Business Info - issue 137

P2P Magazine | 25 www.p2pmag.co.uk 01732 759725 05 magazine Events COFFEE AND CAKE TheWorld’s Biggest Coffee Morning takes place on Friday September 28. Organised by Macmillan Cancer Support, it brings together millions of people to raise funds for people living with cancer. To take part you can host an event at home or at work, attend an event, bake your own cakes or buy limited edition Coffee Morning products from M&S. www.macmillan.org.uk/coffee Law IT’S OFFICIAL: ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES ARE LEGAL The Law Commission has ended uncertainty about digital signatures by confirming that under English law electronic signatures can be used to sign formal legal contracts. Law Commissioner Stephen Lewis said: “Contract law in the UK is flexible, but some businesses are still unsure if electronic signatures would satisfy legal requirements.We can confirm that they do, potentially paving the way for much quicker transactions for businesses and consumers.” The Government’s independent legal experts went further, proposing that in the future a webcam or video link could be used instead of a physical witness for documents, with the signatory and witness both logging on to the same signing platform. The clarification has been welcomed by electronic signature specialist DocuSign. Area vice president Jacqueline de Gernier said: “We are delighted to see this positive outcome. The growth of the UK economy will be underpinned by organisations and individuals being able to conduct business in a faster, more efficient way and by having the ability to eliminate the hard costs associated with paper-based manual processes. “This announcement removes any potential remaining confusion or uncertainty around the status of electronic signatures and will certainly serve as a catalyst for more traditional businesses to adopt electronic signatures.” www.docusign.co.uk CSR PRINT PINK International Paper is supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October with a minimum contribution of € 100,000 from sales of ‘pink ream’ HP Office paper. Last year, the initiative raised € 198,000 across Europe. www.internationalpaper.comFunds Catering MINTS FOR ALL Ferrero Foodservice is encouraging businesses to start offering complimentary tic tac pillow packs in reception areas and meeting rooms, after setting up a trade website where businesses that would previously have failed to meet minimum order requirements can buy small packs of tic tac, Ferrero Rocher and Kinder Bueno. https://trade-sales.ferrerofoodservice. com/uk/en/ Training & development BEWONDERFUL This October, RADA Business, the commercial arm of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, is inviting Manchester business people to brush up their communication skills at one of a series of courses it is holding at HOME on First Street in the city centre. The one and two-day courses include Presenting Made Brilliant, Storytelling for Business, Impact and Influence for Women and Personal Impact in Meetings. www.radabusiness.com Office design MEET ME ON THE STAIRS Stairs with designated stopping points where co-workers can interact are a defining feature of MoneySupermarket Group’s new 34,000 sq ft London office. Tasked with fostering a more social, collaborative environment for employees, BDG architecture + design created a staircase between three floors to encourage healthy movement around the building and the possibility of chance encounters with colleagues. www.bdg-a-d.com Flexible working CO-WORKING COMMUNITY Co-working property developer Areaworks has launched its first site in the UK, in Hoxton, East London. Designed for SMEs, entrepreneurs, creatives and freelancers, Areaworks Hoxton has 28 full-time working desks; 56 flexible desks; versatile spaces that can be used for workshops, lectures, brainstorms and breakouts; a roof terrace with views across London; a living room area; and a communal kitchen with free tea and coffee. http://areaworks.com Mobile working POWER FOR HIRE Bringing the bike sharing model to mobile phone charging, ChargedUp has developed a network of 30 vending stations across London where, for a small fee, users can borrow a portable battery bank, use it for as long as they need and return it to any other vending station. The ChargedUp app lets users find their nearest vending station and release a charged battery bank by scanning its QR code. The ChargedUp network runs on 100% green energy supplied by Ecotricity. www.chargedup.green BULLETIN