Even though technology keeps evolving, copiers are irreplaceable pieces of office equipment. Considering all the features they boast, it’s no surprise that the majority of businesses have come to rely on them. However, these features are the main reason why you should be careful when choosing a copier.
If your business in Sacramento needs a copier, we’ll explain how to select a model that best fits your needs.
Advantages of Having an Office Copier
Even if you own a small business, there are a number of things you should still document on paper. Passwords, contracts, licenses, financial documents, and tax records contain confidential information and should be backed up on paper. This way, you also increase the security of your work and don’t have to worry about losing your documents if technical issues arise.
In addition, copiers ensure that your business runs smoothly and reaches higher levels of productivity. Modern devices are an all-in-one solution for businesses. They typically feature additional options to print, scan, and fax documents. Copiers also come with a number of time-saving features, such as automatic duplex printing, the ability to hole-punch, staple, and sort pages. While the copier does its job, your employees can be more productive and don’t have to wait for the copier to finish printing before moving on to another task.
Most importantly, copiers can help you grow your business. Reaching clients, closing new deals, and forming new relationships can all be done with the help of your copier. With a modern solution, you can make your own high-quality marketing brochures, pamphlets, and other informational material that will promote your business. You can also make presentational material like charts and graphs that might be needed for reference in meetings.
However, investing in a new piece of equipment can get expensive. For that reason, it’s important to do your research on how you can decrease the cost of buying and maintaining a copier while still reaping all of the benefits.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Copier
After learning why your business needs a copier, it’s time to look at all the features that copiers offer and how they fit in with your company.
1. Color
The main thing to consider when choosing a copier is whether the documents you’ll be copying contain photos, charts, graphs, and similar. If the answer is no, and the main purpose of your copier will be printing office material where different colors aren’t mandatory, black and white (mono) copiers are the right choice for you. They’re typically faster than color copiers and waste less energy, which makes them perfect for printing large volumes of documents quickly. If you need to print documents that include elements with vibrant colors, though, getting a color copier might be a better choice. They’re perfect for making marketing materials and presentations.
2. Speed
Slow copiers can make your job a living hell if you have a lot to print during the day. As such, make a choice depending on your usage needs. If your business doesn’t rely on much paperwork, 25 pages-per-minute (PPM) might just be enough. If you plan on printing more than 10,000 pages every month, it’s wise to consider 40 PPM.
For businesses that need to keep up with 40,000 monthly prints, the best option is 60 PPM. Anything beyond that requires an even faster copier, so it’s crucial to do your research before taking the next step.
3. Memory
Having enough storage is one of the most important considerations if you work in a fast-paced environment. By saving your documents on the device after the initial copy, you can easily access them as many times as you want without compromising on quality.
However, storing your data also comes with security risks. Unfortunately, hacking is common today. If your copier is connected to your office network, there’s a strong chance that hackers will be able to access your files if a security breach occurs. Moreover, it’s important to know about the copier’s over-drafting and encrypting options in order to keep your information safe even after you’re done with the device.
Before you make a final decision, make sure to check the copier’s security options and include the cost of a good IT support service in your budget.
Choosing Between Buying and Leasing a Copier
For most businesses, purchasing a copier is a good solution. It saves time and money and offers versatile features. That said, the expenses don’t stop after your purchase. A copier requires regular maintenance, which might go over your budget in the long run. If that’s the case, consider leasing a copier.
When leasing, all the maintenance charges are included in the initial price, and the work carried out on a routine basis. Once your lease is up, you can upgrade your equipment with a new agreement, which makes sense in today’s ever-evolving world of technology. On top of figuring out which copier is the right choice for your business, there are a few more things to know when leasing.
Determine what kind of lease you need. A capital lease is a good option when you want to own a copier but can’t buy one at the moment. On the other hand, an operating lease essentially means renting a copier for a set period of time. The second step would be finding a good lease company to explain their copier lease process and provide you with more information about their services. Be sure to ask about everything that is of importance for your business and find out whether there are hidden expenses before you finally sign the contract.
Find the Right Copier for Your Business in Sacramento
Now that you know the reasons why you need a copier and how to find the perfect model, the next step is looking for a good company that will meet your needs. As a leading provider of office equipment in Sacramento, Buckmaster is at your service. Contact us for more information about how to choose a perfect copier for your business in the area.