The office is not the most dangerous of working environments – it’s much more risky working outside as a builder or an engineer. But the office is not 100 per cent safe. Look out for a common stationery-related injury – treading on a drawing pin! It doesn’t matter so much if you’re wearing shoes with […]
Did you know that the humble paperclip, an everyday object we take for granted, had great symbolic significance in World War II? Paperclips were worn by Norwegians as a sign of resistance against Nazism and anti-Semitism, and wearing one could mean arrest – but many people wore them nevertheless. The paperclip was invented in Norway, […]
Did you know that the American Civil War created a demand for good quality pencils? The pencils were needed so that troops could make quick notes on the field, and send messages to each other. Joseph Dixon was an inventor who owned a factory in Salem, where he had been manufacturing graphite crucibles for the […]
Did you know that the astronauts in NASA’s 1965 Gemini 3 earth-orbiting space mission carried pencils costing $129 each – about $960 at today’s prices! The total cost of pencils for the spaceship was more than $4,000 which raised a few eyebrows at the time. When challenged publicly about the cost, NASA’s spokesman said that […]
The dark days of winter can be a trial for office workers, who don’t always get enough of the “sunshine vitamin” to ward off colds and seasonal depression. So if you work indoors all day, it’s well worth taking a vitamin D supplement to give your immune system a boost. Old-fashioned cod liver oil works […]
Some people will be wearing odd socks to work on March 21 – and it’s not because their socks disappeared into a black hole and ended up in a far-distant galaxy! Supporters of World Down’s Syndrome Day will be making their feet stand out as much as possible by mixing and matching the colour, length […]
Tourism is a major part of the British economy, and businesses all over England are being urged to support English Tourism Week from March 5-13. After all, the more tourists visiting England, the bigger the boost for a whole range of service, retail and business sectors. The week is a celebration showcasing the quality of […]
When you’re next having a cup of tea or coffee in the office, check the label and see if it’s a Fairtrade product. Fairtrade Fortnight is coming up – and businesses are being asked to think about how they can support workers in developing countries by using, selling or promoting Fairtrade products. Millions of farmers […]
If there’s one day in the year that can trigger a whole gamut of emotions in the office, it has to be Valentine’s Day – so don’t wear your heart on your sleeve! We’ve put together some DOs and DON’Ts to help you navigate around the emotional minefield and come out at the end of […]
While many of us were eating, drinking and making merry over Christmas and New Year, thousands of people went online and completed their end-of-year tax returns! You may think it an unusual way to spend the festive season, but for some uber-efficient or just plain worried souls, it was the pathway to inner contentment. HM […]
How to plan the office Christmas party Whether you count down the days, or desperately scrabble around for an excuse not to go, the office Christmas party is an event on almost every company’s calendar. So, how do you plan a party that everyone will enjoy? It’s a tricky balance to get Bob from Accounts […]
Top tips to improve your time management skills Despite what people say, time is not a commodity. It cannot be traded, expanded or reduced. It is fixed. Our perception of time, however, is another concept. How often do you think at 4pm “Where has the day gone?” and go into panic mode to try to […]
Planning in business is essential Everything from the monthly sales drive to a new product launch or project needs planning. It promotes joined-up thinking and good decision-making throughout the whole organisation. “A goal without a plan is just a wish”, observed the famous writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery, summing up a key business principle. Each business […]
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