How To Cut Your Costs On Office Printers and Copiers

One of the issues that keeps turning up in conversations with business people is the cost of office equipment and supplies. Here are cost-cutting tips for two common pieces of equipment that can save you a lot of money in the long term.

Computer Printers

Every business needs at least one computer and printer, yet many business owners waste hundreds of dollars every year by making a bad initial purchasing decision and buying a “cheap” unit. Printer manufacturers make their money on the consumables, not the machinery.
 When buying or replacing your printer, the key question is not how much it costs to buy, but how much per page it costs to use. Black inkjet cartridges often work out to around 10 cents per page. By contrast, laser printing can often work out less than 4   cents per page to print.

Some laser printers cannot be trusted to handle sticky labels. The paper path bends around sharply on some models, and labels can wrap themselves around the guide rollers, which can result in expensive servicing problems. If you are going to print labels, buy a printer with a fairly straight paper path.

Look at the warranty conditions - “on site” service is much better than “return to base,” where you have to take the unit to a service centre. Also consider how the features might save you labour time - a printer that can print directly onto envelopes can save you mucking around with labels and “double handling” each mailing piece you send out.

When purchasing, look for power-saver features, such as economy-star ratings and automatic power-saver timing when not in use. Not only do these features reduce your long-term running costs, they increase the life of the machine and benefit the environment at the same time.

Photocopiers
A copier is an expensive piece of equipment. If you really have to buy one, make sure you get one with all the features you normally need (e.g. enlargement capability, double-sided capability), or you’ll still be using of a copy centre.

If you do high volume copying and think you want your own photocopy machine, get detailed cost comparisons from competing manufacturers. Add in routine servicing and maintenance costs, and reconsider whether you really do need a lot of money tied up in your own photocopier. Consider a contract machine where you only pay per copy and all other costs are included in the contract

For my part, I compare the quality and prices at local copy centres, and use whichever has properly serviced machines and is best and cheapest at the time. Serviced copying (where they copy and bind for you) can be more efficient and cost-effective than doing it all yourself.

Ask your local copy centre if you can provide your own paper for cheaper copying. Some will let you, some won’t - but special paper buys from office supply companies can create saving opportunities here.

Also, consider the multifunction units now available, that can copy, print, fax, scan, act as an answering machine, and more. These are ideal for many offices, and can reduce equipment clutter at the same time as taking care of most typical everyday needs.

The Office Party

It’s almost  that time of year again and your office Christmas Party is fast approaching.
Over the years I have seen many things copied on the office copier, hands, faces, breasts, and yes butts!  All of the above can usually be done without too much danger, except copying your Butt. Copying your Butt involves certain amount of risk to your body & your job. What I am referring to is the following two dangers:

1) The physical danger. To copy your Butt you must sit on the glass of the copier. Usually the copier is too high off the ground to place your Butt on the glass and still keep your feet on the ground. Which means the person will get a chair or something to help them get into this precarious position. Normally excessive amounts of alcohol are involved at this point. I think we all know, at least when we’re sober, that the copier glass is not meant to hold the weight of the average adult.  So this brave\stupid individual perches on the copier glass and presses the green button. In some cases they are successful and people laugh, except the PC police. But sometimes, often times, the glass breaks and they crash through onto the scanning assembly and cost hundreds to thousands of Rands in copier repairs. Also consider on a number of copiers the voltage on that scanning system is high, it could REALLY HURT if your butt makes contact with the frame and the power of the scanner (OUCH!!!). But you don’t have to break the glass to break the copier. The distance between the scanner and the copier glass is very tight. All you need to do is flex the glass slightly and it will cause the scanner to hangup midway throught he scan and severly damage the copier (big time cost). By the way when the copier tech shows up on Monday morning and sees the damage, he may laugh, but he will also charge you.

2) The other great danger is to your career. If you do turn out to be the person that everyone IS talking about on the Monday morning after the Office Christmas party because you broke the copy machine and cost your company hundreds to thousands of dollars in non covered service charges then don’t be surprised if you find yourself looking for a new job to go with the New Year.