Use a display board at home or in your work place as a tool to record, brainstorm and even present yours and your colleagues ideas. They make fantastic organisational tools when they become the focal point in the office or office cafeteria, as they become the place to go to find out what’s going on with the business, what the goal and targets are or which teams performed best last month etc. You can choose from many different options when it comes to display boards, with lightweight cork, felt and foam boards which are ideal for when you’re on a budget or you’re intending on buying a few, dry wipe boards for writing messages on directly, magnetic boards for writing on and using various magnetic accessories and framed and lockable door display boards for smartly posting awards, achievements, notices, work, reminders and other important information.

Our display boards provide the perfect opportunity for showcasing results, brainstorming ideas, and displaying goals and targets. Where better to place one of these boards than in the office? A well placed display board will not only encourage and inform staff, but will also boost morale and increase team playing spirit.

Keep on top of your display board; regularly update it, consider what information should make its way to the board, what information would make your staff feel as valued as they are. Do not let its contents become out of date as this will only loose enthusiastic readers and your staff will stop referring to it for important information. Check it daily, remove old notices and pin up new, exciting and informative ones. You could also use this as a way of starting up a new rewards scheme. The best performing team each month are treated to lunch or something similar, or maybe the best performing individual received a dinner for two. Alternatively create targets and goals and display these; that way your employees have an aim to work towards.

At Office 365 you will find a selection that includes;

• Aluminium Frame Display Boards – Including various sizes, lockable options, felt, hook and loop and various brand options.
• Cork Boards – Including various different sizes, whiteboard/cork combinations, wood, plastic and aluminium frames and various brand options.
• Felt Boards – Including various sizes, framed and unframed boards, aluminium and wooden frames, felt/dry wipe combinations and various brand options.
• Other Display Boards – Including various sizes, Foamboard display boards, Nobo Tuffboards, Post-it adhesive boards, Diamond mesh boards from Nobo Quartet, Nobo Quartet high density foam boards and more.
• Unframed Display Boards – Nobo fabric unframed notice boards.
• Wood Frame Display Boards – Display cabinets, lockable doors, oak and teak finishes and various size options.

10 Reason Why Dry wipe Markers Are Better Than Chalk…

1. Their Mess Free! – No chalky dust, no messy fingers.
2. They’re Ear Friendly – No nasty screeching down the chalk board.
3. They’re Bold – Drywipe markers stand out from a distance on their white surface.
4. Their Refillable – You can now get eco-friendly refillable markers!
5. They Don’t Leave Residue – Unlike chalk on a chalk board, drywipe markers rub off the board with ease leaving the board fresh for new applications.
6. Colours – They’re available in a large variety of different colours which is great for diagrams and charts.
7. Accuracy – Due to their shaped tipped, drywipe markers produce neat writing and accurate illustrations.
8. Variety of Tips – They also come in both bullet and chisel tip!
9. Lids – They have lids to prevent them from marker other objects.
10. No Breakages – They don’t snap or crumble!

Here at Office 365 we just love the Artline range of whiteboard markers, they seem to be designed with the consumer in mind! Take a look at these for example. Our Artline 2-in-1 whiteboard markers featured to your right are perfect for every whiteboard! They feature;

• Two points in one pen – 2.0mm Bullet Tip and 5.0mm Chisel Tip
• Eight contrasting quick dry colours
• Transferable cap storage
• Anti roll bar fitted to cap
• Ideal for all whiteboards, glass, plastics, and laminates
• Three line widths
• Bullet Tip: 2.0mm
• Chisel Tip: 3.0×5.0mm
• Assorted pack contains one each of black, blue, red, green, brown, orange, purple and pink
• Packed 8
• Now with 25% off – Just £14.03!

Artline are an international brand made by the Japanese organization, Shachihata. In 1999 Shachihata obtained the ISO 9001 Quality Assurance System Certification for its marking pens and stamps and in 2000 was also awarded the ISO 14001 Certification for its environmental management system. Also, Artline no longer uses Xylene in most of their products and have instead substituted this traditional yet harmful solvent with an alcohol. The only difference that is obvious is the smell; where the Xylene has a strong scent, the alcohol has a more neutral one. The reason for this change is the increasing concern amongst some community members that the product could cause negative health effects. Artline also have an Eco Green range. These are recycled, general purpose markers made using a unique dry safe ink formula. These pens are made using at least 74% recycled material.

Gone are the days of the blackboard, and thank goodness for that! No more chalky mess, no more illegible black boards, no more messy cleaning and better still, no more squeaky chalk down the blackboard! Phew! We have progressed; we evolved by moving onto the whiteboard which allowed better legibility, bolder writing, chalk powder free demonstrations and easy cleaning! However we have progressed further still! With more and more offices and classrooms across the globe now using magnetic whiteboards, it makes you wonder how we ever put up with anything less. The magnetism of the board means that we can use it to its full ability, applying additions such as graphs, charts, categories, pin up notes (or rather magnet up notes), magnetic erasers and pens trays and so much more. The possibilities are endless! Unlike the old white boards, there is no need to purchase a separate plain whiteboard from a gridded one, you simply purchase cheap magnetic board accessories and create your own temporary grid, or lines etc.

Our featured Nobo Classic Magnetic Drywipe Board has one extra special bonus feature – it comes complete with a free starter kit! The offer is available at Office 365 from May-September 2011 while stocks last, so get in there quick! This set features;

• Classic magnetic board
• Aluminium trim
• Secure through board mounting
• Complete with pen tray
• Fixing kit included
• Single colour corner caps
• Size: 600 x 900mm
• Starter Kit contains three drymarkers, 125ml board cleaning fluid and an eraser
• Drymarkers are black, blue and red
• Additional 27% off – Now just £53.97!
• Free Delivery!!!

So if your business or school frequently brainstorm ideas, jot down menus and lunch orders, organise staff holidays, dish out targets and goals, give presentations and meetings, rota shifts, educate groups of people and basically give notices and display information, then maybe a magnetic board is the way forward for you. The Nobo brands simple, stylish range of aluminium trim whiteboards are designed to ensure maximum writing area, and ease of use, perfect for all your basic interactive writing needs. For a chance to get your hands on this offer, or any other whiteboard for that matter, look no further than Office 365!

I actually remember an English lesson one day at school (this is going back 13 years now), if I remember right, we were learning about the incredible and very ‘real’ war time Poet Siegfried Sassoon. Our wonderfully eccentric English teacher (who was from Bolton and loved Greenday!), rather caught up in the fascinating and extremely dramatic life story of this amazing poet, was desperately trying to scribble something down on the whiteboard. He went through pen after pen, he must have tried seven or eight whiteboard pens – all of which were empty – before he gave up, blew a fuse, threw the final whiteboard pen on the floor and jumped on it! You may laugh now, I do, but at the time, we were all speechless!

I’ve seen this many a time, not the furious jumping on the empty whiteboard pen, but the failed attempts at using dried up pens. You must remember to stock up people, it’s obviously very frustrating to find you haven’t one that works so be prepared! Alright, so maybe you’ve forgotten again; but all is not lost, jumping on your pen will not revive it I can assure you, however we have a few of tricks that may help should you get caught out again:

• Try dipping the tip briefly in nail polish remover, then put the cap back on for a few minutes. (Remember to test in a corner of the whiteboard to make sure it doesn’t damage the surface.)
• If you have a water-based, low odour, whiteboard marker, this can just be dipped in water like a regular marker. Make sure you check which kind you have!
• Fasten a piece of string to the end of the marker, (you may need to tape a knotted string to your pen for extra security) then spin the marker over your head several times. Centrifugal force will allow any remaining ink to flow to the marker tip. Make sure you secure the cap tightly first! When removing the cap, do it over a sink or a wad of paper towels as ink can pool up in the cap.
• Purchase refillable whiteboard pens and have a selection of refills to hand

If you’ve tried all these and they haven’t worked, or you tried them, they worked and now they really are empty, then it’s time to buy your new whiteboard pens. Try our Pentel Easyflo whiteboard pens featured above which are top choice as far as I’m concerned as they produce vibrant bold colour, have a tip and go recharging system, last longer than the standard whiteboard pen, but more importantly as far as we’re concerned; they contain over 94% recycled content. Key features include:

• Tip and go recharging system
• Dry erase
• Longer writing time
• Durable medium bullet tip
• 800 metres writing distance
• 94% recycled content
• Black
• Packed 12
• 25% off! – Now just £15.86 for a pack of 12!

Alternatively take a look here and choose your own black whiteboard pens so that you can decide for yourself which features are important to you.

Can you imagine going back to the messy old days of the black board? A classroom full of children on the edge of their seats just waiting for that awful ‘SCREECH’ as the chalk scrapes the board, *shudder*. I never understood it at school, why some of our teachers clung onto their blackboards for dear life while all the others moved with the times and replaced theirs with these fabulous whiteboards which gleamed with life, drawing us in. I have very good eyesight, was even better at school, yet even I struggled sometimes to read the scribbles on the black board, particularly during Geography I think it was, where our teacher just wouldn’t clean the old thing! She was using white chalk on what had become a white board and instead of learning where you’ll find the capital of Egypt or where Pompeii was, you’d spend the entire lesson dreaming of how satisfying it would be to get a nice wet rag and drag it across the board leaving a lovely BLACK trail behind it. So that explains my very poor knowledge on Geography and why my 9 year old has to teach me the capitals and flags of each country… Thank heavens for Google is all I say!

Anyway, enough about blackboards, we have now finally transgressed to the beautifully clear and elegant whiteboard. With vibrant pens and a gleaming back ground, whatever is marked upon the board will be legible from some distance! And when you’re done, one wipe with the whiteboard eraser and it’s all gone! Lovely jubbly. At Office 365 we have a great variety of whiteboards available in many sizes and from some top quality brands. Our cost effective models offer you a choice of surfaces, not to mention a full selection of useful accessories. Choose from surfaces such as melamine which is ideal for general use, magnetic steel which is as versatile as you could need it to be and enamel for its durability. If you’re looking for value and you’re on a smaller budget, then 5 Star are the brand for you, however is quality and a top Guarantee is what you have in mind, the Nobo are the brand you’re looking for. If you’re not really all that fussed on the brand and are searching for a particular size, select from the appropriate size below;

• Whiteboard 900 x 600
• Whiteboard 1200 x 900
• Whiteboard 1800 x 1200

The standard wall and notice board is used to display information in a community building, workplace, meeting room or any public building for that matter. They are used to display information and instructions like for example in the office there may be a board stating what the sales target is for the day, what the ‘calls’ target is for the day etc. In a theatre you may find a notice board in the foyer displaying the performance dates and times, performer’s names and charges. You may find notices in public buildings directing customers and visitors on where to go, say for example, ‘Meeting in Progress’, ‘AA Meeting This Way’, ‘Pottery Classes Here’ etc. In a school or educational building you are sure to find the chalk board and the whiteboard which are both used as educational tools using imagery and text when teaching certain subjects. Alternatively, you may find a notice or pin board in the home with messages like ‘Shopping List’, ‘To Do’, ‘School Play’, ‘Dentists 3:30’ etc. There are so many uses for wall and notice boards that today we would be lost without them! At Office 365 you’ll find a choice of the following;

Chalk Boards – With or without stands, rounded corners and wall mountable options. All made by Bi Office.

Drywipe Accessories - A drywipe board requires specialist accessories and care. To make proper use of yours, you will need items such as cleaning and erasing accessories, magnetic markers and strips and all sorts of others.

Drywipe Boards – We have both magnetic and non magnetic options here made by 5 Star, Nobo, Quartet and Stabilo.

Info Letter Boards – For a more superior finish, our info letter boards cleverly allow you to adjust the message. They are available in glazed options, landscape, portrait and various others.

Notice Board Accessories – Here you will find the characters needed to use your info letter boards, available in chrome look and in 19mm and 28mm options.

Notice Pin Boards – Choose from board varieties in either pin, or pin and whiteboard combo’s. Also available in aluminium frame, cork, felt, magnetic, unframed, wood framed and a variety of other options.

Whiteboards – You’ll find the whiteboard in every office, board room and educational facility, with magnetic, mobile and doors options. Available from brands such as 5 Star, Artline, Legamaster and Nobo.

A teacher without a whiteboard pen is like a doctor without a stethoscope. The same could be said for those holding meetings and running a business. Most businesses wait until the New Year before they replenish their stocks, finding it an unnecessary chore before Christmas. Up until this time companies can find themselves running on air, beading their last pens, markers, tea supplies and paper supplies dry so that they can have the luxury of a holiday from making new orders. Well give yourselves a pat on the pack for seeing your company through it, however now you’ve used every last morsel, you’ll need to stock up for the year ahead, plus you’ll need it fast seeing as you’re all out. Thankfully Office 365 offer generous savings on bulk orders, free delivery on orders over £30, plus super fast next day delivery!

Take our Pentel EasyFlo Whiteboard Pens and Eraser Kit featured to your right.

• Liquid ink marker with unique ‘tip and go’ mechanism
• Point nib downwards for quick ink reviving action
• 800m writing distance
• Refillable ink for economical use
• Ink colours black, red, blue and green
• For white or porcelain boards
• Visible ink reservoir
• Bullet point gives approx 2.0mm line width
• Takes MWR1 refill
• Part of the Recycology range
• Made from 81% recycled content
• Eraser Kit
• Markers fit neatly onto eraser
• Supplied complete with one black and one blue marker

Whether you’re an office worker, a school teacher or a hitchhiker, our range of whiteboard pens are suitable for use by everyone and at an affordable price too. The above pens now have 22% off making them just £3.94! Plus being refillable means that it’s an expense you won’t have to think about again. By the way; when your pens do run out, don’t panic. You’ll have a couple of days to organise their refill if you give them a temporary boost. Just dip them in nail varnish remover and pop the cap back on for a few minutes. You should have a wonderfully vibrant marker in no time. Alternatively, if their water based, dip the tip in water instead. Another tip we’ve been given by our blog fans is to pop them in the fridge, this too should revive them.

When I was in the classroom, more than a decade ago now, we had black or sometimes green chalk boards. These boards enabled the teacher to interact with the class and explain topics in detail, by using the board which was legible by the entire glass due to its size and the contrast in colour between the board and the chalk. However the chalk board had its faults. I remember on many occasions these boards being so coated in that white dusty film, that I could barely make out what was written on it. I remember writing on the board and having my sleeve coated in chalk dust and I remember being sent to the loo’s for wet tissue so that the board could be cleaned properly (and even that didn’t do a great job). Towards the end of my schooling, when it became apparent that chalk dust was not good for computers, they began to introduce drywipe whiteboards into the classroom. These new and gleaming big white boards now stood in the ancient chalk boards place and replacing the chalk were whiteboard pens. The pens seemed to write so smoothly and boldly on the boards, I desperately wanted a go! I’ll never forget that potent smell the whiteboard pens made, sweet, but of course, not good for you! However times have moved on and now these whiteboard pen manufacturers have developed ink which is non toxic and does not fill the room in which they are used with that pungent smell! Whiteboard surfaces are now much easier to clean than they were originally, with new surfaces and reduced glare.

Featured to your right is our Nobo Ellipse Magnetic Drywipe Board in coated steel. It features;

• Recommended for use in a general office environment
• Durable surface for use with magnetic accessories
• Free Nobo drymarker and pen tray
• Concealed corner fittings
• Board surface guaranteed 5 years under normal use
• Includes wall fixing kit
• WxH: 1500 x 1000mm (5′x3′3″)
• 30% Off
• Free Delivery

Our Nobo range offers a fantastic guarantee and also have an Easyfix system, which allows the whiteboards to be simply installed or removed, so choosing a product in their range offers you the reassurance we all need. The Nobo brand are part of the Acco Company, the largest suppliers of branded office products worldwide. The sheer size of the company is demonstrated in the huge volume of countries they are marketed in, with a list of more than 100 to be precise! Spanning across a wide range of office products, they continuously invest in knowledge of how people work so that they can fulfil their mission to deliver exceptional performance products across their brands.

Like myself, my nine year old daughter has the memory of a goldfish, I’m serious. To add to the problem she has the concentration span of a gnat. For a child attending her last couple of years in primary school, this is not good at all. And as a full time working mother of two, with endless house chores, cooking, shopping, social arrangements and a dog who sheds whole tumble weeds of fur daily and piddles all over my floors ; I really can’t be expected to keep on top of all her ‘to dos’ for her.

Both my children are at school and come home daily with letters that require signatures and money for trips, letters of dates for open and parents evenings, leaflets for upcoming community events and oodles of homework which I even struggle to understand! As a keen karate enthusiast, my eldest has numerous karate tournaments and grading dates to keep on track of too, not to mention a busy social life that far exceeds my own. Why is it that they spend all day with their friends at school, yet still demand they have a friend home for tea twice a week…each! My youngest has suddenly decided that Yes, she can draw anything after all, and literally does just that. We have ‘Free Willy’s’ mum on the bedroom door, my late grandmother on the fridge, Sponge Bob Square Pants on further bedroom doors and a great big picture of a humpback whale blue tacked to her wall (which will no doubt take the paint off eventually). My house now looks like a pre-school.

I have to put my hands up and admit, I just cannot keep on top of it all and have acquired a name for myself as the very forgetful mother, which I resent by the way! I think it’s high time I look into purchasing pin boards and pin boards for kids too! That way when each of us has a date to remember or a task to be completed, we can just pin it up on the board where it will be glanced at numerous times every day. Plus, my youngest can gleefully fill her own board with as many colourful pieces of ‘artwork’ as she likes.

Communicating with your staff and your co-workers is vital in the world of business. In fact poor communication is one of the greatest reasons for the failure and collapse many businesses. If you excel in communication, then you and your business will go far, maintaining a successful office of happy, appreciated staff. Well used and fantastic aids in business communication are notice boards for office use.

Notice boards are one of the most versatile tools when it comes to exchanging messages and general contact and are perfect for any office or meeting room. You will find that our notice boards are available in many different colours and styles, plenty to suit all individual office environments.

When deciding on the board for your premises, you will be able to choose from a range here that meets the current ‘look’ of your office, keeping in line with the current decor. Here you will have a choice from a selection of four different styles, each of which comes in many different border, frame and material colours;

• Foam Notice Boards – For use with pins
• Fabric Notice Boards – For use with ‘Velcro’ style characters and also pins
• Cork Notice Boards – Solely for use with pins
• Drywipe Notice Boards – To be used with drywipe markers
• Glass Fronted Display Boards – Normally lockable

Notice boards are a popular choice for the display of any communication within the office, such as clubs, meetings, achievements, media articles, events and much more. They become a common gathering area where staff can club together, forming relationships and vital team/social skills, often becoming the starting point for forums. You will usually find notice boards in a range of different areas including the following;

• Conference Rooms
• Individual Pods
• Receptions
• Break Rooms
• Lobbys

You will find a vast choice here at Office 365 from many leading brand and for each individual character and style, not to mention pocket. If you’d like some advise about which board would best suit your businesses needs, please call one of our team on 0870 766 1624 where we’ll be happy to assist.