Can the traditional Juke Box survive in the digital and MP3 world? The MP3 Jukebox is a available in various types and expressions yet still the standard coin operated music system endures.

Juke Box styling changed from the stark wood boxes in the early 1930s to brilliant lighted displays with plastic and color liveliness of the Rudolf Wurlitzer 850 Peacock jukebox of the early 40′s. Unfortunately once the USA government entered into the 2nd world war, metal as well as plastic were required for the war effort.

During the war, cion-operated music system production was cut back. The 1943 Wurlitzer 950 boasted wooden coin slides to economize on metal. It should also be mentioned that although the juke box mechanisms were made of alloy, they weren’t built during this era, instead, an new console was developed and the inside components of the jukebox were set into it. Since most of the mechanisms were built by hand, many of these automated music systems contained components which never fit the right way and involved refitting.

The 1943 Wurlitzer Victory console had glass illuminated panels rather than plastic. After the war, materials were in stock once again and there was a great expansion in juke box manufacturing. The Wurlitzer juke box symbolises the appearance and is arguably the most popular juke box design of all time. Many of of these lived on into the 1950′s in active use and are alternatively related with the fifties in pop music culture despite their 40s origin, as their unique visual prominence and production volume.

After the ’40s, the juke box trends as a whole went more three-dimensional and techy in appearance, distancing themselves from traditional designs such as ancient Grecian, renaissance, and Gothic architecture motifs detected in the ‘forties model juke boxes.

Music juke boxes of the forties came to be known as Golden Age because of the yellow catalin plastic. Music juke boxes of the fifties are known as Silver Age because of the predominant chromium-plate design. With the ascension of drive in restaurants in the sixties, dining establishments wanted to get customers in and out quickly.

Today, the diner juke box has been replaced by other forms of amusement entertainment media, yet when you go to a place that still has a juke box, young and old are still attracted to their almost garish styling. The juke box as a mass media device may be dying yet the nostalgia is something that may never leave us.

Are you a small to midrange business owner who is trying to expand your business?  Let’s talk about one of the best and yet most underrated ideas that can help in expanding your growth.  We’re not talking about franchising or opening up more stores.  In fact, this idea would cost far less than hiring just one more staff member.  It’s called a live operator service.  A virtual receptionist answers all of your calls and then filters out and organizes messages for your convenience. 

First off, why would you want to do this?  Can’t you just answer the phone or take voice mail messages to return at your convenience?  Of course, and this wouldn’t cost you anything.  However, this is not going to help you expand your business.  This will just keep the status quo.  This is because customers today want to feel appreciated.  Why shouldn’t they?  We are living in difficult economic times, and sometimes every little bit of money we spend seems like a waste.

You owe respect to your customers!  Somehow, letting a machine take all of your calls doesn’t seem respectful or all that appreciative.  Enter the virtual receptionist.  A virtual receptionist is not a robot at all, but a person who telecommutes and provides remote secretarial assistance.  This person uses state-of-the-art equipment to pull up information on your company.  That way they always know important details about the business or even individual orders. 

In addition, these professionals are highly-trained not only in secretarial work but also in telephone communication.  It would be enough to say that these workers are professionally educated—but a virtual receptionist company offers you at least one more incentive.  That is, that you get to choose everything the virtual assistant says.  You can customize the company greeting, create your own waiting message and choose each carefully crafted answer to any frequently asked question. 

Another advantage of a virtual receptionist is that such a professional is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and even on holidays.  You may have more than one virtual assistant to help you, but even so, most companies will assign one person to handle certain companies, thereby giving your customers a familiar voice to learn.

If you want to grow in your business then look into a virtual receptionist.  This won’t cost much in the way of expenses, but will work wonders in customer acquisition and customer retention!

 

 

As you look around at your desk, what do you see? Do you have the traditional desk organizers from your local office supply store? Did you pick them up because of the price, functionality, or because you should have it?

Many entrepreneurs when starting off on their own, set up their home office as a mirror image of what they left behind. Oftentimes finding that they don’t have enough wall space for mementos like they had when they lived in a cube. Perhaps it’s not the wall space they miss, but the ample amount of filing cabinets they had in their office. Whatever the dilemma, it’s the bigger picture of LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND! You left the rat race to spread your wings, spend more time with your family, become more independent, well don’t forget to cut the office shoe strings as well.

Think outside the box when it comes to setting up your home office. Instead of purchasing a $7 plastic paperclip holder, why not find a beautiful dish or candle holder you have lying around the house? Better yet, stop by your local antique shop and see what you can find there. What are some other ideas for more non-traditional office supplies?

6 Not-So-Traditional Organizing Solutions

1. Magazine Holders – Instead of using them to hold your magazines, try utilizing them in lieu of stacking racks. You can have one magazine holder for each client or project you are working on. They will not only hold a file, but books, magazines, or any other items you may need to complete your project. If you aren’t happy with the color, throw on a couple coats of paint or wrap them with contact paper or your favorite wrapping paper.

2. Adhesive Business Card Sleeves – Although these work great for the inside of a file folder to hold the business cards for your client or vendor, you can also use them to label things. Place one on each filing cabinet drawer and write on the back of some of your old business cards what is in the drawer. Use them on the back of the magazine holder so you know which client or project it is for.

3. Over-the-Door Shoe Rack – I have talked about these before and they are brilliant to use for office supplies. Simply put one over the back of your office door and you have instant space for printer cartridges, extra pens, staples, tape, etc.

4. Coffee Mug – Why not use one of the numerous coffee mugs you have in the house for your pens and pencils? It doesn’t have to be a traditional ugly one, maybe one of the more decorative mugs or if you really want to remind yourself what you left behind use the coffee mug from your last employer.

5. Gift Tags – If you love to label all of your baskets, boxes, or binders try using some of the colorful gift tags you find at the store. Not only do they brighten up your space, you have something uniquely you surrounding your space. Plus it’s a cheery way of reminding you that there is work to be done.

6. Metal Strips – You may not necessarily need a cork board even if you like to hang things up where you can see them. IKEA has some great metal magnetic strips for $.99 that work out spendidly for hanging up notes, coupons, deadlines, or articles that have been written about you and your new endeavor.

Try not to worry so much about setting up your office to look like an office. You may find that you are more inspired to work when you feel like you working for you and not for someone else. The most important piece of working for yourself is having a work environment you can work in and one that works for you.

Happy Organizing!