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