Happy Accident: New Chairs for UMHB

The folks at UMHB will be enjoying new HON guest chairs in lovely “Crusader purple” after an over-production at HON resulted in 45 extra seats that needed a home.

Perry Office Plus was asked by HON to donate the chairs locally.

Perry Office Plus Furniture Consultant Lea Shawstad says, “Because of the purple, UMHB was the first place I thought of, so I called Mike Frazier. He was thrilled.”

Mike says the new chairs will help fill out different seating areas around campus.

The chair is a HON Invitation 2111 Guest Chair in Natural Maple and Mulberry.

Paying it Forward: Winner Gives Prize to Worthy Cause

Misty Leofsky was the winner in our Spot, Snap & Win contest on our Facebook page. She told us how excited she was about her prize: a brand new HP OfficeJet 6500 Wireless Multi-Function printer.

“I was up late reading about all the features,” she said when she picked up her prize last week. We were thrilled for her, too.

Later that week, we learned that Misty had given away her prize to benefit a Gatesville family who had recently lost a child to injuries sustained in a devastating fire at their home [See news story]. Another of their children is still in the hospital and the father, a coach at LaVega High School, was receiving treatment for major burns he received while rescuing the boys. The entire community has rallied around this family, and Misty is no exception. She’s been helping with the collection efforts for the benefit, and her anguish for the family is evident in her voice.

Misty's Thank-You Card

“That baby is still in the hospital,” she told me over the phone. “It’s just awful.”

Moved by Misty’s willingness to give up her prize, some of the folks at Perry Office Plus wanted to recognize her and took up a collection to purchase a replacement printer for Misty to keep.  She was very excited and grateful, of course (See Misty’s thank-you card at left). Not often does a good deed get rewarded and this was one we could certainly reward.

The printer itself is not a big deal — to us or Misty, I’m sure. The real point is that giving up something so others can benefit keeps kindness circulating in the world, even in our own community. We’re thankful to play a supporting role in Misty’s great example.

~ Bonnie
bonnie.hunt@perryop.com

Celebrate Your Town – It’s Not as Boring as You Might Think

The Waco Tribune Herald posted an online poll today that asks, “What retail chain do you think should come to town next?”

The question might as well have asked: “Which other city along I-35 do you want your town to look, feel and taste just like?” Chain stores and restaurants help make a town virtually indistinguishable from the next town down the road.

Do we want Waco to be Waco, or to be just like Round Rock? Should Belton look like Belton or should it look just like Hillsboro? Those are all great towns with something unique to share – and it’s not necessarily a chain store.

Children are encouraged to admire and look up to heroes and successful people, but most parents would readily encourage their kids to be themselves because they are a unique individual with something to offer. Just as people would be boring if we all looked and acted the same, how boring would our towns become and how little community pride could we boast if each town looked and offered the same options and flavor as the next? Local independent businesses contribute to their community’s character and quality of life. By preserving what is unique about your city, you can avoid becoming “Anywhere, USA.”

Remember: Every time you spend a dollar at local, independent businesses you not only impact the cultural vitality of your community, but you also help build a stronger local economy.

Perhaps we should stop wishing for new chain stores and restaurants and start celebrating what is great about our community. When you step into a locally owned, independent business for your next purchase, you may discover a unique, locally made product or a hometown guy or gal who is working hard to run their business and has a vested interest in serving you like family.

Our vote in this poll: We’re not anti-chain. We encourage everyone to supporting the INDEPENDENT and LOCAL businesses that keep their city vibrant, unique, and competitive!

Women’s History Month: How to Succeed as a Woman Business Leader

There are a lot of great woman-owned companies in the world. Did you know Perry Office Plus is woman-owned?

Did you also know that women-owned firms account for 40% of all privately held firms? More than 10 million firms are owned by women, employing more than 13 million people, and generating $1.9 trillion in sales as of 2008.

You go, girl(s).

One of our vendors, Smead (who has a manufacturing plant just down the road in McGregor, if you didn’t know)  has been woman-owned since 1955 when Ebba Hoffman stepped in after her husband died. She helped transform Smead from a relatively small family-owned business into an industry leader. In 1998, her daughter Sharon Avent,was named President and CEO. She provides the following advice to other women business leaders:

How to Succeed as a Woman Business Leader

by Sharon Avent, Smead President & CEO

1. Relationships are the cornerstone for success
2. Always conduct your business with the highest integrity
3. Surround yourself with the best team
4. Engage your employees in all aspects of your business
5. Innovation is key to longevity – don’t be afraid to try something new
6. Change is inevitable – embrace it
7. Never underestimate the power of common sense
8. Love what you do and let it show!
9. Network within your industry and with other women business owners
10. Give back to your community, your employees, and your industry
11. Remember – you always stand taller with high heels

~~~

Great advice, even if you do skip the high heels.

Supporting woman-owned businesses is a great way to celebrate National Women’s History Month. Do you know a great woman-owned business?

When $1 equals $14: 5 Reasons to Buy (& Refer) Local

Studies in Maine and Austin, Texas demonstrate that locally-owned businesses generate 3.5 times the local economic activity as chains.

When does $1 equal $14? When you spend it with a locally-owned business. That dollar is usually spent 6 to 15 times before it leaves the community. *

Independent businesses are more likely to:

• Spend money with other local businesses.
• Make decisions locally with our customers in mind.
• Place importance on community service and promoting goodwill.
• Have a commitment to a safe, clean community.
• Contribute more to local and state taxes.

Need more reasons to buy local? Here’s five more:

1.    Support your family. Studies have shown  that when you buy from a locally owned business up to 3 times more of your dollars are re-circulated in the local economy, compared to a chain.

2.    Support your community. Local non-profit organizations receive 250%  more support from locally owned businesses. Independents also contribute more to local and state taxes, since most chain stores get big tax incentives to bring their name to town.

3.    Create more good jobs. Locally owned businesses spend on average 28% of revenue on labor compared to 23% for chains, providing the most jobs to residents of the community.

4.    Get better service. Locally owned businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers. Our commitment to trust and complete customer satisfaction is unparalleled in our industry.

5.    Buy what you want, not what they want you to buy. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices. We present our customers with the best value for their money, not just the products that bring in the most dollars.

You hold the key to true “economic stimulus“.
These days, we are all very concerned about how we are spending our hard-earned dollars — and how our tax dollars are being spent by lawmakers. Next time you shop, consider the benefits of choosing a locally-owned business. And when referring friends and colleagues, refer a reputable local business and keep their dollars local, too!
*Tim Mitchell in Northwest Earth Institute’s Choices for Sustainable Living

How to Keep Giving Without Going Broke

Mike Bergman, Director of Helping Hands Ministry in Belton, accepts a $1,000 donation from the employees of Perry Office Plus as part of our Giving Fund program.

‘Tis better to give than to receive. Not only that, it’s more fun! We have been spending the last few months around here giving stuff away. Not only did we award our very first Charity Office Makeover, but one of the other cool ways we give has nothing to do with our products.

We call this the Perry Office Plus Giving Fund.

We set this up a few years ago and it makes giving easy and painless. This is an account into which all employees have the option to give a few dollars a paycheck. At the end of the year, we give the money away. Cool, right?

Here’s what makes it work:

1. It’s easy.
You are presented with the option to donate when you join the company and you never have to think about it again.

2. There’s power in numbers.
Everyone has something charitable they want to do during the holidays and at that time of year, it gets harder to cough up $20 or more to contribute. It’s much easier to round up a lot more money by having a group of people give just a few dollars every paycheck.  Most of us will not miss a couple bucks a week.

3. Participants have a choice.
It makes a difference. All participants are asked to nominate and then vote on their preferred charitable group to receive the money.

4. It makes a difference.
Yes, every dollar counts in the world of non-profits, but we really like the fact that our pooled resources can make a big impact. We managed to raise enough in 2008 to give three area charities $1,000 each (Helping Hands Ministry, Waco Advocacy Center, Cove House Homeless Shelter). I loved getting to make those phone calls to the chosen charities!

We also have used this fund in the past for other charitable efforts, including buying Christmas decorations for our adopted unit that was deployed to Iraq and the Salvation Army’s “angel tree” project. All of the activities are presented to the participants by our Morale Committee, a group of employees that coordinate this fund.

Of course, this kind of fund won’t be a viable option for every business but it made sense for us and our goals. It sure makes giving easy and the results are a lot of fun to watch! And since it is strictly from the employees, and not the company, it’s a little different from the other charitable things we do as a company.

We know there are a lot of generous businesses and employees in our area. We’d love to hear about the great things you are doing in our community.