It’s January (just about) and a fresh new year tends to encourage businesses to make that extra effort in terms of bringing in new customers and clientele, new contracts and generating extra revenue. A fantastic way of doing this and a very popular one is to promote your company face to face. Many companies are finding that if they take the initiative to call as many potential customers as possible themselves, rather than waiting for the customers to come to them, they are able to build a greater catalogue of business. If after an afternoon of calling businesses and customers to promote your services you find yourself with a handful of appointments, all you have to do is present well in the meeting, and their custom is yours! The most popular and effective way of doing this is with a flipchart. Even after many years of innovative technology, the most popular method of presentation is still the flipchart!

A flipchart has many advantages over high tech visual aids and equipment for example you will not require new light bulbs, extension leads and they do not require any special film or printers. When organising your effective flipchart meeting, aside from your portable flipchart easels, all you’ll need is a box of flipchart markers, which as we all know, do not cost the earth and will allow you to be as creative as is required. As there is no technology involved, you will not have to worry about your presentation being ruined by technical error, faults or breakages, just the odd spelling error!

The Nobo Barracuda Portable Flipchart Easel is perfect for taking from meeting to meeting. This half-size flipchart easel is ideal for the travelling presenter or where space is limited. It is a useful aid in small group presentations or meetings and also features a magnetic drywipe board surface which doubles as a noticeboard. Includes a black carry bag for easy mobility, a B1 flip pad and a Nobo marker to enable immediate use after purchase. Also included in the pack is a stylish Barracuda metal pad clamp and a full-length pen tray with rubber feet to protect your desk or surface. With a rear support leg to ensure stable placement and easy set-up on any table, this is the perfect flipchart pack for any travelling presenter! Whiteboard surface dimensions WxH: 675 x 550mm. With 30% off and free delivery this pack is now just £76.91, while stocks last!

Is it time for a new look? Maybe your business had a good year last year and now it needs a freshen up? After all, the office is normally the face of the business; if you want to appear to be successful and important, then a suave new look may be called for? Maybe you’re starting a fresh or expanding, or maybe during the Christmas party the office clown decided to dance on top of the tables and broke one. Whatever your situation and whatever the requirements, Office 365 have the means to fulfil them. We know that business owners are always looking for new ways to save money, so regardless of whether you’re an office manager, company owner, or the purchasing manager; you know how expensive it can be to buy furniture for the office.

However at Office 365 we have some good news for you. We offer a huge choice of quality office tables and chairs, meeting room tables and more for the lowest prices online. We’re so confident that our prices won’t be beaten that we even offer a Price Match Policy.

The pictured Trexus Office Table is just one of many options perfect for any office environment. Featuring;

• 5 Star Meeting room furniture
• By itself an excellent value-for-money general office table; when put together with one or more others they form a variety of shapes ideal for conference, training and canteen areas
• Solid hard-wearing table with 18mm thick top
• 38% off
• Just £73.36

Our elegant range of office tables has been designed and constructed to provide excellence and durability to any office environment at unbeatable value for money. Remember, depending on the size and weight of the product, fulfilment may take between 2 and 7 days depending on the delivery location and is subject to stock availability.

Prices valid from 28/01/2011

When running a business this often means you must also run a busy office. With new, vigilant health and safety law’s this can be quite a daunting responsibility! You must be aware of every possible risk and take precautions to prevent these potential hazards from happening. One obvious danger which can often be over looked is burnt fingers. It is a well known fact that we all drink more tea and coffee at work than we would at home. Maybe this is because we’re trying to cram in as many breaks as possible, or maybe a nice hot beverage has positive effects on the stress of work. Either way, with the constant to-ing and fro-ing, backwards and forwards with hot drinks, spilling, dripping, dropping and scolding are frequent risks. I’ve worked in many offices over the years and have seen many people drop their drinks due to scolded fingers, spill them over their keyboards due to burns and basically not make it across from the canteen to their desk until the drink has cooled first. This is an obvious problem which is very easily resolved with the use of office cup holders.

Investing in something as simple as plastic cup holders can protect your business from unexpected nasty claims whilst showing your staff that you value them and their quick typing fingers! Take a look at our Acorn Insulating Drinks Holders featured to your right.

• Insulating holders for use with plastic disposable cups
• Keeps the cup stable whilst enabling the user to lift the cup without burning their fingers
• Designed to fit standard 7oz squat and tall cups
• Quantity 10
• 24% off!

Perfect for use with hot drink vending machines, these cup holders are an essential item for retailers selling hot drinks in plastic cups and for the office. Also providing stability when plastic cups don’t quite cut it, these re-usable holders are a more economically sound option than the disposable cardboard variety.

Some Green Advice From Acorn

Government ‘Pre Treatment’ regulations came into force October 2007. These regulations stipulate that all businesses must recycle part of their waste.

Landfill tax is increasing every year, making the disposal of conventional waste more expensive. Recycling may enable you to reduce your waste disposal costs.

Some say that the prestigious Post-it Note was a ‘god send’, but they don’t know how right they are. Back in the early 70’s Art Fry, an employee or 3M was on a mission to find a bookmark for his church hymnal that wouldn’t fall out yet would also not damage the pages. A colleague of Fry’s, Dr Spencer Silver, had already developed an adhesive in 1968 which was strong enough to stick to surfaces, however didn’t leave any nasty residue once removed. This adhesive was also capable of being re-positioned time and time again. Mr Fry decided to apply the adhesive to the edge of a piece of paper and use this for his church hymnal bookmark. His problem was solved and he later went on to develop the idea further in the form of what we now know as Post-it notes.

And oh have times changed; today we have an even better invention! Our Post It Notes are now available in the super sticky variety!! Feast your eyes on the Post-It Super Sticky Removable Notes featured to your right. These really are Post-it Notes with a twist! The premium Super Sticky adhesive on the reverse of these notes means that your messages are never lost from vertical or hard-to-stick-to surfaces.

• Now you can stick your notes practically anywhere!
• Post-it Super Sticky Notes have an enhanced adhesive which holds stronger and longer to vertical and difficult surfaces, removing cleanly after use.
• Ideal for brainstorming and process mapping on meeting room walls and meeting charts
• The Neon Rainbow Pack consists of 5 packs in 4 attention grabbing colours, 2 Neon Pink, 1 Limeade, 1 Ultra Yellow and 1 Neon Orange.
• 90 sheets per pad, 5 pads per pack
• 76mm x 127mm
• 31% off!

The Green Bit

3M have conducted recycling trials on Post-it® Notes at recycled paper mills. The adhesive on the paper does not interfere with paper recycling because the adhesive is substantially removed in the paper deinking process. The dyes in the paper are removed in the deinking process. The 100% recycled content notes contains 70% pre consumer and 30% postconsumer fibre. Post-it® Easel Pads are also available with 30% postconsumer content paper.

After many attempted and failed New Year resolutions, unfortunately it’s not yet time to bin the ashtrays. In fact, to the contrary, we now need to ensure our businesses are providing them, the ashtrays for outside that is. Did you know that the most commonly found litter on UK’s streets and beaches is cigarette butts? Also, cigarette filters have been found in the stomachs of fish, birds, whales and other marine creatures, who mistake them for food – these butts leak toxins that contaminate water and harm these creatures and the environment. But also, it costs the UK approximately £370 million a year to remove litter from our streets, 70 – 90% of which is cigarette butts. Based on these facts, the fine for a dropped cigarette butt is at least £50 and can be as much as £2500! This is why businesses are urged to provide cigarette bins. The Environmental Protection Act 1990 gives the Council the power to require occupiers to clear litter and refuse from their land within a specified time and to serve street litter control notices that require local businesses to clear the litter and refuse which originates from their activities. With all this hassle, is it not easier to just put a bin outside?

Our Rubbermaid Smokers Pole featured is the perfect option for a business premises. It’s slim, sleek design is non obtrusive and weather resistent, all you could want in an outdoor bin.

• Easy to empty design requires no tools and minimal bending
• Weather resistant powder coated fire-safe aluminium
• Recessed extinguishing screen
• Heavy base for added stability and security
• No fading, the pole has a protective ultra-violet stabilizer to resist the harmful effects of the sun
• DxH: 324 x 104mm
• Free Delivery!
• 15% off!

The Green Bit

Rubbermaid’s Sustainability Vision is to be an eco-efficient company where excellence in environmental stewardship and sustainable innovation build Brands That Matter™ and create value for their shareholders, consumers and customers.

Their Sustainability Mission is to integrate environmental sustainability principles and practices into the way Newell Rubbermaid does business, increasing their competitive advantage and improving their brand and corporate image. Rubbermaid will achieve integration of environmental sustainability in their company through strong management commitment, development of global resource networks and routine measurement of performance and reporting of results. By fundamentally enhancing the Newell Rubbermaid culture to incorporate environment into employees’ daily decision-making and behaviour, the company will be empowered to achieve best-in-class environmental sustainability leadership and performance.

The Rubbermaid sustainability strategy to fulfil their vision is to implement a holistic, centrally-led governance & management approach that focuses on developing internal, cross-functional networks and programs in two key areas: operations & supply chain and products & packaging, by driving communication, collaboration and partnerships involving these business areas with our internal and external stakeholders.

It’s that time again! We’ve had a flourish of enquiries about staplers recently, in particular heavy duty ones and in general a massive demand for them. Goodness knows why, it seems to come in waves; is there some kind of craze that involves staplers which I don’t know about yet? Hmmm, surely I should be the first to know as a stationery blogger and all that. Never the less, I shall as always attempt to provide you firstly with information about the heavy duty stapler variety and secondly with one that’s more than up to the job.

What you need to know about the heavy duty stapler is that there is no point in purchasing one if all your using it for is to staple a couple of sheets from time to time. The heavy duty range is not for the faint hearted with a capability to staple up to 210 sheets of standard office paper at one time! You would be looking for one of these if you regularly find yourself stapling large documents or pamphlets and you’re looking for a quality that will last your for years. They staple through stacks of paper with the optimum ease of use which is perfect when you’re looking for something that you can use frequently throughout the day.

Our recommended model is the Rapid Duax HD210 featured to the right.

• Unique, revolutionary stapling design
• Staples sheets using just one staple type
• Tough steel construction with effortless operation
• Uses Rapid Duax staples only
• Flat clinch stapling for level stacking
• Adjustable paper guide and depth
• 5 year guarantee
• Staples only
• Throat depth: 65mm
• Silver
• Free Delivery
• 31% Off!

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.

With the ongoing state of economic crisis and this relentless time of recession, companies are still making cut backs. Every day in the UK businesses are continuing to let go of their staff, freeze pay, cut back on their benefits, reduce their expenditure, decrease overtime and generally curb all outgoings. Unfortunately however, the cost of living is continuing to go up, right up. For the sake of the business itself, companies must now take extra precautions against the possibility of claims being made against them and against the cost of fines and court proceedings. It’s more important than ever before that companies begin to cover their backs.

There are certain things that are expected of businesses now a days and safety regulation have become so that the employee has the right to claim and win if the company in question has not carried out the required safety measures. One of the strictest guidelines is that a business should always display safety signs and in the correct place. In fact the rules state that employers are now legally obliged to display fire safety signs such as fire exit signs, fire alarm signs, fire assembly point signs and fire door signs, strategically placing them to help reduce the chance of an accident or emergency, and guiding them should they be at risk.

We choose Stewart Superior as our supplier of safety signs, a company who specialise in supplying niche products to global resellers of Office Supplies and distribute all over the world! Renowned for quality and superior service, the brand stand out above the rest and have been built on service, competitive pricing plus the ability to develop new product lines for their customers.

When you have invested your time, your commitment and your money into creating the ideal office, you’ll aim to take all steps necessary to protect it. Your floors whether carpeted or hard floor are often one of the biggest investments your business will make and this is where chair mats come in handy. Most office floor damage is caused by the rolling and constant movement of office chairs, and also by footwear. With the use of chair mats you can facilitate all chair movement, protecting the underlying office floor from the wear and tear that is inevitable with an office full of people. At Office 365 we offer chair mats for both hard floors and carpeted floors and in a range of different sizes and shapes. Our chair mats will undoubtedly increase the lifetime of your floors whilst also providing a quiet, flat surface for swivel chairs. Plus, with the use of our mats, your floors will stay looking as beautiful as the day they were laid.

Take our Cleartex Chair Mat featured to your right for example. These mats have a reputation for pure quality and unbeatable standards.

• Safer, extremely durable, and more environmental alternative to traditional PVC general office and chair mats
• No cracking, no curling, no yellowing, no smelling
• Clear and very durable – due to its hardwearing capabilities, this high quality plastic is used in the aircraft industry and in the manufacturing of bullet-proof glass
• High clarity and impact resistance – virtually unbreakable
• Environmentally safe, odourless and completely free of any toxic chemicals
• Easy to clean – simply wash with soap and water
• Fire resistant – in accordance with 4102/B1 (resistant to burning cigarettes), polycarbonate fulfils fire related insurance regulations
• Very ergonomic – minimal gliding resistance for chairs with casters
• Compatible with floor heating systems
• Negligible gas emissions make our mats ideal for people who suffer from allergies
• Safety health features make polycarbonate a recommended material for use in the vicinity of children
• NOTE: Picture may be generic – showing a different size in the range
• Size: 990 x 1250mm – Rounded
• Free Delivery
• 35% Off!

The Green Bit

Materials & Environmental responsibility has been a core value of Floortex since the beginning. Their commitment is to provide the world’s finest quality, environmentally responsible office mats that exceed their valued customers’ expectations while conserving the earth’s natural resources. Their products will not deplete the ozone layer, consume precious fossil fuels, destroy rain forests, or produce non-biodegradable waste. Floortex products use renewable, recyclable, natural and raw materials that are biodegradable and recyclable to ensure maximum environmental performance.

A couple of week’s back we explained to you the importance of getting your filing up to scratch now that the New Year has begun. With the filing all in place and organised, you can be sure that the year ahead will run far more smoothly. Box files where suggested as one of the top ideas for home and office filing as they can individually house each category by use of colour coding or labelling. However you cannot file in order if you have no spine labels. Whether you’re buying your files new, or being economical and using last years; you will need labels for either first time labelling, or to re-label over the top of the old ones. Either way, at Office 365 we have a selection that will suit you.

Take our Avery Box File Spine Labels for example, suitable for both laser and inkjet printers. These labels are suitable for professional use giving a smart overall finish.

• Find items faster with clearly and professionally labelled files
• Keep files smart and up to date even when the content changes.
• Completely opaque and can conceal old text perfectly
• Sized to fit the spine of lever arch files, ring binders and box files
• For best printing results from your colour laser printer
• Box File Label 60mm
• 12 per sheet
• 300 per pack
• 24% off!

The Green Bit

A while back we introduced Avery’s achievement of planting a whopping 30’458 trees! Well that’s pretty impressive. They basically plant 1 tree for every code entered onto the site. The total number of trees planted by Avery for their 2009 promotion was a remarkable 64’846! Good work everyone. Their 2010 promotion continued this number and aimed for a target of 100,000 new trees for Kenya. Now into 2011, the total stands at 66’038 and if you’d like to add to this total you can do in the exact same way as before. Just click on this link. http://www.eco.avery.eu/tree_planting.php?gift_id=132

Avery will continue to promote sustainability by continuously improving the design and development of environmentally responsible products created in a manner that consumers and customers understand, value and reward.

Many people are now coming to Office 365 for their technical drawing aids and supplies; professionals such as architects, interior designers, drafters, design engineers, and other like specialists are finding just about everything they need here. Our selection of products help the user to focus on the development of their technical drawing skills and are used by trained experts for drafting, the academic discipline of creating standardised technical drawings. Our products enable the user to work on layout, line thickness, symbols, shapes, text size, geometry, dimensions and so much more. Our quality products will create drawings and diagrams which will impress through their accuracy and clarity. With items such as compasses and stencils, drawing boards and stands, geometry sets and transfers, you too are sure to find exactly what you need with us.

The featured Rotring Designer Drawing Board is a fantastic example of what we have to offer here at Office 365.

• A complete drawing system with drawing board laminated on both sides
• Anodized aluminium guide track with plastic guide coating
• Parallel straight edge with STOP and GO mechanism
• 250mm vertical scale with STOP and GO mechanism and adjustable plastic filter
• Size: 700 x 600 x 16mm (A2)
• Free Delivery
• 32% Off – was £220.83, Now £149.93!

Rotring, voted as one of the top 50 stationery products by the Independent, are committed to bringing the thoughts of their users to life. A known and trusted brand across the globe, Rotring inspire their customer to do their best, always. Wherever a creative idea is born; you will find Rotring.