• “What is the comparison between buying the copier at the end of the copier lease term or returning it?”

Obviously this will depend on several factors and the most you’ll probably get is an estimate, but it’s worth at least asking yourself this question before making this decision. What you need to do is think about the investment– leasing can cost you more overall sometimes than purchasing the used equipment– but will you need to replace it in a few years anyway and end up paying the amount then instead?

• “Are there any maintenance fees if something goes wrong during the copier lease?”

It cannot always be helped when the machine starts acting weird. You could take care of your copier and still experience problems. It’s an occupational hazard for offices. You might want to ask the copier leasing company if they will cover maintenance fees or can provide them for you. If not, then you can ask if reimbursement is possible. Having either of these options is an excellent perk.

Hopefully these questions have started getting you thinking about the details you may have overlooked so that you can get the best lease deal for your office copier.

• “When must I notify that I do not want my copier lease renewed?”

You will be amazed just how often people assume that the copier lease is going to terminate after the allotted time– some companies will make the move to “Evergreen” you, meaning that they will renew your lease for another 12 months unless you give them a notification of cancellation by a certain window. This could result in your frustration so please check before you agree to the terms of the lease.

• “What will be my monthly cost and how much must I pay upfront?”

A standard payment will be set for the lease. To ensure that you are getting a fair monthly bill, you should check that the total amount owed is evenly distributed per month in the term. Don’t get fooled into paying too much monthly if you need to carefully balance your budget.

• “Which is the best copier for my needs, which are x, y, and z.”

When you open a discussion on your needs you have a higher chance of being directed to the proper copy machine. By listing your needs it will be easier to find a copier that is capable of everything.

Professors make enough photocopies to last students a lifetime– and students can take full advantage of having their own personal copies of the text to take notes directly on. Hence faculty needs access to good technology. With a copier lease you can trade in the machines as they get old for updated, more reliable, and faster models. This helps when there’s a last minute mad-dash to get copies made before classes start.

Students can use the photocopy machines to their advantage too. Fliers can be made for club meetings and the bulletin boards can be kept recent. Also, any textbooks can be copied for taking notes and studying. Projects can be copied in case a professor needs a hardcopy. You can even find some copiers that make color reproductions.

And these are only a few benefits that schools get from leasing copiers. The benefits continually reveal themselves over time.

The first thing you are going to want to do is look at the display. These machines are smart enough to identify common problems like paper jams or ink leaks. The most common issue will be a paper jam. Open the top of the copier rental. You may be able to see the jam right away. In some cases you can manually remove it slowly without disassembling the machine.

If it’s an ink issue it may ask you to replace the toner. If it’s leaking you are going to want to open up the areas where it leaked and carefully and gently wipe it clean. Then you will replace the cartridge to prevent another leak.

For anything more serious you might want to call a professional. Sometimes the leasing company will offer to pay or provide these services. You should check the contract to double check.

You may be browsing the different types of copiers and printers online and be thinking, “These are all great but what kind is most appropriate?” In general you will find inkjet, laser, and digital copiers. You also have the option of color and black and white, as well as multifunction machines. It seems like so many choices it could make your head spin. Cost-wise, don’t look to far into inkjet copiers. They’re not effective. You’re better selecting a toner-based machine that can handle more print jobs before cartridges run dry. Laser copiers are very popular on the other hand. They’re fast and produce high quality documents. As for digital, they use an internal scanner to store documents allowing them to send copies as email attachments as well.

Another big question is, “How long will the copier lease last and can it be broken?” Truth is, you must always carefully look over a lease before you sign it. Chances are it will state under what conditions a breach of contract are acceptable. It is difficult to break a lease just because you can’t pay the monthly costs. Be sure you know you can afford it before you agree to the terms. Also, always know the renewal cancel window so that after a year or two you can decide to walk if you choose. But most times you’re better off just keeping it than facing any penalty fees or charges.

The first, and most obvious question is, “Why try copier leasing instead of buying?” Quite honestly this is dependent on your budget and your production needs. Leasing is beneficial when you know you can make monthly payments but may not be able to afford to purchase completely upfront. It will lock you into a year or two but it will save you from the initial pain of the investment. And you can always choose to purchase it afterward.

Another big concern is “If I do lease a copier, what speed and features should it have?” Once again this depends on your budget and production needs. If it’s your office’s first machine then you can probably get away with one of the simpler models. As your business grows, your production equipment must be able to handle it. A starting one is good at 30 pages per minute (ppm). If you need to copy and print very often for important documents then you might want to seek a mid-range or faster machine.

These are just a few of the bigger concerns you might have concerning copier leasing. There are still plenty of things that might be on your mind you can read about in future installments.

The most common agreement you may encounter is an operating lease– which is sometimes referred to as a fair market value (FMV) lease. Basically the way this lease works is that the costs associated with the operation are accounted for, not the capital expense which can depreciate with time. And under this kind of lease  you can write off expenses for taxes and get the money back. It also means that should at the end of your contract you decide to purchase the copier, printer, or multifunction machine you get it at market value. But you don’t have to purchase it. This is a popular option for businesses for exactly this reason. You don’t lose anything financially really and you get to pay only for what you use.

The other lease that you will hear often is a capital lease. It is referred to as a dollar-purchase option, or DPO for short. At the end of the lease the lessee gets to purchase the equipment for a dollar, or with a 10% purchase option they get to purchase it for 10% of its starting price. This sounds great but there is a catch. The monthly price is much higher. It is an option that a business would choose when they know they intend to buy the copier once the agreement expires.

These are the two major types you will encounter. Choose wisely.

• Access to Newer Technology: One thing you can benefit from as a business is the ability to trade up. Unlike with a purchase, where the machine devalues over time and you are left with it until you have the finances to purchase a new one, a lease provides the opportunity to trade up when the terms agreed upon in contract expire.
• Budgeting and Tax Efficiency: You can pay over small fixed payments as opposed to dumping one large sum. This way your overall revenue for a given interval is not affected. You get profits coming to you regardless. It also reduces your tax bill. How? The cost is deductible as a business expense.
• Return on Investment: You want to increase productivity. A leased machine with multifunction capabilities  succeeds with improving office production and you save money in the process.

These are all reasons that leasing is a wise decision for your business. Take a look at Docu Pro today for quotes on copiers.

Kyocera is an ideal office companion. It consolidates all of your office needs into a singular machine. That’s why it’s a wise decision to lease a copier. It gives you a lot of business flexibility while saving you money on operations. The Kyocera Mita, especially, makes workflow quick. It has a fast warm up time and can handle multitasking efficiently. It can be connected securely to your network for ease of use.

Overall you will get documents completed and sent when you need them and without hassle. This is a big deal for a busy office. Also, with leasing you can get several copiers at one time for a fraction of a purchase cost and you pay monthly over a plan. This means that you’re never cornered financially.

Take a look at Docu Pro for a full list of available copiers, printers, and fax machines. They offer variety based on your business needs.

While financial offices and law firms may get by just fine with black and white copying, media and entertainment businesses, art galleries, and other related fields may find a serious need for color copying. When you start looking for a new machine you must know exactly what tasks it must perform and at what speed. Basic office copiers may be great for 8 x 11 and legal paper size, but they aren’t as efficient for bigger projects. For art and banner printing you will need some wide format laser printers instead.

You can save money by simply leasing copiers instead of buying them. This way you can give it a try and see if it works for your business. You can always upgrade or trade it back for a different model when your term is up. It gives you leeway to find a perfect fit for your printing and copying needs. Should you need a machine the next time around with multifunction, no problem. At least through a copier lease you learn through experience. You’re not stuck with the decision permanently.