Christmas is just around the corner; much organisation is needed at this time of year before and after the big day!  Finances can get very muddled with many of us taking out extra credit to pay for what lies ahead. One of the most popular Christmas present ideas, especial for the more difficult to buy for are those Red Letter Day’s which give you a whole variety of different activities to choose from. But remember (unlike myself), don’t let them go out of date…big mistake and what a loss! In order to keep these Christmas finances in order as well as our minds, we need to think about filing! What better method of filing than letter trays? Here at Office 365 we have a great variety of Red Letter Trays from the brand Fellowes – perfect for keeping your Red Letter Day’s readily available so that you don’t forget.

Take a look at our recycled Fellowes Earth Multi-Letter Tray featured to your right. The Earth range is a stylishly designed, strong and durable, biodegradable fibreboard range of desk accessories. Made using 100% recycled and 100% recyclable fibreboard they promise 100% environmental commitment.

• Made from 100% recycled compressed fibre board sourced from saw mill waste materials
• Easy to assemble using the patented rubber rings which are
  made from recycled tyres
• Fellowes Earth Range also comes flat packed to reduce packaging and is coloured only using natural, non-chemical inks
• Robust letter tray with three A4 shelves
• Small top shelf for desk accessories
• Colour: Red
• Save 24%!

The Green Bit

At Fellowes they are committed to growing and managing their business in an environmentally-responsible manner. Their aim is to exceed industry standards for green initiatives through the development of environmentally friendly innovations and improvements to their processes which will result in reduced wastage, reduced energy consumption and minimal impact on the environment.

Also, Fellowes have supported WWF through the sale of their R-Kive® Panda corrugated storage products since 1994. To date Fellowes has contributed in excess of £500,000 towards the crucial work of WWF. WWF works to conserve endangered species like tigers and whales; protects endangered spaces like forests and savannahs and addresses global threats to the planet such as climate change and toxic chemicals. Every tonne of recycled cardboard used in their Panda range of products represents the saving of 17 trees. Some 14.6 million hectares of natural forest are lost each year – an area larger than England and every minute, around 30 hectares of forest disappear – that’s roughly the size of 37 football pitches.

Are you one of those who like to stand out from the crowd? Maybe your sick of being predictable and are looking for a way prove that you’re not exactly who everyone thinks you are. Or maybe your economically conscious and are looking for a way to make a stand and be heard, to change our planet for the better. Alternatively, you could just be a bit strange…

If any of the above applies to you, consider this….a bubble wrap dress (or suite, it’s your call). There could be no easier way of putting together clothing than this and we’d like to offer up some handy hints to help you along the way. You will need;

• Bubble Wrap
• Under garments
• Needle
• Thread…or…
• Stapler

The first rule of dressmaking with bubble wrap is NEVER USE A SEWING MACHINE. Don’t risk jamming your machine – use a good old fashioned needle and thread or alternatively try using poppers or hook and eye fastenings; you could even try lace up in a kind of corset style.

Find appropriate under garments. If you are making a dress, think about using a white ‘slip’ or bikini. If you are making a suite, appropriate ‘under attire’ may include white shorts, vests, t-shirts or swimwear.  Alternatively sew some kind of material to the inside of your bubble suite/dress in order to conceal certain ‘areas’.

Another method of stitching your garment is by staple; when you consider it, a staple isn´t that different to a stitch. A rushed job when using staples can look distasteful, take your time. We have a huge selection of recycled bubble wrap at Office 365 which is turn is also recyclable once your done! Our Jiffy range promises to be made from 100% recycled polythene so you can be satisfied that your dress is as kind to the earth as you are!

The Green Bit

In developing Jiffy Green mailing solutions, Pregis looked closely on how to combine everything you’d expect from their top brand products with the environmental awareness society needs. All Jiffy Green mailing products meet joint standards and are made of recycled paper, recycled air bubble foil and are in their turn recyclable themselves. Other mailing solutions consisting of different materials -like the Bag-in-Bag mailers – can be separated with the turn of the wrist, making recycling so much easier and more effective!

Flipchart pads have withstood the test of time – through decades of new and innovative modern technology, the age old flipchart remains in constant use. But why is this? It seems that we’ve all come to realise that it is not always necessary to invest ridiculous amounts of money to perform well in a presentation – high tech flashy gadgets are not always the best way to get a message across. It helps to remember that the purpose of using a visual aid is to enhance your presentation, not upstage it. A flipchart has many advantages over high tech visual aids and equipment for example; you will not need to concern yourself with burnt out light bulbs or forgetting extension leads plus, they do not require that you use any special films or printers. In fact all you really need when using a flipchart is a box of flipchart markers, which let’s face it, do not cost the earth and will allow you to be as creative as you need. Flipcharts allow no room for technical error, faults or breakages – just turn the page and go – any errors made along the way can be corrected simply and easily.

Flipcharts are the perfect tool for presentations providing a visual explanation for your audience, enhanced by a spoken explanation from yourself. The clearer, bolder and more colourful your presentation is, the more engrossed your audience will be encouraging group participation. Flipchart pads can be used to illustrate all kinds of things, emphasising words or topics, breaking down each subject until all areas have been thoroughly reviewed. You can use a flip chart for;

• For all kinds of presentations or training
• For capturing information during group discussions
• For use on an easel as a display and information board where other methods prove too expensive or information is likely to change frequently
• For use during teaching, in schools, colleges or universities
• For the tracking of targets and goals in sales and manufacturing plants
• Maybe even to display menu’s or special in cafes and restaurants
• For child play and learning in nurseries and pre schools
• For art classes and artists
• For use as a coaching tool in schools, offices and sports teams

Including bolder visuals such as charts and graphs to help summarise and make clearer areas which need to be broken down. Flip charts are simply a visual boost to your speech aiding in the absorption of information. They provide your audience with something to look at; a speech alone can often become tiresome and tedious and so they help to keep your audience’s attention.

Before beginning your presentation, make sure you have prepared your flipchart. This way you can focus your attention on the content of your speech, flipping over the pages as you approach each subject. Each page should be illustrated clearly and carefully making sure that it flows with the order of your presentation speech. If you are using grids and charts, it is best to design your charts on paper first before producing them on the actual flipchart pad. Never use all block capitals (UPPER CASE). Using upper and lower case letters will make it easier to read. Another helpful hint is to use the 7 x 7 rule which means that you have no more than 7 words on each line and no more than 7 lines to a sheet.

Did you know that you should avoid using colours; yellow, pink, or orange. They are extremely difficult for the audience to see and you don’t want to make your audience have to strain their eyes to see your points. Also, avoid using too many colours, using just one dark colour and one ‘accent’ colour works best. A simple helpful hint, yet one often forgotten is to make sure the flipchart you purchase will fit the flipchart stand you will be using. Some have different spaced holes at the top and you don’t want to get caught – could be very embarrassing!

Today I’d like to introduce you to an alternative breed of staplers, which I’m sure we’re all aware of; the staple tacker AKA the staple gun. This fantastic hand held contraption is used to drive heavy metal staples into many different kinds of materials, unlike your average stapler which is intended for paper use only. Another feature which tells a staple gun from an office stapler is that a staple gun lacks an anvil, which is the metal plate that has 2 small recesses used to bend the legs of the staple inwards or outwards compressing them against the paper.

A staple gun/tacker has many kinds of uses, including attaching wire mesh netting to wood, in schools/education, exhibition/show upholstery, decorative/general DIY, upholstery & re-upholstery, insulation & lining, hobby crafts, window dressing and display and shop fitting. Take the Rapid R23 Gun Tacker featured to your right for example. The robust all-metal bodied tacker allows staples to be fired quickly into materials such as carpets and insulation. Featuring;

• All-metal construction with recoilless action for effortless operation
• Lifetime tested for 100,000 firings
• Ideal for tacking fabrics, canvas, leather, posters etc
• Medium weight design with high-impact force
• Chrome
• Takes Rapid 13 6 Staples
• 25% off (while stocks last)

Isaberg Rapid AB has a long serving commitment to working with quality issues and quality control. The Swedish unit achieved the ISO 9002 certificate already in 1991 and advanced in 1995 to ISO 9001; the international standard for quality control that make demands on the organisation, working procedures, equipment, co-operation and also for continuous improvements.

The Green Bit

Isaberg Rapid has had a long serving commitment to working with environmental issues. In 1999 the operations at the Swedish plant were certified according to ISO 14001 the international specification for environmental management system which specifies the requirements concerning environmental impacts from organisational activities. The environment management system assures that they follow existing legislation and that they fulfil environmental demands from their customers, owner and neighbours. The system also covers surface treatment, product development, packages and waste management and which areas they continuously focus upon.

Home and Office filing has to be one of the greatest demands on the world of stationery. We all file and if we don’t, well then you get caught out. Filing in the home can consist of mortgage statements, tenancy agreements, council tax bills, utility bills, mobile phone bills, birth and medical certificates, payslips, bank statements; you name it. This list is purely for the home. As you can imagine, the documentation that a business would need to file is simply colossal!

It doesn’t matter whether you’re filing in your home or in the office; we all go through many different varieties of filing implements. Personally I’ve tried ‘organised’ heaps (*cringe*), letter trays, letter drawers, heavy duty filing boxes and expandable filing wallets. In the office you will always find the obvious and monstrous filing cabinets which are most often used for filing customer and client details and accounts among other important documentation. However systems in the office often require a less hefty filing tool than the cabinet. This is where smaller and more individual filing aids such as Plastic Box Folders come in handy. They offer a convenient way of filing topically, encapsulating each ‘category’ separately. You could file individually using box folders allowing one plastic box folder for each letter of the alphabet. Alternatively file according to date which can be useful when filing documents such as invoices. The technique for this could be each folder represents a month or the equivalent.    

A fantastic example of a plastic box folder would be the heavy gauge Rapesco box file featured.

• Practical A4 heavy gauge polypropylene file
• Push-lock clasp closure and welded sides keeps contents safe and secure
• Index / card holder on spine and business card size holder on front for personalisation
• 60mm capacity
• Size: A4
• Blue

Made by the reputable Rapesco, this folder has assurance just in its name! With Rapesco’s reputation, this folder will stand the test of time. Through heavy-duty and consistent use, this one will stick by you thick and thin, providing the safest housing for your irreplaceable paperwork. With security such as this, you’d normally expect a big price tag, which I must admit would have been the case had Office 365 not intervened. Now you can buy the box with us and enjoy the added security of 22% off making it just £5.16! Kit the whole office out with 25+ units and we’ll bring the price down further. All you have to do is click ‘Get a Quote’ on the product page or call on 0870 766 1624.

Top Notch Products at Bottom Prices Only at Office 365!

The beauty of Scotch tape is its magical abilities – there’s no other brand that can perform quite like it. This unique tape was invented in 1961 and has a distinctive matt and almost opaque finish. These frosted rolls of tape are very deceptive however, as when applied to paper, they disappear! It is this quality which makes Scotch magic tape so popular in the home and in the office. This world famous tape makes for the perfect tool in present wrapping but has many uses in the office environment. It can be written on with pencil, pen and felt tipped pens and markers; this exceptional tape even comes in permanent and re-stickable varieties! Because of its ability to accept being written on, Scotch tape provides a perfect alternative to labels. Use it for labelling absolutely anything around the home or the office – what a cheap alternative! Plus, when photocopying documents the tape will not be revealed or ‘ghost’ on the copy. Over time all tape eventually loses it’s ‘stick’ and turns a lovely nicotine yellow – but not Scotch Magic Tape; this one resists drying out or turning any colour at all.

Featured to your right is our Scotch Magic Tape Refill 810 19mm x 33m, perfect for rejuvenating those useful Scotch tape dispensers.

• Highest quality tape available for the Office
• Low Noise tape that dispenses smoothly and quickly
• Invisible when applied can be written on
• Does not ghost when photocopied
• 19mm x 33m
• 1 roll per pack
• 30% off – now just £6.21!

Strange Scotch Tape Uses Revealed…

1. Has been used to bind chicken’s legs together when being weighed
2. Served as an anti-corrosive shield on the Goodyear blimp.
3. Has been used to seal cracks in the soft shells of fertilized pigeon and turkey eggs – which then actually hatched!
4. Has been used to attach labels to horses when being auctioned.
5. Has been known to temporarily repair cracks in ceilings
6. After the unfortunately event where a cow ate the resin-coated fabric on a plane’s rudder section, Scotch tape was used to repair the damaged area! It actually then went on to fly!

Today’s office has become very demanding, requiring strong, durable and efficient storage solutions for all our stationery, paper, data and general office supplies. Without effective storage there can be no hope for a smoothly ran office. Our ordinary office cupboards are designed with maximum storage capacity, however are economical on space. Available with and without shelves, these cupboards even have options such as under shelf filing rails and roll out filing frames. However what makes a Tambour cupboard different from an ordinary cupboard?

A Tambour cupboard is a very versatile style of storage cupboard which can be adapted to even the smallest of spaces. With its shutter style doors, it takes up far less space which let’s face it, is very expensive when your being charged rent per square foot! The Tambour cupboard is the most effective and resourceful method of storage, when compared with ordinary office cupboards. When opening a Tambour cupboard, you can actually increase your storage capacity and inevitably reduce the floor space required. For example, an 87” Side Opening Tambour requires just 0.97 square meters.

To your right find our Bisley Side Opening Tambour Cupboard. This cupboard provides high density storage with a huge range of fitting options such as standard shelves, slotted shelves and roll out shelves, roll out drawers and filing frames, lateral filing rails and pigeon hole units. The two independently operated shutter doors allow it to be used in small, restricted spaces making this perfect for the smaller office. 1651, 1968 and 2229mm cupboards have three-point locking for extra security and can accommodate 5, 6 or 7 rows of lateral filing, plus a pull-out shelf! With a rigid fully welded carcase and positive tambour closing action, this cupboard will satisfy even the most demanding user. With a minimum of 33% off the Side Opening Tambour range, you won’t just be saving space! Please remember that due to the size and weight of this product, delivery will take between 2 and 7 days depending on location and is subject to stock availability, so if it’s urgent, give us a call on 0870 766 1624.

It’s fast approaching Christmas and we’re all gradually building up our Christmas card supplies, ready to post them out to our numerous friends and relatives both close and distant.  This can often be the hardest part of sending out your greetings cards; preparing the long list is something which needs doing again every year. Using your address book, remove or ignore the names of those that are no longer with you or a part of your circle of contacts. This way you can establish who and how many people you will need to write to this year. This list however can be rather large and writing out this many cards can leave you rather tired. Many complain of neck strain, headaches, back pain or repetitive stress injury affecting the hands or the wrists. But this doesn’t have to be the case. One of the most effective ways of writing out your Christmas cards is by using your computer! Here we’re going to give you some ideas on how to print labels for not only your Christmas card envelopes, but for the cards too.

You Will Need

• Laser Printer or Inkjet Printer
• Word processor (such as Microsoft Word)
• Labels

For this project you will need to use Microsoft Word© and you will also need to purchase labels appropriate for your printer. When purchasing Avery labels, you will be given all the information you need to create those labels on your PC. Alternatively, go to www.avery.com and download the free software from there. Once you have installed your software, open your Word Document and click on the Avery icon on the far right of the menu bar. Find the 4 digit code from your Avery labels box (normally located on the front of the box and in a larger font) say the code is 4444 for example. Once the Avery software has opened, select ‘Next’ and then enter your label number. Select your label from the list and click ‘Next’. This will bring you to the selection menu where you can choose the type of label you would like to produce. For example you could choose a plain styled label or some kind of holiday or greetings label style. Select your chosen image and click ‘Next’.

You will now need to decide whether you are making mailing or return labels, in this case, it’s mailing labels so select the text ‘Type many different entries on one sheet’. Next you will see a layout of the labels. At this stage you will need to type out all your recipients names and addresses which could take time. But remember, once this is done, you will be able to return to this list and use it for many different occasions for years ahead. You will also be able to easily update the list, adding or removing addresses as and when you need to. Once this is done, select ‘Next’ twice and then ‘Finish’. Avery Wizard will then create duplicate labels for you.  Make sure to save the file where it can easily be accessed in the future.

To add a more personal touch, you may like to change the set picture to artwork that you have created yourself, or to one of your own photographs. To do this, choose ‘Insert’ from the tool bar and select ‘Picture’. You then have the choice of either ‘Clipart’ or ‘From File’. Double click on your chosen picture and it will be inserted for you. Try to be creative, add a family snap or a photograph of something festive (if it’s for Christmas). If you do not have Microsoft Word, don’t worry. You can still create mailing labels at Avery.com. There may however be some limitations with choice of fonts or photos but you will still be able to your create labels.

Tipp-ex, one of the greatest wonders of the stationery world! Without it, our letters would be scruffy, our school work scribbled and those little pin marks in our paint work would be visible! But where did it come from and who on earth discovered it? Well it may surprise you to know that a woman named Bette Nesmith Graham who is the Mother of Michael Nesmith from the band ‘The Monkees’ was the inventor of our beloved Tipp-ex.

One afternoon in 1956, aware of her son’s talents and of his success to come, Ms Nesmith Graham decided that she’d quite like a bit of the lime light herself. Using her kitchen blender, she concocted her secret ingredients to create a product which would change our lives forever. Bette Nesmith Graham created a product which she named ‘Mistake Out’ and from there started up her own home business producing and selling the stuff. She later changed the products name to ‘Liquid Paper’. This invention helped Ms Nesmith Graham cover typing mistakes that she made as a secretary, and no doubt helped her son to cover his lyrical and musical mistakes too!

Well today the invention has progressed further into the fantastic and innovative concept we call correction tape, or correction tape rollers.  Feast your eyes on the Tipp-ex Pocket Mouse featured to your right.

• Disposable correction roller
• Fits comfortably in the palm of the hand
• Instantly dry tape
• 4.2mm width
• Tape length: 9 metres
• Packed 10

Free pack of pens features;

• Hexagonal transparent barrel for controlled, smooth and smudge-free writing
• Brass tip with tungsten carbide ball
• New finger comfort grip for extra comfort
• 1.0mm tip gives a line width of 0.4mm
• Offer available from Oct-Dec 2010

All available for just £23.73! That’s a generous 28% off the RRP!

The Green Bit

As part of the Bic group, Tipp-Ex has always been committed to responsible business practices. Today, Bic are aware of the rising importance of sustainable development as an opportunity to reaffirm that commitment and the values that are the foundation of their identity. That’s why since 2003, Bic have been involved a complete sustainable development program.

BIC produces approximately 90 percent of its products in its own factories. The Group has 24 factories, 18 of which are in developed countries (IDH indicator). The BIC Group “Environment, Health and Safety” policy contains a simple, but far-reaching commitment to “Operate and maintain our facilities to prevent, or at least minimize, risks to the health and safety of our employees, subcontractors and surrounding communities”. Their ongoing efforts to fulfil this commitment guide their daily business.

For 2006, the BIC Group quantified the direct emissions of greenhouse gases from its manufacturing plants. These emissions are Carbon Dioxide (CO2) resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels, primarily natural gas and fuel oil, by the manufacturing plants. These fuels are mainly used to heat buildings. The total amount of direct greenhouse gas emissions was estimated at 13 thousand tons of CO2 equivalent. The BIC Group has directed all BIC factories to establish an Environmental management System compliant with an internal Group standard. Individual factories are free to exceed this Group standard, where appropriate, as long as they maintain a focus on continuous improvement of environmental performance. ISO 14001 certification is not implemented in the whole Group but only for selected factories that have chosen this way of making progress. However, they do not promote nor forbid the usage of this certification.

All in all, reductions in hazardous waste, CO2 emissions, raw material usage, energy usage, water usage, non-hazardous waste, plus noise and odour have decreased to a minimum and will continue to do so for the life of the company.

Why is it that the human race has been segregated into two halves? It’s this gradual build up which has been happening almost blindly for years and is now so blatant it should be screaming in our faces. But we’ve all grown so used to it that we don’t even see it!

We seem to have formed two groups; the men and the women. But what staggers me is that one half of the human race – the women- seem to need completely different products, catered specifically for their ‘unusual breed’, hmmmm.

One of the top searched for office products on Google is ‘Office accessories for women’. Items which fall into this ‘category’ are of course ‘pink,’ ‘pretty’, ‘colourful’ or completely aesthetic. Some examples might include artificial plants, Filofaxe’s or modesty panels.

Well at Office 365 we stock every product you could possibly need for your office, however ours are aimed at men and women. Because here we know that men too like a bit of colour and life in the office and that just as many men as women order artificial plants and soap dispensers. We also understand that men too are affected by, and support Breast Cancer Awareness and buy the products in support of this charity.

No segregation – No demeaning marketing – Just real office products designed for the entire human race.