Don't forget to order 2017 diaries

2017 diaries and calendars are on sale and moving fast!  If there's something specific you want, we recommend you get your order in as soon as possible.  Some lines have already sold out in certain colours.

Have a look on our website to be able to filter down to the exact desk diary, pocket diary, year planner or calendar you need or give us a ring on 01924 233 770 for advice.  You can place your order online, by phone or by emailing your account manager.

Proud to be from Yorkshire

Scorpio Computer Supplies is founded and thoroughly rooted in Yorkshire. Based in Birstall near Leeds we have (of course) always been proud of our Yorkshire heritage.

So what is it about Yorkshire that is so attractive to business? We have illustrious universities, a vibrant cultural industry, advanced, forward looking manufacturing, a large financial services presence and many tourism amenities. It’s easy to see why we bring in top talent for the quality of life if nothing else.

Pride comes as hardwired in our regional identity. We take pride in our work and pride in our products. This is surely a factor in how sticking ‘made in Yorkshire’ on a product can improve sales.

There’s a firm unwritten rule in Yorkshire that things need to be ‘done right’. This is one of the things we like about dealing with Yorkshire firms. You’re unlikely to be promised anything that can’t be delivered. Fairness and honesty are highly valued and applied to all aspects of life and work.

And of course, there’s no dodging the issue. Yorkshire folk are notorious for being tight with their money! We drive a hard bargain with our suppliers and are always checking that we are getting the best prices. We won’t be spending millions on marketing gimmicks or corporate perks. You can trust us to keep our prices low. After all, if we didn’t, our local customers would soon go elsewhere!

Visit our website: www.scorpio-uk.com

3D printed food comes to the UK

The world's first 3D printed restaurant is opening a pop-up dining experience in London. Antony Dobrzensky and Marcio Barradas' concept restaurant, Food Ink offers a nine course menu where every dish is 3D printed. 

To add to the experience, the tables, chairs, cutlery and decorations are also 3D printed.

So how does it work? The concept of 3D printing is pretty much the same as using a 2D inkjet printer. The 'ink' is squirted out of a nozzle onto a flat surface. The difference with 3D ink is that it is thicker and raised up off the surface. Then you can add another layer on top of it to built it up higher. These techniques have actually been used in food production for a long time. Think about how a cupcake has icing piped on to the top of it, spiralling around and building up to create a 3D shape.

This process can be recreated with plenty of foods other than cupcake frosting but be able to print with food, it needs to be in a paste form, so most food needs to be pureed, made into a mouse or batter before being ‘printed’. Because of the accuracy and smoothness you can get with a machine, you can create highly complex shapes that come out the same every time.

The 9-course dining experience at Food Ink’s pop-up restaurant in Shoreditch would set you back £250 a head and has already completely sold out. Quite a price tag for reconstituted food paste squeezed out of a nozzle by a robot! Is this the future of fine dining? Um, we’ll see. It’s a pretty cool gimmick though!

If you're interested in 3D printing, have a look at our range of 3D printers and accessories available to buy at www.scorpio-uk.com

How your business could benefit from our referral scheme

If you are happy with the service you get from Scorpio it makes sense to share this with your business contacts. If it benefits them, it will benefit you. To show our appreciation for business you send our way, we will send you a free printer cartridge.

Keep sending us referrals and you could keep printing for free indefinitely!

There are no limits on the number of free cartridges you can claim. For every lead you provide that generates £150 or more of business for us, we will send you another free cartridge. Continue to work with us in this way and you need never pay for a cartridge again!

How to claim

If you would like to claim your free cartridge, just contact our sales team with the details of a contact that you think would benefit from our service. We will follow up the lead and provided it generates a reasonable level of business for us we will put a free cartridge in your next order.

 Click here for more details 

Colour in your office

The colours we have surrounding us have a surprisingly strong influence on our mood, behaviour and productivity at work. And yet the majority of us work in very neutral coloured offices with magnolia walls, white ceilings, grey furniture and beige window blinds. Adding colour to a bland office is an easy and cost effective way to improve staff morale, creativity and efficiency.

The key is to introduce small bursts of colour into the office through furniture and accessories. Here's a guide to the best colours to choose to bring specific qualities to the fore for your business.

Green

Green is a low wave length colour which can improve efficiency and focus. It is a colour reflected most often in nature and can evoke ideas of new life and positivity but balanced by calmness and efficiency. It is a reassuring colour which is often used in areas where money is changing hands.

Blue

This is the colour of clear thoughts, efficiency and focus. Being surrounded by blue stimulates natural tranquillisers in the brain and makes us calmer. It is a colour of stability, trust and lack of emotion so it works well in detail orientated professions such as accountancy or legal firms.

Purple

Purple is unusual, individual, creative and innovative. It is also associated with the intuitive side of our personalities. Use this colour in your work place to stimulate imagination and generosity.

Red

This colour has the most dramatic effect on us physically. It has been shown to raise heart rate, stimulate blood flow and increase appetite. It is an attention grabbing colour of emotion and passion so its great for things you want people's interest to be drawn towards. Its also a useful colour to have in workspaces where physical jobs are being carried out to improve drive and effort levels.

Orange

This is a warm, sociable, and vibrant colour. It is associated with adventurousness, losing inhibitions and risk taking. Flamboyant and cheerful, it is a great colour to create an informal, cheerful work place where people are encouraged to be more independent and extrovert. 

Yellow

Optimistic, energetic and fresh. This is the colour of fun and happiness. It is a inspires confidence and creativity in the work place. Having yellow in your surroundings can raise the spirits and the ego. One note of caution though; don't overdo it! Being surrounded by too much yellow for long periods of time can cause eye fatigue and raise anxiety levels. It works really well in small doses.

International paper prices continue to rise

Paper prices are set to rise across the industry due to a higher demand for wood based products. The price increase can be attributed to growth in global development and construction. Construction requires large amounts of timber, which continues to push the price of wood based products up.

As wood pulp is the predominant component in paper, we are seeing a marked rise in the cost of paper. Industry experts warn that this is set to continue as there are no signs of global development slowing down.

For more information on the paper price rises and advice on how to combat them, see our website: www.scorpio-uk.com

MP Rejects Parliamentary Supplier to Make Huge Savings

Luke Hall MP found the official House of Commons printer cartridge supplier was so expensive that he was forced to look elsewhere. The Bristol Post ran the story this week.

Always test the market

The majority of people who work for a government organisation assume that the price they being charged for office supplies and print consumables will be unbeatable given the scale of the supply chain. In fact, Scorpio's team beat the prices of established suppliers every day.

This story has come as a timely reminder that we all need to test the market on a regular basis to make sure we are getting the best prices. A phone call of a few minutes to 01924 233 770 could free up a substantial chunk of your budget.