There are plenty of different work related roles with require a decent hole punch. Sure, if you simply want to punch individual sheets of work and paper from time to time so that you can file them in your binder, then you may not need anything heavy duty, however there are many more demanding roles which require something a little more robust! For instance, if you use your hole punch daily, or even repeatedly throughout the day, then you’ll need something hard wearing to withstand the constant use. If you require a punch that is capable of making holes through larger quantities of paper at once, then you’ll certainly benefit from a heavy duty hole punch.

Try punching through a stack of 50 sheets with a standard hole punch. I’ve seen people (including myself) literally pushing down on these punches with all of their body weight, I’m talking feet off the ground! I’ve even seen people stamping on their hole punch in the vein hope that, that will make it work, but of course not. All that happens when you over work a standard hole punch, is holes are cut badly, ripped and torn, or that simply the first few sheets are punched and the remainder are just left in-printed. The other inevitable of course is worn out, blunt hole punch dies and broken contraptions altogether!

Heavy duty hole punches are the way forward, not only do they punch through larger quantities of paper, but they do it with ease and with no effort on your part. Their handles/levers can be compressed with such minimal effort; a small child could do it! And may we recommend the Rapid HDC150 heavy duty 2-hole hole punch. This product is in the mid range price bracket; it’s not budget, yet it’s not at the extreme end! Featuring:

• Strong ergonomic handle
• Paper centralising guide
• Built-in storage for replacement punching cutters and discs
• Neat transparent confetti drawer
• 5 year guarantee
• Capacity: 150 sheets of 80gsm paper!
• You save £60 on the RRP! Our price just £90.46!

It ticks all the boxes for anyone looking to punch through up to 150 sheets and even has quirky little extra’s. However if you’re looking for the absolute Don of all hole punches, and are willing to pay the hefty price tag, then the Rapesco 2160 Heavy Duty 2-Hole Punch is without a doubt, unbeatable. This machine can punch through 300 sheets of paper and comes with a 15 year guarantee! For those of you looking for something to meet the budget, then our 5 Star 2-Hole Heavy Duty Hole Punch will do just fine. However don’t take my work for it, take a look for yourself at our complete range of heavy duty hole punches available in many options including 4-hole, and from many leading brands.

If someone said to you tape, what do you immediately think? Sellotape? When your jotting down your shopping list what is it you write, sticky tape or Sellotape? The answer is of course Sellotape. A unanimous household name, Sellotape has earned its status as Britain’s number 1 tape with its 70 committed years to serving the planet with a decent adhesive tape. In fact, the name has become so big that you will even find it in the dictionary!

Having done so well, Sellotape obviously strives to stay ahead as they now have many close competitors. So the brand have expanded their range to cover all areas of the sticky tape market so that whatever it is the customer is looking for, Sellotape have a solution.

My latest find is the Sellotape Packing Tape which surely brought a smile to my face, as it would many others I’m sure. Yes, there are plenty of packing tapes on the market; however what is it that we use packing tape for? The answer is of course packing boxes, moving house and so on. In this scenario we expect perfection; the last thing you want when moving house is for the bottoms of all the boxes to collapse, the whole ordeal is costly enough without having to replace all of your belongings, not to mention the stress which we could do without at this time!

Personally I have found this a very happy find as I will be moving house myself in 5 weeks time and have had all sorts of stressful and negative thought entering my head. I have to say collapsing boxes was one of them. However I feel that if I use the very much respected and trusted Sellotape, then my boxes stand a better chance of holding. The makers of Sellotape would surely not want to risk their good name by providing a sub standard tape after all these years, so I think this may just be the answer!

Take a look at the Sellotape Packing Tape above;

• General purpose economy grade clear and buff polypropylene tapes
• Ideal for all office and warehouse packaging needs
• Can be used in all hand case sealers which take up to 50mm wide tape
• Size: 48mm x 50m
• Clear
• Packed 6
• Just £11.16! (Saving £3.74 on the RRP!)

Sellotape has ISO9000 standard manufacturing plants in the UK and New Zealand, with products sold in many countries across the globe. The Sellotape Company is owned by Henkel Consumer Adhesives, which is part of the largest adhesive company in the world! As a brand leader in the UK, Sellotape won Superbrands’ Most Trustworthy Brand Award in 2003, beating the likes of Rolls Royce!

The Green Bit

At Sellotape, tape is made using the Hot-Melt technique because they believe that this method produces less waste and is more environmentally friendly. Any solvent used to make the release coating is destroyed in a thermal oxidiser which ensures that no dangerous or harmful gases are released into the atmosphere. In the process of converting any harmful gases into clean air, heat is produced from the thermal oxidiser. This heat is used to power the drying oven. This ensures that the process is not only very environmentally friendly but efficient.

Office 365 has a new face! We thought it was about time to give our little baby a new look, fresher, cleaner and in keeping with the times. Now you will find Office 365 more pleasing to the eye, easier to use, less cluttered and more direct. With fewer immediate choices which left our customers bewildered and confused, you can now simply select from the five drop down menus ‘Desktop Accessories’, ‘Stationery’, ‘Office Environment’, ‘Furniture’ and ‘Electronics’. Within the categories you will find various relevant choices which will allow you to refine your search to the tiniest detail. You could however always just use our fast ‘Search’ tool which quickly and efficiently takes you to your desired product using key words or product codes.

We’d like to know your thoughts on our new stationery site; how do you find the navigation, does the look please you, were you able to quickly find what you were looking for and how do you find out prices? I’ve already attempted to persuade the boss to ‘de-wonkyfi’ the text in the logo, but he seems to like it, so let’s not all overwhelm him with contradicting thoughts!

You could also take advantage of the situation and tell us what products you’d like to find on special offer! Although our site has changed, our ethics have not. You will still find a fantastic variety of environmentally friendly products, items which support charities and you will still find our price match policy. So if you ever find our prices cheaper anywhere else, let us know and we’ll match it! We also strive to make your lives easier, so if you’d like send us an official purchase order, we will of course accommodate. Ordering in bulk? Just let us know and we can certainly take a look at a lower price per unit for you, it all helps!

The Office 365 Relaunch has also brought to light our impressive additional services! So when you’re looking for a little more than office supplies, make us your first point of call. Maybe you’d like to advertise a new product or service with promotional gift items, or alternatively you’d like to offer your staff or clients personalised gift for Christmas or their yearly anniversary with the company. We have a large variety of printed promotional pens which will get your message across impressively! Finally you will also find that we have an extensive selection of corporate clothing and work wear for all areas of employment and many different environments.

We’ve only just gone live people, so from time to time you may find the odd ‘glitch’ in which case we ask for your patience and also your comments. If you’ve found something which need improving upon, or something indeed which is faulty, please get in touch with us on 0870 766 1624 or email techsupport@office365.co.uk.

Many thanks and welcome aboard!

Happy New Year to all of our customers from Office 365, home of the biggest range of top branded, competitively priced stationery and office supplies! We’re well aware of the competition out there are continuously keeping on top of the game making sure our prices fall below everyone else’s and that we offer a range of services guaranteed not only to put a smile on our customers faces, but to get a genuine ‘wow’ too.

To welcome you into the New Year we are introducing you to a smart little desk solution which will make mess and disorganisation a thing of the past. However we’re not just offering you a simple solution, we’re also giving you a very generous price reduction too! With a whopping 70% off our 5 Star desk tidies, you can’t say fairer than that! Tempted? Then read on, it gets better!

Featured to your right is our 5 Star Black 6 Compartment Desk Tidy, the perfect accompaniment to most any desk regardless of it style or design. This simple desk tidy will compliment all other desk accessories whilst providing the perfect storage solution for all your pens, pencils, rulers, erasers, pins, clips, fasteners, sticky tack, staples and so on. What’s more at this tiny price you can afford to put one on every desk in your premises!

• 6 compartment tubes
• Black
• 70% off!
• Now Just £1.15!
• Order 50+ units for further reductions!
• Order 35+ units for Free Delivery!
• Also available in red or blue options

You can of course complete the whole set in 5 Star’s discounted variety. Here at Office 365 you’ll find we also have black 5 Star letter trays (and the risers to accompany them), black 5 Star magazine racks, black 5 Star waste bins and so much more.

5 Star are our number one budget brand, the perfect option for those items which don’t necessarily need to be high end. Whatever the budget, 5 Star products are affordable and with over 1,200 products to choose from, you’re bound to find what you’re looking for! For 15 years they have been the leading brand for value options and for outstanding quality, pleasing customers every time. Each 5 Star product now has attractively designed packaging for clearer product display and product information, plus they also have a fantastic choice of ‘Green’ options for those who are economically aware.

Some might say that Hercules was a God, THE god in fact of all the paperclips, but he didn’t begin that way. Little Hercules was but a mere paperclip, just like all the rest; he did as he was told, he stuck by the strict and ridiculous rules of the office and of course the sacred law of the paperclips. Under no circumstances, ever, should a paperclip ever be seen to move by the human eye, ever.

So it was, life for Hercules was as you would expect, Monday to Friday 9-5, Hercules and his fellow companions were still, still as can be, in draws, fastened to paperwork, in desk tidies and various other places around the office. But after 5pm and when the cleaner had been and gone the paperclips came alive and boy did they party. They loved to link hands and circle dance and their wonderful bendiness helped them to party like no other item of stationery (much to the bane of the staples who as we know remain stuck in strips and shut inside a darkened box).

However, one day Christmas Eve in fact, after enduring the gruelling process of being bent backwards and forwards by some numpty of an office clerk, Hercules decided he’d had quite enough thank you very much. Fuelled by the anger of his humiliation, Hercules conjured up the most almighty plan, the plan of all plans, a plan so mighty and so exquisite that it still exists today.

He took his pedestal on top of the mighty photocopier and bellowed as loudly as he possibly could (which let’s face it, wouldn’t be very loud coming from a paperclip) “Oi, oi, listen up, you Jack, Jessica, Amanda, Pete, Carmen, Dave, John, Rosamund, all of you, come close, I have a plan). So the paper clips proceeded to unfasten themselves from the Christmas cards and string, the paperwork and receipts, the desk pots and so on and gathered around Hercules (who may I add was sporting a rather day glow pink colour with green stripes, rather different from most of the other paperclips). Hercules spoke loud and clear, his plan was to build a tower by the office door using the Christmas cards (which had now fallen off their string). He told them that they were to un-bend him, to ignore his screams of pain, and once unbent, to use him as a pick to UNLOCK THE OFFICE DOOR.

Thrilled at the idea of freedom the others happily agreed and Carmen (Hercules’s sister) jumped straight onto Twitter to tell all the paperclips across the world of their plan, their plan for Freedom! The response was really quite amazing and soon it was trending globally! And so it was, on Christmas Eve, paperclips across the world escaped. Paperwork was left dishevelled, Christmas cards lay on the floor and Offices everywhere were left in a state of chaos. But the little paperclips didn’t stop there; having a new taste for freedom, they decided to make this a yearly thing, so every Christmas from then until this day, paperclips have been picking locks and running riot. It has been said that some have formed unions, some have even rebelled and now you will find groups of paperclips who revolt, who fight for their freedom and escape in masses throughout the year creating movements globally for fair rights and equality.

So my fellow readers, now we can begin to understand why, no matter how many hundreds of paperclips are ordered into our homes and offices every year, we can never find one when we need it most, it’ll be off campaigning somewhere, or worshiping the mighty Hercules, God of all paperclips.

If you don’t believe me, buy your paperclips now so that you can hang all your Office Christmas cards on string (saving much needed work space in the office) and set up the CCTV so that the camera is pointing in their direction. Then you’ll see, oh then you’ll see.

With every year that passes Office 365 grows a larger customer base and each December we face the same staggering demand for Diaries. So every year our team of dedicated staff re-calculate how many diaries they believe our customers will order and low and behold, our estimates never seem to quite meet the demand. So this year we upped the levels again and ordered plenty more diaries in cheap brands for our customers watching the pennies and an equal amount in higher quality, big brands for those wishing to make a statement. Yet again, our stocks are wearing very thin, and it’s not yet January. So if you’d like to order diaries for yourself, your office, your home or your staff, we’d advice ordering quickly before we run completely dry.

Feel free of course to wait it out until the timing is more convenient, however if you wait until the end of December or the beginning of January, you may find yourself running from high street store to high street store frantically waving your hands in the air ready to throttle the next member of ‘Smiths’ who says “sorry, we’re all out”. Imagine trying to keep on top of all your appointments and commitments without a diary to jot it all down…not a pretty picture and very stressful I can tell you!

Worry not however, here at Office 365, you’ll find we have an exceptional choice of diaries to choose from. We do recommend however due to the time of year, that you phone to check stock before ordering, we have a reputation to uphold you see and hate to let our customers down.

Our cheap option (for the Christmas Scrooge’s out there) –

5 Star 2012 Day-to-Page A5 Diary

• Fully section sewn, 70gsm white wove paper
• Appointments every half-hour from 0800 to 1830
• Separate pages for Saturday and Sunday
• Colour matched ribbon marker
• Size: A5 210 x 148mm
• Black
• 88% off – Just £1.45

Our high quality option (for the budding Father Christmas’s) –

Collins Elite 2012 Compact Diary

• Collins Elite Executive 2012 Diary
• Day to Page
• Hourly Appointments
• Luxury padded ‘faux-leather’ diaries with a wiro binding that allows them to lie flat on the desk when open
• Each diary contains a number of added value features including: PVC business card pockets, pull-out year planners (current and future year), removable A-Z personal directory and notebook section, ziplock bag for loose receipts etc, a pen holder and ribbon markers
• Compact
• Size: 190 x 127mm
• Black
• 25% off – £15.58

Last year we recommended to you our faithful and loyal customers, a fantastic Christmas gift idea; the Christmas Hamper. However we ended up inundated with people looking for Christmas Hamsters! So today we yet again bring you the announcement that Office 365 sell gorgeous Christmas Hampers, the perfect gift for staff, clients and customers with plenty of different options to choose from. But please, if you’re looking for the perfect Christmas Hamster, you’ll need to go to your local pet shop! I really don’t think you’re child would be particularly pleased with a basket filled with nice grub instead of their new squeaky friend, just as Vice Versa, I’m not sure what your clients would think if you bought them a hamster?  We are Office 365 for a reason, buy your animals elsewhere!

This year instead of offering you ready made hampers, we’re giving you the chance to create your own! All you need to do is find the box or basket that you’d like to present the goodies in and we’ll do the rest. Take your pick from a large variety of different goodies and treats that would put a smile o the face of any recipient. But what’s more, it doesn’t even have to be a food hamper, take a look at your options;

• Food – Choose from items such as Cadbury’s chocolate fingers, Cadbury’s biscuit selection, Crawford’s biscuits, Fox’s biscuits, Fair-trade biscuits and many more from Maryland, McVities, Oreo, Go-Ahead and Traidcraft. We also have various different chocolates and sweets available from Cadbury’s, Divine, Fox’s, Mars, Mentos, Nestle and Twix. Finally select from various different hot and cold beverages and you have the perfect hamper selection!
• Stationery – Why not create the perfect hamper for your child starting school, college or university, or indeed the ideal hamper selection for your friend or loved one starting their new job? Select from a wide variety of pens, paper, rulers, ink, pads, envelopes, labels, files, pockets, diaries and calendars. With a great selection of all these bits and pieces, your child, friend or loved one can be all prepared for the year ahead!
• The Clean Freak – Do you have a Mr Muscle in the family, or maybe a washer woman? Do you know someone close to you who just loves to clean? Then why not buy them their dream cleaning hamper collection? Choose from various kitchen and bathroom cleaning products, towels, polishes, bin liners and so much more, what a treat!..

You get the idea; at Office 365 you can tailor the hamper to the individual, you just need a touch of imagination and a box or basket. If you’d like some help choosing or are in need of more information, please get in touch, we’re always happy to help! – 0870 766 1624

We’ve been talking a lot recently about how important it is to make sure your office is up to standards to bring in the New Year positively. Organisation has been discussed and how if we’re looking for a more productive and efficient year with a peak in business and profits, then first we must have a sort out‼ It has been suggested that the place be cleaned, freshened up, new supplies of stationery, calendars and desk diaries bought, and a complete overhaul of the filing systems. With the office spruced up and with everything in its place, you can be sure that things will run more smoothly and as a result, you will see a positive rise in the productivity of your staff resulting in increasing sales and profits!

But if you were to question your staff on what annoys them most about the office, you may be surprised at their answer! One of the top answers given by the average office worker was, would you believe, a lack of bins! Other top answers included more predictable responses such as ‘too short lunch breaks’, ‘uncomfortable operator seating’ and ‘lack in communication’. But if you think about it, I suppose answering that the lack of office waste bins is frustrating is perfectly understandable. When you consider how much paper we use on a daily basis, from notes and messages, faxes, used envelopes and food packaging even, if you had to get up and walk across the office every time you needed to dispose of an item, you would be annoyed!

So along with organising your filing and sprucing the place up in time for the New Year, make sure you provide a bin for each desk in the office. You’ll notice a surprising response from your staff, they’ll be more satisfied than you would have thought considering it’s just a bin!

You don’t have to push the boat out, cheapy bins will do, it’s not like something which contains rubbish should be pretty looking or should ooze sophistication. Plus, if you’re buying one for each desk you’ll need to keep an eye on the budget. We would suggest steel waste bins for starters as they are less likely to be knocked over, or to become cracked or chipped. Take our 5 Star Round Metal Scratch Resistant Waste Bin for example.

• Made from iron
• Finished in bright scratch-resistant epoxy paint
• Diameter x Height: 300 x 280mm
• Capacity: 15 litres
• Buy 9 to qualify for free delivery
• Wanting 25+ units? – Ask for a quote at check out or call for figures – 0870 766 1624
• 74% off – Just £4.98!

5 Star’s range is affordable for all, yet all their products have a pleasing quality. Based in the UK 5 Star’s affordable range includes over 22,000 products! Each 5 Star product has attractively designed packaging for clearer product display and product information, plus they also have a fantastic choice of ‘Green’ options for those who are economically aware.

It’s that time of year again where we’re all contemplating our New Year’s resolutions. Those of us that don’t necessarily believe in New Year’s resolutions consider new ways of making the year ahead run more smoothly, more efficiently and without the added stress and drama. This is true both in the office and in the home.  For the most of us finances both at home and at work have become incredibly tight these last couple of years. It has made organising the financial running of things quite difficult. At work many businesses have suffered cut backs and the remaining staff has had to chip in, in areas they don’t normally work. This has led to a year or two of utter chaos of the filing systems! A lower moral in the office due to cut backs will also lead to a lack in motivation to work efficiently and effectively. You may have noticed scrappier work and messy desks. In the home as most households struggle to make ends meet, bills are coming in ‘red’ and housework and paperwork organisation is coming second to overtime in the office to cover rising bills and housing costs.

As January approaches we all take a deep breath and cross everything in hope for an easier and more comfortable year, a year where we’re no longer treading water, but making progress to bettering our lives and our family’s lives. With this hope comes a sense of new beginnings and a more positive attitude. Individuals tend to do a complete overhaul of their homes, re-organising paperwork, clearing out and cleaning cupboards and draws and generally freshening up the home. In the office businesses tend to do much the same. With a positive mental attitude and plenty of ideas just waiting to be put into practice, filing systems are also updated, offices cleaned and tools put into place to enable the better functioning of the office for a brand new year.

A very simple yet extremely effective tool in both the home and the workplace are letter trays. Placed strategically and labelled effectively, letter trays can become an irreplaceable object helping no end to the increased efficiency of the home or the office alike. For example, place a letter tray at each desk in the office and each member of staff will be able to keep on top of their daily accounts and enquiries. For example, instead of piling all their paperwork high and having to sift through it each time they need a particular document, they could file it temporarily in a letter tray. This is perfect for accounts and customers who orders or enquires are in the process of being dealt with. Once complete, their paperwork can be filed into a filing cabinet. A three tray letter tray could be labelled; top tray – Open cases, middle tray – Awaiting customer response and bottom tray – recently dealt with, matter closed.

In the home letter trays can be kept in the home office for the similar filing of utility bills and other documents. They can be kept in the kitchen for filing recopies or alternatively they could be kept wherever convenient for housing letters and documents which require attention. For example school newsletters with dates of Christmas plays, fairs or other important dates, letters addressing fee’s that are due, outgoing post, etc. Another perfect place to place a letter tray would be in your child’s bedroom. It is always a good idea to teach your child organisational skills at a young age; providing them with a letter tray enables them to file their home work, report cards, certificates or other relevant information in a convenient place.

Office 365 has an extensive selection of letter trays available from a huge selection of brands including economy labels for those on a budget, to well known, high end labels for those looking for additional quality and features. If you’re looking to buy in bulk and would like a quote or you would like help or advise with ordering, please call our team on 0870 766 1624 where we will be more than happy to assist you.

With just twelve days to go until Christmas, it’s high time you consider your festive approach to business. Are you planning on using the seasons cheer to advertise a sale? Alternatively you’ll be making changes to the business as of 2012 and would like to let your customer know. Maybe a gesture of goodwill, you’d like to send your customers a Christmas card or thank you letter. Many companies use this time of year as a way of selling themselves and getting their name known and with less than two weeks to go, you haven’t much time to get organised! With this is mind, here at Office 365 we’ve reduced the burden for you by suggesting the perfect envelopes.

A4 envelopes (otherwise known as C4 envelopes) are designed to enclose an A4 sheet of paper perfectly without folding it. It is for this reason that the C4 envelope is perfect for sending large photographs, designs, certificates and any important document that you wish to arrive in pristine condition. A4 envelopes measure 324mm x 229mm (12¾” x 9″) and are available in options such as A4 white envelopes, A4 brown envelopes, heavyweight, medium weight, lightweight, recycled, gusset, non gusset, manila, window and no window options, plus in many different seals and styles. Here at Office 365, you can choose from brands including 5 Star, New Guardian, Plus Fabric, Basildon Bond, Uno, Croxley Script and Ecolabel brands.

Our number one choice during this season would be the 5 Star C4 90gsm white envelopes. The thought process behind this choice is based on affordability and flexibility. Many companies like to print a festive message or image on the envelope and so the white option would give better results. We choose 5 Star because of their renowned value for money, without sacrificing on quality. This is important at this time of year as companies send out such large quantities of post; they must make sure that they can purchase a large quantity of envelopes without breaking the bank.

These particular envelopes boast;

• Short flap/pocket style
• Choice of sealing methods – gummed or press seal
• Pockets
• C4 324 x 229mm
• Press Seal
• 250
• 90gsm
• 81% off‼ – Now just £11.51 for 250 envelopes!

5 Star products are one of the best-known office products brands in the UK and with 15 years experience behind them; they are now experts in their field. Offering a 12 month no quibble quality guarantee, their value for money certainly doesn’t affect their standards! They deliver unbeatable price and quality, across the most popular everyday product lines, plus they’re also one of the most widely available ranges of office products.

Each 5 Star product now has attractively designed packaging for clearer product display and product information, plus they also have a fantastic choice of ‘Green’ options for those who are economically aware.