London Buzz

It’s about time to check your address book and get sending out Christmas Cards to employees, clients, suppliers and local companies. You can quickly and easily have a personalised Christmas Card produced with your company name, logo and address (good for advertising or just as a reminder of who you are) and/or with a picture of your company.

Having received a company Christmas card where all the employees were dressed up as Xmas puddings, which is something I would be very reluctant to do myself, there are other ways of producing a card with a difference. How about a collage of employee baby pictures? Probably far more endearing than the grown up versions, unless you work at a modelling agency that is. Or employee pets, perhaps with Santa hats or similar Christmassy adornment.

If you can take the time to handwrite your cards, it does give them a more personal feel. Ensure you get your cards out in the beginning of December, the longer your cards are on display the better, plus it gives the receiver time to return the favour.

A lot of companies will have had to cut back on those Xmas extras this year, but you can still have a Credit Crunch Christmas Celebration. The swanky champagne reception from last year may indeed be a thing of the past, but it doesn’t have to be a Scrooge like lump of coal either. It’s important for both team building and office morale to have little celebration, to relax and enjoy a bit of the Christmas spirit together.

So you can’t book the ballroom at a big hotel this year, but you can find out about pubs or bars with event rooms, some don’t charge a hire fee, just a minimum spend at the bar. A restaurant meal is also a nice idea; many do a set Xmas menu that is quite reasonable. Secret Santa can be fun, where everyone chooses a name from a hat and buys that person a present, cap the spend limit at 5 or 10 pounds.

And look on the bright side, with less money behind the bar, perhaps you won’t have as many bad memories as in previous years, or be suffering from a hangover that lasts till the New Year.

If you’ve been put in charge of planning the office Xmas do, here is a checklist to get you started on your way:
Venue - Choose your Christmas party venue carefully, can people get to it easily? What about drivers? Public transport options?

• Date and Time - You don’t want to overlap with other parties if you can help it, for example individual team Xmas parties.
• Budget – How much has been allocated per head?
• How many people are attending – Are you allowing spouses/dates?
• Caterer – Is it a sit down meal or buffet? Don’t forget to cater for vegetarians, allergies etc.
• Drink allowance – is there a bar?
• Entertainment – Themed, music or band?

Remember that places get booked up very quickly during December, so don’t leave it too late to get organising.

Sharing an office with another person can be difficult. Having a colleague in close quarters with you when you are trying to work can be advantageous or completely unbearable.

In most offices there is a distinct lack of kitchen etiquette: people leaving dirty dishes in the sink or crumbs/leftover food all over the kitchen counters. Many office workers either forget or ignore the rulers of the office kitchen even though most of the rules simply stem from common sense and consideration for others.

When using the office kitchen there are simple and seemingly obvious general rules that should be followed.

Once you have been called to a face to face interview, it is important to take the time to prepare correctly. Today’s business world is very competitive, especially in London, and there are bound to be quite a few other candidates that have the same or similar qualifications going after the job.

It is important to make yourself stand out and a good way to do that is to practice exactly how you will sell yourself to your prospective employer. The first meeting is crucial, and therefore it is essential to be at your best and fully prepared.

When choosing how to decorate your office it is important to choose art and décor that speaks positively about the environment of the office and sends the right message to both employees and clients.

It can be difficult to choose the right colours, wall hangings or sculptures that not only fit in with the corporate culture but also adhere to a sense of professionalism and will help to create a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for clients. You and your employees also spend a large amount of time in the office so it should be an interesting and motivating place.

The Chinese and millions of other people in the world believe that their lives are affected by natural forces. Feng Shui is an alternative way of positioning the items and furniture in your home, office or even on your desk that improves the harmony of the environment.

What are employee rights in regards to office relocation? How does it affect them/their families? Is it against their contract to be expected to relocate to a new city? Does the company have to pay relocation costs/help find new accommodation?

Your relationships with your co-workers are important. Good working relationships can help you to do your job better, enjoy your work more and help you along in your career. Here are eight simple steps that you can try to help you along the road to better office relationships.