Beyond Folders : mobile office

Be More Productive with Better Active Files

Community Manager — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 09:26:00 GMT

Everyone wants to be more productive. When you move through your work quickly and easily, you experience less stress and greater efficiency. (Heck, you might even be able to end your work day a little early!) To manage your work optimally, create a simple system for handling your active, day-to-day files.

Create just such a go-to system with the Pendaflex® Poly Desktop File Box. Designed to hold letter-sized files, the Pendaflex Desk Top File Box combines a sturdy design and streamlined footprint that easily captures crucial files while preserving valuable desktop real estate. When active papers are well-organized and close at hand, you eliminate frustrating searches and wasted time.

Active files are documents frequently in use such as:

Action items requiring immediate or regular decisions
Project items related to current tasks
Reading items intended for immediate consumption

Tips for Success

Ensure that your desktop box only houses current files by syncing your filing categories with those in your larger filing cabinet: when your desk file is no longer needed on a daily basis, you can easily archive it in your main cabinet.

Maintain order by making it easy to add new files to your system. Keep labels and files on hand so you can quickly add a new file rather than starting a new pile.

Also, the Pendaflex Desk Top File Box offers terrific storage flexibility; the collapsible file boxes are easily stored flat until needed. Just pop one open when you need more storage, collapse and store when you need fewer files.

Happy filing!

PileSmart is Your Passport to Working on the Go

Community Manager — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 08:43:00 GMT

We know you work on the go. We do too. We all log hours away from our desk; sometimes it's the airport, other days, the conference room down the hall. Heck, we even do work at home (hello bill-paying!) in front of the TV or at the kitchen table.

Make working on the go as hassle-free and methodical as time spent at your desk with the Pendaflex PileSmart Project Sorter. This multi-tasking tool lets you corral piles of papers in a secure, durable poly case. Go ahead and sort your stacks; PileSmart's ten color-coded sorting tabs keep documents separate and distinct. And the color index sheet can be removed and customized so you can reorder and re-sort as your needs shift.

Despite the promise of the digital revolution, paper is still a major part of our day-to-day. Conferences, meetings, back-to-school night: paper handouts keep piling up. Use PileSmart to quickly capture and sort those papers into color categories so you never need to wonder where the heck that document went again. Designed for on-the-go organizing, PileSmart has an elastic-tie closure that keeps papers in place when you're on the move. And the durable, poly construction is moisture and wear-and-tear resistant. So PileSmart can work as hard as you do.

To learn more about the Pendaflex PileSmart Project Sorter, visit our Facebook shop.

Where to Find the Apps You Didn't Know You Needed

Community Manager — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:05:00 GMT

Got a Smartphone and looking to get more out of it? Tired of being the last to know about the newest apps? Sick of Angry Birds and in search of new games? Staying abreast of all the latest apps is like trying to drink from a fire hose: the Apple store alone has a staggering 500,000 available apps with thousands more arriving each week.

We've marshaled some resources to help you stay current.

Android Market

Android users can head to the Android Market to tap into five new features to keep up on the latest; apps are now sorted into top app charts, editors' choice, top developers, trending apps and a category making use of related apps (shows other apps often chosen by people who pick a particular app.)

Apple Store

The Apple Store sorts its hundreds of thousands of apps into categories such as travel, family & kids, business and games and also provides lists of the top free apps, top paid apps and top grossing apps.

Reviewers

Independent third-party app reviews can be found on numerous sites including MacWorld, Androidtapp.com and in mainstream media such as The New York Times, which aggregates all its app coverage and reviews in The App Index: A Guide to Mobile Apps. Many sites also sort app reviews by niche interest; for example parents in search of apps might like to make use of the review sites listed here.

Finally, we leave you with Time Magazine's list of the 50 Best iPhone Apps of 2011 and Business Insider's The 15 Best New Android Apps of 2011.

Enjoy!

Make Smarter Use of Your Smartphone

Community Manager — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:43:00 GMT

Wouldn't it be great if using a Smartphone automatically made you smarter? Until science figures out a way to boost brainpower with a magic pill, let's settle for boosting your phone IQ with our tips for making smarter use of that oh, so smart phone.

Safety First

A Smartphone is like a mini computer in your pocket, so it's crucial to protect your sensitive data. Get smart about phone safety by password protecting your phone just as you do your computer. Consider making use of "lock and wipe" technologies that allow you to lock or erase your phone's memory if it's lost or stolen. The last thing you want is a thief trolling through your data.

Also, be wary of downloading attachments on your phone just as you would your computer. Read the fine print carefully before installing apps; many access data you may wish to keep private.

For more safety tips, read Protecting Your Smartphone.

Phone, Smarts

Texting, games, videos, and apps galore: today's phones do so much we sometimes forget they can be used to make phone calls. Optimize the "phone" in your Smartphone with the tips in 5 Apps that Make Your Smartphone a Smarter Phone. The apps do everything from managing your call log, to blocking unwanted calls to recording phone calls for transcription.

Phone, Plus

Smartphones are so smart they can help you do what you didn't even know you wanted done. Features such as "swype" allow you to bypass the old hunt-and peck method of tapping away to produce texts and emails, instead allowing you to glide, or "swipe" your finger over touch-screens.

Tired of managing your own work expenses? Use application capturengo to scan business receipts and sit back while they are automatically uploaded to your expense reports.

How about never using a fax or a scanner again? Install scanning application Scan2PDF and use your Smartphone camera to scan documents and convert them to PDF files. The app even compresses the output from the camera to improve document quality. Smartphones maximize productivity when used correctly; read 10 Apps to Optimize Your Smartphone for more smart suggestions.

Phone, Fun

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy so be sure to get your fun on with your phone when you can. Smartphones offer endless options for creativity with camera, video and social networking apps not to mention games.

Looking to unleash your creativity? Try the Top 30 Best Photography Apps for iPhone, or the 10 Best Creative Apps of 2010. Music lovers won't want to miss 30 New Music Apps for iPhone, Android and iPad. Sick of Angry Birds? Try something new with App Smart Extra: Top 10 New iPhone Gaming Apps for 2011.

What is your favorite way to use your Smartphone? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook page.

Need a Portable Office? Consider the Sliding Cover Expanding File

Community Manager — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:46:00 GMT

Digital nomads are increasingly setting up shop at the airport, library or the nearest Starbucks. When your office is a coffee shop, you need special tricks to keep work organized and equipment handy. Consider the Sliding Cover Expanding File: its expanding bottom provides extra capacity for corralling paperwork, notepads and pens and its secure elastic closure guarantees portability and security.

Digital nomads, aka freelancers or telecommuters, can also benefit from other must-have on-the-go tools including:

A cable power strip
Laptop
Wireless card
Pens and a pad
Post-it notes

Savvy nomads will note all of the above items save the laptop can fit in your Sliding Cover Expanding File. See? We told you it would come in handy.

For more on digital nomadism, tips for working on the go, and for inspiration visit 10 Digital Nomad Blogs You'll Love. Our favorite? Technosyncratic.

Are you a digital nomad? What must-have tools make your work-on-the-go lifestyle possible? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook or Twitter pages.

Have Office, Will Travel: Setting Up Your Mobile Office

Community Manager — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:05:00 GMT

Have you ever done work 1) on an airplane, 2) in a Starbucks or 3) a hotel lobby? If you've answered yes to one, or all of these questions, than you are part of a growing tribe of digital nomads who clock work hours anytime, anywhere.

Whether your mobile office is your regular 9-to-5 work spot, or just a temporary way-station while on the road, take time to set yourself up for success. Read our past post When Your Office is a Starbucks for must-haves including power cords, laptops and a wireless card. These items are the bare-bones of a mobile office, but new apps and software continue to make being mobile easy-breezy.

For some of the latest tools, we also like the advice in Top 50 Mobile Tools to Set Up Your Portable Office and How to Set Up an Effective Mobile Office. Finally, for those minimalists wanting a streamlined list, check out Top Ten Tools for a Mobile Office.

At Pendaflex, we're always in search of the latest and greatest tips on productivity tools so we'd love to hear your mobile office-must haves. Share your thoughts here or at the Pendaflex Facebook page.

The Moveable Office

Community Manager — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:56:00 GMT

Is the corner office passé? For many, the hottest trend in office space is the moveable office.

On-the-Go Offices

Are you a digital nomad?Can you frequently be found working at the best coffeehouse in town? Are you often on the road, working in airports or hotel lobbies?

If you're part of the growing tribe of digital nomads, turn your flash drive into a secret weapon with portable software and a host of efficiency apps.

For a crash-course in on-the-go-offices read Create Your Portable Office with a Flash Drive and 100 Portable Apps for Your USB Stick.

Both articles provide insight into browsers, email programs, and even operating systems that can store your data and settings on a thumbnail drive, allowing you to work from anywhere.

Another upside: once unplugged, your personal data leaves with you, rather than being left behind.

Room-to-Room Offices

If you work from home, your office may be the kitchen or dining room. Home office workers can benefit from a portable office that allows room-to-room moves to take advantage of optimal working conditions.

Home design site Remodelista.com culls through design sources to offer an edited selection of portable office solutions. Check out Office Furniture Carts on Wheels for the "have-files-will-travel" workers amongst us.

Do you have a portable office? What tools or resources allow you to work as a digital nomad? Share your thoughts here and at the Pendaflex Facebook page.

Road Warrior Rules for Infrequent Flyers

Community Manager — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:04:00 GMT

If you rack up enough travel miles each year to score free round-trip flights to Bora Bora for the extended family, this post is not for you. In fact, you could probably write this post so feel free to chime in with your road-tested expertise. But if you hop only the occasional flight for work, read on to upgrade your road warrior skills.

Low Tech Tips

The term road warrior conjures up ultra-modern imagery but certain low tech tips will make your travel immeasurably more pleasant. Make use of the humble zip lock baggy to corral like items (i.e. cords, batteries, chargers) and to safe-guard against leaking toiletries.

Invest in a wheeled bag that comports to overhead bin sizing as well as a few wrinkle-free dress items such as non-iron shirts, trousers or wrap dresses. Switch up your look with different ties, scarves or jewelry. For additional dress-for-travel-success advice, read Fast Company's Work/Life: Business Travel Vagabond - Fashion Edition.

Finally, book flights that have free WiFi so you can work on the plane and always travel with reading material for the inevitable delays or power-down times when electronic devices cannot be used. For more, read our past post When Your Office is a Starbucks (or a Safari): Tips for the Digital Nomad.

High Tech Tips

Embrace technology. A smartphone doubles as a personal computer so load up on apps that make travel seamless. TripIt is an all-encompassing itineary organizer requiring zero data entry. Just forward all flight, hotel, restaurant reservation e-mails to TripIt and it sorts out an itinerary that can be shared with colleagues or your spouse.

Smartphones can also provide GPS and mapping through Google Maps for navigating unfamiliar cities and review site Yelp makes you feel like a local by providing recommendations on restaurant, salons, bars and other attractions. For more high-tech tools, read these tips from the Travel Insider and Inc.com's Road Tested Technology.

Finally, we also like the first-hand advice in The Secrets of a Road Warrior: How entrepreneur Jeremy Shepherd of PearlParadise.com keeps his sanity on long flights.

Have any road-tested travel advice to share? How do you stay in touch and stay productive when traveling for work? Share your thoughts here by posting a comment!

by Bradley Eggers

Tips for Setting Up Your Mobile Office

Community Manager — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:01:00 GMT

If you have any lingering doubts that today's workforce is on the go, take a look at recent statistics presented in this report on strategies for managing mobile workers (pdf):

Where Do You Work?

By 2011, mobile workers will make up 73% of the total U.S. workforce
30.4% of workers worldwide will be mobile in 2011
The number of virtual workers has increased by 800% within the last 5 years
60%-70% of all employees work in different locations than their supervisors

As the report also points out, we have become mobile in a number of ways:

We work for different companies at the same time
We frequently change jobs and shift careers
We work on multiple teams and projects within a company
We change company job sites and locations often
We telecommute from home offices and other remote locations

Whatever gets - and keeps - you moving during your workday, you can benefit from practicable tips on setting up a mobile office.

According to this post from A Nomad's Lot, an important first step is to make a list of attributes you desire in a workspace. Be very specific and consider aspects like:

Lighting
Air quality
Noise level
Seating
Accessibility
WiFi

Doing some advance detective work via the Web and local contacts also helps if you are setting up shop in an unfamiliar community. Upon your arrival, walk around the neighborhood and note the locations and business hours of cafes, libraries and bookshops. Be sure to head inside and get the staff's perspective on using the space for remote work.

With this groundwork, you are ready to focus on setting up your workspace. If you need a basic walk through, sitepoint offers these 7 Essential Steps to Creating an Efficient Mobile Office:

Get a laptop
Use an online data backup service
Make sure you have secure wireless access
Create electronic copies of paper files
Set up a virtual phone line and digital fax service
Update your computer's operating system and software
Set up peripherals (trackball, surge protector, extension cord, wireless mouse, portable scanner and extra batteries/chargers)

To take these steps with confidence, check out 20 Crucial Tools for Working On-the-Go and (especially for mobile Mac users) The Ultimate Mobile Office Set Up For The Location Independent Professional.

We would love to hear from you and invite you to share your mobile office setup tips and photos with the Beyond Folder Community here and on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako