Buying office equipment without exceeding your budget can seem like an impossible task. You want to get the best office equipment at the lowest price, while vendors want to sell office machines at list prices. Here are a few ideas on purchasing office equipment that can help you realize substantial cost savings.
Save Money on Equipment
Buy Used Office Equipment: Ah! There’s nothing quite like that new copier smell.
OK, maybe not. Purchasing all new office equipment may seem exciting at first, but finding great deals on pre-owned equipment can be even more rewarding. Look for other companies in your area who are either going out of business or renovating their offices. Also, companies called liquidators specialize in purchasing an entire company’s inventory or old office equipment, then selling them to other companies for a small profit. These liquidators can be valuable sources of quality equipment at a fraction of the original price.
Some manufacturers sell refurbished office equipment, which means the device was repaired after being returned to them. Often, these machines will still carry the manufacturer’s warranty along with a lower price. As long as the manufacturer is doing the repairs, these machines should still be reliable.
I’ve been asked about purchasing used office equipment on eBay, and my answer is always dependent on the type of equipment. I’m not comfortable buying large office equipment on eBay, such as high-volume copy machines, unless you are near the seller and can evaluate the item first hand. However, buying devices online that are not prone to breakage, such as telephones, can result in substantial cost savings.
Among all your choices for used office machines, select equipment that can still be serviced either directly by the manufacturer or by a local office equipment repair firm. Expect to pay a bit more for maintenance service on older equipment.
Here are some links to help you in your search for used office equipment.
- Used Network and Phone Equipment
- List of Used Computer Equipment Sites
- Refurbished Copy Machines
- Liquidation Auctions
Negotiate Directly with Vendors: Vendors are happy to quote list prices on the office equipment they sell, but many will be open to negotiation, especially on large quantity purchases. Don’t be afraid to ask the vendor for discounts of 25% or more. If they reject your offer, it’s quite likely they’ll come back with an offer to sell at a reduced discount, which then opens the door for further negotiation.
This tactic works best if you are dealing directly with the vendor, rather than through a supplier or third party. In those cases, there is less room for negotiation since they retain a portion of the final sale price.
Rent Office Equipment as Needed: If the expected usage of an office machine is infrequent, think about renting it on an as-needed basis. Find a reputable office equipment rental company in your area to avoid extra shipping costs.
Equipment that Saves Money
Multi-Function Printer: Instead of investing in a printer, fax machine, copier, and document scanner, consider purchasing a multi-function printer. Also referred to as an all-in-one printer, the prices on these handy units will be significantly less than purchasing each piece of equipment separately. Using remanufactured ink cartridges and ink refill services will result in further cost savings.
Postage Meter: A postage meter is an essential tool if your business does a high volume of mass mailings. Even for firms with less frequent mail demands, a postage meter will still decrease your mail costs.
Binding Machine: For companies producing a high volume of formal documents internally, a binding machine will save the costs of having this service performed by a third party.
Just because you need office equipment to run your business doesn’t mean you have to pay full price. There are options available for those willing to put in a little extra effort. These tips should help you get the equipment your business needs while saving money in the process.