Access Control Systems
Do you know who is in your office?  When, where, and at what time?  Your data and your business assets are critical to you. With a secure access control system, not only are staff secure, their own integrity can be safeguarded. From simple clocking in ‘time & attendance’ functions to full remote monitoring and messaging services, Future Office Access Control solutions are safeguarding our clients large and small throughout the UK right now.

Screens and Partitions
In today’s open plan offices, there are times when you ‘need to escape’ or need privacy for client confidentiality etc. Screens and partitions can be installed on a desktop or can be freestanding. From a simple desktop divider through to a self contained office unit, screens offer flexibility to a business where space is at a premium.

Audio Visual & Presentation Systems
As companies work to limit paper use, how do we keep our clients and staff informed? The ability to scan straight to ‘flash pen/usb drives’ means it is easier than ever to have truly portable documents. Why have your message on a laptop when it can be presented on a wall?

Health and safety in the workplace has cost many companies significant sums of money in recent years through lack of compliance. Staff are the key assets to a company, critical to the day to day business service delivery. Comfortable staff work longer hours, are more productive and show a better return for their employers.

Office furniture suppliers look at the environment staff work in, the space needed to work effectively in and the number of people that are required to be accommodated within that space. The new office is then planned out, observing importantly the HSE guidelines on a modern working space to ensure your business’ compliancy to ever changing directives. Many offer a full service which assists with not just office desks and office seating but all aspects of an office make-over or build including flooring, lighting, electronics and cabling.

There is a huge number of businesses that require Braille transcription services from government organisations to any business associated with serving the blind or partially sighted people.

Who requires Braille, large print or audio transcription?

Blind or visually impaired people
Employers of blind or visually impaired people
Businesses providing services to blind or visually impaired people
Friends and family of blind or visually impaired people

Companies and public sector organisations should be able to comply with the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) so that no one can be disadvantaged through a lack of information. Transcription services providers ensure this is done. Everyday items such as wage slips, utility bills and bank statements are essentially required to be transcribed into Braille or other transcription formats.

Braille is the most associated media when discussing transcription. Braille printing was invented by Louis Braille in 1821. Over 180 years later, this method is still effective. Transcriptions come in other formats though, for example large print and audio transcription. Large print is simple process but can greatly benefit a visually impaired person.

Transcribing documents into more user friendly formats is another job of a transcription service. Graphs, tables and charts can be hard to read for a partially sighted person or for someone with learning difficulties. A transcription services provider can convert the graph etc into an easier to understand format.
What makes transcription so easy and accessible now is technology. Files can be sent to a transcription services lab by email or on a CD and in the instant of audio transcription, the audio file can be saved as an MP3, onto CD or tape.

It is not just within business that document transcription has progressed. The Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act 2002 which came into force in October 2003, has made it far easier to have a previously copyrighted document to be transcribed. It has removed the copyright laws that haltered transcription and now a visually impaired person can make an accessible copy of any “Any literary, dramatic, artistic or musical work”.

Saving money and cutting costs are high on the agenda of businesses at present and none more so than trying to save money on the high cost of fuel. During this harsh economic time, many small businesses have plunged into obscurity. The financial constraints placed on them has crippled their ability to compete with larger, better known companies and many have even gone into administration. Bankruptcy and liquidation seem common place and are now even accepted as part and parcel of the present economic climate. Throughout these harrowing times, reputable fuel card companies have been playing their part in trying to reduce the expenditure for both large and small businesses. Fuel cards for businesses come with fixed rates for diesel, petrol and liquid petroleum gas.

There are a number of fuel cards out there with various savings and discounts and if used properly, can have a positive impact on your expenditure. It doesn’t matter if you have a fleet of HGVs, taxis or buses or if it is only one car or van, the discounts from fleet cards or business fuel cards for individuals will ensure that you will save money on your fuel.  At Fuelcards.com, we have a range of fuel card packages to suit any business.

In this present climate any saving for businesses is a must and the less expenditure you have the more chance your business has of surviving.  Fuel cards will save you and your business money but make sure you deal with a reputable company. Managing a fleet of any size during a recession can be daunting. Whatever business you are in, times of economic strife such as these can mean we all have to be extra vigilant of our expenditure and where this is going. Finding the time to maintain this can be challenging.

Fleet cards enable you to manage your fuel budget more effectively as fuel prices are fixed at a weekly rate. This alone will improve your budgeting as you will be able to better predict outgoings. Employing fleet cards into your regular business strategy will also eliminate the need to provide cash or ‘kitties’ to your drivers – instantly improving security for the drivers and for your peace of mind.

The conferencing industry is a market worth billions of dollars worldwide. Conferencing is offered in far more locations now from hotels and halls, even churches. Conferences are not just held by large multi-national companies anymore. Conferences for smaller numbers and smaller businesses are now very common and expectations of a conference have also moved on.

Now there are integrated audio visual, or AV, installations that can really make a difference at a conference, meeting or pitch to a prospective client. There are various audio visual and sound system installation packages available, many of which are tailor made to each specific requirement. For example, a large conference room can have 3 separate audio visual installations enabling the room to be divided into three, acoustically isolated rooms for hire to individual groups. Such installations can be operated completely independently but also have the ability for all of the projection systems to display the same image when the main hall is completely open for large delegations.

To further engage delegates and in addition to an audio video installation, interactive whiteboards can be used to energise presentations and motivate learners. Interactive whiteboards combine the simplicity of a whiteboard with the power of a computer and engages students and audiences. The touch-sensitive display connects to your computer and digital projector to show your computer image. You can then control computer applications directly from the display, write notes in digital ink and save your work to share later. And what is a huge plus point with these interactive whiteboards is that if a person can use a computer, they can use one of these systems.

Portable and modular buildings have progressed in both design and usability in recent years. We only used to see portable and modular buildings on building sites. They were shabby and with poor construction. Portable buildings have moved on substantially in recent years. Now schools are using them for extra classroom space and businesses are using them to extend office and storage space. Other uses are mobile toilets, marketing suites, surgeries and clinics. Portable buildings come in a wide range of models specifications and sizes, each for different functions and even multi-storey. Once inside a portable building, it is impossible to tell you are in a temporary structure with their suspended ceilings, fitted carpets and decorated walls.
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With so many different types of online booking systems available choosing the right system for your accommodation business can be confusing. Here you will find a quick six point plan which will hopefully ease tourism operators through the selection process.

1. Live availability and online bookings – Many customers will not wait for you to get back to them with your latest availability, they will just go elsewhere. Therefore you need an online booking system that displays your live availability and allows customers to make a booking with instant online payments.

2. Easy to use and install – You should look for a system that someone with only basic web editing skills can install, with no complex installation instructions. This way you will easily be able to manage and maintain your booking calendar without the need to call on your web developer each time something needs amending.

3. No commission charges – You should look for an online booking system that can be purchased for a fixed annual fee rather than having to continually pay out a percentage of each booking taken through the system.

4. Customisable booking pages – It is crucial that your reservation system can be fully customised in order to fit in with the look and feel of your website in order to maintain the professionalism of your brand. 

5. Full Control – Your booking system should enable you to deal direct with your customer and all payments need to go straight to you, not through an agency. You should also be able to choose whether to offer real time online bookings, or provisional bookings which allow you to liaise with the customer in order to confirm the booking. 

6. Help and support – It is important to choose a booking system that includes telephone and email support, as well as a quick and easy guide to getting started with the system.

Pre-owned modular buildings have been recognised by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister as being extremely environmentally friendly compared with an equivalent new manufactured building.

The reason for this is that the embodied energy required to manufacture a modular building is transportable as the embodied energy is locked within the fabric of the building. Therefore the energy contained within pre-owned modular buildings can be transported and relocated to another site. In traditional buildings this is largely lost when they are no longer required and demolished, even when the materials are re-cycled. However, with modular and portable buildings the embodied energy can be relocated along with the modules to another site.

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Real Fleet Limited are specialists in location based services – LBS, vehicle telematics software and the development of GPS-based fleet management technology for vehicle tracking. Utilising the very latest GPRS technology, Real Fleet have developed a range of products, which allow their customers to view all their vehicles without having to make a call to the vehicle for its latest position. They enable the remote management of a fleet wherever the vehicles are and at any time. Real Fleet also pride themselves on their flexible approach: they adapt hardware and software according to each fleet operator’s needs so the system fits the organisation, not vice versa.

For more details about Real Fleet and their GPS vehicle tracking systems please visit www.realfleet.co.uk

Cypher Digital Imaging is a total one-stop graphic solution shop including banner stands, exhibition stands, pop up stands, graphic design, website design, digital print, poster prints and business cards.  

When it comes to exhibition systems Cypher can cater for everyone, ranging from entry pop up stands and level starter packs through to large bespoke banner stands. Their entry level starter pack includes three banner systems with printed graphics, a carry case, a folding metal literature rack and 500 x A4 colour printed leaflets for just £675+vat.

Cypher can provide their own creative graphic design and artwork team available for those who do not have their own design facilities available. Alternatively you can provide the artwork yourself.

Many of the exhibition stands are available to purchase online at www.cypherdigital.co.uk.

Property Plastics are an online retailer of building supplies products such as upvc doors, velux windows and conservatories to silicone sealant and installation tools. They cater for the DIY and trade market providing safe, easy ordering facilities saving you time and money.

They provide a host of installation guides providing step by step instruction of how to ensure your home improvement looks perfect with the minimum of fuss.

All products are delivered nationwide, with free delivery on orders over £49.99 and their buying power brings the best prices to the customer. Property Plastics are so confident their prices cannot be beaten they offer a ‘price promise’. If you find the same product with the same specification anywhere else online within 7 days they will refund the difference.

All Property Plastics products are manufactured in their own ISO9001 registered facilities ensuring quality is second to none.

With the soaring cost of fuel, any saving for a business is welcome hence this article explaining the plus points for using fuel cards.

Some people think they should not get a fuel card if they have a credit card. Even if there might be similarities, the fuel card is not a credit card and has its own use and benefits. The similarities pretty much stop at the way they both look and at the fact that the need for having cash is eliminated.

The first and most obvious benefit of fuel cards would have to be the possibility of buying petrol, diesel or other fuel at a discounted price. This is important especially because of the ongoing rise of the fuel. If you have a transportation business or your company has several cars for the employees, then the fuel card is the way to go. You do not have to give your drivers cash and all the invoices come with tax shown individually. This is important for your business because it smoothes the progress of tax recovery.

Fuel cards can be programmed in such a way that one can use them to buy one type of fuel or more depending on your needs. Because the fuel cards use Smartchip technology the number of fuelling transactions can be limited. These and other advantages make the fuel card more and more popular for both business and particular use.

Modular & Portable Buildings Ltd specialise in the purchase and sale of pre-owned modular buildings and jack leg portable cabins.

Their modular buildings and portable buildings are supplied for use as offices, temporary mobile classrooms, construction site accommodation, canteens, and training rooms, and we can supply temporary relocatable buildings exactly in the size and layout that you need from one to three stories high.

It is possible to spread the cost of purchasing your modular or portable building easily, by paying monthly through the company’s own in-house finance scheme.

Cumbria – the Lake District with its stunning scenery has been welcoming visitors for generations. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty, mountains reflected in still waters, picturesque villages, stunning shorelines and above it is tranquillity. What better place to go down on bended knee and what better to make fairytale weddings in the Lake District come true?

Take over a whole Lake District Hotel for the weekend for your friends and family or tie the knot with just the two of you in a special setting – the possibilities are endless. All the facilities – hotels, car hire, wedding photographers, catering etc. are already in place to help you plan your day, your way, with your ideas.

There is a vast range of choice of locations and options, formal and informal, including traditional church weddings in churches made of local slate with centuries of history and a wide range of venues for Lakeland Weddings to suit everyone’s tastes, with many offering civil ceremonies in their own grounds.

For more unique Lake District weddings you could hire a steamer to take your guests on a lake cruise whilst drinking champagne and at nightfall you could organise a spectacular firework display over the lake. For something more romantic and less formal you can enjoy a simple ceremony and a walk up one of the Lakeland fells with a picnic and enjoy the breathtaking views – the choice is yours.

As well as being an ideal location for weddings in Cumbria, the Lake District is one of the most romantic destinations to be found anywhere, which makes it an ideal honeymoon destination, with roaring log fires, cosy walks along country lanes and romantic candlelit dinners.

Experience the special magic of the Lake District for yourself and experience what makes it the perfect location for your wedding!