Office supplies giant Staples is taking another run at acquiring Office Depot, five years after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) put the kibosh on a previous deal because it would violate antitrust laws and give Staples too large a piece of the retail space. Staples proffered a Read More

It is tough to take full stock of the previous year when its aura still hangs listlessly above our heads. Where did we go wrong, you may ask? We are quickly comforted by the affirmation given to Matt Damon’s lead character in “Good Will Hunting” … it’s not your fault. If Read More

As we turn the page to 2021, it is apparent that many of the same challenges and opportunities that existed throughout its predecessor will take on equal, if not greater significance for the office technology dealership world moving forward. Clearly, the hope is that some of the Read More

And just like that, 2020 has come to a screeching halt. Unfortunately, the world is seeing many of the same challenges faced over the previous 365 days dragged into 2021, including the new “C” word. How can such a shapeless, meaningless year in which days melted into one another Read More

There’s something to be said for creating things that are bigger than ourselves. Star-crossed historical figure Alexander Hamilton knew it to be true. He left behind many gifts to early America (Coast Guard, New York Post, national banking system) that still resonate today, even Read More

Mike Marusic won’t lie. The president and CEO of Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America would rather be in an auditorium, addressing upwards of 1,000 conference attendees regarding the company’s latest products and technology. Or casually chatting with dealers during a Read More

You can take Nicola De Blasi at his word when he says MPS Monitor offers a singularly unique software solution that enables printers and managed print services (MPS) specialists to monitor customer print devices. After all, the company’s software solution stands guard over Read More

Our friends at Merriam-Webster define “trend” as a prevailing tendency or inclination. It is also a general movement, line of development or a current style or preference. But when a stiff wind of change comes along, that prevailing tendency can shift, setting our boats toward a Read More

Starting an office technology dealership focused on IT is sort of like learning to play guitar using Jimi Hendrix’s sheet music. But respecting the complexity of either discipline is the first step toward greatness. Shane Sloan was anything but a newbie in 2005 when he acquired Read More

At the onset of any given year, businesses in general can make projections based upon the trends of the previous year or years. Some developments are faster moving than others, yet as customers in the B2B space seek out ways to conduct business smarter, faster, more efficiently Read More

When a business disruption pushes the business community from its base of operations, communication takes on greater emphasis, which holds true with employees, partners, clients or other stakeholders critical to success. When the pandemic forced companies to resort to remote Read More

If the pandemic has taught Tarek Hafiz anything, it is that the ways and means of conducting business will continue to change over time as the needs of clients evolve. It is not that businesses are incapable of adapting to the sometimes violent changes that visit a given Read More

Having a business plan is one thing. Having a BDR program in place is another. But prior to last March, not one office technology dealer boasted a pandemic playbook. It seems life has that way of giving you the test first and teaching the lesson after the fact. And one thing we Read More

Let’s turn back the clock to 1998. In the basement of his home, wearing pajamas, sat Rick Lambert. He had recently resigned his position as vice president of sales for IKON Office Solutions, but now he was a cold calling machine, reaching out to various prospects and offering to Read More

What the pandemic has done to the business landscape, among other things, is to add a variable layer to the quest for finding and maintaining quality employees. The pool of competent, industry-specific applicants was quite thin at the onset of 2020, but with millions of people Read More