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THROW OUT THAT CACTUS NOW!
ADOPTING
office Feng Shui can boost productivity and profitability, according
to officebroker.com – the UK’s largest online broker of commercial
office space.
“A better office environment means more motivated employees. Evidence also suggests
that pleasant working conditions enhance staff loyalty and improve
productivity”
says Managing Director, Jim Venables.
Most people believe
the environment in which they work has an impact on their
performance. Indeed, a recent survey by one of Britain’s leading
high street banks revealed that messy offices can stop workers from
doing their jobs properly and can even result in 1 in 5 workers
wanting to quit.
While factors such as natural light, air conditioning and a culture
of keeping the office tidy and businesslike all affect the overall
ambience of an office, in some countries businesses consider the
working environment to be so important that Feng Shui is widely used
to boost luck, wealth, health and harmony.
“Feng Shui is widely used by Chinese, Japanese and Indian
firms and increasingly, European businesses are starting to employ
the ‘Art of Placement’ in a bid to improve staff
performance,” says Jim. “In today’s competitive
business environment, companies are considering anything which might
enhance their overall performance. As a result, we are seeing more
of our European and UK clients employing Feng Shui consultants in a
bid to give themselves a competitive edge.”
officebroker.com spoke to Angela Ang, Founding Consultant of UK
based Rising Dragon Feng Shui. She offers businesses the following
advice:
- Bosses should sit in the corner farthest away from the door to
adopt the ‘Command’ position
- Letting natural sunlight into an office creates positive ‘yang
chi’ which helps to promote better staff productivity and morale
- Avoid cacti or sharp looking plants in the office as their small,
sharp leaves cause ‘shar chi’. As air passes through the
plants it will become fierce and sharp, affecting office harmony
- Desks should be organized and uncluttered so employees can focus
their brain power on work rather than have it dispersed on little
things that don’t matter
- Mirrors should never be hung in an office as they can reflect
negative energy around
- To allow for the free flow of chi, ensure that all wires are
hidden. Multi tangled wires can generate “snake shar” and
create accidents
Feng Shui has been used in offices in some parts of the world for
more than 5,000 years. Translated literally from Chinese it means
Wind and Water and, in plain English, it means ‘the cause and
effect of environmental energies on you'.
“Whether you consider Feng Shui to be a bit far fetched or a
valuable business tool, it is worth remembering that this ancient
art has been widely used by businesses across the world for
thousands of years.
Anything which
can improve a person’s working environment has got to be considered
seriously and we are certainly seeing a lot more European businesses
now working with Feng Shui consultants such as Rising Dragon." says Jim. |
Last chance to become a green business hero
THE hunt is on
for Southport's green heroes. Businesses from across the borough
have just 21 days left to enter the Northwest Business Environment
Awards 2008. Businesses of all shapes and sizes are
invited to enter the 2008 awards before the closing date of 3 March
2008.
The prestigious awards event is on the lookout for green heroes from
the business community who are putting the environment at the heart
of their company’s success.
There is no charge, and all you have to do is fill in a simple entry
form. Award categories include Best Environmental Practice (products
and service), Built Environment, Sustainable Procurement,
Environmental Innovation and Environmental Champions.
This region’s premiere event in celebration of environmental and
business excellence will take place in June 2008 and is hosted by
the Mersey Basin Campaign and the Northwest Regional Development
Agency. The awards are supported by ENWORKS, the Royal Institute of
British Architects, Envirolink Northwest, Groundwork Northwest,
Environment Agency, Environment Connect, Envirowise, Buy Recycled,
CBI Northwest, the Institute of Directors, MIDAS and the Institute
of Civil Engineers.
To be in with a chance of winning an award and being crowned a Green
Hero for 2008, businesses need to submit their winning entries
before March 3rd 2008. Entry forms and advice on how to write a
winning entry can be found on www.merseybasin.org.uk. Companies can
also call the awards advice hotline run by Environment Connect
freephone 0800 032 0222.
Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the Northwest Regional
Development Agency said:- “This region is doing fantastic work
to unite good environmental practice with quality business
management. The Northwest Business Environment Awards are an
opportunity to celebrate the incredible work already taking place
and to put a green spotlight on our pioneering companies.”
Host of the Awards, Walter Menzies, Chief Executive of the Mersey
Basin Campaign, said he was looking forward to discovering the
identities of our region’s green heroes. “Today’s
forward-thinking businesses know all about the importance of looking
after the environment. They appreciate that caring for the planet
can help their profit margins too. We know there are hundreds
of these green heroes in our region. Now it’s time for our heroes to
stand tall and wear your green credentials with pride!”
The Northwest Business Environment Awards are now in the sixth year
and are regarded as the premiere regional event of its kind. The
2008 awards is supported by a marketing campaign featuring business
people in green super hero outfits. Campaign photography is
available on request.
HIGH SPEED RAIL LINK TO SERVE MERSEYSIDE
A 225 mph high
speed rail link must be built to connect Merseyside with the Channel
tunnel if the North West is to avoid becoming a transport backwater,
says one of the region’s MEPs. Chris Davies is calling for the
Government to make an immediate announcement that Britain will
follow the rest of Europe in building new high-speed lines.
France has more than 1,000 miles of high-speed track in place with a
further 500 miles in the pipeline. By contrast the UK has just 68
miles, from London to the Channel Tunnel.
The Liberal Democrat has accused Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly of
pursuing a “make do and mend” policy that lets down
the region. The MEP claims the North West of England deserves
to be served by a dedicated high speed line linking the major cities
and towns with London and the Channel Tunnel. He said:-
“Given the cost savings to be made by sharing much of the
infrastructure with Yorkshire and the North East the obvious access
route would be a line passing under the Peak District Park by way of
Woodhead Tunnel.” But the MEP says that Woodhead
Tunnel, a crucial link to the North West, is to be blocked by works
being carried out by National Grid.
The Woodhead line
between Manchester and Sheffield was closed in 1981 but is in a good
state of repair and could be quickly reopened. But National Grid are
in the process of relaying one of the main East-West electricity
cables through the tunnel ruling out future rail use without the
considerable expense of moving cables.
In a letter to Ruth Kelly the MEP claims Britain, and the North West
in particular, is in European terms being left as a transport
backwater. He writes:- “While the rest of Europe powers
ahead with the construction of high speed lines fit for 225 mph
trains we are to expect nothing more from this Government than a
transport policy best described as one of ‘make do and mend. I
ask you to take a lead in championing the case for construction of a
dedicated high-speed line to our region. Given the time that the
planning process will consume, if its construction is to be
completed before 2020 the Government cannot afford to wait another
day before announcing a firm declaration of intent.” |
