While MicroCenter is a popular electronics store on the East Coast, the rest of the country is missing out. Even here in the LA Area, we only have one, but I am lucky to live close enough that I can go browse the isles whenever I want.
What I like about the store is that the staff is always very helpful, they have some quirky items (like a full isle of kids science kits!), the selection of brands is impressive, the return policy is great, and the store is well lit and laid out.
So, I thought I would write a post about some recommended stocking stuffers, all of which I also bought myself. These aren’t overly unusual items, but I zeroed in on some unique attributes for these that would best appeal to small businesses. If you don’t have a MicroCenter near you, you can order these from Amazon, and all the links I've provided point there:
Velcro Cable Straps
$8-10
I’ve stuck to the Velcro brand over the years and they’ve served me well. If travel a lot, you probably have a ton of cords that need to be wrapped when you pack up. Even if you don’t travel, you probably want to tidy up that rat’s nest of cables around your desk. I use multicolored straps as that helps me keep track of different cables.
This was the least expensive mouse I could find, but you may find others. The point of buying a few of these generic mice is that I typically loose them, or they break, or I strip the cables. So, I like to keep a few spares around. I keep one in the car, and I’ll usually throw one in my suitcase too. I also hate using a laptop without a mouse, so having a few extra is always useful; you never know when you’re going to need it.
While Apple is still stubbornly pretending otherwise, it seems the rest of the world is standardizing on USB-C connectors. They are simpler, smaller and support higher speeds. However, for those of us with slightly older computers this requires carrying around adapters & cables that can get lost or get damaged. These, however, were the smallest ones I could find, which allows you to keep them plugged into your laptop all the time.
Flash/USB 3.x Drives
$4-6 depending on bundles
There are many options for USB drives to save your files. However, MicroCenter’s house brand are the least expensive that I’ve been able to find. There may be cheaper ones out there, but these are also the newest USB 3.0 variety that support transfer speeds up to 5Gbps (10x faster than the old USB 2.0).
As a side note, I have also started standardizing on USB-C connectors. MicroCenter doesn’t have any of these yet under their own brand, but for that I’ve been buying Sandisk Ultra Duo Go Drives that have both a USB-A connector and a USB-C connector on the other end. note that they are a bit more expensive at $14.99 each.
Bower Professional Photo 6Pc Cleaning Kit
$4-6
MicroCenter has a large selection of camera and video accessories, and one indispensable item that all photo and videographers use is a dust blower. Dust is a fact of life when you work with computers. It gets on your screen, in the cervices of your phone, between the keys of your keyboard, and settles on your glasses. Sure you can use compressed air, but that’s expensive and bad for the environment, so I use these little blower brushes instead.
Remote Control Multicolored LED Light Strip
$8-12
OK, before you tell me that LED light strips are just bling, hear me out. When you stick this light strip behind your monitor, it actually makes it easier to see the screen. The lights also use very little energy, and you can power them with a standard USB plug on your computer. That indirect light also comes in handy for video conferencing. It comes with a remote as well so you can control these from across the room, very handy for setting the mood during presentations.
As a side note, we have our house wired with Philips Hue lights. While this is a much more expensive system with additional functionality, we recently added Philips Hue Play Ambiance Light Bars to our workspace. It has been ideal for video conferencing and online teaching. That said, the LED Light Strip I linked to above is a great way to add similar ambient lighting to your workspace at a much, much lower cost.
Rite In The Rain All Weather Mini Notebooks
$10 for a 3-pack of mini-notebooks
One of the things I appreciate about MicroCenter is that they often have quirky items that nonetheless really make sense. One of these that I stumbled on is these notepads that will resist water and oil damage – you can even run them through a wash cycle – and I did!
I learned years ago that Warren Buffet caries around a notepad with him instead of anything more complex or an electronic device. I’ve been doing the same ever since. However, I’ve often had to write things down at a messy restaurant table and also outside. The paper would get wet or dirty. And yes, I have lost my share of important notes in a hasty wash cycle, so these Rite In The Rain notebooks are a lifesaver.
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This article is an abbreviated version from the one on my blog. For the full article, and also lots of other useful articles, check out BusinessOwnersStories.com.