In every small business office, printers and copiers are virtually standard equipment. In many offices, a stand-alone business copy machine is a regular fixture and probably one of the most frequently used machines. If you are in the process of purchasing your office’s next copier, what should you be looking for? Do you know what your office needs in a business copy machine?
While you most likely have to keep within a certain budget, there is so much more to consider when looking to buy or lease a small business copier.
Seven Factors for Choosing the Right Copier for Your Business
You may already have a specific brand or model in mind as you make your purchase decision. Before you commit to a particular copy machine, however, you and your company will benefit by conducting a brief “cost and benefit analysis.” The following seven functionalities of small business copy machines are key deciding factors for making the right choice.
Machine Capabilities
One of the first questions you should ask regarding a new copier for the office is, “What is this machine going to need to do?” If you have a multi-person office, you may want a machine that not only makes copies, but can serve as a printer for the office network.
A number of other capabilities that you will want to consider include:
- Scanning
- Faxing
- Duplexing trays for double-sided copies
- Sorting trays collating
- Hole-punching and stapling
- Output to email, FTP (File Transfer Protocol), SMB (Server Message Block, USB (Universal Service Bus), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and network TWAIN (Communication between software and imaging)
Stand-Alone Copier or Multifunction Printer?
This consideration is tied directly to the previous question. If you truly feel that your business copy machine needs are limited to simply making copies, then a stand-alone copier may be a good choice. However, while you can still find stand-alone copy machines, the vast majority of products are today are multifunction or “all-in-one” machines. This simply means that they use digital technology to handle perform a number of functions. And while you may be tempted to opt for a less costly stand-alone copier, for a business copier machine, it makes sense to consider having a machine that can deliver a variety of features and functions. A multifunction printer will allow you to have faxing, photocopying, printing and scanning capabilities in a single machine.
Color Printing or Just Black & White?
While it may seem short-sighted to opt for a strictly black & white printer, the cost and size difference can be significant. If your office requires color copies for, say, ten percent of your total copy needs, and a full-color copier costs you twenty-five percent more than a black & white printer, it may not be cost effective. Keep in mind that, when compared to black & white printers, color printers are not only a bit more expensive to purchase but cost more to supply long-term. On the other hand, the convenience and accessibility of being to create quality color documents in your office can be worth the investment.
Speed and Output Requirements
Copier speed is typically based on how many letter sized pages the machine can produce each minute. This measurement is represented as PPM, or pages per minute. An average copier may print 25 to 50 copies per minute, but if you have a fast-paced office where productivity is a premium, a faster copier speed of up to 75 ppm may be necessary. Keep in mind, however, that this is the speed rating for black & white copies. Color copies will typically print a bit slower.
Machine Production Requirements
Once you have determined the capabilities and features your copier will have, you should consider the expected monthly volume production. In other words, how many copies do you expect your machine to produce each month? This is important not only for ensuring you choose a machine that will support your needs, but it is impacted by your service agreement with your copier vendor. Service contract pricing is often based on estimated copy volume. However, actual copier usage will likely fluctuate from month to month due to regular business cycles. And your average copy production today may be less than, say, next year’s numbers if your business grows. If you are planning to expand, a quick way to estimate your future copy volume is to determine the average copy count per person currently and multiply that number times the expected number of additional employees.
Size
While this may seem an obvious consideration, the physical footprint of a floor-standing business copy machine can be quite large. Unless you already have a large office space to work with it is important to measure off the actual floor space the machine will fill. Some models can take up as much as 10 square feet of floor space, although the trend is towards more compact machines typically measuring 2 by 3 feet or less. Space and location need to be taken into consideration both for the purposes of logistics as well as for convenience.
Price
The price of a copy machine will be influenced largely by these three factors: available features, volume production and speed. These factors will affect the cost whether you are considering an outright purchase or looking to lease a machine. Because a business copy machine is such a critical and essential tool, opting for the least expensive model is not always the best strategy. You should carefully consider the previous categories to determine what you truly need in a copier first and foremost, and then determine how and where to get the best product to meet those needs.
Buying or Leasing Small Business Copy Machines
A new business copy machine is a significant investment. As such, careful consideration right from the beginning is very important, and the purchase or lease should be a strategic decision. A number of factors must be weighed when buying a copier, and looking at different office copier reviews can help greatly in choosing the right machine for your office.
