NOS is a minority owned company and many of our solutions are Made in America and readily available on GSA Contract.
Thank You, IRS! The Equipment Purchase Deduction

Thank You, IRS! The Equipment Purchase Deduction

As the end of the year approaches, the IRS has a little holiday gift for businesses looking for last-minute ways to boost their tax deductions. It’s the Section 179 tax rule, which permits the deduction of the full purchase price of business equipment, up to $25,000. As explained by the tax watchers at Section179.org, this deduction can be a significant business stimulus.

New equipment put into service this year by December 31st can be deducted from your business’s gross income under Section 179. It’s that simple. And everything we provide – high density storage systems, RFID systems, modular furnishings, for example – qualifies for the deduction.

More good news: When you add in depreciation, the total tax reduction is even greater. This calculator from Crest Capital shows the savings. Review your company’s 2015 P&L, check with your tax professional, then give us a call.

Photo © nito – Fotolia

A Checklist for Managing Your Office Move

A Checklist for Managing Your Office Move

Moving is listed among the top 5 most stressful events in life. It’s hard enough moving from one home to another, but when you’re managing an office move involving hundreds of employees and thousands of equipment items, furnishings, and documents, it can be worse than herding cats.

British business management blogger Morris Barris recommends this checklist to help you organize your move into manageable steps:

  1. Set up a moving timeline – Know what is happening and when, and start your planning months ahead of time. The longer you wait, the higher the costs and the higher the stress.
  2. Get well-acquainted with the new space – Learn everything about the space, including how many power outlets there are and the quickest way to the fire exit. Plan your new office layout to avoid any problems you had in the old space.
  3. Communicate with your colleagues – Hold meetings and send frequent memos to keep everyone up to date and encourage two-way communication. Let supervisors know they are accountable for their staff’s office packing, equipment, and files.
  4. Bring your moving vendor on board – Start early to find a vendor who will work as a consultant, not just a furniture-pusher. A reliable, experienced vendor will offer advice to simplify the move, often saving you money in the process.
  5. Assign tasks – Make sure each staffer or team knows what they are responsible for. Publish a master plan so everyone is aware of their responsibilities.
  6. Alert your clients – A move is a great opportunity to stay in touch with clients. Let them know about the wonderful new space and how it will help you serve them better.

A successful office move really boils down to good planning, good communication, and good vendor support. With those three things in place, your office move will be a walk in the park.

 

Photo © Peshkova Fotolia

6 Design Tips for Health Care

6 Design Tips for Health Care

As health care continues moving out of critical-care facilities and into consumer-friendly settings, designers are picking up a few design secrets from the retail industry.

Writing in Health Facilities Management, Sarah Bader presents six retail design techniques that can influence the behavior of consumers, encouraging them to make use of health care services offered in non-traditional settings like pharmacies and retail health clinics. Bader’s recommendations:

  1. Be accessible – Walgreen’s, a pioneer in retail health care, creates an inviting environment with large, bright windows and doorways, and encourages pharmacists to mingle with shoppers.
  2. Be specific – Retail is not a one-size-fits-all business. With market-specific services and designs, health care facilities can attract niche buyers.
  3. Be clear – Spaces that encourage communication result in better health care outcomes, just as they result in happier retail customers.
  4. Be nimble and flexible – Retailers are constantly adjusting store layouts to meet changes in consumer tastes. Health care designers, too, can incorporate flexibility into treatment facilities.
  5. Be virtual – Consumers are shopping at their favorite retailers’ online stores. Health care providers can leverage their online presence in the same way retailers do.
  6. Be visible – Brand identity is vital. Retail stores like Target and Nike are unmistakable because their brand identity is carried throughout the stores’ design. Likewise, retail health care can make use of signage and spatial design to establish a brand look-and-feel.

 A few years ago, retail consumer behavior was barely a blip on the health care radar. Now it’s a big part of the health care business model, and consumer-friendly design can be a major influence in health care success.

Photo © Catherine Estevez Fotolia

The $630,000 Mis-file

The $630,000 Mis-file

The Boston Public Library is one of the nation’s oldest, largest, and most respected public institutions, but when a couple of valuable art works went missing, the library’s esteemed position – and the reputations of many librarians – went under the microscope of an FBI investigation.

Like other libraries and museums, Boston Library has a mandate to acquire and archive historical documents, artifacts, and art for the benefit of scholars and the public alike. According to former Boston Library president Amy Ryan, her predecessors had maintained no central inventory, and acquisitions were made without any documentation. When a 15th century Albrecht Durer print and a 16th century Rembrandt print, valued at $600,000 and $30,000 respectively, went missing after being shown to a high school group, there was no way to know what had happened to them. As reported by the Boston Globe, investigators were called in, the department head was suspended, and the library’s president tendered her resignation.

Personnel were eventually cleared of any charges when the rare prints were discovered months later on a high shelf just a few feet from their correct filing positions. In this case, an innocent filing mistake was the culprit, but there are other missing items that are still under investigation. It’s a cautionary tale for institutions and facilities that may be dealing with inadequate, outdated filing and inventory systems.

 

Photo © Anton Gvozdikov Fotolia