Are you thinking of going with equipment leasing for that copy machine or just buying one? Keep reading to find out which is the better option.
News flash: renting a low-volume copy machine can cost you as little as $75 each month. In case you didn’t know, that’s way more manageable than buying a fancy office copier upfront, which can cost you tens of thousands of dollars. Are you thinking of going with a copy machine lease or just buying one? Keep reading to find out which is the better option!
Why You Should Lease an Office Copy Machine
Curious about why you should lease an office copy machine? If you’re in an industry that involves a ton of copying and printing for huge workgroups, then getting a digital copier or laser printer is a no-brainer. But before you run off to the store, you should know that there are a bunch of different office copier models on the market. Here’s the deal: most state-of-the-art copiers and printers are extremely large, taking up a lot of floor space at your office.
Not only that, but they also vary in terms of printing volume and paper size too. On top of that, they often have gigantic price tags to use their top of the line services. As a matter of fact, you have to spend up to tens of thousands of dollars just to get your hands on one of these useful tools. And if you’re a business or an individual, simply paying for a high-performance office copier can take a big chunk out of your annual salary. Not to mention that it’s beyond expensive to keep up with office copier maintenance costs such as:
- Toner replacements
- Paper replacements
- General repairs
And here’s the kicker. Once all of these expenses are laid out, many smaller organizations consider leasing these pricey pieces of equipment instead of buying. Also known as managed print services, renting an office copier is becoming more popular than ever!
All About Managed Print Services
Are you familiar with managed print services? If not, you’re not alone. In a nutshell, the process for leasing a copier or printer has totally transformed over the last couple of years.
For those who are unaware, managed print services will actually give you a bird’s eye view of your copying and printing needs. That means that you’ll normally be able to bundle all kinds of printing and copying services into one price, including:
- Maintenance fees
- Paper refills
- Toner refills
Not bad, right? It gets better. Thanks to the Internet of Things and modern data, managed print services have become even more advanced.
Yes, you read that right. Nowadays, data can be used to keep track of your copier usage down to the department that it’s coming from. And check this out. Some managed printing services also offer a “one size fits all” price for common services such as:
- Office copier supplies
- Maintenance prevention
- Onsite support
- Usage tracking
That’s not all. If your company doesn’t have a lot of information technology bandwidth, then certain copy machine leases can provide streamlined management services as well. Can’t get any better than that!
Buying Versus Leasing a Copy Machine
Looking for the pros and cons of copy machine rental? We’ve got you covered.
The Pros
First of all, renting an office copier is a great way to avoid obsolescence. For those who are unaware, let us explain: buying a large piece of equipment without using it regularly is a total waste of your company’s time and money. But if you decide to rent the same piece of equipment, you’ll only have to pay for it for the period that you’re using it.
For smaller business owners, obsolescence isn’t really a huge problem for the workplace. On the other hand, those that run large businesses typically depend on high-speed office copiers for their daily operations.
Another perk of renting a copy machine is that it comes with a very low upfront cost. As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, this is great for those who don’t have all of the money they need at the time of leasing. Pro tip: leasing an office copier can help you build your credit, too.
The Cons
Besides the countless perks, there are a couple of drawbacks to leasing a copy machine as well. For instance, it can be more expensive overall than buying an office copier. Why is that? It’s simple: like most lease agreements, there’s usually an interest fee in place for the lessee to pay. And at the end of the day, the amount of money you spend renting might outweigh the cost of the machine.
But how many companies have a gigantic pile of money lying around? The answer is not many. Although purchasing a copier can be less expensive, the initial investment is astronomical. Not to mention paying outrageous replacement costs.
Bottom line: do yourself a favor and rent one instead. Want to learn about copy machines? Start by doing your research!
Still not sure whether you should rent or buy a copy machine? From leasing to buying, we’ve got all of your fax and copy machine questions answered. We can’t emphasize this enough: you’ll save a ton of cash upfront when you find the right copy machine lease for you. And when you sign up for managed print services, your monthly expenses can include toner and paper replacements as well. Not to mention maintenance costs. On the hunt for more tech news? Check out our blog for the latest updates!