Just Think - Just Ink !

Just Think - Just Ink

http://justinkservices.com

Printer cartridge refills !

Just Ink super excited to present this video on what we do and how we do it .

Environmental Action Plan

Does your company or home have an

“ Environmental Action plan” ?

This plan outlines your goals and strategies for getting earth friendly.  Like the easy goal of getting printer cartridges refilled instead of buying new.

Our simplified plan is below :)

Environmental Action Items

Action Item #1

Implementing a “green purchasing” policy at the business.

Action Item #2

Ensure that computer equipment is reused when possible or recycled and never thrown into the trash

Action Item #3

Use & recycle used fluorescent or LED light bulbs

Action Item #4

Purchase non or less toxic cleaning products.

Oliver Pattison

History Lesson

Canon claims to have invented what it calls ‘bubble jet’ technology in 1977, when a researcher accidentally touched an ink-filled syringe with a hot soldering iron and the heat forced a drop of ink out of the needle.  And so began the development of a new printing method.  The InkJet Printer

Oliver Pattison

Goodbye Old Friend

She had been a good friend for many years but sadly she died.  They said it was just “old age”.  I called her Bertha, although no one really recalled here true name… the one she was given when she first appeared on earth.  Bertha didn’t really work for me but she did help me in many ways. Diligently, she copied my manuscripts, with true attention to detail.  She never complained and was always eager to get a job done for me any time I required her services. 

I remember when we found her.  My wife saw a small classified ad in the Saturday paper extolling Bertha’s virtues and suggested we take a look.  Maybe she could be of some help in my small business.  Bertha wasn’t very fancy, no sparkles or frills or shiny gimcracks, just plain down to earth ruggedness.  I will miss Bertha.  It will be hard to replace her, but replace her I must. 

I moved from Ontario to British Columbia a few years ago and Bertha steadfastly refused to stay behind.  I carefully packed her possessions… got into the old Buick and started our journey, west.  Upon our arrival in B.C., and after unpacking, I gave Bertha a chore; she jumped right to it.  I couldn’t have asked for a more faithful friend. 

On a Saturday night a few weeks ago when Bertha sighed, wheezed and died, I was there by her side.  I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears… this couldn’t be.  Was my Bertha really gone?  I decided to put our relationship behind me and I sought a replacement.  Although, I knew no one could really ever take Bertha’s place, I really needed help with my work.  You see, I became a writer in the last few years and I needed help more than ever before.  As I worked through my grief and looked at her resume I found her real name… she was called, Canon PC-25.  Not a very sexy name but she had been a workhorse of a photocopier.

The search for Bertha’s replacement was long.  I prowled the office supply and equipment stores.  You know, they just don’t make copiers like they used to.  Oh, they copy in colour, scan pictures into the computer and fax messages alright, but when I picked up one of these new-fangled-all- in-one contraptions, the heft just wasn’t there.  It had taken two of us to move Bertha, but this new one I could pick up and shove around by myself.  Yes, I did miss old Bertha.  The one which took my eye was a Jimcrack SL 4000.  It had flashing buttons, dark windows, shiny chrome trim and hummed when I turned it on.  Not only would it copy, scan and fax but, if it were placed in the kitchen, it promised to fry eggs, whip up a cake, scour the dirty dishes and clean up the counter.  Now that was a machine to grace any office. I used my handy-dandy little digital camera to take her picture and went home to show it to my wife.  She asked me why she would need a Jimcrack SL 4000 around the kitchen when she had me… and she had already paid for me.  I finally settled on another Canon, a super-sensitive-sleek-black-plastic thing.  It works well and it does everything the manual says it will do.  However, the other night, when I inadvertently called her “Bertha” she immediately snapped her lid shut on my fingers, went into standby mode and pouted for an hour.  Just like my wife did one night when I inadvertently called her by an old-girlfriend’s name.

Pixi and I, that is my pet name for my new Canon copier, have become friends and we now have an understanding.  If I feed her paper, keep her ink cartridges filled and don’t call her Bertha she will perform all my copying, scanning and faxing duties.  

Ain’t life grand?   

“Goodbye Old Friend” has been re-printed with the author’s permission and is subject to all current copyright laws.

Bill Peckham
See Never Hang Wallpaper With your Wife on www.trafford.com
Author of While You're Waiting... a book of short stories.
Both books are available from the author. – e-mail a request for your choice.

Note  To Self - Social distance = 4 to 12 feet

I admit it! I'm a constant texter. I've got to keep in touch with my peeps, especially my significant other. I’m always working on positive communication with her, so when writing my texts I ‘m sure to always try and end with something positive, like “xo”. The problems that keeps coming up though is mixing business with pleasure, which is a line we are warned not to cross. Keep your work at home and try not and take it home or vise versa. Although, my subconscious has tried many a time to end my business messages with: love ya!, xo, or kiss kiss hug hug. I like my customers for sure, but they tell me a bit of space in business is good practice. Oops! but at the same time .. This is fair warning! Love ya! Xo

Oliver Pattison

Customer Service

The Just Ink Abbotsford store mascot Dixie Dog came on the scene January 15^th 2004, and has been a huge help in the area of customer services ever since.  A common occurrence is Dixie being the first customer greeter on scene, all happy go lucky.  She loves to see what’s going on and who is visiting by placing her front paws up the counter and popping her head up for a good view.  Although Dixie is a super happy dog she can also be a very “vocal” dog.  Since a handful of customers feel they play fear factor when coming in we have decided to put Dixie on the bribes for non barking program.  She had responded very well since being on the program as long as we buy the treats from Costco which equals a pretty much never ending supply.  Even our Purolator delivery specialist has commented on a change in the dog's behaviour.  This dog is a smart one who knows how to work all the angles.  As shown, Dixie loves to play it up for the camera wink wink.   

Oliver Pattison

TRY THIS ! before you axe your fax...

Faxing may be a declining technology but it still remains a steadfast for some in business.  This helpful update for many still using the fax system is to integrate its use onto your computer.  Windows operating system has a built in fax program that can be set up if your computer has an old school dial up fax/internet modem.  Otherwise the modems are reasonable to buy and are easy to install on newer computers which may not have them standard.  In addition you need a printer and a scanner which most already have.  The benefits of this type of set up are: the faxes are sent to your computer where they can be viewed on screen and printed if you want or not which saves on printing costs.  Also faxes are saved on your computers memory and can be easily recalled at a later date.  Below are guidelines for setup.

Set up your computer to send and receive faxes

With Windows Fax and Scan you can send and receive faxes, fax or e‑mail scanned documents, and forward faxes as e‑mail attachments from your computer.

How to Install and Use Microsoft Fax

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/152196

This exciting news brought you by, Oliver Pattison @ Just Ink Services.com

Nothing ventured, nothing gained

We certainly always love when new customers walk in our door, but sometimes people walk in not knowing fully what we do until we educated them a little on what just Ink is all about.  Like the people who show up for their appointment at our ink store wanting a tattoo and I have to tell them I may not be able to deliver quite the tattoo that they were hoping for.  We also have had a variety of requests for products that we don’t carry but hey if enough interest is shown then we might diversify! Giving tattoos or supplying tattoo ink, refilling ball point pens, or even requests to refill their shot gun cartridges.... Last week was a C02 cartridge refill request.  So if business ever gets slow enough, we are happy that other areas of business are open to explore :)

Oliver Pattison

Happy Wife - Happy Life

Mrs Potato Head giving Mr. the angy eyes.

Another back in the day story from the memory banks of Tony Pattison.

One morning a customer came into the store asking how much to fill his ink cartridge. When told the price he felt it was too expensive as "ink doesn't cost that much"!  I explained that it was not just the cost of ink he was paying for but the labour, the expertise, and business overheads. He asked if he could just buy the ink, and so I sold him a refill kit complete with ink and detailed instructions.

The next day our customer returned asking if we knew of a way to remove black ink from white carpet.  While refilling his cartridge he had accidently knocked the ink bottle off his desk onto the white carpet in his den at home. His wife was none too pleased (to say the least). I had to wonder...was it really so much cheaper to do your own refills? 

Oliver Pattison

Here is a copy of the first press release written by local writer Stacey Corriveau.

Oliver & Just Ink Services Abbotsford in late October 2001.

Just opened ….. Just Ink

Local youth follows family path of entrepreneurship

 

Enjoying steady work with the Mission school board as a teacher’s assistant, Oliver Pattison felt that something might be missing.  Sure, he got summers off, and had secure employment in a field that he had trained for … but Oliver was keeping an eye on his Dad’s new business venture.

2 years ago, Oliver’s father opened Just Ink Services in Kelowna, then a home-based business that offered a low-cost refilling service for computer printer cartridges.  Last year, the company moved to a store front, and Oliver’s Dad began hiring staff.  Soon, Oliver took leave of his job, and set off to explore the possibilities of entrepreneurship for himself.

A few months ago, Oliver opened the Abbotsford location of Just Ink, in a store-front across from the post office on Montrose Avenue.  Skipping the home-based step that his father undertook, the 26 year old entrepreneur says that operating from a commercial storefront location has resulted in extra traffic…so much so that Oliver is ahead of where his father’s operation was in its infancy.  At this rate, Oliver can expect to hire staff sooner that his Kelowna counterpart.

But for now, running Just Ink means long hours for Oliver, who deals with the clients, handles the marketing of the company, plus the refilling of the printer cartridges themselves, and also delivers the filled cartridges to his growing clientele.

This couldn’t be a better time for Just Ink to open.  With computer use at an all time high business owners and individuals seeking to save money, and an increased awareness in the importance of recycling, Just Ink has positioned itself to succeed.  To add to this a money back guarantee policy, free pickup and delivery, a central location, and a 6 day opening, and Just Ink will be Abbotsford’s next success story… While Oliver enjoys the adventure of his life. 

Just Ink Services Abbotsford 2001

Tony & Oliver Pattison, Just Ink Services Kelowna 2001

Oliver Pattison

Once upon a time ….

The beginning of the BLOG appropriately starts at the beginning of Just Ink. This story is the recollection of Tony Pattison who opened the first Just Ink.

When Just Ink first opened on January 1st, 2000 in Kelowna it was an in-home business and things were pretty slow.  About 3 months in I had a phone call from the local newspaper asking for details about the business.  I told them it was a recycling business - primarily refilling computer ink cartridges. They asked if they could do an article about the business, and of course I accepted and asked when, they replied “right now”!  This was on a Monday morning and 20 minutes later a reporter and photographer arrived on my doorstep.  They interviewed me and took some photos of me in action - filling cartridges in my basement workshop.

When Wednesday morning arrived the phone rang nonstop and there was one doorbell ring after another...I wondered what on earth was going on. At last business seemed to be picking up and so I asked one customer where he had heard of me. The morning newspaper had featured a full page article with photos and a detailed account of my new recycling business.  From that day on business grew and boomed, so much so that within 6 months I had to find a storefront location in order to handle all the activity and parking.  Now, 12 years and 3 stores later, business is still great.

Just Ink Founder

Tony Pattison - currently retired and enjoying the "Sweet Life"

Oliver Pattison