When you’re running a business, every expense counts. And when you need a new copier, the price tags might not be the most inviting. But there’s a convenient solution to this seemingly impossible conundrum – copier lease. It helps you stay ahead, continue the work undisrupted, and not break the bank. Leasing a copier has advantages beyond just getting an affordable machine for a set period. It can also help you stay up-to-date with new technologies without committing and take advantage of a “try before you buy” strategy. This article takes a closer look at copier lease options and what they can do for you.
Why Lease a Copier?
Leasing a copier might seem like just another monthly bill, but it’s more than that. You get the latest technology without the hefty upfront cost, and that’s only the start. Companies can save considerable money on printing costs with a copier lease, which can then be allocated to more worthwhile investments. Here’s a closer look.
The Financial Sense in Leasing
When you buy a copier, you’re stuck with it until you decide to upgrade, which means spending more. This isn’t necessarily an issue if the cost-to-benefit ratio is favorable, but it isn’t ideal. A more economical model may seem like a good choice, but it might not meet the workload requirements or be less reliable and more prone to technical issues. Meanwhile, a more expensive model may be an overkill or simply not viable as a full purchase. If you’re running a small business, these cost concerns are only amplified.
Leasing, on the other hand, is like a tech upgrade path built right into your business plan. You pay as you go, and when a new model comes out, you’re not left with outdated equipment.
Cash Flow Friendly
In business, expenses aren’t confined to immediate spending. Cash flow and the balance between income and expenses can mean success or failure for a firm. Leasing a copier means predictable monthly expenses, which are easy to keep track of and consider in accounting. It’s stress-free. There are no surprise costs, just a simple line item in your budget.
Copier leases come in the form of fixed subscription fees under a contract, meaning that the provider won’t arbitrarily change the price midway through your contract. It also means that all your expenses are transparent and consistent. Furthermore, you can research and weigh the pros and cons of each subscription plan against its price point. This way, you can easily make an informed, long-term decision.
Flexibility and Scalability
Not every office prints the same volume of documents. The need for printing materials can even vary from season to season, year to year. Maybe you’re printing and copying high volumes every day, or perhaps you need top-notch color quality for marketing materials. With a copier lease, you can choose a copier that you just want you to want without the commitment of buying.
Moreover, a copier lease isn’t static. Rather, it can scale with the business. As a company grows and expands, so may its need for more printing and copying. A copier lease can adapt along with the company. Once you need more features or capacity, you can upgrade your lease. Alternatively, if you’re trying to downscale or phase out some of the physical paper production, you can switch over to a cheaper, more basic lease plan.
Keeping Up With Technology
Technology moves fast. What’s cutting-edge today might be approaching its end-of-life tomorrow. Furthermore, technological progress isn’t purely linear. The old and the new sometimes collide, and you may need to strike that balance.
Leasing keeps you at the forefront. You get the latest features and efficiencies without selling or disposing of your old machine. It lets you use emerging technologies in the copier and printer space, such as cloud-connected copiers and multi-functional machines, for as long as you need them.
Conversely, even if you’re aiming to phase out paper in favor of a more digital document and data management, you may still encounter situations where a printer or copier is unavoidable. For example, you may need to copy large volumes of promotional material for an annual event, or you might want to create a physical archive as an extra alternative to digital backups.
In such cases, you have three options: buy a copier, pay a print shop, or lease a copier. Buying a copier may be an undesirable expense, especially for circumstantial use. Outsourcing to a print shop may be convenient as a one-time solution, but it is inefficient and expensive for repeated use. A copier lease hits the sweet spot between these two options, combining the practicality of in-house copying with the convenience of outsourcing.
The Eco-Friendly Choice
Leasing can be greener, too. Newer models are often more energy-efficient and have a smaller carbon footprint. Plus, when you’re done, the copier goes back to the vendor, not a landfill. From there, someone else can lease the same copier, extending its functionality.
Opting for a copier lease is greener in a more indirect manner, too. Leasing a copier for a given time means that fewer copiers need to be produced since, as mentioned, multiple companies can take advantage of it during their lifetime. This means less e-waste overall and fewer production emissions. Services leasing printers also usually have strategies and incentives in place to find green disposal and recycling solutions for non-functional printers and copiers or find new owners in the second-hand market for the functional ones past their prime.
Lease or Buy?
A copier lease is a strategic financial decision for forward-thinking companies. It’s flexible, helps you stay current, and manages resources wisely. If you strive for adaptability, leasing a copier could be a smart way to keep your business efficient at a fraction of the cost of buying.
Docutrend believes in finding the right fit for your business. If you’re a bustling startup or an established enterprise in New York, Totowa, Cherry Hill, Edison, or Ft. Washington, we have the copier lease options to suit you. Visit our website or contact us to learn more.