Walk into any office supply store, and you’ll see how inexpensive copiers have become—for just $100 or so on the low end, you can pick up a basic black and white copier. Not every small business can get by with the basics. If you need a workhorse that can handle large copy jobs on a regular basis, you may have to spring for a heavy-duty model, and that can take a bite out of your budget. High-end black and white copiers that can churn out tens of thousands of pages each month and are souped up with features, such as duplex printing, auto document feed, account codes, sorting and collating, can cost well over $10,000.

Why go for black and white, when color copiers are so abundant? You’ll save about 20-30 percent on the price, and you’ll avoid the ongoing costs of those expensive color toner cartridges.

Before you begin shopping for a black and white copier, consider:

1. The number of copies you’ll need on a daily basis.
2. What extra features you need.
3. Service and maintenance support.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Black and white copier capacity

Making fewer than 700 copies per month? Go with a light-duty copier designed for personal use or for small offices. Making thousands of copies per month? Consider a business model.

I recommend: Check reviews and prices for light-duty, medium-duty and heavy-duty copiers from major vendors at Epinions.com.

Black and white copier speed

Most dealers advertise speed in terms of copies per minute (cpm). For a home office or small office, a copier with up to 20 cpm will probably suffice. But if your business requires fast output, look for a copier that can handle more than 30 cpm.

I recommend: Find copiers that produce 30 to 90 cpm from Xerox or Konica Minolta.

Consider a multifunction copier

Most new copiers come with built-in options for printing, scanning and faxing that turn copiers into all-in-one machines. Although most all-in-ones come with color copying and printing capabilities, you can choose to copy solely in black and white.

I recommend: Check out ten things you should know before buying multifunctional copiers from Xerox. Learn more benefits of purchasing a multifunctional copier/printer at HP.com. Locate dealers that sell multifunctional machines at Business.com.

Buy a refurbished or used black and white copier

Since high capacity copiers can cost upwards of $10,000, a way to cut costs is to invest in a pre-owned or refurbished copier.

I recommend: Learn what to ask dealers about their refurbishing process at Copierresearch.com. Copier Consultants sells refurbished copiers that have been maintained under service agreements and re-guaranteed eligible for manufacturers' service agreements. Search for vendors of refurbished copy machines at Business.com.

Cheap copiers

Another way to get a deal on a copier is to bargain hunt for dealers that offer closeouts or Internet stores with low overhead.

I recommend: The Copier Superstore guarantees to offer the lowest price on any given copier or they’ll match it. EBU Direct offers copiers that are 30-60 percent lower than retail.

Think about renting or leasing

If you have a large project that requires copies or an event, a short-term rental is the answer. If you’d like the convenience of a large capacity machine, but can’t afford one, opt for leasing. Leasing agreements typically include ongoing service and maintenance and some also allow you to upgrade to a newer model when technology changes.

I recommend: Search for companies that provide rentals of photocopiers and other related imaging machines at Business.com. Check out Work.com’s guide to buying or leasing business copiers.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Ask the dealer how long the toner cartridges last and figure out the costs of how many you will use each year to calculate the ongoing costs of each copier.
• •  Most copiers use regular copy paper, which is relatively cheap in bulk. Make sure you find out if the copier you are purchasing requires any special paper.
• •  Take measurements of the area where you plan to put the copier to make sure it fits.