Most businesses lease a copier for the long-term flexibility and low monthly payments. Even still, you don’t want to get stuck with equipment that’s more than you need. Your copier lease terms should be fair and beneficial to you, and your dealer should help you “right-size” the product for your company’s needs.
Find the Right Copier, Then Get the Right Copier Lease
Before you get too caught up thinking about monthly payments, focus on finding the best copier to lease. There’s no sense in sizing up to a model with fancier features that you’ll barely ever use just because the monthly payments will be only slightly more.
For example, printing color brochures once a year might not necessitate a color copier lease if you’re working in black and white 99 percent of the time.
Copier Lease Agreements Are Negotiable
While most aspects of any copier lease are industry standard, there’s still a time and place for customizing the terms. From minimum monthly print counts to the cost and frequency of ink delivery, you want the terms to suit your business so you aren’t stuck paying for more copies than you actually use.
A local copier service gives you a chance to sit down with the salesperson. Talk through your day-to-day operations and land on a copier lease that satisfies your printing demand rather than going above and beyond. It’s always better to have to upgrade service later than to re-negotiate the terms during the lease.
What Happens at the End of a Copier Lease?
The end-of-lease terms are really the big difference between a copier lease or purchase. The big questions to ask yourself and your dealer:
- Dollar buy-out or fair market value? Most leases include an option to purchase the copier after the lease. Buying the equipment for one dollar sounds like a steal, but think hard about it—that usually means your monthly payments will have added up to more than the cost of the machine.
- How do you send it back? Will a local dealer come pick it up, or are you responsible for shipping it? Your lease needs to specify exactly who foots this bill and carries it out.
- How do you end a copier lease? It’s normal that you’ll have to notify the company in writing that you want the lease to end—but what happens if you don’t? The lease can roll into a monthly agreement or re-up for another year.
Read the Contract and Ask Questions Now
Leasing a copier means encountering numerous little details about insurance, property tax, maintenance agreements, and more. Look for a copier lease that includes everything upfront and in plain language.
If a provider is dangling too-good-to-be-true terms in front of you, these extra costs are probably not included.
Small businesses in Sonoma County can get the advice and answers they need from Common Sense Business Solutions. We offer copier lease agreements but also sell copiers, so we are “agnostic” about what’s best for each of our satisfied customers. We work with you to ensure you’re happy with the cost and terms not just on day one, but for the life of the equipment!
