Getting the Best Office Copiers for Less

What to look for and how to get the best copier for the office

Written by Steven Bryan

For small businesses, finding the best office copiers at the best possible price is imperative. But how do you know if the price one company is asking is a fair price?

To make sure you get the best price, compare copier prices from multiple companies. By getting a good sample of prices on multiple brands of copiers like Canon, Xerox, Ricoh, Toshiba, and others, you can then decide on the best copier for your business.

4 ways to save money on an office copier

There are multiple ways that your business can save money on a copier. All three of the following methods can be accomplished by using this site.

• Shop around. Shopping around is one of the best ways to save money on any major purchase. However, instead of spending valuable time calling around and haggling with competing businesses for price quotes, you can simply get multiple copier prices by filling out the form found at the bottom of any page on this site. You'll receive up to 4 prices on a copier from leading brands like Canon, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, and Sharp. From there, you can decide which price works best for your business.


• Lease a copier. It's common for small businesses and enterprise-level companies alike to lease a copier rather than buy one. There are three major reasons why businesses lease copiers: to split the cost into monthly payments, to get a service agreement which covers all repairs and major parts, and to be able to trade up to a newer model for free. You can compare copier lease rates from top copier brands using this site.


• Rent a copier. Renting a copier isn't ideal for many businesses, but for short-term projects it can offer the most savings. If your business needs to scan, copy, or print a large amount of documents for an event or trade show, a photocopier rental can save you per-page copying expenses charged by copy shops like Kinko's or Office Max.


• Buy used. It's not widely known, but major copier dealers always have a supply of used copiers on hand that are for sale. These used copiers have been inspected and sometimes refurbished from past copier leases or displays shown to customers. The two main advantages to buying a used copier from a dealer like Canon or Ricoh are: you'll have an option for a warranty and/or service agreement, and you're dealing with a professional company which will stand behind its equipment if you're unsatisfied. This is compared to buying from an individual owner, who might not care whether you're a happy customer, and probably won't be able to offer a warranty or service contract. You can get used copier prices by using this site as well.

Features of the best office copiers

These features are generally found in the best office copiers by Canon, Xerox, Samsung, Toshiba, and other brands. But know that multifunction copiers do break down on occasion, but you can safeguard your machine by making sure you have a good service agreement at the time of purchase or lease.

• Connectivity to a local area network (LAN), allowing multiple users to connect to the same device
• Fax capability, which lets you send a fax directly from the office digital copier to a client and a carbon copy to your own office e-mail account
• High memory capacity that lets you store and retrieve print jobs at the push of a button
• Clerical functions such as automatic collating, hole-punching and stapling
• Priority functions, which let an important print job move immediately to the front of a copier's job list
• Large capacity paper drawers that can hold at least an entire ream of paper
• The ability to switch between letter, legal and photo-grade paper
• The durability to handle the printing and copying demands of a large office

What industries depend on office copiers?

Most businesses can benefit by making at least one office digital copier readily available to the staff. The benefits depend on which department is using it:

• Information Technology: Though most programmers and analysts do their work electronically, they cannot escape the need for hard copies of programs and specifications. These documents serve as an emergency backup in case of computer failure and also are useful during "code walk-throughs," where new programs are evaluated before they are put into use.
• Shipping and Receiving: Even with e-mail, the paper invoice remains an essential part of the shipping and receiving process. After checking in a delivery, for instance, your staff may need to make multiple copies of shipping manifests and other documents.
• E-Commerce: If your business doesn't have a real "bricks and mortar" presence, you still have to create a paper trail for accountants and auditors to follow.The best office copiers are useful for making copies of checks, signed receipts and e-mail confirmations of orders.

With government regulations such as HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley in place, it's also important to control the paper in the office. Keep shredders near the office photocopiers to destroy any confidential client information after it is used by an employee.

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