When I add up the time to walk to the printer, find staplers which end up without staples, pens that fail or which I just don't like using and when I loose things because I didn't label them since there weren't supplies, I realize that much of the stress in my work day is completely mis-focused. Over a year, this adds up to literally hundreds of hours. I should be stressing about business, my team, our next project and remembering to bring flowers home tonight.
From my experience, here is the minimum of what everyone needs:
- P-Touch Automatic Labeler (My favorite office tool)
- Nice Stapler and extra staples
- 10 pens that you actually like
- 3 Highlighters
- Wireless Printer
- Scanner (Scansnap->Evernote)
- Sticky notes in multiple colors
- A full ream of printer paper (For doodling on)
- Your own backup hard drive (Never fully trust the system)
- 50 Manila folders (which you label and relabel with the automatic labeler)
- Portable file folder organizer
- Letter sized envelopes
- A small roll of stamps
Buy them yourself if the company won't. They are more than worth it.
