Issue 2 Winter 2017
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Your brilliant quarterly briefing from
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When James chose us to be his business supplies partner, it was the one decision that changed everything. Your new 2017 business supplies catalogues are now available. Irongate has gone through a lot of changes over the last 12 months and as part of our rebranding process, you will see some great improvements in our 2017 catalogues.
Business supplies catalogue. Inside the 545 pages of our main business supplies catalogue you’ll find thousands of products to keep every area of your workplace running smoothly. We’ve added in plenty of brand new products but don’t forget, we have access to around 25,000 products so if you can’t find something in the catalogue, just let us know and we’ll endeavour to source it for you.
Irongate facilities catalogue. Our 320 page dedicated facilities catalogue contains an extended range of products including catering, health & safety, premises management and packaging. It
Business supplies
Facilities supplies
also includes a much wider range of janitorial supplies including our 2Work products, delivering professional cleaning quality at the right price.
Irongate workwear catalogue. New for 2017 is our handy compact sized workwear catalogue containing 5 new brands and 600 new styles. If you’re looking to update your staff uniform this year, request a copy.
Workwear
Promotions
Furniture
Irongate promotions catalogue. If you’re looking for some inspiration and ideas for your promotional merchandise, make sure you have a copy of our promotions catalogue.
Irongate interiors catalogue. Our furniture ranges are bigger and better than ever before. Be sure to take a look at our new furniture catalogue for details.
For your free copy of any of our catalogues, call us on 01332 614602 or email us at ask@irongategroup.co.uk.
Welcome to issue 2 of our in business magazine. I hope you had a relaxing and restful Christmas and New Year break and are looking forward to a prosperous 2017. A new year is the perfect time to organise ourselves better so we’re ready to tackle the year ahead. On page 3, our friends at Fellowes have
Adam Noble Managing Director
put some strategies and products together for getting better organised, plus don’t miss their fantastic buy one get one free offer on storage boxes. Also, look out for your brand new 2017 Business Supplies catalogue which will be delivered during January.
Glass boards - the stylish solution for your presentation needs. Whiteboards are great tools for displaying information, brainstorming and planning in your office or workplace. Research shows that the top three qualities that people want in a whiteboard are: that it erases easily, doesn’t leave ‘ghost’ marks and that it will last a long time. But with so many different kinds of boards on the market, it can be confusing trying to select the right one that meets your specific requirements.
Surface type provides the clearest indicator of quality and durability and therefore should be your first consideration when selecting a board. We organise our range of boards by surface type to help consumers choose the right product based on their usage and maintenance requirements. The traditional types of surface are melamine, enamel and steel but glass boards are quickly becoming the most popular choice for the modern office. Leader in the visual communications category, Nobo believes that the future of whiteboard surfaces is glass. Elisabete Wells, Senior European Channel Marketing Manager at Nobo says “Glass boards are contemporary products that fit the needs of discerning customers seeking a premium, stylish board that offers the best quality.”
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Here are our top four reasons to choose glass boards:
1. They last a lifetime.
3. They are sleek and stylish.
With some dry erase boards, it’s possible that you may have to replace them after a while and sometimes you can’t get rid of smudges and ink stains. However, glass whiteboards are the only type of board to often come with a lifetime guarantee.
2. They don’t ghost. It’s frustrating when you can’t get your whiteboard clean. Glass boards are three times easier to clean than other surfaces. With a glass dry erase board, you won’t ever have that issue again because when wiped clean there will be no ghosting.
Glass has the most stylish appearance, and style and design are becoming more important in the modern workplace. Everything you buy for your business can help create the atmosphere you want. You may think that skimping on something like a whiteboard won’t hurt, but to create success, we must also create the image of success. With a stunning frameless design the boards make a perfect addition to any stylish, modern office environment.
4. They are multifaceted. Most dry erase boards only allow you to write and erase. Some glass boards are magnetic enabling you to pin an image to your whiteboard while writing comments just next to it. Many are magnetic, and some allow you to slip sheets of paper behind the glass panel. Leading brands Nobo and Bi-Office both offer a collection of glass boards and easels each suited to different scenario’s in the workplace, from informal discussions to large pitches and company meetings. They also make an elegant addition to a large reception area or conference venue.
To find out more about glass boards or any other visual communications products for your business, contact our customer support team on 01332 614602.
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How to be better organised in your home and office. There’s no time like January for making a fresh start. But there’s more to turning over a new leaf than starting the latest diet or sweating it out in the gym. The start of the New Year is all about saying goodbye to the old and hello to the new, so why not make a promise to yourself to be better organised in 2017? There’s a lot of satisfaction to be gained from having a place for everything - and everything in its place. Organisation not only saves you time, but it’s also good for the mind. Instead of feeling muddled, messy and in total disarray, you can become an oasis of calm in an otherwise frantic world.
An efficient storage solution is a must for everyone. But that doesn’t mean to say you need to rush out today and buy an expensive steel cabinet or new shelving system. In many cases, sturdy cardboard storage boxes are just perfect. And, whether you’re looking for something suitable for home or office, there are so many terrific designs to choose from.
keep everything neat and tidy. Whilst screen and surface cleaners will ensure everything is in tip-top condition. Together, these small wonders will help you to be thoroughly organised in your work - every day of the year.
Last, but not least, it’s impossible to talk about organisation without discussing the state of your desk. It’s here where good organisation is key to being super-efficient, creative and productive. Workstation desk accessories come in many forms. Laptop lifts, keyboard rests and foot supports ensure you are posture perfect. Filing trays and desk organisers (for pens, scissors and paper clips) will
The global Fellowes brand is behind many great products that help you stay organised: • The world’s toughest shredders™ • The original Bankers Box® storage solutions • Cutting-edge binders • State-of-the-art laminators • Market-leading range of workstation accessories
And guess what? You’ll be far more productive at work, and have much more time to spend doing the kind of things you really enjoy. There are many things you can easily do yourself to become better organised. Things like planning out your days in advance, introducing time management, making lists, having logical filing systems. The list goes on. In addition, there are many ingenious products on the market to help you become the organised person you are striving to be. And some of these will surprise you! A binder and laminator are must-haves for creating custom-made documents and files. As well as protecting precious keepsakes like family photos in an orderly fashion. Are you swamped in paperwork yet concerned about throwing away sensitive information? A paper shredder will turn everything to confetti; and, strange as it may sound, you’ll probably also get a lot of pleasure out of feeding it paper, CDs and credit cards.
Organisation made easy Are you drowning in paperwork? Misplacing important documents? Keep your documents organised and secure with our range of strong storage boxes.
Code
Description
BB810437
Premium Classic Box - Woograin
10
BB810438
Premium Classic Box - Blue
10
BB810439
Premium Tall Box - Woodgrain
10
BB810440
Premium Tall Box - Blue
10
BB810471
Premium Tall Box - Red
10
BB810472
Premium Tall Box - Green
10
Buy 1 Pack • Get 1 Pack Free!
BB810473
System Hd Box/Ergo Handles
10
BB810474
System Heavy Duty R-Kive Box
10
Buy 1 pack of Premium Classic Storage Box (10 pack) or System Standard/Large Storage Box (10 pack) and receive a FREE pack of the same
BB810475
System Large Heavy Duty R-Kive Box
10
®
The BANKERS BOX Premium and System Range are engineered for strength but designed for convenience, Bankers Box storage boxes are made for easy transport and file access. Now is the perfect time to discover ® BANKERS BOX
Pack
BANKERS BOX® is a registered trademark of Fellowes, Inc. ©2016 Fellowes, Inc.
This promotion is brought to you by Fellowes, full terms and conditions apply, please contact Fellowes for details. By making a purchase in accordance with this promotion you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. Promotion available 1st January 2017 to 31st March 2017. Fellowes reserves the right to alter, amend or cancel this promotion. The promotion is available through participating outlets only. Available whist stocks last. Issued to consumer as a bundled pack
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B5
A4
148 x 210 mm
176 X 250 mm
210 x 297 mm
Introducing B5 the new fashionable notebook size.
A5
Standard size notebooks are usually A4 sized and best for taking lots of notes at work. Notebooks about half that size, A5 are usually used as journals and small sketchbooks. But now you can try the new B5 size – for when A4 is too big and A5 is too small. In between A4 and A5, we think B5 notebooks are “just right” - not so big that it becomes a hassle to carry around and not so small that you can’t finish your thoughts in one page. We have launched a range of new B5 sized notebooks in our 2017 catalogue including:
Black n’ Red Soft Cover Journal
Black n’ Red Matt Casebound Hardback
• Sold as individual books. • Ruled & numbered, with 144 pages. Product code: JD02308 • Soft touch durable covers with a premium feel. • Red elasticated closure for security & inside rear pocket for storage • 90gsm Optik paper.
We
• Sold in packs of 5 books. • Ruled, with 192 pages. • 90gsm Optik paper. • Durable hardback covers with long-life protection. Product code: JD06053
Concord Noir Flexi Notebook • Spinebound flexi covers • Page marker ribbon and elasticated closure Buy one get one free • 160 perforated Promo code: pages, 90gsm PP816937 • 8mm feint ruled pages • Sold in packs of 3 books
• Feint ruled, with 160 pages of 90gsm brushed vellum ivory paper. • Elasticated closure helps keep notes secure. • Epxanding pocket on inside back cover. • Ribbon page marker • Sold as individual books • Available in Silver, Sapphire, Violet and Raspberry.
these.
Brand new in our 2017 catalogue are these fabulous Pukka Pad Colour and Personalise Project Books. If you like adult colouring, you’ll love these. They have 6 inner covers to colour as well as a colouring section along the bottom of every page. Sold in packs of 3, you can buy them using product code: PP18230. And don’t forget you can get your colouring pens from Irongate too.
Product code:
BC810725
Product code:
TX810712
Product code:
Product codes: BC810727 - Black | BC810728 - Blue | BC810729 - Red | BC810730 - Green
BC810726
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Rhodiarma Soft Notebooks
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Could you be saving as much as 25% on your printer toner? Research shows between 69% and 77% of companies prefer to use Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) cartridges in their office printers. That’s toner that comes supplied by the people that manufactured the printer itself. Why? Because they prefer the security of using a brand. But increasing numbers of buyers are being attracted to much lower cost alternatives known as bargain brand toners due to tightly controlled budgets and a need to reduce costs. Bargain brands appear attractive, but the real cost can be higher than you think. • Cloned cartridges can damage printers, resulting in repairs or replacement costs. • Cheaper toner brands result in poor quality printing, such as inconsistent coverage, mottling and severe toner flaking. • Independent testing has shown that bargain brand cartridge page yields can be 50% lower than OEM cartridges.
What makes Xerox supplies so appealing compared to OEM or cheaper brands? Xerox cartridges: • Are designed and tested by Xerox, the inventors of laser cartridges. • Are exhaustively evaluated to ensure they will not harm humans or the environment. • Deliver page yield equal to or better than OEM supplies. • Save 10% – 25% against the cost of OEM supplies. • Have the reassurance of a lifetime guarantee. • Covers over 750 of the most popular printer models and growing including: Brother®, Canon®, Epson®, HP®, IBM®, Kyocera®, Lexmark™, OKI® }and Panasonic® laser products. For quality printer toner that’s value for money, choose Xerox. Talk to us today and find out how much you could save.
What does your hand writing say about you? Did you know that how you write can indicate more than 5,000 personality traits? The size of your letters, spacing between words, shapes of letters and more can all signify different characteristics. Handwriting analysis (also known as graphology) can even be used for detecting lies and revealing possible health ailments. Check out the infographic below to learn what your handwriting says about you. It’s also fun analyzing the handwriting of your friends and family members, so be sure to hand it off or pass it along!
Large letters You are outgoing, people-orientated, outspoken and love attention.
Well now you don’t have to compromise as Irongate has a fantastic alternative for you. . Xerox Supplies for non-Xerox Printers offer the great quality you would expect from OEM supplies (Xerox is after all an OEM), but with a 1025% cost saving. So you can be confident that you are using printer supplies that are safe and reliable – and save money too.
Average letters You are well-adjusted and adaptable.
Small letters You are shy or withdrawn, studious, concentrated and meticulous.
Wide spacing You enjoy freedom and don’t like to be overwhelmed or crowded.
Narrow spacing You can’t stand to be alone. You tend to crowd people and be intrusive.
Write QUICKLY You are impatient, dislike delays or time wasters.
Write slowly You are more organised, methodical and self-reliant.
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Keep colds and flu away from your business this winter. It’s that time of year again when everyone, everywhere seems to be catching a cold. Hands are the main carriers of disease-causing germs and keeping them clean is one of the most important steps we can all take to avoid becoming ill. With winter in full flow, businesses can help stop the spread of germs throughout the office by taking hand hygiene seriously and following the 3 steps to effective hand hygiene.
3 steps to effective hand hygiene… We offer a range of skincare solutions from leading brands including Deb, Kimberley Clark and Gojo along with handwashing information leaflets and posters that you can place around your business to encourage employees to integrate hand hygiene into their working day with as much ease as possible.
Step 1: Wash
Step 2: Sanitise
Step 3: Restore
It’s particularly easy to pick up germs and viruses at work. You work closely with others, use the same coffee machine and toilets, meaning that poor hygiene will inevitably cause the spread of germs, leading to increased illness and sick days.
Germ hotspots.
To have clean hands, wash them at least for 40-60 seconds
• Deb’s foam soap solutions require 36% less product for an effective hand wash compared with traditional liquid or lotion soaps. • This makes them a cost-effective choice. • Perfume-free and dye-free formulation reduces risk of allergic reaction and skin irritation. • Contains skin conditioners to improve skin hydration and prevent drying.
Door handles Vending machines
Staircase rails
Mobiles Light switches
Keyboards
Shaking hands
80%
• Use without water to kill 99.999% of many common germs. • Perfume-free and dye-free, hypoallergenic, alcohol based hand sanitiser. • Quickly and easily spreads across the hands leaving no sticky residues. • Contains moisturisers to prevent skin dryness.
• Perfume-free and dye-free mild formulation reduces risk of skin irritation. BioCote silver ion technology has been incorporated into the full range of Deb’s built-tolast dispensers. This effectively reduces bacteria, mould and fungi on the surface. The equipment can be fully customised, allowing you to feature your own branding on the equipment, if you wish to do so.
Request your free handwashing pack including posters and leaflets For more information about Deb products or to request your free healthy workplace audit, please contact our facilities team on 01332 614602 or email: facilities@irongategroup.co.uk.
of all infections are transmitted by hands
Hand washing reduces the number of people catching colds by 45%
Ask our expert.
Employee sick days are currently estimated to cost UK businesses £1.3billion every year. However, if you implement an effective hand hygiene programme, you will start to see positive changes, such as heightened productivity, less employee sick days and higher levels of staff morale, making it more important than ever to ensure your staff practice an effective hand washing routine.
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Hand sanitising is very useful in reducing bacterial counts on visibly clean hands
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Say hello to Pam Wakefield, our facilities supplies specialist. If you’d like to discuss any area of our facilities service – from cleaning chemicals, hygiene products and a healthy workplace through to catering supplies, coffee machines or first aid kits – Pam would love to hear from you.
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Discover the benefits of drinking tea. Coffee gets a lot of praise as being the most popular workplace beverage, famed for the kick it provides. But what about its caffeinated distant cousin, tea? Tea has health benefits that many of us are probably not aware of, below are the top 6 benefits to swapping your cup of coffee for a traditional cup of tea.
Polyphenols
A whiter smile
Tea contains compounds called polyphenols, I know what you’re thinking, polywhat? Well polyphenols are found in fruits, grains and vegetables and are what gives tea its antioxidant properties that can contribute to heart health. Polyphenols keep arteries unclogged and prevent blood clots forming, also helping to regulate blood sugar levels, which can help prevent tea drinkers from developing diabetes.
Relaxation Tea drinkers often feel like a good cup of tea helps them to feel relaxed, however there is actual scientific evidence to back this up. Drinking tea is the only natural way to get an amino acid called L-theanine into your diet. L-theanine creates the relaxed, yet alert feeling you experience after a cuppa.
Speeds up metabolism
You may not initially think that drinking tea is good for your teeth, but think again. Tea contains fluoride and tannins that may help to keep plaque at bay, it’s the sugar added in that’s to blame for giving you a grimey grin. Adding unsweetened tea into your daily dental routine can help give you healthier teeth and gums.
Boosts immune system Drinking tea may help your body’s immune system to fight off illness and infection. Research shows that when 21 volunteers drank either 5 cups of tea or coffee a day for 4 weeks, there was higher immune system activity in the blood of the volunteers who chose to drink tea.
A slow metabolic rate and an inability to lose weight is a common complaint among many people. Green tea has been proven to increase metabolic rate. By drinking 5 cups of the green stuff a day, you can burn 70-80 additional calories. This means that over a year you could potentially lose 8 pounds just by drinking green tea.
Tea drinking in numbers
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As the points above show, tea is fabulous and so are all its benefits. If you love tea, keep drinking your way to good health and if you haven’t yet adopted a tea-drinking habit, it’s never too late to start brewing.
2 mins 40 secs
4-5 minutes The ideal length of time to infuse a fruit or herbal infusion.
The average time a British consumer brews their tea for.
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calories
In a cup of green tea (without milk and sugar, of course).
30%
of people take sugar in their tea.
14 calories
We offer a wide range of tea’s in our catalogue including all the bestknown brands such as PG Tips, Tetley and Twinings.
in the average cuppa with a dash of semiskimmed milk and without sugar.
Receive FREE Smarties Minis and Milky Bar Buttons.
Green tea
When you buy 2 tins of either 750g NESCAFÉ Original®, 750g NESCAFÉ Gold Blend® or 500g NESCAFÉ Azera®
Promo code: NL819829
of all cups of tea served around the world today were made using tea bags.
The amount of tea consumed worldwide every day.
Anti-aging A recent study showed that extracts in white tea prevented wrinkle production by strengthening the elastin and collagen in the skin. According to the study, white tea can keep your joints younger too!.
96%
billion cups
96%
Promo code: NL819831
Promo code: NL819830
Promotion only valid when ordering with the promotional code, whilst stocks last until 31st March 2017.
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of all the cups of tea served around the world today were made using tea bags.
irongategroup.co.uk
contains half as much caffeine as filter coffee
4/10 workers make a hot drink for their colleagues at least once a day.
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Irongate partners with MASCOT®. We’re delighted to announce a new partnership with one of the largest manufacturers of workwear in Europe - MASCOT® workwear. Irongate is now one of a few exclusive distributors in the east midlands. Nicki Ambidge, Irongate’s Workwear Sales Manager said: “As a workwear specialist, we want to be able to offer our customers the largest selection of workwear, safety equipment and workplace safety products. MASCOT® is one of the best names in the market and we’re delighted that we’re now an approved distributor. Their products are known for their outstanding quality and durability and their uncompromising attitude to quality is linked to their strategic decision to produce not the cheapest workwear, but the best workwear.”
Tested to work, MASCOT®’s has a comprehensive range to keep wearers safe and visible across industries including construction, manufacturing and transport. With MASCOT® you can get something suitable for every conceivable work situation and all kinds of weather.
MASCOT® UNIQUE range. MASCOT’s best-selling range in Europe is MASCOT® UNIQUE. The twotone workwear is available in 8 different colour combinations, 25 different product variants for all industries and different fabric qualities providing countless opportunities for variation. The huge range of colourful T-shirts, sweatshirts and polo shirts in the MASCOT collection provide a wealth of opportunities to brighten up your dark workwear. Choose a colour to match the colour of your logo, for example.
Advanced technologies. Remember your accessories when you chose trousers (MASCOT Mannheim shown here). MASCOT offers a wide range of knee pads and belts in the accessory collection.
A complete programme of tops. When you have chosen the MASCOT® UNIQUE collection, you don’t really need anything else. The tops include everything from T-shirts to winter jackets.
Trousers in three weight categories. Whether you are looking for feather-light trousers or a very hard-wearing and wearresistant material, you will find it in MASCOT® UNIQUE. There are three different fabric qualities from which to choose.
When you choose a black jacket (MASCOT Marburg fleece shown here), the details in your combined set make the difference: the orange MASCOT Orgon polo shirt matches the orange contrasts in the safety footwear and the socks.
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Use of known textile technologies and textile brands give MASCOT® UNIQUE workwear some very special benefits. The technologies we use include PrimaLoft®, TENCEL® and CORDURA®.
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For ALL employees. Whatever their trade or taste. Whatever their height and size. MASCOT® UNIQUE offers a broad range of colours, styles and sizes. Trousers and bibs & braces can also be found in three different leg lengths.
All found in one place. MASCOT® UNIQUE is practically a workwear brand in itself. Explore the products, materials and colours that can be combined infinitely. Always with the best fit and optimal freedom of movement!
If you would like more information about the MASCOT range of workwear, contact us on 01332 614616 or email workwear@irongategroup.co.uk.
How to make your new uniform launch a success. Transforming your staff uniform as part of a rebrand project is an important and significant exercise. Therefore we thought we would share with you some of the most important factors to consider when looking to roll out a brand new uniform across your workforce.
Establish your budget. It is important to have an understanding of the new uniform launch budget. This will help determine how many items are going to be in the range and how many items each staff member will receive. Our workwear designers will then make sure they select garments and designs which works within your budget.
Set realistic timescales. An important consideration is to allow sufficient time for your rebrand project. Usually you’ll need at least 9 to 12 months to allow time to consult, design, sample, and trial and then manufacture the uniform. Bespoke made and stock garments usually take 12 weeks from product agreements.
Wearer trials. When planning a new uniform roll out, getting staff “buy in” is critical to the project’s success. We recommend conducting a wearer trial with your staff to ensure every garment is of outstanding performance.
Sizing.
Stock.
Another challenge with each new range is ensuring that staff select the right size when they place their order. We encourage onsite fitting days where our team will hold a sizing day to measure wearers to ensure that everything is ordered correctly. All correct wearer information can then be captured, reducing the need for swaps and exchanges at a later stage.
Distribution. Our ‘wearer packing’ service provides the simplest and easiest way of ordering and distributing your staff uniforms. It’s particularly useful for large uniform orders and where staff are having multiple garments. We can take your size instructions and individually package all of the garments and accessories together into one convenient package for each of your wearers named and labelled on the outside. All packs are checked to guarantee the correct sizes are enclosed and this takes away the hassle of sorting and distributing the uniforms yourself, making your life easier.
Oxford vs Poplin. Do you know the difference between an Oxford shirt and a Poplin shirt? Sadie Taylor, Irongate’s workwear specialist plays spot the difference and advises when to choose one or the other. • It’s all down to the weave. The characteristic texture of the Oxford is achieved through the use of hardwearing, substantial yarns that are woven in a basket-weave construction. It is because of this weave that the Oxford is renowned for its durable properties.
Slim Fit Workwear Oxford Shirt (KK184)
• The warmer option. The denser Oxford weave tends to be warmer than a poplin shirt. • The Oxford is ‘the jeans’ of the shirt world. With a heavier look and textured surface, the Oxford has the versatility to also be worn more casually. Just like jeans, an Oxford shirt can be styled in many different ways and is suitable for a multitude of end uses.
• A poplin is ideal option for smart business attire. The poplin fabric is produced using a simple over/under weave. The yarns tend to be finer and the weave is tighter than Workforce Shirt (KK100) in poplin the Oxford. The resulting fabric has a smoother texture and offers increased softness and a better ability to drape. • Made for the office. The poplin shirt’s smart, polished look, makes it the ideal garment for officewear. • Lightweight contender. Poplin’s lightweight properties also make it great for layering under a sweater or suit jacket.
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Another consideration is what do you with any remaining stock of your old uniform. We’ll work with you in run up to the launch of the new range to get through the stock so there is as little as possible remaining. Plus, we’ll work with you to prepare forecast reports to ensure you have enough stockholding to fulfil future orders, ensuring that the correct products in the correct sizes were always available.
Internal PR. One of the most important considerations is having a thoughtful rollout strategy. Making sure your staff and internal stakeholders are in support of and engaged with your new brand is critical. We can help you promote your new staff uniform to your wearers so they become excited and as such become your most powerful ambassadors.
If you’re planning a new uniform in 2017, or you’re unsure where to start and need some advice, contact our experienced workwear team. Quality guidance is just as important as quality garments!.
Ask our expert. Say hello to Nicki Ambidge If you’d like to discuss how we can help bring your brand to life through your uniform, or answer any of your particular challenges in managing the uniform provision for your business, whether that’s quality, stock management or cost reduction, then we’d love to hear from you.
Call 01332 614616 or email workwear@irongategroup.co.uk
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A chair for everyone, no matter what your shape or size. Meet Harvey. Whether you are above or below average height and build you need to have a task chair that correctly fits your needs. Harvey is designed to accommodate individuals of different sizes, whilst maintaining a consistent look throughout the working environment. To select the correct chair, ideally users should fill out a seating assessment form which collects dimensional information. People are multi-variate which means they may be longer in the legs than the back and vice versa; weight also has an impact on the correct chair choice. As general guideline if people are in their ‘ideal BMI weight’ the Harvey chair size may be suitable for people of the following height ranges: 1. Harvey Petite (small seat and small back) 5ft and under (152.4cm and under) 2. Harvey Standard (standard seat and high back) 5ft to 5ft 11 inches (152.4cm to 180.3cm) 3. Harvey Tall (Large seat and high back) 5ft 11inches and above (180.3cm and above) There are also options for inflatable back and seat lumber, coccyx cut out, seat slide, headrest and adjustable arms.
Two mechanism options. The Independent Mechanism allows an accurate angle between the backrest and the seat to be achieved; this is very important for accurate control of your posture. When the chair is unlocked it ‘rocks’ from a semi-knee tilt point allowing good movement to be achieved without adjusting your trunk to thigh angle. A tension control allows you to adjust how easy or difficult it is to recline in the chair. The Self Balancing Mechanism lets the chair do the thinking for you, all you need to do is choose whether to lock or unlock the chair.
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The ergonomically balanced backrest provides complete support. The height adjustable backrest helps to achieve your correct setting. Lateral wing supports allows the backrest to ‘hug’ the body giving positive support across your back. Height and width adjustable armrests with sliding arm pads to allow you to get close to your desk whilst providing support for the arms when required. Positive lumbar support helps to maintain your natural lumbar curvature. The dual zone seat has a rear horizontal area which supports the pelvis, whilst the front slopes downwards, to help achieve an open trunk to thigh angle, to allow a more upright posture.
Want the try the Harvey chair for yourself? Request a demo
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The importance of sitting properly at work. Sitting for long periods of time, can have a detrimental effect on your health. It’s been linked to an increased risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even cancer. Most of us don’t have good posture either, the way we slouch at our desk is setting us up for a lifetime of pain and injuries. Although sit stand desks and treadmill desks are starting to appear in the market, they are not the norm, making sitting down for most of the day sometimes inevitable. To avoid the effects of hours spent sat down, here are our top tips on how to sit properly at your desk:
Desk. Anything you constantly use throughout the day such as your mouse, water bottle or phone can put pressure on your body if you’re constantly reaching to grab it. It’s important to keep these items as close as possible so that you don’t force your body to overwork.
Computer monitor. It’s important to keep your eyes in line with the part of the screen that you focus on the most. If you’re constantly looking down at your screen, this causes excess strain on your neck and leaves you vulnerable to injuries such as cervical strain and headaches.
Arms. It’s important to keep your arms at a relaxed 90-degree angle to avoid shoulder injuries and upper back pain. When you stretch your arms, your shoulders rotate forward which causes you to lose strength in your upper back. There’s a reason that chairs come with arms rest, they are there to be used!
Arms. When you sit at a desk 5 days a week, it’s important for your back to be comfortable and supported. If your chair lacks this support, your back tends to curve too much in the opposite direction -which can cause kyphosis. Therefore, it’s important that your chair provides you with the right support in the right places.
Vertical alignment. When you hunch your body forwards towards your computer screen whist sitting at your desk, your abdomen and back muscles work harder to keep your body from falling forwards. The problem is that when you sit incorrectly daily, you often aren’t aware of how bad your posture is or how much strain you are causing on your back muscles. Most back problems are preventable and even though the ideal posture isn’t always the most comfortable, its important you sitting correctly is important to your overall back health. Making it imperative that you choose a good quality chair and make an effort to sit with correct, upright posture.
Back
Irongate partners with Senator. We’re excited to announce a new partnership Senator, the largest British manufacturer of office furniture. In addition to the Senator range of office furniture, the Senator Group also manufacture Allermuir and Torasen products. The broad spectrum of products that these brands provide enables us to satisfy all our customer’s needs, to meet the challenges of rapidly changing office environments.
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Ask our expert. Our Office Interiors expert Nathan Gration is on hand to offer advice, ideas and inspiration for your workspace.
Call 01332 614614 or email interiors@irongategroup.co.uk
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Supercharge your promotions with power on the go! Nowadays we all have such busy lives and we are constantly on the go - from the office to the gym to home, juggling family and social life. There’s an everincreasing need to know that we can always rely on our mobile devices and therefore a need to charge our devices on the go. Our iPads, iPhones, and many other portable devices always seem to run out of battery power when we need them the most. Powerbanks are portable chargers for mobile phones and tablets and have become one of the best-selling promotional products. They make a superb corporate gift for customers and staff. They are versatile as promotional gifts because they can be used with a variety of portable devices therefore are incredibly useful and something that is kept and used often, providing a great opportunity for increasing your brand awareness. We have over 40 different styles to choose from, in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours and in price ranges from £3 per unit to £30 per unit. Minimum orders start at 25 items. Here’s our guide to choosing the right promotional power bank to supercharge your promotions.
1. Decide what size of battery capacity (milliampere hour or mAh) do you need? Most smartphones have batteries of around 1400-2900 mAh so a basic 2200mAh promotional power bank is suitable for most smartphones. Tablets and iPads have batteries in the region of 8000-12000 mAh. Therefore, it’s important to choose the right promotional power bank as a basic 1000-2000 mAh won’t be much use for charging a tablet.
2. Decide what design and shape you would like? There are lots of different shapes and sizes from sticks, tubs and flat bars to bespoke 2D and 3D designs. Some also come with a wrist strap or a strap to hold the cable. They come with a micro usb cable as standard but double check with us as you may need to upgrade if you want the cable to be compatible with Apple products. Consider if you want to be able to charge more than one device at a time and whether you’d prefer to print or engrave your logo and contact details.
3. Decide what your budget per item is? The higher the mAh, the more expensive the power bank will be. If you wish to charge more than 1 device at a time, you will need a high mAh. The number of colours you would like printing on the powerbank will also affect the cost price. And finally, decide whether you would like it supplying in a nice gift box.
Poweralu (MO8602) • Power bank 2200 mAh in aluminium. • Capacity for smartphone use, output current DC5V/1A. • Includes USB cable with micro usb plug. • Product Size: 9.5x2.1x2.1cm. • Printing Size: 65x15mm. • Can be engraved or printed.
Powertone (MO5004) • Basic two tone powerbank 2000, 2200 or 2600 mAh capacity. • Red and blue indicator lights to see if the powerbank is charged. • Suitable for smartphones. • Product size: 21x30x90mm. • Printing size: 80x13.5mm.
Powermate (MO5001) • Powerbank 2000, 2200 or 2600 mAh capacity with key ring included. • Suitable for smartphones. • Product size: 96x22x24mm. • Printing size: 85x17mm.
Powerflat (MO8735) • Power bank 4000 mAh in aluminium. • Capacity for smartphone use, output current DC5V/1A. • Includes USB cable with micro usb plug. • Product size: 6.5x11x0.9cm. • Print area 80x30mm. • Can be engraved or printed.
Powersun • Solar charger with 11000 mAh capacity and includes a micro USB cable. • Suitable for smartphones, tablets and other digital devices. • Product size: 8x13x2.3cm. • Print area 60x50mm.
Here’s a cool idea!
How about creating your very own bespoke powerbank?
Promotional power banks are a perfect giveaway for events and exhibitions. How about promoting “Free Charging Station” and “Free Power Chargers “at your stand. Your traffic will be increased, giving you time to talk to your prospective customers and qualify your stands traffic.
Instead of choosing an offthe-shelf powerbank, why not bespoke your very own into virtually any image you would like, like this rocket or camera.
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Here are our top 5 favourite power banks:
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If you are unsure as to what product would be perfect for your company, then why not give us a call and we can do the hard work for you? Contact our promotions team on: 01332 614607 or email promotions@irongategroup.co.uk.
Brand new promotional products for 2017
The perfect complement to any set of car keys!
Car shaped, LED switch operated keyring
Retractable in ear headphones
• Emits a flashing LED light in an alternating red and blue colour. • Supplied with a chain and split ring attachment. • Available in green, yellow, blue and green. • Minimum quantity: 1000 • Prices from: £0.60
• 1 metre cord. • Available in white, amber, black, blue, green purple and red. • Minimum quantity: 50 • Prices from: £1.50
PU soft finish jotter • 80 lined sheets and coloured elastic close. • A handy size to carry anywhere from the supermarket to the gym. • Available in red, blue and black. • Minimum quantity: 50 • Prices from: £1.20
Matt black stainless steel travel mug • 450ml double walled • Coloured plastic interior, base, handle, top band and screw top lid with secure sliding sipper. • Handle is ridged for better grip. • Available in black with amber, black, blue, cyan, green, pink, purple and red. • Minimum quantity: 50 • Prices from: £2.95
Ask our expert.
5-in-1 multi charger • No need to carry multiple chargers with you for your various devices. • The 5-in-1 multi charger has adaptors to suit numerous devices, avoiding the need to carry multiple chargers with you. • Compatible with iPhone 5 and 6. MFi certified. • Available in white, green, blue, red and yellow. • Minimum quantity: 100 • Prices from: £8.05
Request a 2017 promotions catalogue.
Top 10 most popular promotional products
Sam Johnson is our promotional products and gifts expert. Whether it be a corporate event or exhibition, she loves finding the perfect promo item for her clients. So please don’t hesitate to contact Sam if you’re looking for a quotation or just some ideas. Alternatively you can view our gallery on our website.
Pens USB
If you’re looking for some inspiration and ideas for your promotional merchandise, then make sure you have a copy of our promotions catalogue. It’s packed full of good ideas. Request a copy via our website or by emailing promotions@irongategroup.co.uk.
Mugs Power Banks Bags Sports Bottles Notebooks and Sticky Notes Keyrings and Trolley Coins
Call 01332 614607 or email promotions@irongategroup.co.uk
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Stress Items
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Lanyards
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t of the lates al products promotion gift ate or rp and co ideas
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Using data to help Leaders be the leader of the pack! The challenge. Irongate Communications has a longestablished reputation for helping businesses across a multitude of industry sectors to communicate more effectively with their target audience. The nature of these communications can be transactional, email broadcasting, one to one personalised direct mail and traditional direct mail. Whether your aim is to attract new customers, drive more customer loyalty, introduce more members, market a new product or publicise an event, the intelligent use of data can mean the difference between great ROI and poor ROI. Our understanding of data helps us drive effective campaigns for our clients, assisting them sell more stuff. We have been working with Leaders for several years with great success so we wanted to share with you just one of the ways we’ve helped them use data to improve their campaigns.
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The solution.
Leaders is one of the largest independent residential property groups in the UK, with over 120 branches specialising in lettings, sales, buy-to-let and investment finance. Their key strategy is to have national coverage with a local service. Whilst Leaders are growing exponentially, they remain committed to exceptional customer care with all of their branches staffed by qualified and knowledgeable local property experts who embrace the Leaders ethos of providing a professional, high-quality, and personal service. Leaders therefore feel it is important to be able to create highly localised, relevant marketing for their nationwide branches. But Leaders were experiencing the typical challenges of any multi-location business that wants to provide local marketing support to their branches. These included high levels of administration and process management, difficulty targeting localised messages to a local audience cost-effectively, poor ROI on generic mailers, slow production times and lots of obsolescence and waste due to bulk printing. An additional challenge for Leaders was to costeffectively identify local target audiences hidden within a national audience.
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The challenge for our communications team was to develop a cross-media communications strategy that would support their requirement to be able to market on a local level. Irongate’s online marketing centre with it’s Right Market data add-on, together with variable data printing was the ideal solution.
We provide Leaders with: • A live local data feed built around 60 demographic markers. • Bespoke, highly customisable variable marketing material for each branch. • Branches control their local activity. • Leaders HQ control printed collateral and leads within one single application.
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Key benefits. • Branches empowered with visibility of activity for Head Office. • Highly targeted local marketing with customisable, relevant personalised content. • Increased effectiveness of marketing materials with increased stock acquisition rate.
• Reduced postage costs. • Print volumes reduced. • Quicker to market – print on demand posted out within 24 hours. • Branding and corporate messages protected.
• Branches free to spend time on their core business focussing on marketing their business whilst we focus on making that marketing happen.
• Administration and supplier/ agency liaison eliminated.
3 reasons print still matters. Maybe it’s the thinning volume in the mailbox. Maybe its marketers’ flagging results after focusing on e-marketing as a replacement for print. Whatever it is, we’re seeing it more and more. Marketing experts are talking about the benefits of keeping print in the mix.
1. Print has impact . Shaun Todd, Account Director at Irongate who led the implementation of this new platform explains some of the details. “We went through a full scoping exercise with the client so we could meet all of their specific requirements. The project included the development of a bespoke web to print portal that could be accessed by Leaders 120 nationwide branches. They needed to be able to order general marketing collaterals such as leaflets, mailers and brochures. These were all print on demand templates approved by head office, all with elements of variable
data to allow for local customisation. As part of this portal, there is a direct mail module which allows branches to send personalised direct mail to landlords. There are over 60 demographic markers to drill down on target recipients from financial to new mover. The tool can also be used to promote house sales to other home owners in the street. The option also allows the use of Google maps
to provide an option of delivering named leaflets to a) whole street b) 20 houses either side or ‘’20/20’’ as known in the industry or can draw from your own target area. At Irongate we believe the integration is a major advantage along with being able to provide the client with visibility on spend which helps budgeting but more importantly measures the all-important return on investment from this activity.”
Email marketing is cheap and people know it. There is something about putting a brochure, a physical coupon, or a carefully-designed direct mail piece into someone’s hands. Print literally carries weight. As well as being visual you can touch it and even smell it.
2. Print has staying power. Readers get easily distracted using digital media, and they lose focus on the message. Whether its college students doing their studies, a casual reader at home on the couch, or a targeted recipient reading a piece of personalised direct mail, print holds attention and promotes recall more than digital media. Unlike digital marketing, which may only remain in the customer’s field of view for a few seconds, print stays on the desk, the table, or the counter. It isn’t forgotten the moment the viewer clicks out, scrolls down, or clicks to another page.
3. Print can add intrigue or fun to the experience. Leaflets do not need to be flat and boring. The options for creative presentation are endless ranging from 3 dimensional fold-out business cards to z-fold style road map information sheets in a range of materials. Try something new and differentiate yourself from the competition.
If you would like to find out how data can improve your marketing campaigns and see a demo of Right Market, contact our communications team on 01332 614619 or email: print@irongategroup.co.uk.
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Printed media is just as much about how you design it, where you use, and with whom as much as it about the words printed. Of course digital media has a place in a well-crafted multichannel marketing campaign, but it Chat to our print doesn’t replace experts about your print. Want results? next campaign or Keep print in the project… mix.
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