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.

It’s that time of year again where we’re all contemplating our New Year’s resolutions. Those of us that don’t necessarily believe in New Year’s resolutions consider new ways of making the year ahead run more smoothly, more efficiently and without the added stress and drama. This is true both in the office and in the home.  For the most of us finances both at home and at work have become incredibly tight these last couple of years. It has made organising the financial running of things quite difficult. At work many businesses have suffered cut backs and the remaining staff has had to chip in, in areas they don’t normally work. This has led to a year or two of utter chaos of the filing systems! A lower moral in the office due to cut backs will also lead to a lack in motivation to work efficiently and effectively. You may have noticed scrappier work and messy desks. In the home as most households struggle to make ends meet, bills are coming in ‘red’ and housework and paperwork organisation is coming second to overtime in the office to cover rising bills and housing costs.

As January approaches we all take a deep breath and cross everything in hope for an easier and more comfortable year, a year where we’re no longer treading water, but making progress to bettering our lives and our family’s lives. With this hope comes a sense of new beginnings and a more positive attitude. Individuals tend to do a complete overhaul of their homes, re-organising paperwork, clearing out and cleaning cupboards and draws and generally freshening up the home. In the office businesses tend to do much the same. With a positive mental attitude and plenty of ideas just waiting to be put into practice, filing systems are also updated, offices cleaned and tools put into place to enable the better functioning of the office for a brand new year.

A very simple yet extremely effective tool in both the home and the workplace are letter trays. Placed strategically and labelled effectively, letter trays can become an irreplaceable object helping no end to the increased efficiency of the home or the office alike. For example, place a letter tray at each desk in the office and each member of staff will be able to keep on top of their daily accounts and enquiries. For example, instead of piling all their paperwork high and having to sift through it each time they need a particular document, they could file it temporarily in a letter tray. This is perfect for accounts and customers who orders or enquires are in the process of being dealt with. Once complete, their paperwork can be filed into a filing cabinet. A three tray letter tray could be labelled; top tray – Open cases, middle tray – Awaiting customer response and bottom tray – recently dealt with, matter closed.

In the home letter trays can be kept in the home office for the similar filing of utility bills and other documents. They can be kept in the kitchen for filing recopies or alternatively they could be kept wherever convenient for housing letters and documents which require attention. For example school newsletters with dates of Christmas plays, fairs or other important dates, letters addressing fee’s that are due, outgoing post, etc. Another perfect place to place a letter tray would be in your child’s bedroom. It is always a good idea to teach your child organisational skills at a young age; providing them with a letter tray enables them to file their home work, report cards, certificates or other relevant information in a convenient place.

Office 365 has an extensive selection of letter trays available from a huge selection of brands including economy labels for those on a budget, to well known, high end labels for those looking for additional quality and features. If you’re looking to buy in bulk and would like a quote or you would like help or advise with ordering, please call our team on 0870 766 1624 where we will be more than happy to assist you.

With just twelve days to go until Christmas, it’s high time you consider your festive approach to business. Are you planning on using the seasons cheer to advertise a sale? Alternatively you’ll be making changes to the business as of 2012 and would like to let your customer know. Maybe a gesture of goodwill, you’d like to send your customers a Christmas card or thank you letter. Many companies use this time of year as a way of selling themselves and getting their name known and with less than two weeks to go, you haven’t much time to get organised! With this is mind, here at Office 365 we’ve reduced the burden for you by suggesting the perfect envelopes.

A4 envelopes (otherwise known as C4 envelopes) are designed to enclose an A4 sheet of paper perfectly without folding it. It is for this reason that the C4 envelope is perfect for sending large photographs, designs, certificates and any important document that you wish to arrive in pristine condition. A4 envelopes measure 324mm x 229mm (12¾” x 9″) and are available in options such as A4 white envelopes, A4 brown envelopes, heavyweight, medium weight, lightweight, recycled, gusset, non gusset, manila, window and no window options, plus in many different seals and styles. Here at Office 365, you can choose from brands including 5 Star, New Guardian, Plus Fabric, Basildon Bond, Uno, Croxley Script and Ecolabel brands.

Our number one choice during this season would be the 5 Star C4 90gsm white envelopes. The thought process behind this choice is based on affordability and flexibility. Many companies like to print a festive message or image on the envelope and so the white option would give better results. We choose 5 Star because of their renowned value for money, without sacrificing on quality. This is important at this time of year as companies send out such large quantities of post; they must make sure that they can purchase a large quantity of envelopes without breaking the bank.

These particular envelopes boast;

• Short flap/pocket style
• Choice of sealing methods – gummed or press seal
• Pockets
• C4 324 x 229mm
• Press Seal
• 250
• 90gsm
• 81% off‼ – Now just £11.51 for 250 envelopes!

5 Star products are one of the best-known office products brands in the UK and with 15 years experience behind them; they are now experts in their field. Offering a 12 month no quibble quality guarantee, their value for money certainly doesn’t affect their standards! They deliver unbeatable price and quality, across the most popular everyday product lines, plus they’re also one of the most widely available ranges of office products.

Each 5 Star product now 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.

It’s that time again, and I can tell you, it’s certainly feeling as though I only did this a month ago! Yes 2011 has gone by in the blink of an eye, yet so much has happened. It’s be a rather interesting year for us all, and for most, a financial struggle. So let’s say good bye to 2011, good riddance even and lets welcome with open arms 2012 with hope, positivity and the strength of new beginnings. However there’s still the matter of getting the office organised for the New Year! It’s no good giving your staff a morale boosting 2012 speech to encourage motivation if you forget to put the essential in place to keep the office running in the first place!

What every office and home for that matter needs is fresh organisational equipment. By this I mean diaries, calendars and office year planners. Just picture it now; January 3^rd comes and one by one in walks your rather red nosed yet re-energised staff, ready to begin work, refreshed and positive. But hang on, that’s last year’s diary? They can’t organise meetings with clients without a calendar to look at and how are you meant to keep on top of your staff’s holidays? It simply wouldn’t do; businesses need to get organised in December, way before the offices close for Christmas, so if you haven’t purchased your 2012 organisational tools, you’d better hurry up!

One of the most popular products are reusable planners, also known as perpetual planners. A great example of these would be the Mark-it Laminated Perpetual Year Planner. At just £10.49, you can use this laminated planner year in year out and is sure to last you many years; what a bargain!

• Mark-it Laminated Wall Planner
• Permanently bonded between two sheets of tough, flexible, crystal clear plastic
• The write on, wipe off surface can be used with both dry and wet wipe pens
• Most are double sided allowing portrait or landscape display
• Each planner comes complete with an accessory kit containing a marker pen, a range of coloured stickers and fixing pins for wall mounting
• Calendar or rolling year at a glance
• Colour shading clearly separates weeks
• Includes self-stick date strips which re-position in seconds
• WxH: 900 x 600mm

With such flexibility of use too, you can make this planner be and do exactly what you want and included in the tiny cost is an accessory kit containing a marker pen, a range of coloured stickers and fixing pins for wall mounting, which surely is worth the overall price itself! This has to be the perfect organisational tool and one that will put a smile on everyone’s faces given the financial hell of year we’ve had! To order, simply follow the link and add to your basket, send us a purchase order by fax (0800 612 9524) or call on 0870 766 1624.

With Christmas rearing its head now’s the time to get your greetings cards out! As a business the festive period is the perfect time to promote yourselves; it gives the simplest excuse to run a new line of products, offer a 25% off Christmas offer for example, promotional free delivery before the new year, send seasons greetings cards to your customers or even post letters with news of what’s to come in the New Year! At this time of year companies purchase more paper, envelopes, stamps, labels and ink cartridges than at any other time, and it’s clear to see why!

Franking is a popular method of postage during this period as it is quick and easy and so cuts time wastage, people power and ultimately money, plus it will give your company a professional image. Franking is known for its cost effectiveness and complete ease of use, and with its flexible range of products and services, it’s no wonder franking machines have become a necessity in offices. By sending your mail using the franking method, you will have the option to pay for credit when you need it so that you will be in complete control of your postage and the cost involved. This is the ideal method for businesses large or small as there are no minimum or maximum postage volume restrictions. What’s more the Royal Mail offer postage discount incentives for franked mail; you will qualify for discounts on your post regardless of how many items you are sending!

The franking machine will print on envelopes of any size or colour, however if you’d like to make absolutely sure that your post marks are straight and visible then the Royal Mail recommend using franking labels. Using labels will give a better finish and will ensure that your envelopes look professional. Plus if you’re sending coloured or patterned envelopes or packets, directly printing your franking mark is not a great idea. You may find that the stamp is not visible through the pattern or the colour and therefore would have wasted the cost of that stamp. Our franking labels are selling fast at Office 365, so if you’d like to stock up for your Christmas mailroom rush, then you’ll need to get in quick. Avery Franking Labels at Office 365 are currently all on offers with the featured Avery Franking Labels 2 Per Sheet on an offer of 35% off! Offering plenty of space for the postal mark and your advertising messages, you get double the benefit from just one label.

• For manual feed machines
• Generous size to allow for postal franking and advertising messages
• 100% money back guarantee
• 2 labels per sheet
• 1000 labels per pack
• Label size: 140 x 38mm
• White
• Now just £16.36‼

Choose from both manual feed options and automatic feed options catering for all post room environments.

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 is continuing this number and aiming for a target of 100,000 new trees for Kenya. At the moment the new total is 65′450, you can add to this total in the same way as before by clicking 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.

The New Year often brings a new lease of life to the office, regardless of whether this office is at home or at work. Each of us tend to feel a sense of better beginnings come January which can often brings New Year’s resolutions, an accelerated drive for ambition and motivation and generally the want of a better year. Look around your office this January and watch how desks are re-organised, telephone manor is improved and general professionalism is heightened. But a better attitude towards work has to start somewhere, for most people this is a tidier and more organised desk. Some take this to the extreme and label their drawers, letter trays and even their stationery, others will re-organise their work spaces so that from now on, they know where everything belongs allowing them to be better prepared and organised for the workload to follow.

You’ve heard us say it again and again; ‘organised piles’ just don’t work. There is no point kidding yourself that you know ‘what’s what’ in those mounds of paper, it is simply a lazy excuse for filing and can only end in disaster. Heaps on desks can only result in coffee ring marks, damaged books, lost property and inevitably poor service, so invest in organisational tools which will make your desk work more efficiently. A great example would be office book racks. They are generally desk sized although you can always sit them on your shelves too, whichever is best for you. They provide essential storage for your books, particularly those that are used frequently. Take a look at our CEP VertiCep Module Book Rack for example.

• Single module component of the larger module set shown, which adapts to numerous uses as a book rack, vertical sorter or cupboard shelf organiser
• The modules can be fitted together back-to-back or face-to-face to give a capacity between them of 50mm to 100mm
• L-shaped to prevent contents from spilling out at the rear
• Suitable for documents up to A4
• 25% Off – Now just £15.71!

This idea is simply perfect; it can be adapted to suit your exact needs and space and what’s more, can continuously be adjusted and added to, what a great idea for the busy office! Plus, if you order 3 or more of this item, you’ll receive free delivery! Do remember our service to customer buying in bulk also; if you’d like to kit out all the desk or shelves in your office, then call us for a quote on 0870 766 1624 or click, ‘get a quote’ at your basket screen.

The Green Bit

Environmental protection is a priority for CEP; minimising consumption of water, energy and packaging, and recycling production rejects. Dalton Office Products has a strong focus on the environment and strives to have quality, environmentally friendly options in their range.

On the run up to Christmas we’re doing our bit at Office 365 to come up with the perfect gift ideas for a range of different people in your life. For example, are you looking for token presents for the staff, or maybe small gift ideas for office Secret Santa presents? Maybe you’re after something with more of a wow factor as the main present for one of your kids? Alternatively you’re stuck for ideas of stocking fillers and this year you’d like to find little treats that are a bit different to the norm?

An idea that simply cannot fail is pens! How many of us waste precious minutes every day searching for a pen. This is so true in both the office and the home and even when we purchase bulk packs, within a month, they still manage to disappear; I mean, where can a pack of 25 pens disappear to in just one house?! In the office it makes more sense; pens will make their way into various draws, pockets, briefcases and so on, the home on the other hand can only be explained with fairies!

Vibrant gel pens would make unique stocking fillers, bulking out those giant Christmas socks with a wallet of colourful exciting looking pens. Our Stabilo Point Visco Assorted Rollerball Pens would be perfect for the budding designer! But then again, they would be ideal for encouraging writing skills as their selection of different colours makes the prospect of handwriting much more appealing! The pens boast smudge proof ink so that young hands can concentrate on technique without the concern of making a mess along the way.

• New technology gel rollerball from STABILO
• Low viscosity ink means longer lasting and quicker drying ink than most standard gel rollerball pens
• Smudge-proof and blot-proof
• Non-slip grip zone
• Line width 0.5mm
• Assorted wallet of 10 contains black, blue, red, green, leaf green, brown, turquoise, orange, pink and lilac ink colours
• 25% off‼ – Now just £10.24!

Office 365 has various different gel pens so you don’t have to buy then in assorted packs! Choose from black gel pens, red gel pens, green gel pens and blue gel pens, plus a further choice of assorted gel pens too.

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!

With Christmas looming scarily soon, it really is time you pull your socks up‼ Organise your gifts, food, booze, music, fun and games now and you can actually enjoy this festive period. On the other hand, you could leave it all to the last minute and then PANIC! But this option is by far the more stressful one and will only detract from the merry cheer you could otherwise be enjoying!

Office 365 has a selection of products which can certainly help you this Christmas. We have a surprising range of gift ideas and stocking fillers, considering we’re a ‘stationery supplier’! With a variety of posh Porter and Woodman hampers, luxury and stylish pens, a beautiful array of artists supplies, a smart selection of desk lamps, various collections of picture frames, beautiful desk diaries, Christmassy nibbles for the office, branded printers, high quality monitors, high tech scanners, digital dictionaries and much more, our products are sure to bring a smile!

A popular choice for stocking fillers and token office Christmas gestures are Heart Post-It Notes. An unbelievably simple item which has quite a profound affect! These shaped Post-It notes really give a sense of fun; used in homes and offices across the globe, these repositionable notes are ideal for various different applications. For example, use these notes to write messages for colleagues or family members, as bookmarks, to mark pages for reference, to jot down telephone messages, to doodle on, for taking notes during calls and enquiries, the list is endless.

Take a look at these vibrant heart shaped Post-it notes featured to the right.

• Heart Shaped Post-it Note pad
• This fun heart shape helps get your messages noticed
• Add personality to your messages
• Pink tones
• 225 sheets per pad
• 70mm x 70mm
• 23% off – Just £3.58

What’s more, as these are part of our Breast Cancer Awareness range, Office 365 will donate money from the sale of each one sold! Alternatively feast your eyes on our Arrow Post-It Notes to your left.

• Arrow Shape die cut pad
• This fun arrow shape helps get your messages noticed
• Neon Orange and Green tones
• 225 sheets per pad
• 70mm x 70mm
• 23% off – Just £3.58

The Green Bit

3M, the makers of Post-it, is a company committed to sustainability. This isn’t a new initiative or a recently introduced strategy. For more than 30 years, it’s the way they’ve done business. All Post-it notes and easel pads are made with paper from well managed forests where trees are re-planted, plus recycled Post-it notes and easel pads are made from 100% recycled paper and contains 30% postconsumer content. Post-it promise to;

• Solve their own environmental pollution and conservation problems
• Prevent pollution at the source, whenever and wherever possible
• Develop products that will have a minimum effect on the environment
• Conserve natural resources through the use of reclamation and other useful methods
• Assure that their facilities and products meet and sustain the regulations of all federal, state and local environmental agencies
• Assist wherever possible, governmental agencies and other official organisations engaged in environmental activities

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% preconsumer and 30% postconsumer fiber. Post-it® Easel Pads are also available with 30% postconsumer content paper.

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!