Do you make lots of copies at office?
Is your machine broken and you are thinking to buy a new copier?
You must be thinking whether to buy a new machine or get a copier lease in Florida.
But before making a decision you need to list down the pros and cons of both the options.
You need to look at the costs as well your business needs.
So, in this article, I will tell you how you can choose a copier; be it leased or buy a new one. The following areas will be covered in this article:
- What is Copier and its types
- Buy vs. Lease copier in Florida
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Buying Copier
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Leasing Copier
- Factors involved in costing of leasing a copier
Let’s begin.
What is Copier?
A copier also known as photocopier or copy machine, is a machine that makes single or multiple copies of documents or visual images on a paper. The job is done quickly and cheaply. With modern technology, photocopiers use a technology called xerography which is the standard for office copying. Xerography is a dry process that uses electrostatic charges on a light-sensitive photoreceptor to first attract and then transfer toner particles (a powder) onto paper in the form of an image.
Types of Copiers
- Mono (Black & White)
- Color
- Desktop
- Office
- Multifunction
- A3 Copiers
- Digital
- Network
Business Needs for Copier
Commercial Copier or Personal Copier, this decision is based on your business needs and the usage of printed materials. Though nowadays, paper usage is not appreciated because of global warming. But for instance, you have presentations among large group of people, and then you might need more prints of the presentations as the graphs may not be visible to all the audience. In that manner, your needs will be more. But for graphical presentation you cannot rely on a mono copier and there is no point in purchasing a copier that can’t complete the necessary functions required of your business. So, select a copier based on your needs and check the hardware, its features, type of copier you need and its maintenance service.
Buy Copier in Florida
If you want full control over the machine and its maintenance, then buying a copier is a suitable option for you. You have full control on how you can use it and there is no contract detailing how the machine should be used. You can service it as per your ease. You can get it customized or sell it whenever you want. Purchasing is only beneficial if you keep it for long term and the depreciation cost is recovered. By selling it, you can recoup some of the original cost and can get new upgraded office equipment. You can also cover some of the purchasing costs by getting tax benefit.
Lease Copier in Florida
Leasing a copier is preferred by the majority of businesses. Copier leases generally span from 1-5 years. And you have to make monthly payments until the lease term expires. You can either return the copier or can trade it with a newer model. Leasing a copier means you don’t have to worry of its service or expensive repairs, the company who owns it will be responsible for it.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Buying Copier
Advantages:
- Cheaper in the long run as you don’t have to pay interest for years.
- Less paperwork because you just pay cash and buy the machine.
- The cost of copier is tax deductible. You can deduct 40% of the purchasing price in the first year as machine’s depreciation and 25% of the purchasing price in subsequent years.
Disadvantages:
- Copiers also depreciate and lose most of its value in few years. So, if you plan to resell it, it won’t have a good resale value.
- The issue with technology is that it gets outdated very quickly. Your expensive copier might be obsolete in just few years. And with so much investment you made, you can’t replace it as often as you would like. Obsolete machines results in higher-per page costs.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Leasing Copier
Advantages:
- Lower upfront cost because you don’t need to pay hefty amount for a copier at once. But you can spread out the payments over several years.
- You have set monthly payments that you can budget accordingly.
- Once the lease term expires, you can upgrade your copier with better technology.
- If you lease a copier, the monthly lease payment is taken as pre-tax business expense.
Disadvantages:
- When you lease a copier, you need to pay interest and that makes the total cost more than its original cost.
- With lease comes the strict terms, you have to do maintenance service and repairs that are costly.
Factors involved in costing of leasing a copier
- Black and white vs color – Mono copiers are cheaper as compared to color copiers because you need more ink cartridges replacement.
- Print Speed – This can be very important for some businesses that need to produce high volumes very quickly. The faster devices will cost more.
- Functionality – A copier now can have the functions of printers. They can copy, scan, print, email and fax. The more the functions it will have the higher the cost.
- Wireless Connectivity – With technology advancements, you can now have wireless connectivity with the copier. This makes it easier to use by more than one person but it is expensive then the wired one.
- Duplex Printing – Duplex printing is a feature that allows the printing to happen on both sides, helping to save paper and reduce costs.
- Network Printing – Network printing allows people to print documents even when they are not near to the printer this helps to increase productivity and is useful when you have multiple employees using one printer.
Now you know all the pros and cons of buying and leasing a copier in Florida. The decision lies on your business needs and budget. So, in case you are looking for lease copier in Florida you can contact Visual Edge Technology, Florida. They provide various office equipment; including scanners, copiers, printers, phone systems etc. on lease and at competitive prices. You can save hundreds of dollars if you get your copier from Visual Edge. They also install and service the machines at the office. If you are specifically looking for lease copier in Orlando, you can get a free quote from Visual Edge Florida.