The questions you should ask yourself before purchasing a copier for your small business are what capabilities do I need and how much office space is available. Before you automatically think about purchasing a desktop printer, let’s review your options.
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Most small businesses can find value from the use of a multifunction copier instead of a separate printer, fax machine, and scanner. However, many will select a printer without realizing their downfalls. There’s no question that the price tag of an individual laser printer is far less than a standard copier, but most people do not consider the high cost of toner. The HP 85A black laser toner costs $75.99 each and yields only 1,600 prints before it needs to be replaced. If you plan on producing over 3,000 prints per month, toner alone will cost you $150 per month. You’ll spend over $100 each for cyan, magenta and yellow if you chose a color laser printer. And, what about service. Eventually, rollers and fusers will need to be replaced. Instead of repairing it, many businesses will simply dispose of the printer, creating the need to purchase another and possibly wasting extra toner that won’t work with the newer device. As you can see, selecting a printer for your office needs might not be in your best interest.
Multifunction copiers combine all the of the features you need into one device.
DOCUMENT FEEDER
This feature takes several pages and feeds the paper one page at a time into the copier, allowing the user to scan, copy, print, or fax, multiple-page documents without having to manually replace each page.
NOTE: Toshiba’s newest document feeder holds up to 300-sheets and scans at a rapid 240 images per minute in duplex mode. That’s fast!
PAPER SIZES AND CAPACITY
Different projects may require the use of different paper sizes and weight. Chose a copier that matches your specific needs. For example, can the copier print on 12” x 18” text or 100-pound cover? How much paper can the copier hold before you have to add more?
SCANNING
Document scanning is an escalating business practice. Businesses rely on scanning when sending documents to employees and clients outside of the office. Users can scan paper documents to a file on the device, an email address or USB drive. Advanced scanning features allow cloud storage as a destination, giving you the flexibility to achieve and retrieve files from any computer with Wi-Fi capabilities. Scanning your files also saves you space by creating a paperless environment. No more need for filing cabinets. It’s also a lot easier to find documents with the use of keywords instead of flipping through folders in a cabinet.
FINISHING
Newer designs allow you to add a stapling finisher without the need for additional space. Toshiba’s small to medium business size MFP’s (multifunction products) feature an inner-finisher, giving you stapling options without increasing the footprint.
There is no question that your office will benefit from an all-in-one copier. The only thing left to consider are the features.
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