Expert Office Advice

According to Prof Peter Stoney, business expert at the University of Liverpool’s management school, Liverpool’ Capital of Culture status in 2008 has softened some of the detrimental effects of the nationwide economic recession. As Liverpool Daily Post reports, companies are relocating to Liverpool that otherwise wouldn’t have, and an improved quality of life and cultural offering is helping to tackle Liverpool’s problem of a draining population.

Looking t relocate your business to Liverpool? Find affordable office space in and around Liverpool or call us on 0800 2300400 to find out more.

Trying desperately to juggle your professional life and motherhood? You are not alone. The Family Care Company carried out a research a while ago which shows that over 50 per cent of working mothers found it easier to blame traffic jams or a misbehaving alarm clock than admit it was their little one that made them late for work. It seems that the struggle to keep an effective work-life balance is still affecting nearly half of mums.

More interestingly, nearly 60 per cent of working mums said that childless female colleagues were less considerate and understanding than men were. Almost two thirds of working mums thought that asking for flexible working schedule would impact their careers in a negative way.

Juggling work and motherhood has become a hot topic, with more and more information, help and advice being available to new mothers.

Here at Office Connection we’ve selected a list of online resources that provide extremely helpful tips and give a platform to working mothers to communicate with each other and share their experiences.

Working Families offers an outstanding range of articles, toolkits, expert advice and consultations. Issues covered include your rights at work, maternity leave and pay, time off work, pregnancy, childcare for children with disabilities and much more. There’s also information about free legal helplines available. Read the rest of this entry »

You’ve made your packed lunch, check.

You’ve brought it to work and put it in the office fridge, check.

Lunchtime rolls around and you go to enjoy your sandwich, check, er hang on, it’s gone! Not a crumb in sight, not one morsel of your lovingly prepared lunch. Just remember you are not alone in this predicament! Offices around the world are plagued by the office lunch bandit, the sneaky fridge thief himself.

So what can be done to combat this midday pilferer? Fingerprint activated lunch boxes? Lasers, alarm systems, mousetraps? Well a canny soul has come up with this Anti-Theft Lunch Bag. Read the rest of this entry »

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published its Commercial Market Survey for the Q4 of 2008, pointing out that occupier demand and enquiries declined at the fastest pace in the survey’s history (since 1998) with retail the worst performing sector for the second consecutive quarter, followed by the office and industrial sectors.

The market downturn coincides with the process of economy recession, forcing businesses to re-evaluate their spending and focus on cost effective solutions.

RICS report also shows that the amount of available floor space for occupation has also rapidly increased, at the fastest pace on RICS record.

London and the South has experience the sharpest increase in incentives offered by landlords.

Resources:
Download Q4 Commercial Market Survey (opens as a.pdf file)

The plans to develop nearly 135,000 square feet of Grade A office space and a hotel facility with views over Liverpool’s waterfront have been announced. Developers now hope to secure planning permission for this development on Riverside Drive.

The site would feature two modern office block buildings and an eleven-storey hotel in this fantastic location on the edge of the city centre, with Brunswick railway station situated just a few minutes away.

Find available serviced office space in central Liverpool and surrounding areas.

Gift giving in an office environment may be an enjoyable experience for the employees, but it isn’t as effortless as it seems. There are several gift giving etiquette points, as giving business gifts to your clients, partners and employees is completely different from choosing a gift for your partner or a relative. With Christmas virtually on our doorstep, it’s worth remembering a few rules.

Find out the Company Policy regarding business gifts. Some companies have strict policies on the acceptance of corporate gifts, so do a little bit of research before you purchase or accept a gift. The gift should not be perceived as a form of bribery. In some cases organisations and businesses have a limit on the value of the gift that can be accepted.

Do not give an inappropriate gift. By that we mean extremely personal gifts, items showing your affection for the colleague, very expensive or extravagant gifts, such as designer clothing, shoes or high-priced gadgets.

Read the rest of this entry »

Senior executives from 500 leading European companies have named Manchester as the best city for business in the UK outside London. The research, carried out by Cushman & Wakefield, stated that Manchester is the second most attractive UK city/region to invest in, base the business and expand it. The third position is taken by Birmingham.

Looking at a broader list of cities in Europe that are potentially great for developing business, Manchester moved from 18th to 14th place, overtaking places like Dublin and defeating every UK city outside London. Another UK city – Birmingham - has retained its position as the 21st best business city in Europe.

Read the rest of this entry »

With Christmas parties just around the corner, you will want to start deciding on your outfit. If your budget won’t stretch to a new dress, there are some things you can do to revamp your old one.

You could add a nice brooch, or perhaps a bright belt. A visit to the haberdashery may be in order, they sell all manner of sparkly items, ribbons, buttons, feathers etc… you name it.

If you’re handy with a needle and thread, you could make a few alterations, perhaps to the sleeves or hemline. If your dress has buttons, you could easily replace them with something interesting. If you don’t know one end of a needle from another, there are tailors (or perhaps your mum?) that can alter your dress for you at a reasonable cost. I recently took a trench coat in to get altered and was only charged 15 pounds, a bargain I feel as now I have a coat at just the right length for me without having to buy a new one.

So don’t despair that you don’t have a fairy godmother to sort your wardrobe, with a few simple changes you can still be the belle of the ball. Now where’s that Prince Charming from the marketing team…

With Christmas swiftly approaching, many businesses are asking themselves - what is the maximum legal spending limit on a Christmas Party whilst still qualifying for a tax exemption in the United Kingdom?

If you are planning an office Christmas party, you can receive a tax exemption depending on how much is spent per person. The maximum amount that can be spent per head annually on corporate events or parties is £150.

This £150 per head includes everything for the event, from food, hiring the venue, transport and entertainment. This maximum also covers alcoholic beverages. You must ensure you don’t go over the maximum spend per attendee, or you will be liable to pay tax on the whole amount, even if it’s just a few pounds over the limit.

If you allow employees to bring spouses or dates, the same applies. The tax exemption is per person at the event, not only people employed by the company. Just remember the £150 tax exemption is for the whole year, so if you held a summer gala or event, this would have to be taken into account.

Click here for more tips on Office Christmas Parties.

The disused land right at the end of the M32 in Bristol will see two office block buildings built next year. This is the final stage of the Cabot Circus development in Bristol; the work is supposed to be starting at the beginning of 2009.

A modern office space totalling nearly 20,000 square meters will replace currently unused land in front of the busy shopping centre’s car park. The buildings are expected to be finished by next summer.

The Cabot Circus development included an array of amenities such as retail outlets, cafes, student accommodation and houses, built since 2005 as a part of the £500 million development.

Browse serviced office space in Bristol and surrounding areas.