In Aid of the Chestnut Tree House, the event attracted 100`s of people from in and around the West and East Sussex area. It was a truly spectacular affair and a pleasure for us at Red-Inc to mix with some many likeminded businesses and individuals to support this great cause. With raffles, silent auctions and lots of sports memorabilia on offer there were plenty of ways to donate and give generously to the Hospice. There was comedy from Aaron James and the guest speaker was boxing legend Frank Bruno. Boxer Michael Watson was also present.

The reality of why we were all present was reiterated by a parent whose life had become somewhat more manageable with the hospice help. Additional another parent spoke to compare the difference of his life experience without such an organisation available to him when he needed it most. Both were heart wrenching accounts and further drove the message of why this is such an important charity to support.

The Chestnut Tree House is the only hospice in Sussex and cares for children and young adults from all over the country that have life-threatening or progressive life limiting illnesses.

The facilities are incredible and they offer support and facilities for the whole family. The hospice receives very little help from the government regarding funding and requires the help and support of everyone to cover its £2 million operational costs.

Here at Red-Inc office supplies Brighton we operate a charity rebate program in conjunction with our clients, whereby we make a donation based on their spend to the charity of their choice. This scheme has been running since 2009 and in this time we have donated thousands of pounds to various charities around the UK.

For more information about the Chestnut Tree House Hospice please visit www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk where you can get involved and see fundraising ideas to suit all.

Acumen Business Law are a Sussex based firm whose culture and ethos, like that of Red-Inc`s is to buck the trend of a fairly staid and traditional market sector. Acumen are a business specialist law firm and their mission to stand out in the legal industry is lead by scrapping the hourly rate system and operating a fixed fee-pricing model, amongst other things. They have also broken away from the aloof culture that is associated with their profession by truly being approachable, accessible and unpretentious. If anyone has ever met MD Penina Shepherd or any of the growing team you will understand that they are fulfilling this promise. The Brighton firm was listed in the Financial Times’ Top 50 Groundbreaking & Innovative Lawyers in the UK & Europe, was voted a UK Rising Star by the Observer and was a finalist for the Best Customer Service & Innovation in the recent Sussex Business Awards.

The Acumen convention attracted 150 of Brighton’s business leaders, managers and professionals. The afternoon consisted of a mix of workshops, guest speakers and a panel debate around topics such as the challenges of business in the current climate and how to motivate and incentivise staff when money is tight. 

The finale was the keynote speaker Jacqueline Gold, Chief Executive of Ann Summers. With charm and grace she delivered an amazing account of her rise to success from the early days of 2 shops, to the demands and changes in business with what is now a vast enterprise totalling sales of £150 million. It is hard to believe such an individual who has encountered so many obstacles throughout this journey found the strength to keep going when it seemed everyone else wanted her to fail. Better still was her fantastic calm delivery and the way she giggled as she recalled the stories of both success and hard times. It made her human, genuine and enabled us to connect with her.

So another great success story for a Brighton Business and a few lines of feedback from delegates that attended the convention. For more information about Acumen please visit; www.acumenbusinesslaw.co.uk

“I would like to congratulate you and your team on another successful Acumen Business Convention. Your innovative blend of legal content, personal engagement with the business community combined with a radical and entertaining speaker resulted in an event that was an enjoyable and rewarding afternoon. I loved the gospel singers.  You do know how to make an impact and be very different lawyers!”

“Just a quick email to congratulate you all on a great day yesterday – very professional, very slick and very relaxed – a great combination.”

 “Just wanted to extend a big thanks for yesterday’s event. It was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, and I thought Jacqueline Gold was a brilliant choice as keynote speaker! She was fabulous! I appreciate how difficult and time consuming such events are to organise, so I wanted to say congratulations and thank you to all involved. I hope you enjoyed the occasion, as much as I did.”

Why? Because we believe that if we work as a partnership with you, we can save you more money. How? By looking at the bigger picture and by using our expertise to help you in the area we know and understand.

We sell far more than paper, pens and desk top stationery to our clients in Brighton in East Sussex. We offer this and a handful of associated services to clients throughout the whole of the uk. We have available to us a whole range of products that most organisations use, from paper and pens right through to janitorial, catering, furniture,  print and promotional items, to name but a few.

So can we buck the trend of “not wanting to put all your eggs in one basket”? We believe so. We are a service driven organisation, we are efficient, and want to help you become efficient. You can single source from Red-Inc, reducing the need for so many vendors and reduce administration cost throughout your own business. You can consolidate your deliveries that perhaps once you received every day from different suppliers.

Red-Inc is a lean concept business formed to supply and service clients . Additionally we reward our clients with even more value added free services, like a free recycling programme to take away paper, toners, cardboard and other such waste products. How much are you spending with your recycling provider at present, and isn’t it just another vendor to deal with ?

Naturally we take the view that the more you spend, the better it is for us, and therefore the cost to serve and the margin expectations can be greatly reduced. This leaves you with peace of mind and some spare change for that very important team building end of year motivational Christmas staff lunch, that so many companies seem to be dropping during these hard time.

We are delighted to launch the business gifts and promotional department at Red-Inc office supplies Brighton.

Hand in hand with other services such as office stationery and print, business gifts will help to add value and offer more services to this one stop business model. Anything from pens to lanyards or conference marketing and promotions, even clothing and so much more, we are here to help and advise. 

Having supplied various clients both locally in Brighton, Sussex and throughout the UK on an ad-hoc basis over the past few years, we are now openly competing in this market and have several national accounts who source their business gifts directly from us at Red-Inc.

We are a service driven organisation, so why not save yourself time and let us do the sourcing to find the right promotional gifts and help raise brand awareness, as well as increase sales as a part of your overall marketing strategy. We can supply all proofs in PDF format directly to your desk top or even arrange for hard copy proofs on receipt of your order.

With the capacity to source direct from a host of different manufacturers we will be sure to keep your costs to a minimum.

If you would like to know more about this service and the products available, please contact us for a Promotional gifts catalogue - Info@red-inc.com 

But things are different now, sort of. I'm at the final day at South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, and my business cards (now white and crimson, of course), have certainly been helpful. I've traded them plentifully and with promises — already made, kept, or broken — of follow-ups and check-ins. But in some circles, they haven't been helpful at all.

SXSW attracts distinct, and diverse, tribes. With some, my card is indeed a stamp of authenticity. In others, a mark of a time passed. When I've met journalists or designers, the business card is still the default. Some cards are plain; others speak to their holders' personalities through odd trim sizes, quirky color schemes, or clever word play. But in the startup circles I've come across, the business card is the badge of the outsider. I had a lovely conversation with two young entrepreneurs from New York and when it was time to part ways, I used that old line: "Here, let me give you my card." They both paused, looking unsure about whether or not I was serious. Then I saw the understanding wash over them. I was speaking a forgotten language. A business card. How precious. One kindly accepted it anyway. The other craned his neck to copy my email address into his Hashable account and instantly sent me his virtual business card instead. With that small paper rectangle, I'd outed myself as a square.

In other situations, I've exchanged Twitter handles instead of email. In others still, it's easier to swap phone numbers — for texting, of course. All of these methods allow people to keep in touch. But your preferred method says something about who you are, as much as saying it with funky fonts or trim sizes.

I'm a big fan of electronic communication. I'd always prefer my bank email me than send pieces of paper through the mail. It's just easier to manage everything in one place, the place where I already am — online. So I understand the convenience of an instant electronic business card. But there's something, too, in a world where we use paper less and less, that makes me appreciate paper even more. My cube walls are covered in what my mother once deemed, "paperorabilia." When I return from the conference to summit the mountain of business cards needing my attention, I will no doubt appreciate that electronic card already sitting in my inbox. But I hope I will also appreciate the one with the DIY look of distressed cardboard, and that each will tell me something more about the person who gave it to me than I could have known from their contact info alone.

How do you like to exchange contact info when you meet someone? Do you think about what it might say about you?

4:44 PM Tuesday March 15, 2011 - by Susy Jackson, Assistant Editor at Harvard Business Review

Accidents increase by 43% in the winter. Dark evenings and slippery leaves are the main culprits – but the scariest kinds involve commuters travelling to and from the office following the big freeze.

As an employer it’s up to you to ensure your staff’s safety. Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 states: ‘’It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all its employees.’’

And with winter snow now more than ever and integral part of employee health and safety, it’s time to show some true grit.

First steps:

It  needn’t be all doom and gloom. Here are a few sample measures you should take to make sure winter passes you by without a slip.

Appoint a ‘snow manager’ – someone responsible for managing a situation brought on by poor weather. They should be in touch with the Met Office, ensuring there’s salt or grit at the ready, and be the person on the front line of all things snowy.

Make sure you communicate with staff – by telephone, SMS, email or Facebook – it’s often a lack of communication that pushes people to drive or walk into work when it may be possible for them to work from home.

Depending on how the snow has affected your premises you may decide to close the office if conditions are dangerous, you should always put the safety of your staff first.

If your office is remaining open you should make the surrounding paths, car parks and stairways as safe as possible. It’s worth paying a contractor to clear the car park and spread salt or sand on paths and steps before your employees arrive. Be cautious about asking employees to snow shovel: it can suggest you don’t value their office skills. And if they injure themselves, you could have a personal injury claim on your hands.

If your staff do drive in, remind them to make sure their vehicles are safe before they set off home, windows free of snow and ice, their lights cleaned, number plates visible and wipers working. In short, help them. If you can, place buckets of hot water and cans of de-icer at reception, share road traffic information on your intranet and let them leave early if necessary. If any members of staff get caught out or aren’t confident driving home in snow, recommend car sharing or arrange taxis.

For members of staff that are using public transport, it’s often the case that public transport is suspended or the service is restricted. Check service provider websites for updates on service and let the staff leave early if they aren’t able to make other arrangements. Basically, do what you can to help, if staff have made the effort to get into work it’s the least you can do.

Lastly, be forgiving of the problems caused by bad weather. A sympathetic smile is far more effective than intolerance to situations outside your employee’s control.

Red-Inc office supplies Brighton can supply you with all the equipment you require to keep your staff safe and your business running when the elements are against you, from basic de-Icing salt, grit and salt containers through to AA car breakdown kits and snow shovels.  

The unique offering which includes office supplies, print, promotional products and furniture is further enhanced by other value added schemes that we run in tandem. We are confident that we can be a one stop supplier, and that the clients in Worthing can benefit greatly from our unique offering.

Our Red-Inc recycling scheme for example has been a fantastic USP and continues to secure new business in line with cost cutting stationery supplies. Companies are really seeing the monetary saving, reduction of vendors and streaming by having this as a free service when paired with the office supplies contract.

We are optimistic that any potential clients in Worthing will see the benefits that we have on offer, and will take advantage of our free stationery cost analysis to help cut costs and improve efficiency.

If you are interested in this please contact us on 0845 180 0005 or email info@red-inc.com

Relatively speaking a printer toner costs as much as a large basket of basic desk stationery, so it’s important to keep an eye on these costs.

Some organisations are more than happy, and have the financial pot to pay for original printer toners and ink. Some organisations will only use originals, but in the modern day office environment and with this current climate , this isn’t always necessary.

Some years back, any mention of recycled printer toners, refilled toners or remanufactured toners was enough to send shivers down your spine and the industry was rife with bad products and cheap prices. This period in time has generally left a bitter taste in the mouth of any would be purchaser when it comes to offering an alternative product to the original.

So what options are there for today’s buyers that want to cut cost without cutting performance? Plenty ! Gone are the days of poor products thankfully, and from them has emerged several great ranges of alternative toners and ink without the big price tag. This gap in the market has now been suitably filled and will continue to improve further.

We actively promote compatible printer toners, these aren’t refills, but have 70% of  recycled components from original manufactured toners. These are manufactured to the highest standards that you might find with an original branded toner from any top leading brands. We can show good savings by substituting them for you and even send out samples for you to test in your machines, just to give that extra bit of confidence if you need it. They have the same page life and all come with full guarantees to give you that piece of mind. What’s more they comply with all the OEM cartridge patents and are continually checked.

We preach best practice at Red-Inc and have to make sure we sell products that work and don’t stop your business from working. We also offer a complete recycling program for our clients that includes printer toners. We really don’t want these in landfill do we!

We appointed Red Inc in both our offices to provide us with stationery and since being with them now for nearly three months we have also crossed over to using them for our secure shredding and recycling.

As a firm we are passionate about our corporate responsibility and this was something Red-Inc was totally on board with, they helped us to be greener, save costs and give back to the community in terms of recycling, whereby money made by Red Inc is donated to local charities. 

The most impressive element to me was the smooth transition between companies. Red-Inc met with all the staff that order stationery, spent time setting them up and training them to use their online system, provided support and also I now have the ability to download monthly cost analysis to monitor this overhead. 

I would recommend Red Inc to anybody out there who wants a company that is "small enough to care, but large enough to compete" with any national stationery company in the UK.” October 19, 2010