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!

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

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.

One day, in the land of 3rd Floor Inland Revenue Office Slough, there lived a staple, his name was Stan. Stan the staple lived a happy, albeit a rather mundane life. He spent the majority of his little life in a box where he lived quietly with hundreds of other staples. Being afraid of the dark and rather claustrophobic, Stan spent most of his existence frozen still, so scared in fact that he clung tight to his friends. As there was nothing to see in the dark and none of the little staples ever went anywhere, there really was nothing to say and so life inside the little box was unnaturally quiet. Stan spent most of his days wondering about the meaning of his stapley life, where did he come from, why was he here, the usual stapley nonsense.

Stan was unable to remember much about life before the box, except for occasional terrifying flashbacks of a bright orange light and a strong heat that made him feel all woozy and stretched inside. He had a faint but frightening memory of a sort of jaw slamming down which was then softened by the inkling that he was once connected to his other stapley brothers and sisters a lot more than he was now; he often wondered if any of the other staples ever felt the same.

Despite his fears, Stan grew accustomed to this life inside the box, and began to worry that he should ever have to leave it. He’d once heard rumours that thousands of his ancestors had been forced into cold machines which held them pushed against its walls by springs. He was told of how one-by-one they were brutally used as cannon fodder, individually beaten by the machine until their bodies were mangled beyond recognition, their legs left crippled to the point where they relied on paper for support so heavily they never let go. Stan feared this life more than anything and as days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to years, Stan became agoraphobic.

As if agoraphobia, claustrophobia and nyctophobia were not enough, Stan sank into a deep depression. Unable to leave his box he couldn’t seek medical help and although he felt very attached to his brothers and sisters, he just couldn’t open up to them and so his sadness began to destroy him. He so feared the destiny of his ancestors that he gave up the will to live. He spent days on end trying to hatch a plan where he could end it now, save himself from the hell that was ‘The Machine’. Unable to leave, unable to move, unable to see, unable to speak, all there was for Stan to do was lick himself. So Stan licked; he licked himself all day and all night and he continued to lick for days and days until he began to decay. Decay turned to rust and still Stan would not stop; his plan was working. Stan licked himself so much that he rusted right through and on that fateful day, our little Stan crumbled. Stan was gone, lifeless, finally useless to the machine…

And the moral of this story is, if you’d like to save your staples from the slow and painful death that our Stan endured, then make sure you use them before they become depressed!

Find a massive selection of small staples and an impressive variety of large staples here at Office 365 where you can enjoy excellent customer service, next day delivery and unbeatable prices!

There are many working environments that deal with deliveries, outgoing post, packaging and so on. This is particularly true for warehouses and factories, however most businesses have a post room or mailroom that deal with outgoing mail daily. If your company are wholesalers or internet based retail companies, then the main objective of your business is to send out orders. In order to do so you’ll need the right materials and equipment. One of the vital products you’ll need to consider if the items you’re sending are of a delicate nature is labels. It is your responsibility as the supplier to make sure that your packages are sent out with care and clearly labelled so that the delivery person or company are aware of how to treat the package. Then, should there be any damage to the parcel when it arrives with the customer, you can seek responsibility from the courier, rather than incurring costs yourself, as you clearly advised them that the item was fragile. For the minimal price of handle with care labels and fragile labels, you can save yourself quite a penny!

Our Handle With Care Tape featured is ideal for mailrooms and warehouses sending out continuous fragile items.

• Text is ‘Handle with care’
• Printed polypropylene tapes
• Red wording on white tape
• Ideal for companies with quality systems such as ISO 9000
• Packed 6 rolls
• 50mm x 66m
• 25% off! – Just £14.55 for a pack of 6!

Simply peel off enough tape to reveal the text ‘Handle With Care’, or alternatively use the tape to secure your packaging closed whilst doubling as a warning message. Another similar alternative is our Fragile Tape featured to your left.

• Text is ‘Fragile’
• Printed polypropylene tapes
• Red text on white tape
• Ideal for companies with quality systems such as ISO 9000
• Packed 6 Rolls
• 50mm x 66m
• 55% off! – Just £8.78 for a pack of 6!

A proven effective way of filing your paperwork at home and in the office, the ring binder is a very useful tool, however with the variety of different options available; you’ll find that the ring binder can be an innovative solution to a range of other requirements too. You’ll find ring binders are used for recopy books, homework folders, subject folders and you’ll even find they are an ideal product for storing artwork. Available commonly in A5, A4 and A3 sizes, the ring binder is also available in different ring styles. For example, the ‘D’ ring style has it’s rings fixed onto the inside back cover and is designed so that the contents sit flat on the back cover and square on the right hand edge of the ring. This style has a wider cover which consequently allows for the use of dividers which is useful in filing of any kind. ‘O’ ring binders on the other hand are fixed into the spine and do not normally have a ‘lever option’. This ring style will hold less paper and the covers are smaller than the ‘D’ ring alternative meaning that divider tabs may poke outside of the binder. On the plus side, this option is cheaper and ideal if only being used for plastic sleeves and average quantity contents.

Our A3 size binders are available in two further options, upright and oblong. Portrait (upright) ring binders are the standard and have their rings along the long side, where as oblong or landscape ring binders have their rings on the short edge. Many artists and designers appreciate the selection here so that they have a choice of how to best display their work.

Finally there is a choice of either 2-ring binders or 4-ring binders. The distance between rings on a 4-ring binder is 80mm, 80mm and 80mm. Using these binders allows pages to sit more evenly, spreading pressure and therefore preventing wear or specifically, preventing holes from tearing. Choosing a 4-ring binder is the best option for filing bigger quantities. 2-ring binders have the same distance between rings and are the cheaper option.

A great example of a portrait 4-ring binder is the Emgee A3 Black 4 –Ring Binder featured.

• 4 D-ring mechanism
• 50mm spine width
• Ticket pocket on spine
• Made from heavy-duty board
• Three-piece construction for extra durability
• 40mm capacity
• Upright
• Black
• Packed 2
• Up to 50% recycled
• 25% off – Just £26.51!

Not only is this a sturdy 4 ring option and not only does it feature the wider cover that is standard for a D-ring binder, but it also boasts an environmentally friendly side being up to 50% recycled. The icing on the cake has to be the 25% off, plus with it being Emgee, you can be sure of its quality! However there are plenty more ring binders where this one came from, so if this isn’t the one for you, come and take a look at what else we have on offer!

There is a staggering number of different types of labels available on the market today, and with so many to choose from and with them all appearing so similar, we understand how it can become infuriating! So today’s blog is dedicated to helping you understand one of our more popular choices of labels so that you can make an informed choice.

Before we go into specific labels, it is important that you know precisely what you will be using these labels for. Are you looking at addressing envelopes, labelling folders and files, labelling goods, creating media discs, labelling items for transportation outdoors? It is important to know the intended purpose so that you can purchase the most practical option.

As well as this you will need to decide which size is best for your chosen application. Once you know this, narrowing down your search will be much easier and you’ll feel confident in your final decision. Bear in mind that this decision may be dependent on your printer settings, your specific label printer or the size of your envelope/package.

Next you will need to decide which type of printer (if any) you intend to print on these labels with. This is also a searchable option when finding labels. You will even find additional options such as Quick Dry and Weather Proof, Anti Tamper etc.

Our Label Rolls feature labels which are produced on a roll in rows of just one. They can be continuously fed through a printer using label printing software or fed through specialist label makers and typewriters. More often than not, these labels run along a very long strip and come in numerous different sizes, adhesive types and colours. Luckily most labels can easily be detached using the clever separation points which save time and effort. Available from 5 Star, Avery, Brother and Dymo, the selection in sizes is staggering! Take a look at the chart below for reference.

Now you have the refine by options, you may find it a little easier to select your ideal labels. However if you still find yourself in a fluster, please feel free to get in touch where one of our team will be very happy to help – 0870 766 1624.

Internal mail envelopes are used by businesses everywhere and play a fundamental role in the safe delivery of documents throughout an office. They are specifically designed for hard-copy communication and document transfer within an organisation and are often bold in colour and available in various colours in order to distinguish departments and differentiate from external mail. Designed and made from hardwearing material the internal mail envelope is intended for repeated use. It features multiple addressee boxes and each time it is used, the sender will cross out the previous addressee and then write out the new one in a fresh box. All available envelope closures are designed for repetitive use, with specialist tacks and adhesives, tuck in flaps and string and washer options available according to your demands.

With all this said, it can still be difficult to find the size you’re looking for, so as a quick guideline remember;

• 220×110 (DL Size) – Available in our New Guardian Rage
• 229 x 162 (C5 Size) – Also available in our New Guardian Range, plus our antimicrobial range from Oxford Biocote
• 254 x 178 – New Guardian
• 250 x 353 – Available in the Oxford Biocote range
• 260 x 330 – Also available in the Oxford Biocote range
• 324 x 229 (C4 Size) – Available in our 5 Star, New Guardian and Oxford Biocote brands
• 381 x 254 – New Guardian

You will often find punched holes in the envelopes; these are added to confirm whether or not it contains any documents. One way to make your internal mail envelopes last longer is to place labels over the last used line so that you don’t have to use up all the boxes, but don’t skip lines. Typically an envelope will have 50 address boxes. Here at Office 365 you will find we have a great selection of brands and sizes available along with much choice in the way of envelope seals and colours. Take a look for yourself and if you need any assistance, just give us a call on 0870 766 1624.

When was the last time you gave your computer a good clean? Take a look at your keyboard now, do those keys look clean to you. Imagine all the people who have typed on your keyboard, all the people who have typed on the keyboards in the office and then think to yourself, has this keyboard ever been cleaned? Goodness only knows how many germs those keyboards are riddled with; cold, flu, conjunctivitis, tonsillitis, stomach upsets, you name it you can be sure that those keyboards have come into direct contact with many awful bugs and viruses.

Office hygiene is quite a responsibility and one that will affect the overall operations of the company. Why is it we take the time to dust, to vacuum and to clean the bathroom facilities, however we forget the things we touch the most; keyboards, telephones, desks and so on.

Did you know that up to 70% of computer related problems are as a result of dust, dirt and other airborne particles? Computers are in fact a magnet to dirt and dust as the static electricity attracts it, we see evidence of this with the yellowing of surfaces, plus the extreme dust build up in computer areas when compared to other areas of the home and office. Now if we can see the external evidence of dust and dirt, then what is this doing to the inside of the machine and its components?

Keyboards become sticky and in-efficient from the build up of dust and particles, screens become dirty and cause our eyes to strain in order to see through the grime, mice become unresponsive and behave erratically, whilst other computer functions may appear faulty however just need a good clean. Don’t let your computer struggle and overheat, maybe it’s time to treat it to a nice clean!

It is recommended that you clean your computer and its components every five months as well as standard dusting in order to keep it looking clean. However if you are a business then it is recommend that you clean your computers every 2-3 months. This is where we can help. Here at Office 365 we have a wide variety of computer cleaning products including our very popular screen cleaner and keyboard cleaner.

Our 5 Star Air Duster Can featured to the right has an incredible £11.83 off at the moment and is now just £2.76!

• 5 Star HFC-free Air Duster
• Compressed gas to remove debris and dirt from hard to reach areas
• Use on all printers, keyboards and equipment
• HFC free
• Flammable
• 400ml can

Alternatively, try our AF Clene Swipe Tub which is featured to the left. These fantastic screen wipes also have a discount and are now available with 32% off, for just £3.53!

• Easily accessed
• Convenient tub prevents drying out
• Antibacterial Wipes
• Fragrance – White Rapids