Staples' "Know Your Type" survey focused on identifying workplace personalities, ink and toner purchasing habits
A third of small business owners who classify printing as very important to their business have "high" or "very high" stress levels and those who spend more time managing ink and toner supplies are the most stressed, according to the Staples Ink & Toner "Know Your Type" survey. More than 70 percent of these small business owners describe their workplace personality as a "hands-on doer," meaning they prefer to dive in and tackle the work themselves, rather than spending time convincing others to take action.
"Small business owners tend to operate as CEOs - chiefs of everything," said Alison Corcoran, Staples' senior vice president, marketing, North American stores and online. "Their focus needs to be on increasing productivity and running a company as efficiently as possible, not worrying about their
ink and toner."
"Doing it all can mean losing it all," said organizational psychologist Michael, "Dr. Woody," Woodward, PhD. "Being hands-on isn't necessarily a good thing, particularly when it comes to growing a business. Knowing your workplace personality type can help you manage others more efficiently, so you can spend more time on CEO duties."
Staples stocks more than 3,000 cartridges, with in-store service and online resources, like an easy reorder of a customer's most recent purchases feature, to help small business owners bust the stress. Whether it's finding the right cartridge through its ink & toner finder, or simply providing advice, Staples is committed to helping its customers make more happen every day at the office. Customers can also find out their own workplace personality and ink toner purchasing habits here.
Additional survey highlights, include:
"Helpers" stress about ink and toner, too: About 38 percent of those who identify as being the "Helper" type, meaning they focus on the well-being others and what they can do to help, have high stress. Over 85 percent of Helpers also tend to be somewhat last minute in buying ink and toner. More than 75 percent frequently run out of ink and toner during a job at least some of the time and 69 percent of Helpers tend to buy their ink and toner in-store.
"Creatives" keep ink and toner supplies organized: Creative types, who prefer going with the flow and working with minimal structure or direction, may be more organized than they appear. Staples found that 57 percent of creative types tend to stockpile or keep just enough ink and toner on hand. However, 60 percent of those who identify as "Creative" have forgotten their ink or toner model number when shopping at the store.
The "Organizer" recycles more: Recycling ink and toner cartridges in the workplace is particularly common with the "Organizer" type, who prefer to create structure and follow a routine. About 68 percent said they always recycle their ink and toner cartridges.
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