Office Breakfast Delivery Services in London

Office Breakfast LondonOfficeSpace.com @officeinlondon‘Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince and Dine like a Pauper’ – a delicate balancing act of what quantities one should consume for the healthiest diet, this old saying has become somewhat turned on its head in recent years.

Breakfast is undoubtedly the most important meal of the day: it affects the rest of your day. Skipping this all important meal can lead to a host of irritations that will affect the entire day. Mood swings and gnawing hunger certainly won’t lead to a productive start to your day, and can make you snappish and difficult to get on with – something that is certainly not going to be helpful if there’s a big meeting coming up. After a full night’s sleep, the brain desperately needs to replenish its glucose stores, and so feasting on a scrumptious and healthy breakfast will extend your attention span as well as increasing productivity.

Of course, grabbing a bacon butty swimming in grease and butter – while being delicious and filling at the time – can be no better than eating nothing at all. Full of fat, calories and salt, breakfast meats such as bacon and sausage can sit in your stomach all day, making you feel bloated and uncomfortable. A balanced breakfast with slow-release foods and fruit can work wonders as a morning pick-me-up.

Luckily, in this age of instant messages, email and microwave-able ready meals, the hassle of cooking up a large, healthy and balanced breakfast can be dropped into another’s hands. Whether as part of the catering for a busy morning meeting or just to share with co-workers, there are many catering companies which offer a variety of readymade, delicious breakfast menus delivered to the office.

London’s office breakfast delivery businesses are booming, with companies such as Grazing, Franks Express, Kudos and Office Diner being only a sample few amongst dozens. Continue reading “Office Breakfast Delivery Services in London”

Important London Conferences in 2014

As a world class city, rich in cultural history and global economic tradition, London is the top choice for events and exhibitions. Visitors to the city will find a wide array of hotel rooms, restaurants to suit every diet and an excellent transportation system providing access to the many available meeting venues. London hosts thousands of events every year. Below are the top events worth paying attention to in London this year.

SES London 2014

Coming February 26, discover what’s new in Converged Media. Paid and social media work together to influence consumers across multiple channels. Learn about the strategies for successful marketing campaigns. Top innovators provide training for advertisers, marketers and business leaders. SES London will be held at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in the heart of Westminster.

TEDx Houses of Parliament 2014

The popular TED talks are once again coming to London on June 27. Speakers will be presenting at the QEII conference centre on themed topics. Always enlightening, TED speakers cover subjects from all aspects of technology, education and design. Tickets are in high demand every year, so register early.

Integrating Passenger Information 2014

Meeting from March 26-27 to study the automation of data from transportation services and how they interface with social media, smartphones and public information services.

TeachMeet BETT

A relaxed gathering at the Docklands on January 24, TEACHMEET is for anyone who is interested in education and for teachers to share ideas that they’ve tried in their classrooms. All teaching professionals are welcomed to take part and share their stories about learning. Continue reading “Important London Conferences in 2014”

The Most Sought After Careers and Popular Jobs in London

Popular Jobs in London LondonOfficeSpace.com @officeinlondonBeing the capital of one of the strongest economies in the world, it is not surprising that London attracts thousands of jobseekers every year, who arrive in the British capital hoping to give a boost to their career by landing a position in the city. According to a March 2013 report published by local London newspaper The Evening Standard, the official unemployment rate in the city is at a four-year low, and currently stands at 7.8 per cent. Data collected by the Greater London Authority show that during 2013, the total number of jobs available in the city has increased by 3.9 per cent when compared to the previous year.

London is also the most popular UK city for graduates who are in search of their first job. This trend has been specially notorious since the economic recession hit, according to the Higher Education Careers Services Unit. But where exactly are the most popular jobs in London and what are the key trends for the near future? In this article we take a look at the most fruitful sources of employment in the British capital and at some interesting data about them.

Finance and banking

With hundreds of financial institutions from all over the world headquartered in London, the city naturally attracts jobseekers who are interested in pursuing a career in finance. The city’s status as a leading financial centre at international level is one of the main reasons why the finance job market in London escaped the worst of the recession. In May 2012, a survey carried out by the Centre for Economics and Business Research showed that financial jobs in the City were down by nearly 100,000 when compared to the pre-recession years. However, the sector has since stabilised and currently the number of finance jobs available is on the rise. Banking jobs have increased by 3.2 per cent, whereas the bulk of finance jobs available is 1.8 per cent higher than last year.

According to the Higher Education Careers Services Unit, approximately 66 per cent of all graduates who are currently working as financial analysts began their career in London. One thing is clear: the finance job market in London is changing, and while jobs some types of finance and banking are becoming scarce, there are new opportunities in areas like fund management and insurance.

Construction

Construction is a booming sector in London that has benefited from the celebration of the Olympic Games and from some large-scale infrastructure projects, like the Thames Tideway Tunnel or Crossrail, which will require large numbers of construction workers until 2019. All in all, there are nearly 700 ongoing construction projects around London. In the residential sector, there are more than 200,000 London homes with approved building permission. According to the Construction Skills Network, at the end of 2012 there were 260,000 people employed in the construction sector in Greater London.

However, the London Assembly Economy Committee has recently published a report affirming that there are important skills shortages in this particular labour market, especially when it comes to dry liners, glazers, plasterers, and building envelope specialists. These are the areas where the best paying constrution jobs can be found.

Hospitality

London is an industry leader in the hotel and catering industry, and according to some recent reports, the hospitality industry in the capital has outpaced the rest of the country and is showing growth levels that are higher than those of the pre-recession years. By 2020, it is expected that there will be 5,000 new hotel rooms in the city, in addition to the 8,000 that opened up on occasion of the Olympics.

Yet, the latest State of the Nation report shows that the city is experiencing critical skill shortages, especially when it comes to chefs and qualified hospitality managers. While vacancies for front of the house staff and waiting staff are always available in London, the highest paying hospitality jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.

Retail

Retail is one of the most important contributors to the economy of London. According to data published at the London’s Economic Plan website, the retail industry employs more than 400,000 people, a figure that represents approximately 9 per cent of all jobs in Greater London. It is expected that within the next ten years, there will be a further 75,000 retail vacancies available in the city.

By far, the most popular retail jobs are to be found in specialist clothing stores, which employ 78,000 jobs across London. Next are food retail outlets, which provide more than 22,000 people, followed by outlets selling electrical goods, books, and furniture, in which more than 10,000 people are employed.

Work and Career New Year Resolutions for 2014

New Year Resolutions LondonOfficeSpace.com @officeinlondonThe countdown to Christmas has already started. In addition to being the best time of the year for family gatherings and for taking some well-deserved time off, the transition period between one year and the next is also great for setting up personal and professional goals. New Year resolutions are often consigned to oblivion after a few weeks, but more likely than not, this is so because the resolutions were not realistic enough. When it comes to the workplace, this period is the perfect time of the year to take stock of our achievements and to set out a few reasonable objectives for the year that’s just about to start. In this article you will find some useful suggestions that might inspire you to start the new year in the office with motivation and enthusiasm.

Start the year with a positive attitude

Although this may seem obvious, a positive attitude can make a world of a difference when it comes to your working life. If you only decide on one New Year resolution for 2014, make it taking yourself less seriously. Of course, there are stressful situations that you will have to deal with, such as dealing with difficult customers, meeting strict deadlines, or simply surviving the kind of days when everything seems to go wrong. But if you think of it, chances are that you will not be the only one in the office feeling overwhelmed by this type of situations. Taking negative things with a pinch of salt and with a lot of humour can help reduce the tension in the office atmosphere.

Avoid gossip and criticism

Whether we like it or not, office politics are a fact of life in most workplaces. Having to spend at least 8 hours a day, 5 days a week surrounded by people with different personalities and points of view can be hard and lead to much complaining and criticism. Many employees see criticism and gossip as a way of blowing off some steam, but in the long term, this will end up being counter-productive. Gossiping about others in the office undermines motivation, team spirit, and ultimately, productivity. Make a point of doing your part to contribute to a healthier working environment by avoiding listening and spreading gossip and criticism. Continue reading “Work and Career New Year Resolutions for 2014”

Overview of London’s Commercial Property Market – 4th Quarter 2013

Latest trends in the London office property market

According to an October 2013 report published by Jones Lang Lasalle, the main characteristic of the London office market during the last quarter of the year has been accelerated rental growth. This has been especially evident in London’s West End and in the City. Prime office rental values in the West End and in the City evidence a quarter-on-quarter increase of nearly 4 per cent. This means that the London office market is now among the top five most expensive in Europe.

Quarter-on-quarter surveys show that the highest increase in rental values has taken place in properties located in Mayfair and St James’, where prices have reached £110 per square foot. Other significant increases have been observed in Soho, Covent Garden, Victoria, Noho, and Fitzrovia. The areas that have experienced the least dramatic increases are Shoreditch, Old Street, Canary Wharf, and Camden.

The largest transaction during this quarter involved a 430,000 square feet property near London Bridge.

The retail property market in London, Q4 2013

The London retail property market has bucked the nationwide trend during this quarter, as it has been characterised by rental growth and low vacancy rates. When compared to the fourth quarter of 2012, retail rental values are 5.7 per cent up.

Investment yields in prime locations have increased by 4.75 per cent, whereas in secondary locations they have grown by 6.25 per cent. However, during the fourth quarter of the year, rental value growth levels for retail floor space has decreased by 0.6 per cent. Continue reading “Overview of London’s Commercial Property Market – 4th Quarter 2013”

How to Keep your Office Healthy

How to Keep your Office Healthy LondonOfficeSpace.com @officeinlondonIf you run a business or are an office manager, chances are that one of your main concerns has to do with keeping up productivity levels so that your company can compete in the local economy. As you probably know, one of the most important factors affecting productivity is absenteeism. According to the most recent Absence and Workplace Health survey, workplace absenteeism costs the British economy a whopping £14 billion a year. Most of it is due to sickness, as research has shown that the average British employee takes up to four more times the amount of sick days off than workers in other developed countries.

Because the business implications of absenteeism due to poor health are so important for companies, it is only natural that business owners will want to prevent health issues among their employees as much as it is reasonably possible. This is particularly important during the winter season, when health problems rise substantially. In this article we offer some useful suggestions that can help you keep your office healthy and provide a better working environment for your staff.

How to achieve a healthy office environment

Keeping your workforce healthy cannot be achieved by simply targeting one factor. It is important that office managers and business owners have a holistic perspective of what can be done in this respect, as the health of your workforce depends on both physical and psychological elements. So what are some of the things that can be done to improve the physical environment of your office in order to make it healthier? Continue reading “How to Keep your Office Healthy”

The Most Interesting Office Conversions in London

The Most Interesting Office Conversions in London LondonOfficeSpace.com @officeinlondon

The Most Interesting Office Conversions in London

London isn’t a city that does things by halves. While there are plenty of contemporary and standard buildings about, there are plenty of unique office locations. In fact, some of the most interesting office conversions in the world can be found there. From historic buildings to air raid shelters, London features plenty of interesting office conversions.

The Kingsway Tunnels
London’s Kingsway Tunnels acted as air raid shelters during WWII. Located in the heart of Holborn, it is perfectly situated for the financial district. Despite this, thousands of people walk past the modest looking doorways without giving a second glance. Over the years, the Kingsway Tunnels have acted as a unique office location for over 200 BT employees at any one time. In 2009, BT announced that they were selling the tunnels, generating a flurry of interest from art galleries, retail stores, and more.

Nike Town in Oxford Street
The exterior of the buildings in Oxford Street haven’t changed since the Regency Era. When Nike came along to develop Nike Town, they revolutionised the inside of the building, but left the outside in tact. Indoors there are table legs formed from scaffolding, TVs on every wall, and branded sports equipment almost everywhere. This makes a refreshing change from the usual shops you find on Oxford Street, by plonking a high-tech office in their midst.

Broadgate Office Building
Broad Street station was a functioning tube stop off from 1865 to the mid 1980s. After being closed, the station stood derelict for more than a decade. Today, it acts as office space for artists and other workers. However, that isn’t the full story. As well as using the space that one housed commuters on their way to work, there are recycled underground carriages sitting on top of the building. From the outside, these carriages look as though they have been dumped there and grafitied. On the inside, there is a team of artists hard at work, making the most of the sustainable office space they got their hands on. Continue reading “The Most Interesting Office Conversions in London”

Office Christmas Party Ideas in London

Office Christmas Party Ideas in London LondonOfficeSpace.com @officeinlondonWith Christmas just around the corner, businesses across London are looking for ways to make their office parties interesting. If you want your business’ Christmas party to stand out, doing so is easy in London. However, you may need a little inspiration to get you started.

Greenwich Yacht Club
Greenwich Yacht Club stands on stilts in the middle of the Thames, giving it a unique ambiance for a Christmas party in London. Most of the building is made of glass, which means it is particularly beautiful when the snow starts to fall. With 2013 set to see some of the UK’s biggest snowfall yet, you are almost guaranteed to achieve this scenery. Both outdoor and indoor space is on offer.

Hampton Court Venue Hire for a Historic Theme
Hampton Court offers venue hire at the pricier end of the range, but it is a great destination if you want your office party to have a historic or refined feel to it. The venues range from an intimate King’s Room to the Great Hall, which is likely to impress international workers who buy into British heritage. Hampton Court only works with certain caterers, so bear that in mind when organising your event. If you do not see something you like at Hampton Court, check out the rest of the Historic Royal Palaces venues.

Art Gallery Christmas Party at the Saatchi Gallery
The Saatchi Gallery is not the only gallery for hire in London, but it is a good example of what you can get if an art gallery Christmas party does appeal to you. The Saatchi gallery comeswith 70,000 square feet of event space, and it is entirely flexible in terms of what you can do. As the exhibitions change around four times a year, there is plenty of scope for variety of you want to make this venue a regular feature. Art galleries are particularly well suited to those who want a contemporary theme. Continue reading “Office Christmas Party Ideas in London”

Six Unusual, Quirky and Unique Coffee Shops in London

Six Unusual, Quirky and Unique Coffee Shops in London LondonOfficeSpace.com @officeinlondonSome of London’s finest coffee shops

The heartland of theatre, dining, shopping, and nightlife, the City of London has more to offer than anywhere in the world. The home of unique, artisan coffee shops, exquisite afternoon tea arrangements, and quirky menus designed by talented chefs, makes London the place to stop for the ultimate coffee shop experience, after you’ve taken in your favourite tourist sites. For a taste of what’s on offer check out these six incredible coffee shops in London.

1. South Bank: Westminster Bridge – Brassierie Joel

Park Plaza Hotel, Westminster Bridge

Enjoy free live music, seasonal produce and a snack, on London’s trendy South Bank. The lounge and patisserie coffee shop attached to the brand new Park Plaza Hotel, Westminster Bridge, is home to celebrity chef Joel Antunes. Serving gorgeous afternoon teas and a view to die for, this perfect place overlooking the River Thames, is the place to go after viewing the art at the Tate Gallery, or going for a ride on the London Eye.

2. Marylebone: Near Oxford Circus – Villandry Charcuterie

170 Great Portland Street, Marylebone, W1W 5Q.

This delightful restaurant and Grand Cafe venue is also a food store, making it ideal to pick up a hamper to go picnicking in nearby Hyde park. Complete with several dining rooms, two cafes, including an outdoor tearoom, this stylish venue prides itself on sourcing the best produce from around the world. You’ll think you’ve died and gone to coffee heaven sipping deluxe beverages, and sampling the famous cake counter menu. Continue reading “Six Unusual, Quirky and Unique Coffee Shops in London”

The 4 Office Personality Types – The Geek

The 4 Office Personality Types - Office Geek LondonOfficeSpace.com @officeinlondon

Continued from the Four Office Personality Types: The Climber

The Geek is one of the most harmless personality types that you will come across in your workplace. There is a simple reason for this too: The Geek lives in his or her own world (although they would probably call it cloud, pun intended), and that world is far removed from the daily occurrences of the average office.

However, and as much as The Geek often goes unnoticed, you simply cannot fail to identify them. It is true that the geek stereotype includes large retro glasses and an absent-minded look, but don’t be fooled by the lack of 70s-inspired eyewear: you will recognise The Geek by its desk. The Geek’s desk looks different because it IS different: every single component and piece of equipment has been optimised and modified so that they are better (which in this case means geekier). The Geek tends to love his or her job (as long as there is a computer involved), so they try to make their work space as comfortable as possible. In a way, The Geek is a toned-down version of The Fussy Perfectionist, and they both seem to share a secret understanding and acceptance about each other’s quirks. Continue reading “The 4 Office Personality Types – The Geek”