For most busy offices, having a reliable and efficient office printer is absolutely essential. However, purchasing a high-quality office printer outright can be a significant financial burden for businesses, particularly for those with limited cash flow and restricted budgets.
Printer leasing is a cost-effective and straightforward way for businesses to access advanced printing equipment without the substantial initial outlay. This guide will delve into what office printer leasing entails and the key considerations to consider before signing a lease agreement.
How Does an Office Printer Lease Work?
An office printer lease is a contractual agreement in which a business rents a printer from a leasing company for a period of 12 to 60 months. Instead of purchasing the printer outright, the business makes regular payments over the lease term. This arrangement often includes additional services like maintenance, repairs, and ongoing support, although this varies depending on the agreement. There are several types of printer leasing options available:
- Operating Lease: This is the most common type of lease, where the printer remains the property of the leasing company. The business rents the printer for a fixed period and returns it at the end of the lease term. This option is ideal for companies that want to avoid ownership and upgrade their equipment regularly.
- Finance Lease: With a finance lease, the business leases the printer for most of its useful life and may have the option to purchase it at the end of the lease term for a nominal fee. This type of lease is suitable for businesses that intend to own the printer eventually.
- Managed Print Services: Managed Print Services (or MPS) is a comprehensive solution where the leasing company manages the entire printing infrastructure, including hardware, software, maintenance, and consumables. This service is tailored to optimise the printing environment, reduce costs, and improve overall productivity.
Office printer leasing is an excellent way for businesses to access high-quality printing technology without the substantial initial upfront cost that purchasing one outright would require. This particularly benefits SMEs and startups with smaller budgets or limited cash flow.
What To Look for When Leasing an Office Printer
Although office printer leasing is a relatively straightforward process, there are some things you should look out for when considering this option. We’ve put a handy checklist below.
Printer Suitability
It might be tempting to opt for a printer with “all the bells and whistles.” However, if you do not need it, you may end up paying for something that isn’t actually beneficial. Before looking for a printer to lease, assessing your current print output and requirements is essential. Ask yourself the following questions to effectively gauge what kind of printer capability you really need:
- How much do I print per day, week, and month?
- Do I print primarily in colour or just black and white?
- Is print speed really important to me?
- How many times in the last month have I printed an image?
- Do I regularly scan and copy documents as well as print?
- Do I require finishing options such as booklet folding and stapling?
Once you have asked yourself these questions and fully assessed your requirements, you can look for a printer or multifunctional device that meets your needs.
Remote Support Availability
Although it’s unfortunate, printer problems are inevitable from time to time—whether you lease or buy. What’s important is that you have the support available to promptly address any issues and get you printing again without any considerable downtime.
When leasing a printer, it’s essential to check that remote support is available if you need it. Most printer leasing companies do provide remote support if something goes wrong, as leased printers are usually under warranty, but it’s always best to check before signing on the dotted line.
Maintenance and Repairs Included
As mentioned, most leased printers are new and covered under the manufacturer’s warranty. This means that should anything go wrong, repairs will be made at no expense (providing that the issue is down to a fault on the device). For this reason, always ensure that the printer you plan to lease is still covered under the manufacturer’s warranty to avoid incurring unwanted or surprising repair costs.
In addition, your lease supplier should include regular maintenance and servicing within the contract to ensure that the device is working optimally and issues are addressed before they become bigger problems.
Understand the Lease Terms
A typical office printer lease can range from 12 to 60 months, so before signing the agreement, consider how the length of time that best suits your business needs. It’s also essential to understand the payment schedule (monthly or quarterly) to ensure it aligns with your cash flow.
Finally, clarify what options are available to you at the end of the lease term, such as purchasing the printer, renewing the lease, or upgrading to a new model.
Contract Flexibility
Just like most things in life, our printing needs are subject to change. This might mean that you realise you are printing sensitive documents and require more print security or that you are noticing a lot of uncollected print jobs in the printer tray and need a solution to help reduce waste. Check that your supplier can accommodate changes in your print needs, whether increasing your print allowance or offering innovative software solutions to help optimise your print environment.
Leasing an office printer can be a cost-effective and flexible solution for businesses ranging from SMEs to large organisations. By carefully assessing your needs, understanding the lease terms, and considering factors such as servicing and support, you can make an informed decision that will support your business operations efficiently. Choosing the right leasing agreement and partner will ensure that your office printer lease provides maximum value and minimal disruption to your workflow.
Are you looking for a new office printer? At Control Print Solutions, we stock hundreds of Konica Minolta and HP devices available for lease for a duration and price guaranteed to suit you.