Some simple items that can be recycled instead of thrown away in the garbage in any office include: printer paper, file folders, envelopes, junk mail, cardboard, newspapers and magazines.   There should also be a place that you can recycle aluminum beverage cans, tin food containers, glass bottles/containers, and plastics.  At Wills Tower, home to OfficeLinks’ Chicago office location, we recycle plastic labeled #1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7.  We encourage you to find out what plastics can be recycled at your location.

Please do your part by participating in your office’s recycling program – and encouraging your co-workers to as well!

And don’t stop there – consider the environment when printing emails and traveling to and from the office.  There any many small things we can do that, together, add up to helping our planet!

OfficeLinks’ Conference Room provided the perfect space to display the artwork that was the topic of the evening.

On July 8, 2010, Grace Carreon, MD, Bhavesh Patel, MD, and Deborah and Glenn Doering hosted “Be Part of the Art,” a fundraising event in OfficeLinks’ office space at Willis Tower in Chicago.  The hosts held their fundraising event in the OfficeLinks’ meeting rooms and Cyber Café that provided a comfortable and impressive backbone for their fundraising efforts. The team at OfficeLinks was absolutely delighted to support their clients’ efforts.

The event was held to raise funds for an art project, initially titled “Facebook Too” between Mrs. Doering and a group of artists, mainly women in South Africa, many whose families have been affected by AIDS.

Fundraising event attendees enjoy a presentation in the comfort of the OfficeLinks Common Space.

You are invited to be a part of the art, too.  Tax-deductible donations may be made by writing a check to “Fractured Atlas” with “Deborah Adams Doering: Contemporary Art” printed in the memo line of the check. Send to: D.A. Doering, 410 S. Michigan Ave., Studio 517, Chicago, IL 60605. Please allow 2-4 weeks for thank you acknowledgement and your official receipt for tax purposes. Or call 847-977-0526 if you have any questions.

For over 25 years, Illinois native Dann Nardi’s work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally.  His work can be found in a number of public and private collections throughout the United States, including collections at Coca Cola Corporation in Atlanta, GA and Prudential Insurance Company in New York.   Dann received his BS and MS from Illinois State University and has also received recognition throughout his career, including awards from the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and the Illinois Arts Council Fellowship Grant.

So grab some colleagues, clients, friends and family, and take advantage of this tremendous opportunity to see a great local artist’s work right here at Willis Tower.

Click here for more information about Dann Nardi and his work.

On Thursdays, June 17 through October 14, 7:00 am – 3:00 pm, you can find farm fresh produce and baked goods just a quick step from the Skydeck entrance on Jackson Blvd. Other goodies that can be found at the Wills Tower Farmer’s Market include organic and non-organic fruits and vegetables, fresh herbs, cheese, breads, flowers, honey, jam, pies, nuts and plants. Stop in for a delicious kick-start breakfast, healthy power lunch, or to pick up the freshest ingredients for perfect dinner (with dessert!).

For inquiries please contact the Office of the Building at 312.875.2423. For more information regarding other Chicago-land Farmer’s Markets, click here.

Survey results likes these highlighting a boost in worker productivity and satisfaction when workers have more autonomy over how, where and when they work, is leading companies to implement strategic technology solutions empowering employees to work in a more mobile and efficient way.

We all know the continuum of people working outside of conventional corporate boundaries will only rise in the future – shifting the focus from fixed office space needs to technology needs. Most experts agree the number of professionals working in a virtual environment could constitute 40 percent of the workforce within a few short years. As workers access information through different devices and need to collaborate and share content with colleagues across time zones, companies need to ensure they have a technology platform, which allows workers to be connected – professionally and socially.

New technology is fundamentally redefining work. Businesses that align their technology strategy to these new work styles will improve their overall performance while providing an ideal virtual work environment for their employees.

The 2010 Summer Concert Series kicked off June 18 with a light instrumental jazz combo and will continue
throughout the summer with a Beatles tribute band, Afro-Caribbean music, blues and more. There’s sure
to be something that will get everyone in Willis Tower moving and grooving on Fridays this summer!

The line up for June and July:

June 18, Andy Brown Quartet light instrumental jazz combo

June 25, Ghanatta authentic West African hightlife band

July 2, Demetria Taylor Blues Band down-home West-side Chicago blues

July 9, Cavern Beatsensational Beatles tribute band

July 16, The Max V Band ultra -smooth contemporary jazz and R & B

July 23, Chicago Salsa Kings hot Afro-Caribbean dance rhythms

July 30, The Boilermakers vintage hot dance combo performing melodies from the Ragtime and

Charleston era

For more information, click here.

Every day, new companies enter an incredibly competitive market while others have to make their exit.  What gives businesses the edge to not only stay afloat in a turbulent economy, but also thrive?  What are these successful companies doing right?

Diversity.

No, it’s not the end-all, be-all, silver bullet answer; however, it is a piece of the equation to which Luigi Guadagno, founder of Kenetica Consulting, credits the success of his company.

Kenetica Consulting is an OfficeLinks client based in Chicago that provides innovative and objective consulting solutions and services worldwide – from growth and technology strategic management to business development and market/product launching.  Their clients are new European companies looking to enter the North American market, and it is Kenetica Consulting’s job to steer them right by giving them the skills and know-how to be able to successfully run their companies.  Luigi says that this is all possible because of his dynamic, cross-functional team.  Kenetica Consulting brings various experiences and backgrounds (including technologists, marketers, users, sellers, packagers, etc.) to the table, providing its clients with the multifarious knowledge required for critically thinking about problems and exploring all possible solutions.

And the diversity doesn’t stop there: though Kenetica specializes in technology companies and
businesses highly dependent on technology, it has clients in other industries as well, such as fashion.  Through their diverse customer base they are able to reach, learn, and understand their “customer’s customer” in verticals like fashion, luxury, logistics, financials.  They leverage this knowledge to create more opportunity for their customers, as well as their customers’ customers. This endows Kenetica with versatility and broadens its market to include a wide variety of clients rather than being locked in to a small client base.

Companies with diversity – internally and externally – who wisely use their range to their advantage have an edge in today’s market.  Does your company have the diversity it needs to thrive?

To learn more about Kenetica Consulting, click here.

OfficeLinks recognizes that, during economic times like these, now is the best time to reinvest in clients. That being said, in addition to this wonderful upgrade to our Bryant Park location, we are proud and delighted to announce the opening of an OfficeLinks location at 1140 Avenue of the Americas in New York City this fall.  Check back often for more details!

Read your news, check email on the fly, visit a prospect’s website, and so much more, all courtesy of OfficeLinks’ iPads. We have taken an environmentally friendly approach (Did you know that our business center in the Willis Tower recently received LEED Certification?) that leverages technology to enhance productivity and support the dynamic business needs of each of our clients. Just another way the team at OfficeLinks is helping our clients’ we are helping our clients to thrive at OfficeLinks.

The OfficeLinks management team is proud and delighted to announce that our Chicago office, located on the 84^th Floor of the Willis Tower, formerly the Sears tower, at 233 S. Wacker Drive, is now LEED Certified, meeting U.S. Green Building Council standards in environmentally conscious office standards.

According to Harsh Mehta, chief operating officer and executive vice president of OfficeLinks, “Going green makes sense for the environment and it also makes sense for business.  Not only are we reducing our carbon footprint and encouraging other businesses to follow suit when they use our office space, but we’re also helping our clients save in operational costs and providing employees with a safer work environment.  Businesses with LEED Certification have public appeal because consumers have a desire to work with smart companies who are aware of their global impact and are looking for more evolved ways of doing business.  People trust companies who are environmentally conscious.”

OfficeLinks’ Chicago location is a first-of-its-kind 21^st century business center, touting a sprawling reception area with floor-to-ceiling glass walls on either end, breathtaking views of the entire city and Lake Michigan, state-of-the-art Liquid Crystal Glass enclosed conference rooms, and individually climate-controlled window offices.   OfficeLinks’ Chicago Office LEED Certified Credits include: CFC Reduction in HVAC & Equipment; use of Green Power, Recycled Content and Regional Materials; Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control, use of Low-Emitting Materials (adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, carpet systems, composite wood and laminate adhesives, and systems furniture and seating), and Indoor Chemical and Pollutant Source Control.

OfficeLinks is delighted to be moving forward and taking positive, smart steps forward for the environment and for our clients.  To find out more about LEED, click here.