Thursday 19 January 2012

Office essentials for the 21st century




The modern office is a place where all kinds of business can be done. It is a place where things move quickly and you must adapt all the time to keep up in your workplace and also against rival firms who want to seal the deals that your company is going for.

Churchwood's debt management solutions for instance; other firms will try to beat their services and offer more for less. It is therefore essential to be ready to work and this can involve all kinds of things, such as:

Office stationery – it is vital to find the cheapest Epson ink cartridges, the best value paper, pens and IT machinery to save money and maximise profits. A little planning here can go a very long way.

Conference venues – this could mean a specified room in your office or for larger gatherings an Edinburgh conference centre, or one anywhere would be useful for your company.

Communication equipment – this could mean 12 month mobile phone contracts or telephone and email networks, which are of course needed for effective communication among staff and with clients.

Ensure you are set up for 21st century business and ponder the pieces of kit and systems you really need.

Executive Recruitment – You’re Hired!




Finding the right candidates for executive recruitment or candidates who are suited for effective interim management is a difficult art.

When it comes to recruiting the very best staff possible, Sir Alan Sugar certainly knows how to put potential candidates through the mill. Executive recruitment can be a tough business. And searching for the next Apprentice to live up to Sir Alan Sugar is clearly not an easy task. In fact, anyone who watched this year’s series of The Apprentice knows that if it’s not some scheming, unpleasant back stabbing woman giving women in business a bad name, it’s some idiotic hair brained graduate, who may have the highest IQ on the planet, but still somehow thinks he can sell cheese to the French. And not just any cheese – processed cheese from a discount supermarket.

Executive Recruitment – You’re Fired!

Watching Sir Alan fire 10 out of the 12 apprentices may have made excellent TV but it also reveals how difficult executive recruitment can be. Not just for those desperate to get on the executive career ladder, but for the employers desperate for somebody shrewd enough for the job. Supply chain recruitment is one good answer and to a business it can be as important as a telephone answering service. The 11th candidate – Katie - wasn’t fired because she stepped down after recognising she couldn’t move her family and commit to London, revealing once more the delicate and difficult battlefield of executive recruitment. A cv writing service is another way to help you find the right job.


Executive Recruitment – A Serious Business

It may seem a little bizarre that in the world of high powered business where executive recruitment is taken extremely serious, that the Apprentice made us howl with laughter. The back biting and Machiavellian tactics left a lot to be desired, showing it really is a dog eat dog world of work out there. Whether the losing candidates will make it in the world and find an executive recruitment company that will help their careers remains to be seen. Especially when you consider some of these classic comic moments:

  • Simon’s ‘incident’ with the trampoline legs
  • Paul and Katie trying to sell pork sausages to a halal kebab shop
  • Rory yelling ‘I am your boss’ to Tre, who was clearly not bothered

And there were some moments that would frankly cross the candidates off the list of any executive recruitment company, including:

  • Katie managing to offend the entire of the north of England
  • Katie wishing Adam (a northerner) dead
  • Katie saying Christina could never win with such an ‘orange’ face
  • Just about anything Katie did!

But under the incredible pressure of Sir Alan Sugar, it’s no wonder that a few of the candidates needed to brush up on their business survival techniques. For those who are looking for executive recruitment and a successful business career, Sir Alan’s book might be just the ticket, it’s called: How to get Hired not Fired!

Henleys for work – bold is beautiful




Work clothes like embroidered polo shirts are vital but you don’t have to be boring with work gear. Just like uk office furniture workers need clothing and why not go for a designer brand to make them feel more stylish when doing their job. Here’s a bit more about a great brand.

Henleys is one brand of men’s clothes that isn’t shy. With the brand name and other designs splashed across the front of t-shirts, shirts and hooded tops amongst others, the Henley’s brand is a statement of confidence in who you are and what you wear.

The Henleys tradition

Although a relatively new entrant to designer men’s clothes, Henleys has attracted an enthusiastic following of people who like to wear their brands on their sleeve, or their back, or across their chest. For Henleys, big is bold, and bold is beautiful. The company’s use of design and strong colour is one of the keys to its success and, if you have the personality to carry it off, Henley’s could be the men’s clothes brand for you.

Henleys – colour and style

Henleys matches big designs with bold colour, offering clothing in bright oranges, unmistakeable pinks and mustard yellows. It’s this matching of eye-catching wording, the use of the Henleys logo and the mix of colour and print that has made Henleys one of the most popular brands of men’s clothes. With a clothing range that focuses on cool casual wear, Henleys is carving a niche for itself in the designer market and is winning a lot of fans along the way. The company’s core men’s clothes include:

  • T-Shirts
  • Hooded tops
  • Polo shirts
  • Shorts
  • Jeans and denim wear
  • Jackets
  • Knitwear

What you won’t find at Henleys is men’s clothes for formal occasions – no suits, no sharp shirts. Just easy-to-wear gear that stands out from the crowd. Using innovative looks and materials, such as the Locker jacket which has a wet look teamed with silver embroider, or the President round-neck jumper in pale grey with bright orange ribbing at the bottom and on the cuffs, Henleys does men’s clothes just differently enough to set them apart from the rest of the pack.

Buying Henleys men’s clothes

If you’re ready to wear something a little more daring and to put your designer credentials out where everyone can see them, take a look at the clothes that Henleys has to offer. Just choose one or two t-shirts to begin with, or push the boat out and go for a whole outfit – your wardrobe will never be dull again and your work clothes need not be either!

Document Incineration – Who Needs to Do this?



Some companies seek the services of document incineration in order to dispose of paper trails, but why is it essential for businesses to do this and who needs it most?

The obvious answer is of course banks and government bodies.  They have regular access to the data that belongs to pretty much every single resident in the UK.  Even young children who have opened starter bank accounts will have their personal information stored on these databases.  With high levels of paperwork, printing and confidential correspondence, document incineration and shredding services is clearly most suited for banks and the British government. 

But document incineration is something that all companies and agencies should take into consideration, especially if they have a large customer database where private information is stored. 

What is Document Incineration For?

This process is not just paper.  Document incineration services also destroy computers, tapes, videos, DVDs, CDs, confidential documents, credit cards, identity cards, contraband, branded goods and company information.  So what kind of organisations should be seeking this service?

  • Retail companies
  • Call centres
  • Banks and mortgage brokers
  • Market research agencies
  • Government departments and authorities
  • Secure disposal

There are many reasons for a company to use a document incineration service.  But the most important reason is for data protection.  The Data Protection Act of 1998 made new provision for the regulation of the processing of information relating to individuals.  This included the obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of such information.  However, internal precautions are not enough to protect the information of a company, its employees and its customers.

Millions of people trust companies to keep their data safe, yet identity theft and fraud are still major problems in the modern world.  Despite the reservations of some who do not like to complete transactions over the internet, 80% of all identity theft occurs offline.  Even in this day and age, paper is still the most dangerous element in our everyday transactions.

Office Design – Exploring the Benefits of Redesigning your Office




There are, of course, many tangible benefits to be garnered from having a well designed office which is why it is of paramount important to seek the advice of office design professionals when it comes to re-imagining the layout of your office.
The best way in which to approach office design is to look at your existing office space and contemplate which aspects of it work and which are less than welcoming. Do you need lockers for work or other storage? Office design is all about making the most of the available space in such a manner that it will lead to the numerous benefits that typically arise from having a well designed office space. For example, if you look at the office design of the Google offices in California, it just goes to show some of the design principles that are starting to infuse the workplace when it comes to getting the most from your employees. Google is obviously an office where creativity is required and this is something that is clearly reflected within their office design but it is possible to get a form of office design to successfully dovetail with any type of corporation or business. In order to get the most important benefits of a welcoming office space, it is always prudent to seek the counsel of office design professionals.
Office Design – A Multitude of Benefits
Office design obviously has much scope for creativity and for crafted a space in which employees will enjoy working. Office design professionals are well versed in creating workspace that is efficient in generating the benefits that come from having a welcoming work environment. When it comes to office design, it is always a good idea to consult staff beforehand in order to establish which aspects of the current office design are well liked and which elements could do with a change. Just some of the benefits that can be garnered from a change in office design include:
·         Morale – There are few better ways to demoralise a workforce than having an office that doesn’t harness their creativity. By utilising the skills of office design experts, it becomes possible to improve the morale of employees by creating a workspace that they look forward to working in each day with great office supplies.
·         Communication – Many older office design principles focused on segregating employees with cubicles to force them to focus on their workload but most contemporary office design experts have discovered this to be counterproductive and promote office design ideas that are more open and facilitate improved communication between employees.