feature climate-controlled spaces, lift gates, and air-ride suspensions that will fully protect your fragile office goods and equipment during transport.

Chicago Office Movers is the preferred mover for major companies and smaller ones, too. We’ve managed moves for Alcatel Lucent and Northwestern University. You’ll receive excellent customer service and secure handling when you schedule your move with our office moving company.

Whether you intend to move office furniture, IT systems and servers, science lab equipment or everything in between, Chicago Office Movers will ensure your relocation goes smoothly. Our Chicago-based company is available for long-distance, international, and local moves.

Call our Chicago office at 312-244-2246 (CHI-CAGO) for an estimate and join the ranks of our satisfied customers.

Recycling, donating, or selling old office equipment are ideal ways to dispose of the outdated or underutilized goods. Recycling benefits the environment as well as the company, since it promotes an eco-friendly image. Here are six ways to best dispose of unwanted office goods.

Following environmentally friendly business practices begins with recycling old office equipment. Retailers frequently accept used electronics for free. E-waste can also be disposed of at the local sanitation department during certain periods of the year.

Businesses should consider recycling their used equipment for a number of valid reasons. Companies lessen pollution when they recycle old printers, scanners, and copiers. These types of equipment contain mercury, arsenic, and lead—which can pollute the soil and leach into the water supply.

Companies also save on energy when they recycle or repurpose equipment. By utilizing the office goods to their max, businesses help save on the energy invested into manufacturing new office equipment as well as the energy associated with disposing of old materials.

Donating old office equipment, such as computers, scanners, and copiers, to charities is another benefit. Companies that give their old electronics away to qualified charities are eligible to receive tax breaks. The donations may be considered in-kind donations for tax purposes.

What types of office equipment can be recycled?

Office employees use a wide range of office equipment that can be recycled. Computers and electronics are obviously recyclable items. Furniture, too, is a type of office equipment that can be repurposed. Even smaller items without significant value can be successfully recycled.

Books have value and can be donated to charity. Paper and plastic products as well as packing materials are other types of office equipment that businesses should recycle. Batteries, especially, should be recycled, since they contain harmful chemicals that should be kept out of the environment.

1. Drop off equipment at recycling centers

Recycling any of the abovementioned office equipment can be done by bringing them to a local recycling center. Learn the recycling regulations, which can vary between centers. Call ahead to know what can or cannot be recycled in a specific geographic location.

Prior to taking the old equipment to the recycling centers, wipe the devices clean of personal and business information. Instead of hauling the equipment to the recycling center, busy company managers might also consider having a specialist from an office clean-out company come to them.

2. Utilize recycling programs

Leading manufacturers and brands offer recycling programs. Best Buy accepts e-waste in its recycling program. HP, another technology giant, recycles old desktop printers when a new one is purchased. Trade organizations, like MRM, run recycling compliance programs and offer recycling options.

3. Donate the equipment

Discard old office equipment by giving it to a charitable organization. Used furniture, electronics, and supplies are welcomed by charities that use them to cut operating costs or that refurbish them to re-sell at a profit. Consider donating to national charities with local branches.

Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, Goodwill, and Amvets are happy to accept donations of used office equipment. However, each organization has use for certain items; call ahead to determine what goods they will or will not accept. Nationwide drop-off locations make donating convenient.

Consider giving the old office equipment to the local community. Businesses can donate to technical schools and after-school STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) programs. Children learn how to code on these old machines. High school theaters use goods, like phones, as props.

Here is a list of location in Chicago that accepts used furniture.

4. Repurpose office equipment

Outdated office goods may have little value to growing companies—however, old tablets and laptops can have incredible value to temps, interns, and contractors. Employees are not unknown to giving old computers and other hand-me-down equipment to their school-aged children.

5. Sell to employees

Business managers have the option of selling old equipment to employees. An office worker may be willing to buy a used office chair for $25, for instance, or have use for an old filing cabinet in their home office. Selling old equipment at a discount is a win for everyone.

6. Reach out to used furniture companies

Listing old office desks and chairs online can attract interest from used furniture companies. Resellers will also haul the goods away, sometimes charging a nominal price to do so. Try to negotiate a lump sum to dispose of all the furniture at once.

Whether companies recycle or donate old office equipment, they make a favorable impression. Companies that do their part to help preserve the environment are supported by environmentally conscious customers. Selling the equipment to employees at a markdown also inspires goodwill.

Discarding old office equipment can mean that companies are making room for updated equipment. If your commercial business has plans to renovate, you’ll need a professional office mover, like Chicago Office Movers, to help move the furniture, labs, equipment, and other machinery.

We offer a wide range of office relocation services to corporations that are in the midst of relocating, renovating, or constructing additional spaces to their commercial building. Convenient storage services are provided to businesses that need secure storage for large pieces of equipment and furniture.

Once your office goods are ready to come out of storage, our moving crews will carefully transport them to your building. Moving teams are also experienced in installation and assembly, so we can ensure your equipment is installed and ready to be used without further disruption to business operations.

The office equipment stored in our secure storage facilities is recorded in an inventory list, so you can keep track of your items. Our moving specialists are also available to guide businesses as they plan a move, transfer office goods, or decommission a leased space in preparation for a relocation.

Chicago Office Movers has relocated businesses of all sizes in Chicago, Illinois. Our dedicated crews have helped government agencies, commercial businesses, and educational facilities with their relocation and remodeling needs.

Give us a call at 312-244-2246 or fill out a contact form to receive a free estimate regarding your next move or furniture donation.