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.

Whiteboard pens are frustratingly one of those items which often need replacing, yet you cannot live without. They have brought us into the 21st century, eradicating the chalk board and making education simpler, clearer and more up-to-date.  However they come with their problems.

Unlike chalk, the whiteboard pen consists of ink and so it is essential that the lid is replaced when not in use. A dried up whiteboard pen is not uncommon and plays the biggest part in whiteboard pen death across the globe. Well it doesn’t have to be the end; at Office 365 we have found some useful remedies to this widespread pandemic, have a read and safe yourself time, money and heartache!

1. A Tip For Our More Sensible Customers - Revive dried-up whiteboard pens by dipping the tip briefly in nail polish remover, then put the cap back on for a few minutes. 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!
2. A Tip For The Extrovert - Attach a piece of string to the end of the marker, you may need to tape a knotted string to your pen for extra security and 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.

We’ve chosen a whiteboard marker from our range which in our opinion meets the needs of those who are environmentally conscious, economical and have high expectations. Take a look to your right at our Pentel Easyflo Whiteboard Eraser Kit.

• 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

Now you know how to take care of your whiteboard pen, all you need to do is invest in the right ones and they will really last! The featured pens have everything you could possibly need and with proper care, should last you a very long time! Give it a try and take advantage of the tasty 22% off making this set just £3.94!

Nowadays there are many houses doubling up as home offices, with various forms of corkboards making their way onto our walls to keep us better organised. However the corkboard is not only sold as a cork notice board, but as cork pin boards too. These can be used as a form of bulletin board, as the resilient nature of the cork makes it perfect for sticking pins into. Unlike wood, cork will spring back after being penetrated with a pin. They come in a wide variety of sizes and are proven useful not only in our homes and offices, but in schools, hospitals and other like environments where information needs to be posted for all to see.

Cork Facts

• Cork is the product of the cork oak tree, found widespread in the Mediterranean.
• A large proportion of the world’s cork comes from Portugal, which hosts approximately 30% of the world’s cork trees and supplies around 50% of the world’s cork.
• The bark of the cork tree is an accumulation of dead tissue which can be stripped safely from a cork oak once every nine years or so.
• Environmentally friendly – The cork is removed in whole sheets for processing, and the tree is left to grow in peace until another batch of cork is ready.
• Cork is a sustainable tree product, because the trees are left alive after harvesting.

Take a look to your right at our Quartet Prestige Cork Noticeboard with aluminium frame available in W900 x H600mm, W1200 x H900mm and W1800 x H1200mm.

• New thicker colour cork surface holds pins securely
• Self-sealing and long-lasting surface eliminates flaking and unsightly pinholes
• Natural feel of cork with a rich, graphite-blend colour
• Modern leading-edge design
• Superior aluminium frame
• Wall fixing kit included

These cork boards are available with between 25 and 30% off while stocks last and are made by the very prestigious Quartet. Quartet are the leaders in presentation and notice boards in North America and a part of the Acco brands group. They enable their customers to make an immediate impact and ensure a lasting impression.

Our Nobo Pro Rail systems have proven extremely popular with customers purchasing for presentation purposes. They have been reviewed as being highly innovative, user friendly and designed for multifunctional use. The system has become widely used in offices across the world and has proven extremely useful in all presentation scenarios, no matter how simple, complex or multi-layered. Maybe you’d like to revisit or incorporate information from previous boards or screens, or you need multiple boards to perform the presentation? Nobo rail systems more than facilitate these different scenarios quickly and easily leaving even the most particular of users, more than satisfied. You can even chose from the optional double rail system which comes with all accessories, including hanging kits for the front rail or alternatively, the option of an extension kit which may be used for both drywipe and notice boards allowing them to pass freely over each other.

The Nobo Flip Chart Rail to your right incorporates a new and innovative hinged flipchart holder. It features;

• Unique hinged design makes it easy to flip pages over
• Integral drywipe board surface, pad storage facility and clip-on pen tray
• Height adjustable, supplied with standard hanging kit for front channel
• Size: 665x970mm

The product has been designed to enable interactive presentations and the multi-purpose flip pad holder has a hinge to one side to allow the flip-pad pages to be easily passed over the top. Upon removing the flip-pad, an extremely useful and very durable dry wipe writing surface is revealed. The hinge has a restricted movement for safety, plus a spare flip-pad can be stored on hooks behind the drywipe writing surface. You can have all this for just £171.81, grabbing yourself a tasty 33% off.

Maybe you already have your Rail Systems in place and you’re looking to accessorise it; if this is the case then you’ve come to the right place.  Nobo’s quality is second to none and when it comes to price, we won’t be beaten. At Office 365, if you find our prices cheaper anywhere else, we’ll match it.

Easily one of our most successful brands and highest achievers are the incredible Nobo, an Acco brand. Their so good in fact that they made it into our best suppliers list for top quality at No: 3! They are probably THE most popular brand at Office 365 and are the Kings (or Queens) in presentation equipment. No other company in this area of the market even comes close to competing.

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.

Acco’s vast portfolio of high quality products have a large number of reputable subsidiaries which have become established market leaders themselves. For example, belonging to Acco are these well known brands; Rexel, Nobo, Twinlock, Sasco and many more, all of which I’m sure you’ve heard of. More specifically, Nobo a leading brand in Europe, creates products that are designed to improve functionality and enhance the professional image of the presenter. It has become the professionals preferred choice. Their range of boards include the Nobo White Boards, Nobo Dry Wipe Boards, Nobo Magnetic Boards, Nobo Cork Boards, Nobo Notice Boards and so on, all of which have not been beaten in quality and functionality. Along with their AV accessories, furniture and machinery, plus their Rail Systems, they have an answer for every presentation need and a choice that will blow your mind. It really is very impressive.

The Green Bit

Acco are committed to providing and conducting its business in an environmentally responsible manner, ensuring that their products, packaging and operations are safe for their employees, business partners, customers and ultimately, the environment. They strive to continuously improve their processes and products to ensure innovation, quality and value for money without compromising on their environmental responsibilities.

Their core objectives are to reduce the amounts of material that they use whether in their products or their packaging, identify plastics to aid separation and recovery and recover parts and establishing re-usability potential, recycle as much as possible, use significantly more recycled materials in their processes while promoting and supporting the recycling of their products by their business partners and consumers. They also aim to recover the energy produced from waste by safe, effective disposal, return materials back to nature and review what they have done to try to improve their processes even further. As a testament to their commitment to be more environmentally driven and focused, many of Acco’s products have been verified by the MBDC Consultancy and awarded the Cradle to Cradle certification. This certification provides a company with a means to tangibly, credibly measure achievement in environmentally-intelligent design and helps customers purchase and specify products that are pursuing a broader definition of quality.

Acco are also proud to have been awarded the UK’s BOSS (British Office Supplies and Services) Federation Environmental Award for the past 11 years. The BOSS Federation is the trade association which serves the UK Office Supply and services industry by providing a range of initiatives, cost saving benefits and services, to enhance the business performance of its members. This comprehensive award scheme covers a wide range of environmental issues, such as reducing energy consumption and improving our employees’ working conditions.

Probably THE most popular brand at Office 365 is our fabulous Nobo. Nobo are the Kings (or Queens) in presentation equipment and so far, nothing and no one has come close to competing. Now we’ve taken a look at Nobo’s rail systems before and recommended an extremely useful wall hanging projection screen. This time however, we’d like to delve a little further into the realms of the entire rail system and other popular accessories and accompaniments to it, namely the white board.

The Nobo Rail System is a product which has become widely used in many offices across the world. The clever mechanism have proven extremely useful in all presentation scenarios, no matter how simple, complex or multi-layered. It could be that you’d like to revisit or incorporate information from previous boards or screens, or maybe multiple boards are needed to perform the presentation, all of which are regular occurrences. Nobo rail systems facilitate all these possible needs quickly and easily leaving even the most particular of users, more than satisfied. You can even chose from the optional double rail system which comes with all accessories, including hanging kits for the front rail or alternatively, the option of an extension kit which may be used for both drywipe and notice boards and allows these boards to be passed over others.

Featured to your right is the Nobo Magnetic Pro-Rail Drywipe Board. The Pro Rail System is the perfect solution for busy training or conference rooms and this white board is the perfect accompaniment. The rail features a white cover which conceals a twin-track rail system that enables you to add various accessories such as the featured drywipe board, flipcharts, shelves, projection screens and notice boards. These components are able to slide along the rails, moving into position, plus if used in conjunction with an extension kit which connects a board to the second rail, the boards are able to slide over each other. Basically, the extension kit is designed for use with the Pro-Rail Notice Board, flip-chart holder and Dry-wipe Boards and enables the boards to pass over one another.

So whether you already have your Rail Systems in place and you’re just looking for accessories or you’re trying for example to find the complete Whiteboard Rail Systems, we will be able to help you. The full variety is available at Office 365 and we offer big reductions across the entire range! If you’re looking for quality and reliability, Nobo are the brand for you and if you’re looking for the right price, then you’ve found it here. Office 365 are the most competitive stationers in the online market and if you find our prices cheaper anywhere else, we’ll match it!

Sterifold are a brand by the company Tarifold who have produced products that have organised, displayed and protected information, for more than 40 years! They produce products which enable people to efficiently access their information the instant they need it and in a professional and sophisticated manor. In particular, their Sterifold reference display panels actually use the world’s most advanced in organic natural compound – AgION antimicrobial. This new technology is perfect for products which are used in shared public places and where multiple users have contact with display systems. For example; medical and paramedical environments, pharmaceutical industry, public places, administrations and schools.

At Office 365, we specialise in the re-sale of the Sterifold Desk Stand which is perfect for products used in shared public places (hospital, laboratories, dentist’s surgeries, pharmacies, agro alimentary sector, catering, schools, canteens). Any harmful bacteria, fungi or mold is neutralised and killed by the silver ions, freeing up your desk stand to spread information and not germs! This is because the foil (PVC 22/100) of the Sterifold pockets has been manufactured with the Agion silver ion compound which is a proven antimicrobial agent.

Sterifold pockets, as with all information displays, are touched and manipulated many times and by many different people every day. For this reason the surface of a Sterifold pocket serves as a microorganism transfer site through regular contact. Sterifold pockets will release Agion antimicrobial silver ions every time bacteria, mold or fungi appears on the surface of the pocket. The efficiency of the technology has been EPA and FDA Certified (USA) and European Biocidal products directive (98/88/EC).

Featured to your right, you will see our Sterifold Display Book.

• Ideal for all offices, industrial environments, kitchens, laboratories, public places etc
• Contains 10 anti-microbial Sterifold pivoting pockets
• Pockets accommodate A4 sheets
• Complies with European Biocidal Products Directive 98/88/EC
• Perfectly stable and suitable for desks, counters, workstations etc
• Can also be wall mounted if desired

With an incredible 31% off, you can purchase this item for not £121.98, but £84.67! With savings like this, it’s easy to see why people come to us to make savings on their office purchases – Office 365 – The Clever Alternative.

Prices valid from the 01/02/2010

Centafoam was acquired by the company Hunt Manufacturing Co in April 1995. Centafoam manufactures and markets a line of styrene-based foam board products and will become part of Hunt Europe Limited. All Centafoam products will continue to be manufactured in the current facilities in Ledbury, England. Hunt Manufacturing Co. is a leading manufacturer and distributor of office, art/craft and presentation and display products for the business, education and consumer markets.

The boards featured above are lightweight, durable Centafoam Noticeboards which are ideal for display mounting, printing, drawing and most forms of laminating. This elegant and comfortable to work with board cuts smoothly with knives and scalpels. A foam notice board can be an excellent choice and can also be used with pins which can give a very attractive finish. Display boards are perfect for presenting things on a day to day basis within the office, and can be ideal for starting forums. Our range of Centafoam display boards enable you to get the look you want for your office whilst keeping the board in line with the general décor. Foamboard display boards come in white, black and grey. Essentially they are strong, light and easy to cut and in addition to displaying and framing purposes, they can be used as bulletin boards and as a substitute for balsa wood.

You can purchase these foam boards at Office 365 with savings from 24% – 33% off! These offers are valid as of 07/12/09.

We seem to be doing full circles with our Nobo range. Their popularity is never ending! First we bring you a selection of our best whiteboards and later we bring you hints, tips and products for the care of your boards. Now we’ve come right back round to whiteboards again, apparently our customers just can’t get enough! This time however, we bring you something a little different from the others.

So maybe you’ve found your self in the predicament where there is no meeting room available? Or maybe there’s no whiteboard in the room? What if it was as easy as just bringing one with you! Our range of Nobo mobile whiteboards is tailored specifically for today’s changing needs. Nobo mobile whiteboards provide an outstanding range of options, with all the accessories and Nobo guarantees you’d expect. For example, take a look at our Nobo Mobile Whiteboard and Hanging Track.

The heart of the Quartet Mobile Solution – This lightweight double-sided dry wipe white board has much to offer. The Quartet Mobile Dry Wipe Board weighs in at just 2.28kgs making it so easy to lift off either the conference system or track and move to another room or area.

It features;

• Double sided dry wipe surface
• Easy to install, 2 screws required
• Integrated partition hangers
• Kit includes 2 panels and mounting track
• Built in pen tray and eraser

You can pick this board up from office 365 for an astonishing £103.23, that’s a saving of 35% when you buy from us. Alternatively, why not take a look at what else we have to offer, there are plenty more Nobo Whiteboards where this one came from!

Prices correct as of 28/09/09

We’ve Shown You The White Board – Now Lets Talk Accessories!

Office 365 have recently been working on bringing you 1 blog per day about the latest or most sought after products. The subject for a few of them has been the Nobo board. We’ve found privacy whiteboards, rotating easel whiteboards and tips on how to care for your whiteboards, but we have not shown you the accessories that go with them. So we’ve looked through our range to find you the best products for quality, value and ‘doing what they say on the can’. These are tried and tested products so you can use them with peace of mind that they are money well spend. Firstly we found you the Nobo Deepclene Plus Board Cleaner.

• For polishing both laminated and metallic whiteboards
• Creamy foam formula removes marks made by the wrong marker, general soiling and polishes out scratches
• Ozone-friendly does not contain CFCs and non-flammable
• 150ml

Most people, (like myself up until now) have no idea how to keep their whiteboards clean and in tip top condition. So we’ve delved into the realms of the whiteboard and found some really useful tips for you.

Firstly, if a whiteboard is not dry, do not write on it. The resulting smeared ink is hard to read and very hard to remove. Dry-erase markers use an apolar solvent (like alcohol) to dissolve or emulsify the ink, which then dries onto the board.  Though ink is flaky when dry, it goes on just a little wet (it’s a liquid, after all). Since ink behaves very differently wet than dry, you must distinguish cleaning dry (no solvent) from cleaning wet (using cleaning solvent). Either way, the goal is to remove purely dry ink from a dry surface. We’ve found that the key to cleaning is firm, consistent pressure. You want the entire flat of your hand on the surface, covering a wide area. Pressure matters to lift the dry ink. Ink dries over time; indeed, it can continue to be drying over a month. The sooner you erase dry ink, the easier it is to take up. Ink that has been on a whiteboard a month or more may not yield to dry pressure; wet-cleaning may be necessary. If a whiteboard is poorly cleaned, it will leave faint ink smears or ink cribbles in the edges or hard-to-reach areas. These build up (ink on ink is bad), and eventually a whiteboard, even if it has been lovingly dry-cleaned, must be wet-cleaned. If you use solvent to wet either the board or (better) the wipe cloth (paper towel), make sure you clean deeply over the entire affected area. The goal is to rub with firm pressure until all the cleaning solvent has evaporated or been wiped up in your paper towel, leaving none to evaporate from the whiteboard’s surface. To the touch, cleaning solvent will be dry in just a few minutes … but that is an illusion, at the molecular level, it is still wet (and if new writing is added, it will emulsify the new writing, leading to a white-on-dark negative effect that is murder to clean off). When you use solvent, allow the whiteboard to dry completely, at least half an hour, preferably two hours, before you write on it again. End of the day, or Friday afternoon, are great times to give a whiteboard a thorough cleaning.

For a full list of Office 365′s whiteboard cleaners visit the site. Also, why not print this page off, keep it pinned up next to your whiteboard to remind you to clean it!

To your left you’ll see our very colourful Nobo Magnetic Pins. They are a set of round magnets in coloured plastic with convex tops. They can be used as planning markers or to hold papers on magnetic boards.

Nobo boards and other products have been carefully designed to help you get the best from your meetings, presentations and people. Similarly, Nobo accessories ensure that you continue to make the most of your boards and products. Nobo magnets allow the fixing of notices and information to any magnetic surface. Brightly coloured and effective, Nobo magnets are an ideal accessory to have.

• Brightly coloured magnets
• Domed tops for easy gripping
• Ideal for holding up notices or marking positions on planners etc
• Ideal for use with any magnetic surface
• Pack of 12 magnetic drawing pins
• Assorted colours

And for a wider selection of whiteboard magnetic stickers and other such magnetic products, why not give our team a call for advice or take a look at the site where you will see clear images of all our products.