But buying a business photocopier can be confusing. Will you need color? How much volume? Printing, faxing, scanning? Do you need new copiers or will used copiers or refurbished copiers do? These are all important questions that will tip your price point up or down by hundreds of dollars. It will determine, too, how much maintenance your small office copy machines could require. Take the common-sense route toward making your office photocopier as productive yet cost-effective as possible.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Watch out for truly home-office copiers
The office supply superstores are full of desktop printer/fax/copiers that seem to be a good deal. But they are, for the most part, designed for occasional, non-professional use. Prepare to buy a copy machine — and to spend several thousand dollars.I recommend: A good initial exercise is to sort through comparison shopping sites photocopier listings. Check NexTag, Shopping.com and Epinions for a quick-and-dirty copy-machine budget check. Another site, BuyerZone, offers quotes from local copy machine dealers.
Brush up on leasing lingo for copiers
You will learn quickly that most businesses lease copy machines rather than buy, to protect themselves from upfront costs and changing technology.I recommend: CopierGeeks takes copiers way too seriously.
Stand alone copiers or networked?
It's a rare small office that can afford to buy two big pieces of capital equipment when one will do. If you office computer system is networked, then a copy machine-printer combo that is part of your PC network is your best bet. You can print to the same machine that copies. A copier that doesn't print is called a stand-alone. Cheaper, but less useful.I recommend: Xerox, HP, Lanier, Ricoh and Canon are among the better-known sellers of so-called heavy-duty multi-function (MFP) printers.
Consider bundling your costs on copy machines
The latest trend in small business is to capture some of the return big companies get by outsourcing tech. In the copier world, that means signing one deal for everything: hardware, installation, maintenance and supplies, like ink and toner for copy machines, then paying one flat monthly rateI recommend: HP offers this kind of way to buy, calling it Smart Print services.
Check out the deals on used copiers and refurbished copiers
Dealers offer deep discounts and warranties on name-brand copy machines.I recommend: See the dealer directories on Business.com for used copiers and refurbished copiers
Use copy machines lot at once, then a little for a month?
Copiers – real copiers – cost as much as new cars. If that's out of range, and your business tends to make batches of copies, like restaurant menus, brochures, flyers or stacks of sales presentations, consider buying a cheaper home office printer (practically free if you bundle with a new PC!) and instead use print shops for high-volume photocopier work.I recommend: FedEx Kinko's and the UPS Store both offer this virtual copy-machine service, FedEx going so far as to allow you to print straight from your PC to their photocopier systems.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- A needs analysis is vital. You won't be able to intelligently buy copiers if you have no idea how much you use copiers now, nor might in the near future. Do you collate, staple, and print front-and-back?
- Technology changes fast, but there's no need to spend on features you absolutely will not use. For instance, if color copies don't figure into your business, buy black and white. Color ink is expensive, and color copiers can be more temperamental.
- Price ink cartridges before you sign off, as well as any maintenance contract fees. Those two items alone can turn your great deal on copy machines into a stinker.
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Office Equipment Leasing
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