Large paper clip advantages and disadvantages. Benefits of car branding

A paperclip is one of the most underrated and useful household items. A piece of flexible, moderately brittle metal can be used in a dozen unusual ways. In addition, a paper clip can even act as a symbol of freedom - this is how the citizens of Norway were able to use it when they fought the Nazi regime.

But that's not all. The story of the enterprising Canadian Kyle MacDonald, who managed to get a real two-story house in exchange for an ordinary paper clip, is absolutely real and reliable. Of course, we cannot teach you such ingenious practices. But we can show you as many as 10 interesting and useful ways to use the most ordinary paperclip in life.

Make a compass

Of course, you won't be able to make a compass with just a paperclip - you'll also need a magnet. However, if you have the latter, you can easily determine the direction using a paperclip as a compass needle.

Hook

Of course, it is better to use a regular hook to catch fish. But, if you don’t have it on hand, and you want fish mercilessly, try making do with a paper clip.

Clean the connector

Small jacks, such as those used for headphones, often collect dust and small lint from clothing. Over time, this debris begins to interfere and can even lead to breakdowns. Simply straighten a regular paper clip, wrap a piece of tape around the tip, and carefully clean out the connector.

Phone stand

It is very convenient to place the phone on a small stand made from an ordinary paper clip. This will save you from having to hold your smartphone while eating, for example.

Suspension

A few paper clips can easily serve as an improvised hook. Light clothes, a bag and other not heavy, but voluminous little things will no longer take up extra space.

Lightning

A windy or rainy day makes a broken zipper a real problem. It's not that difficult to fix if you have a paper clip on hand. Just insert a paperclip into the eye of the lock - not very aesthetically pleasing, but quite practical.

Bookmark

There is no need to invent anything: place the paperclip on the page as is. It won't fall out or get lost, and you can stop starting Moby Dick all over again every time.

Tube of glue

A lost glue cap can turn the useful contents of the tube into unpleasant and useless dry flakes. Close the tube with a paper clip and glue your favorite models further.

Adhesive tape

A common problem: once unrolled, the roll of tape tries its best to prevent you from finding the end of the tape. Next time, attach a paper clip to it - convenient and simple.

It would seem, what is special about an ordinary paper clip? Meanwhile, this piece of wire, bent in three directions, at one time was a symbol of the resistance of an entire people, and today it is cast in a five-meter monument.

It was simpler for our distant ancestors: they rolled the parchment document into a scroll, tied it with twine, and stored it. As time passed, more and more papers were produced that needed to be systematized and stapled. They began to make holes in the upper left corners of the sheets, thread fabric ribbons through them and tie them together. It was troublesome, the paper was frayed and torn.

When an American doctor invented the famous tailor's pin, they tried to use it to fasten not only fabric, but also papers. Happened. However, secretaries often pierced their fingers, which did not improve the mood of either them or those who leafed through the papers marked with blood. We began to fasten the sheets with tin plates. Bulky and heavy, they not only significantly wrinkled the sheets, but also often broke.

In 1867, American retailers began attaching price tags to clothing using small wire springs. One savvy secretary demonstrated to her boss how they securely stapled multiple sheets of paper together. The company immediately ordered several boxes of springs. And after a couple of years, almost all offices in the USA and Canada were using them.

Old Europe went its own way to the invention of this stationery attribute. In 1899, a 33-year-old native of the Norwegian city of Aurskog, Johann Wahler, who had degrees in mechanics, natural sciences and mathematics, made sketches of his next invention - a paleo-clip. This is what he called the wire rectangle that securely fastens paper sheets. By that time, several similar inventions had already been registered. American William Middlebrook patented his paperclip design in 1899, and his compatriot Cornelius Brosnan a year later. But Valera’s paperclip design turned out to be the most successful. He soon sold the patent to an office supply dealer, and in 1900 the Gem Manufacturing Company began mass producing paper clips.

But no matter how good the paper clip invented by Valer was, it had two drawbacks. Firstly, it wrinkled the paper, pressing on it in too small an area, and secondly, it broke very quickly. The first drawback was quickly eliminated - they began to make wire in the form of various openwork patterns in order to distribute the load over a larger area. And to prevent the paper clip from breaking, special arms were welded to its ends.

Over time, chrome-plated, corrugated, smooth, colored, plastic, triangular, round, square paper clips appeared... Four main options have reached us. The usual “Jam” in the shape of two ellipses, named after the British company that launched its mass production. “Ideal”, specially designed for fastening a large number of sheets. “Owl”, which got its name from its outline resembling two round eyes. And a “Non-slip” paperclip, which had special cuts on the sides to justify its name.

The fact that the paper clip was born in Norway is a source of special pride for its residents. During World War II, when German troops occupied the country, members of the Norwegian Resistance began to wear buttons or badges with the initials of their defeated king on their clothes to identify “friend or foe.” The Nazis saw through the trick, and it became dangerous to use these symbols of the Resistance. And then an ordinary paper clip, which was attached to the buttonholes of a coat or suit of patriots, became a kind of password for the Norwegians.

In February 1990, a monument to a paper clip as tall as a two-story house was erected in Oslo! Thus, the sculptor Jar Eris Paulson celebrated the centenary of the mass use of this stationery attribute.

History has not recorded the participation of our fellow countrymen in the invention or improvement of the paperclip design. It was an imported product. The production of domestic paper clips began only in 1925 using equipment purchased in Germany.

Today, the security of documents is increasingly acquiring an invisible, electronic form. And a faster and more reliable stapler is increasingly being used in paper fastening. But, I think, the unassuming paperclip will serve people faithfully for a long time.

Occasionally you can hear the word “multifora”, but many people do not understand what it is. And there is nothing unusual in this, because in most cases everyone knows the object described as a multifora under a much simpler and more ordinary name - a file. This is a transparent stationery bag designed for storing papers, most often it comes in A4 format. Its distinctive feature is the presence of perforation on one side for securing in folders. But why do some people still use the term “multifora”? What it is? Where exactly is this term used? Where did he come from? You can learn all this from this article, which is entirely devoted to the concepts of “file” and “multifor”. You already know what this is, now it’s time to look at these words a little more carefully.

Using the word "file"

Naturally, you are most interested in the word “multifora” - what it is and where it came from. But first it is still necessary to consider some features of the more common word “file” - moreover, it is also of quite great interest, especially in matters of origin. But before we look at its origins, it is necessary to take a look at where exactly the term is used. In fact, there is nothing unusual or surprising here - the word “file” for the name of the item described above is used almost everywhere throughout Russia. Only in some regions no one uses it; in most cases it is the main one, and in some cases it is adjacent to the term “multifora”. "What it is?" - this is the question that you will be asked in most regions of Russia if you decide to name the file multifor.

Origin

As mentioned above, it was with the origin of this term that a rather interesting situation arose. The fact is that “file” is a borrowing from the English language, but this stationery is called differently in both British and American English. A “file” in this language is precisely a folder-binder into which files are often placed due to their perforation. However, the reason for such a misunderstanding remains unknown - perhaps the concepts were simply confused, or perhaps the borrowing of long and complex terms from the English language was not reasonable, so a simple and short word migrated into the Russian language. In any case, now you know why this stationery is called that way. Naturally, debates on this topic will continue for a long time, but you already have basic information. But the time has come to figure out where and why the file is a multifora.

Use of the word "multifora"

It turns out that in the cities of Siberia, plastic files, which are called that way everywhere, are for some reason called multifors. Naturally, in some localities, if you say “file” in an office supply store, the sellers will understand you. But in many cities, people (especially the older generation) have never in their lives heard of a transparent stationery bag being called a file - for them it has always been a multifor. Surprisingly, this name is not common in almost any other region of Russia and certainly does not dominate the file anywhere else. Of course, this raises questions: “Where did this term even come from? What does it mean?”

The meaning of the mysterious word

Today, there are several different versions regarding the origin of this term. One of the most popular is quite simple - people believe that the word “multifora” comes from the Latin multifora, which literally means “one with many holes.” This fully fits the description of this one. However, there is another, no less plausible version. Previously, a company engaged in the production and sale of office supplies operated in Siberia. It had the name “Multifor” or “Multifor”, and there is a possibility that it was she who advertised files in Siberia, and people had already made their association and began to call this stationery multifora.

These are the two most likely versions, but there are a number of others - for example, that the word did not come from Latin, but from Italian, where the phrase multi foro literally means “many holes.” There is another theory - that “multifor” is an abbreviation for the word “multiformat”. The reason for this name is the location of the holes on the side of the file - thanks to it, the file can be placed in any folder-binder of different formats, and the result is a universal folder with A4 files.

Other name

However, in Russia, file is called another word, which is used most in St. Petersburg and other cities located closer to the border with Latvia and Estonia. This word is “pocket” or “pocket”. It can also be used in other regions of Russia, but much less frequently.

Why "pocket"?

The origin of this term is very easy to explain. The fact is that the file, as everyone knows, has a slot only on one side where you can insert papers. Not everyone knows how to use a file correctly, but if you do, then you also know that it is inserted into a folder with the slot facing up. And if used correctly, it resembles nothing more than a transparent pocket in which you can put all your valuable and important papers, which will be kept safe there.

Clip- an item for the office. It consists of a bent metal wire approximately 3 cm long and is used to temporarily hold sheets of paper together using pressure. A paperclip is one of the most versatile office tools. It is used for dozens of different tasks: as a screwdriver, a poker chip, a toothpick or a master key... An unbent paperclip is about 140 millimeters in length.

It is difficult to imagine that such an elementary design could not have occurred to people before. Of course she could. There was just no particular need for a paper clip. Before its invention, pedantic office workers bound papers in stacks or rolls using ribbons or simply stitched them with thread. A slot was made in the upper left corner of each sheet for the ribbon. However, it took a lot of time to remove from such a bundle a single, suddenly needed document. Therefore, in the middle of the 19th century. To facilitate the search process, they began to chop off the corners of the paper with tailor's pins. But, alas, failure again. Documents were torn and damaged by pins.

We tried to do the same with a tin plate that connected the sheets at the corner. It was proposed in 1895 by the German F. Hessenbruch. But this device also did not become popular. The rapid development of economic sectors in the 19th century led to a sharp increase in the volume of office work. Bureaucratic institutions began to multiply at incredible speed. A simple and safe fastening tool was urgently needed. At least somehow organizing the piles of business papers became the top priority.

In 1887, a resident of Philadelphia Ethelbert Middleton invented steel wire. It was the perfect material that held tightly and did not cling tightly. Despite the fact that he did this for larger-scale purposes, the wire found a place in the office, and a very noticeable one.

It was 12 years before the invention of the paperclip. The idea of ​​bending the wire several times and trying to fasten several papers with the resulting device came to the minds of three people at once. But only one person went down in history as the inventor of the paper clip. This is a Norwegian mathematician

Johann Valer.

The Aurskoga native was known for his innovation from his youth, with degrees in electronics, science and mathematics. In 1899 (Valer was 33 years old) he made sketches of his main invention - the “paleo clip” - and in 1901 received a patent for it. Only he had to go to Germany to get it, because there was no corresponding law in Norway. By that time, several similar inventions had already been registered.

William Middlebrook of Waterbury, Connecticut, patented his paperclip design in 1899. Cornelius Brosnan of Springfield, Massachusetts, patented his Konaclip in 1900. But Valera's paperclip design was the most successful. It was very similar to the modern one, differing from it only in the number of knees. Almost immediately, Valer sold the patent to a stationery dealer. And in 1900, the Gem Manufacturing Company began mass production of paper clips.

No matter how good the paper clip invented by Valer was, it had two drawbacks. Firstly, it wrinkled the paper because it pressed on it in too small an area, and secondly, it broke very quickly. The first drawback was quickly eliminated by coming up with the idea of ​​making the wire in the form of various openwork patterns in order to distribute the load over a larger area. And to prevent the paper clip from breaking, special arms were welded to its ends. As they say, there is no limit to perfection. This principle was also adhered to by the successors of Valera’s work. Among them was a simple German citizen, E. Liebing. In 1902, she proposed about ten options for paper clips. One of them - a paperclip with many beautiful curls - was to the taste of the Stral company, which began its production. Over time, improvements to the paperclip only gained momentum. This is how chrome-plated, corrugated, smooth, colored, vinyl-coated plastic, triangular, and round square paper clips appeared.

In 1999, the paper clip celebrated its centenary. Since its creation, it has remained virtually unchanged. Only a variety of models were offered, but four main ones have survived to this day. Firstly, Gem is the most common form of paper clip. This is what can be found among the office supplies in most offices. The paper clip was named after the British company Gem Manufacturing Ltd, which first launched its mass production in 1900.

The second form of paper clip, the Ideal, was specifically designed for fastening large numbers of papers. The Owl paperclip got its name from its outline resembling two round eyes. The Non-Skid paper clip has special cuts on the sides.

In Russia, the situation with the production of paper clips for many years was very deplorable. Before the revolution, the domestic industry producing stationery was completely absent. Everything necessary for paper work had to be imported from abroad. Only in 1925, the state unitary enterprise Soyuz was organized - the first in Russia to produce school writing supplies and stationery. The authorities purchased equipment and materials for production in Germany. At the same time, the production of paper clips and buttons began. Until the 1990s, Soyuz was a monopolist in the stationery market.

Perhaps today there is no more inconspicuous and more necessary office supply than a paper clip. The fact that she was born in Norway is a source of special pride for the residents of this country. During World War II, when the German occupiers forbade Norwegians from wearing buttons with the initials of their monarch, they began to attach paper clips to their clothes to emphasize their commitment to national traditions. The paperclip became a symbol of resistance, embodying the motto “We will stand together.” Moreover, in February 1990, a five-meter monument to a paper clip was erected in the capital of Norway, Oslo. Its author, Jar Eris Paulson, decided in this way to celebrate the centenary of the mass use of a double flat coil of wire. He stated that many people underestimate the significance of this invention, and maybe after the installation of the monument people will begin to appreciate what they have.

Which strategy is preferable for the Tour-Extreme company (2004)?

The Tour-Extreme company was founded in 2002 in Cherepovets. Its first office was located in the building of the “Weapons” store, which fully corresponded to the positioning of the company as a travel agency specializing in extreme and active recreation. Thus, the company’s proposals included fishing in Kenya and a military-style holiday in Russia with riding on an armored personnel carrier, an obstacle course and a field kitchen. But after a few months it became clear that the extreme destination was too expensive for Cherepovets tourists and would not pay for itself.

There were five applications for hunting in Africa, but the clients wanted to keep it to $1 thousand per person, although such a trip costs $2.2-2.5 thousand. People often ask if the company organizes hikes or rafting trips for two or three days. “Tour-Extreme” offers this kind of vacation in Karelia, but when it quotes a price of 5 thousand rubles, it seems expensive to clients. I want it for one or two days and not more than 1-1.5 thousand rubles. They ask for active tours to Crimea (a walking route plus a few days of rest), but they want to keep it to 6 thousand rubles. And such programs cost 9.5 thousand rubles. And there are a lot of similar applications.

Gradually, the company began to “renounce” extreme sports and offer more and more standard tours: Turkey, Egypt, Cyprus, United Arab Emirates. The second office of Tour-Extreme, opened in Yaroslavl, began to do the same. But in Cherepovets there are about 30-40 travel agencies per 300 thousand inhabitants, and in Yaroslavl there are more than a hundred per 700 thousand inhabitants. And for the most part, they sell the same destinations and types of tours, which is understandable: the same tour operators often create very similar tours and sell them to all travel agencies.

Meanwhile, the name of the company corresponded less and less to the original idea. How extreme is this when a significant part of the tours are standard “beach” options. This confused some potential clients: few people thought of asking Tour Extreme for a ticket to Antalya.

The company has been offering another completely traditional type of service - tours along the Golden Ring - since 2004. With the advent of this service, even more misunderstandings arose with the name. Customers, instead of learning more about the company, went straight to competitors. Moreover, there are plenty of offers on the market. Moreover, almost all travel agencies are located in one area of ​​the city, and often there are several of them in one building. Before making a final choice, the client will naturally go through them all. In his search, he may not look into an “extreme” company. But, as the company admits, they cannot always offer extreme sports for the price that the client is willing to pay. Thus, the company offers such a tourist product as parachute jumping, but the group usually consists of no more than five people. The jumps themselves are quite cheap - from 200 rubles. for the jump, but people need to be taken there, fed... As a result, the lion's share of the cost is for transfers and so on, and to pay for such a tour is over 1 thousand rubles. There are no longer anyone willing. But when there are three to five people left in the group, then this is an individual, not a group tour. And here it’s already 1.5 thousand rubles. can't keep up. In 80% of cases, people from Yaroslavl and Cherepovets are simply scared away by such prices.

Now the company works on requests: do what they order. About 4-5 contracts are concluded per week in each of the two offices. 25-30% of orders are requests for family and corporate country holidays. They bring in approximately 60% of all income. A popular option for such a weekend getaway costs on average 1-1.5 thousand rubles. per person. Previously, it was difficult to negotiate with bases and boarding houses: the company was just starting to work in this market, and they needed a constant flow of tourists. Now contracts with suburban camp sites and cottage owners have been concluded. In addition to the vacation spot itself, “Tour-Extreme” provides additional services: it can bring horses for riding, holds children’s parties, weddings, organizes games (for example, a rope course, lightning, “the last hero” and games like paintball).

As for other areas, approximately 35-40% of applications are for holidays abroad, another 30-35% are for holidays and tourism in Russia and neighboring countries (of which only about 40% are extreme sports specialized for the company). The company receives up to 20% of its income from one-day weekend bus tours (in spring and autumn), another 10-15% comes from vacations in Russia and neighboring countries. Actually, extreme sports only provide 2-8% of profits.

Now the company notes a great demand for holidays in the south of Russia, so there is an opportunity to expand into this area as well. On the other hand, there is a risk of completely getting lost in niches and services. Tour-Extreme does not want to be one of one and a half hundred identical companies with identical offers.

Company assessment of the market situation. The volume of the Russian tourism market, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), is $11.3 billion, with the lion's share of demand coming from residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Unlike the capital, where many have the opportunity not to save on vacation, in Yaroslavl and Cherepovets the income level is much lower. And vacation costs are always considered as an expense item, on which you can and should save. A trip abroad here usually costs between 450-500 dollars, and clients are first of all interested in last-minute trips at a discount. But last-minute trips are those that are sold two or three days before departure in order to fill unsold seats, and a client comes to Tour-Extreme in early June and wonders what the company has last-minute for mid-July.

Currently, the staff of the Tour-Extreme company consists of only management and several managers. Guides, translators, couriers and other employees work on a freelance basis. But saving on salaries and office maintenance still doesn’t help: competition makes itself felt.

At the same time, the travel agency market in the region is “quite friendly”, prices are approximately the same, and there are no striking differences between “market veterans” and ordinary companies either in size or in income. In addition to the absence of clear leaders, the market is also characterized by high transparency: competitive intelligence is widely practiced, since all competitors are nearby. In fact, this is not even intelligence: travel agencies sometimes share information with each other, one way or another everyone knows about each other (who provides what services, at what prices, etc.). The client sometimes comes and says which travel agencies he contacted, and what options were offered to him and under what conditions.

However, the company does not have a full-fledged analysis of the market and statistics on its development. The main sources of data are customer calls and visits. However, the tendency towards consolidation in Tour-Extreme could not be ignored. The first Yaroslavl network, which includes about 20 local companies, has already been created. Two more are in the process of formation. This means that in the coming years the market will be structured, and due to consolidation, competition will also intensify, which will launch the process of natural selection.