When it comes to stationery, office supplies and filing accessories, it really isn’t always necessary to purchase the big branded products. There will always be a product or circumstance which requires a little bit of added ‘taste’, for example, it’s a good idea to stock plenty of value envelopes for bulk post, however it is equally as important to have a supply a higher quality envelopes for mailing prospective clients and customers, or for when making a good impression counts. The same can be said for pens; some of us like a quality pen to carry in our personal organisers or diaries, however still require a good stock of cheap biros!

An exception to the rule however are plastic wallets which are commonly used in the home and the office. Available in a variety of sizes, they are ideal for filing many different items separately to your standard filing. So for example use them at home for filing receipts, wage slips, medical NHS cards, birth certificates, driving licence details, passports and so on. They prevent the annoying overflowing paper which jams your filing drawers shut and give a sense of organisation. Use them in the office for filing individual employee records, receipts, training guides and so on. Made using thick and durable plastics and available in sizes, A3, A4, Foolscap, A5 and even DL, there really is no reason to shop for the more expensive brands when it comes to plastic wallets!

5 Star are our value brand who are dedicated to serving our every need at a price we can all really afford. Their products are now firmly established as 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 and even offer a 12 month no quibble quality guarantee! Consider swapping your usual brand of stationery, to 5 Star and see for yourself how much money you can save, and with the guarantee, where’s the risk? You can also be sure that their products meet your quality expectations and as a UK based company, you don’t need to worry about carbon footprint or dealing with companies overseas. With over 22,000 products, you’re bound to find your usual items within the 5 Star range.

Take a look at their red plastic wallets, blue plastic wallets and black plastic wallets for example. The stud fastening on the front covers are designed to enable safe storage of your documents plus their wipe clean polypropylene construction means that you can keep them looking smart at all times. These wallets accept up to 200 sheets of A4 paper and come in packs of three. At just £2.76 inc VAT for a 3 pack, you can see why 5 Star are such a popular choice! For quotes on bulk orders, please feel free to call us on 0870 766 1722 where one of our team will be more than happy to help.

Most businesses keep a manuscript book (or two); some even provide a book per employee, just as those who work within their home office do. It is basically an essential accessory for every office, providing a cheap and effective solution to organisation and clutter. So rather than cluttering your work space with notes and letters, a manuscript book enables you to record your messages throughout the day. They are the ideal tool for anyone who likes to keep their desk tidy and feel organised, plus they give you the reassurance that all your important notes will be logged and safe.

To describe, a manuscript book records information that has been manually created by someone or a group of people, such as a hand written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced in some other way. In publishing for example and in academic contexts, a “manuscript” is the text which is submitted to the publisher or printer in preparation for publication. You may recognise the traditional abbreviations; MS for manuscript and MSS for manuscripts. The second ‘S’ is not simply the plural but doubles the last letter of the abbreviation to express the plural, like pp. means “pages”.You may want to browse our selection of manuscript books at LA Office where you will find a veriety from different brands and in the following sizes:

• A4 Manuscript Books – From brands including 5 Star, Black ‘n’ Red, Challenge, Collins, Gallery, Contract, Europa, Pink ‘n’ Black, Oxford and Uno.
• A5 Manuscript Books – Half size manuscript books from the likes of 5 Star, Black ‘n’ Red, challenge, Collins, Contract Europa, Gallery, Pink ‘n’ Black and Uno.
• A6 Manuscript Books – Our smallest sizes from Black ‘n’ Red, Contract, Europa and Pink ‘n’ Black.

Take advantage of other features and options too such as multiple packs, indexes, plain pages and lined and also a great choice of recycled options for the eco conscious. With so many brands and types to choose from, along with sizes and page options, you can be confident that you’ll find the right book for your office. Plus, if you’d like to order your manuscript books in bulk, we’ll be happy to discuss a reduced price with you. Simply call us on 0870 766 1722.

At LA Office we have a remarkable range of clipboards for all walks of life. People come to us for their office clipboard supplies, school clipboard supplies, and even on site clipboard supplies for outdoor work. Regardless of what you do for a living, whether you’re home based, office based, a door to door sales person or even a student; our selection will have a product ideal for your individual needs.

As you’re probably already aware, a clipboard is simply a flat piece of rigid material, normally card, plastic or hardboard with a clip at one end used to hold papers in place against the board. This clip also prevents the paper from slipping whilst writing, and from blowing away in the wind! However they’re not quote as straight forward as that here! At LA Office we have sizes from A3, A4 to Foolscap and options such as pen loops so you’re never without your pen, horizontal and vertical clip positioning, fold over covers to keep your paperwork confidential and protected from the elements, internal pockets to separately keep other paperwork and receipts, built in calculators for instant sums and figures, waterproof varieties and even shatterproof ones!

The rigidity of a clipboard means that it is perfect for working on-the-go as they provide a surface to write on wherever you are and whatever you are doing and thanks to their sleek shape, they can simply be popped inside your laptop bag without consuming too much space. A4 clipboards measure 210 × 297mm or 8.27 × 11.69”, the closest size to this in the US would be their Letter size (216 x 279mm or 8.5 x 11”). LA Office has a variety of brands including 5 Star, Avery and Repesco, plus a further selection from the likes of Stewart.

Have you ever considered making more of an effort with the presentation of your work? An employer is far more likely to employ a person who can showcase their portfolio of work well and with attention to good presentation, than they are to someone who has clearly made little effort in terms of how their work will come across. Similarly, in any situation where you are trying to impress, for example when you are starting up your own business and are applying for a business loan, you will want to focus not only on the content of your proposal but on the way you sell yourself, your business and your figures.

Those looking at buying a product or service will be drawn into making a sale by, and only by the person or company who has - as by now I’m sure you’ve guessed - presented their product or service in a professional and sophisticated way. Handing over a few sheets of paper to demonstrate your product will only give a cheap and unorganised impression, this will not sell.

Here at LA Office we have an exceptional variety of Easel Binders which have become extremely popular among students, artists, business, designers, architects and so many more. Easel binders are very much the same as presentation binders however they have the additional feature of being able to stand upright for display and presentation purposes which can be very useful when giving a demonstration of your work and presenting to a number of people.

Our Durable range is certainly the brand to opt for if you’re looking to impress, take our Durable Durastar Presentation Easel Binder Range for example, one of which is featured to your right.

• Distinctive portable display easel
• New rigid, moulded spine allows upright shelf storage
• Replaceable index/title strip
• Ribbed soft PVC front cover
• Velcro fastening
• 4 ring mechanism will hold up to 30 pockets
• Supplied with 10 pockets
• Available in A4 and A3 sizes
• Prices starting from just £30.17 inc VAT!

The Green Bit

Protection of the environment is one of the great challenges of our time. Virtually no modern corporate organisation acting with a sense of responsibility can afford to dispense with eco management. After all, this one planet is all we have. Eco management can only have a lasting effect if the company practising it is engaged in continuous improvement.

Eco Friendly

DURABLE products are particularly eco-friendly thanks to their durability. The plastic materials they use are robust, have excellent recycling properties and can be disposed of together with normal refuse with no problem at all.

In accordance with its guiding principles, Durable continuously aim to further optimise their ecology-oriented management. Their aim is to develop products that are largely recyclable (of course they should also be produced at low cost and yield a reasonable profit!). To meet this ideal as closely as possible, Durable continuously carry out critical analyses of the environmental impact of their products and production processes. Thus the material thicknesses of their products and above all, their packaging are constantly reviewed for possible enhancements. Through packaging modifications developed in-house, Durable have been able to achieve significant material savings and reductions in volume. Durable also demonstrate their responsibility towards the environment through their purchasing policies. Important decisions in favour of ecologically sustainable production are being made in regular project meetings between their purchasing department and suppliers. Careful selection of optimal materials is one way to protect the environment.  The right choice of suppliers is also as important to Durable. They never fail to check whether the manufacturers and their suppliers are certified, and how they are being regulated. These questions must always be answered before they decide on any purchase.

My how the weather has turned‼ Now that it’s November, we can look forward to colder conditions, frozen fingers, persistent rain, sleet, frost, hail and of course snow; all the best conditions for when working on site, travelling and in the great outdoors…or not.

If you are one of these poor folk that have to face the harsh weather conditions our British winter likes to throw at us, maybe you’d like to consider equipping yourself this year for better comfort and improved productivity. You can always start with the obvious; warm coat, full gloves, hats (particularly the ones that cover the ears), scarves, warm footwear, hot drinks flask etc. But you will also need to consider the quality of work you will be able to produce in the most testing of weather conditions. Like for example, when your daily duty is to produce reports on site, how do you suppose you’ll be able to complete this task in the pouring rain, or snow?

A tool many people have decided to take advantage of is A4 clipboards. Clipboards are an innovative, yet very simple tool which provides you with an ‘on the move’ rigid surface to write upon, plus due to its purpose, the clipboard is available in water resistant materials. Featuring a useful clip at the top of the board, the clipboard will also secure your papers so that they do not blow away in the wind or move whilst you’re trying to write. However the feature which you will find the most useful at this time of year is the fold over cover which you can often find on clipboards. The weather resistant cover will encase your paper work protecting it from the wind, rain, sleet and snow so that you will have complete peace of mind that your reports and paperwork are safe.

A great example (and an affordable one at that) is the 5 Star Fold-Over Clipboard featured.

• Fold-over front to protect documents
• Internal front cover pocket for storage of loose documents
• Pen holder in clip
• PVC cover for durability
• Size: A4 
• Black
• Just £1.49 inc VAT‼

5 Star is a brand who is now firmly established as one of the best-known office products brands in the UK. With an impressive 15 years experience behind them, they are now experts in their field and even go as far as to offer a 12 month no quibble quality guarantee! So if you’re one of those who think that ‘you get what you pay for’, in this instance you’re wrong. If there is any stationery product you need, consider 5 Star first, you’re sure to find a cheaper alternative in 5 Star’s range and with the guarantee, so there’s no risk involved!

5 Star offer quality products and are based in the UK. With an extensive 22,000 product list, they cover all areas of stationery demand. What’s more, 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.

Are you looking for a new selection of drawing pads? Maybe you’re not happy with the quality of your current art pads or your current supplier doesn’t meet your needs? Whether you’re an educational facility looking to stock up on drawing pads for your students, or you’re an artist or designer looking to replenish your own supplies, LA Office are sure to have not only a selection which will please you, but we also provide an unbeatable service!

You’ll be pleased to hear that you can enjoy free standard next day delivery on all orders of £30 or more (excl VAT), so that’s a delivery saving of £8.50! Why not stock up on the items you know you’ll re-order again to save being charged for delivery, and also to save time ordering all over again!

Our variety of drawing books and pads are available in many different sizes, from a selection of brands, with a number of page quantities and with all the various page styles; graph, grid, tracing, cartridge, and drawing (plain). So whether you’re looking for A4, A3 or A2 sizes, or you’d like to choose from your favourite brands including Chartwell, Goldline and Technik, LA Office are the place to come!

Take a look at our Goldline Popular A3 Drawing Pad to your right for example, a shining example of the quality you can expect here at LA Office.

• Contains 50 sheets
• 90gsm paper
• Ideal for most applications
• Lightly textured, acid free paper
• Suitable for pencil or charcoal
• Acid-Free cartridge paper
• A3
• Just £5.68 inc VAT!

The Green Bit

Goldline are a Tollit & Harvey brand who deal in the manufacture and distribution of office products and art and craft materials and have an established reputation for quality products and service. They are committed to continually improving and monitoring environmental performance and will endeavour to prevent pollution as far as possible. Tollit and Harvey shall control and minimise waste through reducing, reusing and recycling where possible. They are committed to managing environmental matters as an integral part of the business by complying with any environmental legislation or regulations and other requirements relevant to the business. The business has a framework for identifying environmental aspects, determining those which can be controlled or influenced and setting realistic objectives and targets. These will be considered and discussed at management reviews, and will be communicated throughout the business. The company will communicate this policy to staff and other persons working for or on behalf of the organisation, ensuring their 100% participation. Suppliers and other interested parties including their customers or any members of the public can also request a copy.

After wasting far too much time trying to discover who invented the clipboard and when I have come to the conclusion that nobody knows. Could this irreplaceable gem really be that taken for granted? We use clipboards in every walk of life, in the home, the office, the warehouse or factory, on site and even our kids use them, yet the very person who invented this useful tool goes un-named. I have found one name, but that is all, no date or information to back this up? I would love to be able to even tell you the year in which they were born, but alas, I’ve only been able to come up with the date that the ‘spring clipboard’ was made, whatever that is?!

So if there are any readers out there that are able to shed some light on this for me, you’d be doing my poor brain a great favour! In fact, I challenge our LA Office blog readers to find the answer to this question and if you succeed, I shall eat my hat!

For those of you that do not (for some reason) know what a clipboard is, it is simply a flat piece of rigid material, normally card, plastic or hardboard with a clip at one end which is used to hold papers in place against the board and prevent slipping whilst writing. Some clipboards have covers too which protect your papers rain and damage. Due to the rigidity of the clipboard, they are perfect for working on-the-go, providing a surface to write on whatever you’re doing!

Our A4 clipboards measure 210 × 297mm or 8.27 × 11.69”, and are available from 5 Star, Repesco, Avery, Masters, and Stewart. You’ll even find additional features such as built in calculators, accompanying lined paper and inclusive pens with a range of options to choose from such as waterproof and shatterproof depending on what you’ll be using your clipboard for.

Take a look for yourself at our extensive selection of clipboards here at LA Office, with generous savings throughout the whole range, fast delivery and quotes on bulk orders, we tick all the boxes. If you’d like some assistance, please feel free to call us on 0870 766 1722.

Paper formats can be incredibly difficult to get your head around when you haven’t been given an explanation as to what they all mean; all these A’s and 3’s and 4’s, what is it all about? A paper formats are based on the international paper size standard ISO 216 which is measured by the single aspect ratio of square root of 2. A simple way to understand how these sizes are given their names is by folding the paper in half. An A0 sheet of paper folded then becomes the size of an A1 sheet of paper. An A1 sheet folded becomes A2, A2 folded becomes A3 and so on. All these ‘A’ paper formats have a height to width ratio of 1.414:1. In summary ‘A’ paper formats are based on:

• The A0 format has an area of 1 square metre
• The length divided by the width is 1.4142
• The standard length and width of each size is rounded to the nearest millimetre
• Each subsequent format ‘A’ is defined as ‘A’ cut in half parallel to its shorter sides

At LA Office, you’ll find that our most popular paper sizes are A3 Paper Format, A4 Paper Format and A5 Paper Format which are available from both our budget brands and our high quality reputable brands for when it counts to make a good impression. If you’re just looking for general printing paper, note paper or paper for your kids artwork and doodles, it’s probably best to go for our budget brands. Featured is a visual explanation as to the difference in these sizes and their measurements.

Another aspect of choosing your paper is the papers weight, the lightest being 70gsm. Standard paper for laser and inkjet printers is 80gsm; weights such as 90gsm and 100gsm are generally used for higher quality documents and letters. 120gsm produces excellent reports, presentations and brochures where as 160gsm is the standard thickness for card.

For a full listing of All International Paper Formats see PaperSizes.org

Has your business expanded and moved into larger premises? Maybe you’ve taken on more customers and clients and so just your paperwork has grown! Whatever the circumstances, good for you! It hasn’t been easy for businesses recently, especially the small, new ones, so if you’re one of the few that has been lucky enough to expand then give yourselves a pat on the back. With your new, bigger business premises or those extra clients and business, it’s now time to think filing! It’s all very well expanding your clientele base or your building size, however you need to furnish these extra rooms and cater to the demands that your new client base will bring. At LA Office we have a wide and varied choice of filing cabinets suitable for the home and office user. So whether you’re looking for a number of large cabinets for your office, or some 1-2 draw cabinets for individual desk areas or groups within the office, we will be able to help you. Remember, the security of your customer’s details is fundamental to the compliance of the data protection act. You must be seen to be protecting their information from the hands of fraudsters and other criminals. Why not upgrade your current cabinets to some more modern and secure models and grab yourself a bulk order discount while you’re at it?

Take our Bisley BS5E 5 Drawer Filing Cabinet for example.

·         W x D: 470 x 622mm

·         5-drawer cabinet

·         Height: 1511mm

·         Goose Grey

·         Save £119.46!! – Now just £281.54 (inc Vat)

These Bisley flush-fronted steel cabinets are from the market leaders in the UK! Built to last, these cabinets feature a fully welded construction and double skin drawer front. These cabinets will accommodate both foolscap and A4 filing and offer 100% drawer extension allowing for total access to contents. The smooth action, heavy-duty roller ball bearing slides are guaranteed for 15 years offering you the peace of mind you’d expect from a brand such as Bisley. If you’re looking to furnish a room with more than one of these units, you will find that they have the adaption’s available to be bolted together. With an anti-tilt mechanism for safety and the security of being lockable (with two keys) these cabinets are ideal for any environment.