The right printers and copiers make it easier to run your office efficiently. What should you do if it is time for a new Ricoh printer? Depending on your business needs, choosing to either buy or lease a Ricoh printer can be a smart choice. To figure out the best options for your needs, you’ll need to ask yourself a few questions.
How Much Money Can You Afford to Spend Right Now?
One of the first and most important things to consider is how much money is currently in your budget. Buying Ricoh printers and copiers outright tends to be pretty pricey. Even the cheapest commercial quality Ricoh printers for a small office can cost around $1,000. And if you’re getting a larger device with more memory or sheet capacity, it can cost upwards of $12,000. If you are a startup operating on limited capital, spending this much money outright is intimidating.
When leasing a Ricoh printer, you just have to pay a low monthly fee instead. This can save you money when you first start equipping your office. Instead of spending many funds on equipment, you can use the money for more business investments. This allows you to build up cash reserves that you can later use if you decide to purchase.
Do You Need Technical Support for Your Ricoh Printer?
When you are looking into a lease Ricoh printer contract, check the product specifications carefully. You will notice that with many companies when you lease a Ricoh printer, you also receive technical support as part of their contract. These services can include maintenance, repairs, setup, and moving; they are accommodating. If something breaks down or you are just having trouble setting something up, it is effortless to call your leasing company to let them handle everything.
Meanwhile, if you buy a Ricoh printer or copier outright, all the tech support and maintenance is up to you. This can be nice if you have a specific service team you want working on your equipment. However, it does add a lot of stress and extra work to your job. Getting a professional team to handle all your tech support for you is one of the main perks of leasing a printer. It helps reduce administrative work so you can focus on your actual business.
Do You Have Multiple Departments That Need a Ricoh Printer?
Consistent printing standards aren’t a consideration all businesses will face. However, if you have different departments or branches, it is important to get printers that produce the same document style. This can be tricky when you purchase Ricoh printers. If you go through local vendors, you might not be able to buy enough of the same type of printer. Your office might end up with very different devices that cannot create the same types of documents.
Companies that lease Ricoh copier styles have a broad range of printers to choose from. This centralized printer and copier supply make it easier to get the same equipment style for all your departments. When you can get similar products for your various departments or branches, you can ensure everyone in the company is maintaining consistent printing standards.
Is Your Business Going to Grow?
Your plans for the future have a big impact on whether you should buy or lease. You need to consider whether your current printer needs will be vastly different from your printer needs in a year. In some cases, leasing can be better because it means you don’t buy a small printer and then end up having to go through the hassle of selling it and purchasing a bigger one later on. However, don’t forget that some leasing agreements can be inflexible.
Whether your expansion plans affect your decision to buy or lease a Ricoh copier, the end game depends on the contract you select. You need to compare various contracts carefully and office supply companies to see if the contract locks you into any specific model. Some companies provide flexible contracts, so you can easily switch out printers and add more devices as your business expands. Others may lock you into a leasing contract where you end up stuck with an inadequate printer for a little while.
Are You Trying to Save Money in the Long Run?
When deciding between leasing and buying office equipment, another cost to consider is long-term cost. This adds up to the total costs associated with either leasing or buying a printer. In the business world, long-term costs usually are not as significant as immediate costs. However, comparing the two can still be a helpful way of making your decision. Buying a printer is always going to be cheaper in the long run.
When buying a printer, you have a single, considerable, up-front cost, and you get to build equity for your company. Then you can choose to sell the printer after it is no longer needed, recouping some of your investment. Meanwhile, when you lease a printer, you pay a small, recurring cost. Over time, this adds up, and you do not build equity in a piece of equipment that you can resell. The only reason you would not pay more to lease a printer, in the long run, is if you only need to print for a short time and plan to move your office to a paperless setup in the near future.
Is Cutting-Edge Equipment Important to You?
A purchased printer is only cheaper than a leased one when you keep the same printer for years. However, this can be a problem for some companies. Printers might seem like they stay the same for years, but the reality is technology is always advancing. A printer from just a few years ago might not have Wi-Fi printing, scanning capability, or other modern must-haves.
To ensure your office stays up to date, you will need to lease a printer. Leasing a printer gives you access to all sorts of new and helpful devices. Since you regularly update your lease, you can always switch out your printer for another device. This makes it easy to ensure your office workers have access to the modern equipment they need.
After reading our guide, is it easier to decide between leasing and buying a Ricoh printer? If you still have any questions, our team is happy to assist you. At Frontier Business Products, we provide customized solutions for your equipment needs. We offer a wide range of leasing and buying options for printers, copiers, phone systems, and more. Contact us today to learn how we can help you.
