How Schools Are Preparing to Return to Classrooms
Back-to-school will look a bit different this year with coronavirus restrictions in place. Masks, alternating schedules, extended class periods, and sanitation measures will all shape the way students, parents, and teachers experience this new norm of classroom learning. While many details remain to be solidified, here are just some of the ways in which schools are preparing to open this fall.Read more
Should Your Business Have a Virtual Desk?
Virtual desks help businesses increase their productivity and enable growth, progress, and income generation. In this current climate, many daily tasks and business operations have made the shift from in person to online, giving staff the ability to share information quickly, order office supplies, or monitor product manufacturing. Even though the future landscape is sure to incorporate more online interactions, a virtual desk should be thoughtfully considered before implementation. Here’s how to tell if a virtual desk is right for your company.Read more
Homeschooling Classroom Supplies
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our daily routines by calling for some businesses and institutions, including schools, to temporarily suspend operations. Many parents were suddenly asked to work remotely and homeschool their children to the best of their abilities. In many areas, the 2020-2021 school year remains uncertain, but parents can prepare for potential school closures by planning ahead and stocking up on homeschooling classroom supplies. The following classroom materials are essential for efficient and successful at-home learning.Read more
The Importance of Communication with Remote Workers
As our new normal continues to evolve in accordance with coronavirus precautions, office life will need to be flexible as well. As some employees continue to work from home, maintaining communication with remote staff is crucial to fostering productivity, efficiency, and forward progress. It’s also advisable to keep their home offices well stocked by ordering office supplies online. The following elements showcase the importance of communication with remote staff. Read more
Workplace Cleaning Tips to Minimize The Spread of COVID-19
Mitigating the spread of communicable viruses like COVID-19 often starts in our homes and workplaces. As we begin to return to work, it’s imperative that offices take special care to sanitize common areas and to encourage employees to do the same for personal work stations and office supplies. Here are efficient ways to clean and sterilize workplace surface areas to prevent the spread of germs.Read more
Tips for Effective Virtual Meetings
Remote working invites a whole new set of challenges for any organization that has suddenly shifted from an office setting to at-home environments. We often take the proximity of our coworkers, access to office supplies, and convenience of a furnished workplace for granted. Now, staff are doing their best to make the transition from office to home. Fortunately, video applications including Zoom, Google Hangouts, WebEx and Skype have made it possible for remote workers to host collaborative, productive meetings and to reach out to coworkers when help is needed. If you’re slated to host or attend a virtual meeting soon, follow these tips to ensure it runs smoothly.
Set Up Necessary Applications Before Hand
While this is particularly important for the host of the meeting, it really applies to all in attendance. Ensure your computer can run the most updated version of the chosen virtual meeting application. Send an additional invite 24 hours beforehand to confirm that all attendees have installed the appropriate meeting app on their device.
Schedule a Test Call
For online meetings with large groups, schedule a test call at some point before the meeting so participants can practice logging in, enabling microphone and camera access, and can get a feel for how to application looks with others in attendance. This can be a five-minute session, and as the host, you can take the time to answer questions or help staff navigate the application.
Create an Agenda
In order for all guests to be on the same page, create and share an agenda beforehand. That way, everyone in attendance will have a framework for meeting topics and the conversation will flow much more easily. Staff can also prepare questions and concerns beforehand to ensure they are receiving the support they need as a remote employee.
Sign-On Early
Regardless of whether you’re the host or a participant, it’s important to arrive a little early. Signing on in the middle of welcome introductions or an icebreaker can be disruptive and distracting to everyone else. If participants are on a few minutes before the scheduled meeting time, then discussion can begin promptly without interruptions.
Mitigate External Noise
If your home office is shared with others, alert them to your virtual conference time so they can be as quiet as possible. Close the door and shut any open windows as external ambient noise may be amplified by your microphone. When not speaking, mute your own microphone so that others can focus.
Record the Conversation and Take Notes
As you would in any other meeting, pay attention and take notes. The flow of a virtual meeting can easily get thrown off because of the lack of in-person conversation cues. It’s hard to know when to talk without interrupting someone else about to speak. Record the video chat within the application so you can review it and take notes at a later date.
It can take a few attempts to acclimate to virtual meetings, but with a little forethought and pre-planning, they can be executed with minimal glitches. EON Office understands the ever-changing work environment and is ready to help your business succeed, even in this uncertain time. We provide premium, affordable office supplies and can deliver right to your home or office. Contact us today to learn more.