How Copy Machine Companies Can Help Your Small Business

As a small business, you have many constraints on your budget. But you need reliable office machines! Here's how copy machine companies can help you!

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How Copy Machine Companies Help Small Business

Looking to improve the organization and flow of an office space?

Not sure where to start?

All small businesses should begin by making sure they have reliable office machines.

Continuously buying cheaply made machines that break down easily from non-reputable copy machine companies can put a larger strain on an office's budget than setting aside a little bit more money for machines that will last a lot longer.

Copy machine companies offer a variety of models.

It's important to understand what your needs are, how many people will be using the machine, and how much you're willing to spend before starting the search for the perfect copy machine.

Follow along to find out what steps you need to take in order to get the most out of a copy machine.

Know What You're Looking For

There is an overwhelming amount of copiers on the market. Some have special features, like duplex printing and stapling, while others do the basics: scan, print, fax, email, and download.

It's important to make a list of what your office needs from a copier machine.

Special Features

If security is something your company takes seriously, it might be worth investing in a copy machine that comes with security features, such as biometric authentication. 

Instead, if cutting overall costs is more valuable to the office, it might be wise to spend the extra cash to buy one that comes with an energy saving mode or is more energy efficient.

A great feature that might be useful for everyone is connectivity. Copiers that connect to wifi make it so much easier to transfer scanned files or make copies of electronic documents.

These special features are great but may not be necessary for small businesses. However, if you have the budget and want the extra feature, it can't hurt to get it.

Basic Features

Now that you've specified what types of additional features your copier must have, it's important to lay out the basic ones.

Print Speed and Volume

First off, consider the print speed and volume of the copier. Do you need a copier that can make 150 copies per minute? Or will your staff use it more consciously and less frequently?

A good rule of thumb is to find a copier that prints 27 pages per minute for micro businesses and approximately 52 pages per minute for small businesses who don't need to print excessively. 

Scanning

Next, it's important to discuss scanning and graphics. Check the optical resolution of the scanners in the copiers you're looking at.

For basic scanning, 600 pixels will usually do the trick. For graphics, you'll want to have an optical scanner of about 4,800 megapixels.

Refills

It is also advisable to consider the amounts of ink and toner the office will be using. Buying a copier whose ink refills are incredibly overpriced might not be the smartest thing to do if your office is heavy on printing.

Make sure you calculate how many pages you can print from each cartridge. This is a great way to estimate expenses.

It is also wise to ask if third party cartridges can be used. These refills to be cheaper and will help you save costs in the long run.

Response Time

How annoying would it be if your copier needed three minutes to warm up every time you wanted to print or make a copy? Finding a copier with fast response time is incredibly useful.

Most copy machine companies carry models that take only 10 seconds to come out of their sleeping mode. Ask them which model would be best for your small business and your printing needs.

Memory

Lastly, think about how much memory you need your copier to have. Most copiers retain scans of documents after they've made. Internal memory ranges from 256MB to 1TB. 

If you have a few models in mind at this point, check out this handy comparison tool. It will help you save money by comparing copiers with similar features. 

Overall Cost

When thinking about the overall cost of a copy machine, one needs to think long term. The initial cost of the machine is not all that goes into it.

Re-supplying paper, ink cartridges, and toner refills all pose significant costs. Maintenance costs for a copy machine can also be large, especially if there is something wrong with the software or with one of the advanced features, such as the security features mentioned above.

Most copy machine companies take these costs into account and publish a cost per page in the copier's manual. Compare the cost per page for all the copiers you are considering and look at which one would be the most economical in the future.

Buying or Leasing a Copy Machine

Once you've found your dream copier, you should think about whether you want to buy it or lease it. Most copy machine companies will have both options available for each model they carry.

Tax incentives, maintenance, costs, and depreciation are all factors that need to be considered when making this decision. If you've discussed this point with trusted members of your team and still cannot decide, check out this useful buying vs. leasing guide. It might help you get to a decision sooner.

If you're set on buying, check out this buying guide

Copy Machine Companies

Here's the rundown: copy machine companies can provide you with state of the art technology that will make your office so much more efficient.

Your team will appreciate the ways in which a copy machine can make their work so much easier. In fact, they are so useful that a typical worker prints up to 10,000 pages per year!

Still Need Help?

If you're still on the fence about a copy machine and need a pair of professional eyes to take a look at what you're dealing with, don't hesitate to ask us! We'd be happy to assist you in finding the perfect copier for your small business.

Whether you want to buy or lease, we've got you covered. With the best prices in town and service nationwide, we're your best bet.