There is a popular saying that goes, “Go big or stay home.” In a business sense, it means that you should give it your all, think outside the box, and invest heavily to empower stakeholders.
The saying makes sense for brand success – except when it comes to imaging devices like printers or copiers. Then it’s more like John Hammond’s repetitive cry in Jurassic Park: “Spared no expense!”
I’m sure you recall what happened to Hammond’s expensive investment in the film…
Like Hammond, offices that are gripped by “Go big or stay home” end up purchasing large, complex machines in the hopes of getting a quality printer that will yield little downtime and seamlessly produce crisp documents.
And end up getting a printer that ends up like Jurassic Park.
How do you get a quality printer then?
By focusing on the out-of-box part of “Go big or stay home.”
Get the right fit
Forget all the promises and marketing out there from printer brands. Forget those “top printer” articles that lead to Amazon pages (most are just affiliate marketing links that throw kickbacks to the original website).
What your business needs is what we call a “Goldilocks’ printer.” In other words, a quality printer is a printer that is just right – that matches your unique workplace needs. A printer that is too small will compromise productivity and result in more breakdowns. A printer that is too powerful is a bad investment that results in wasted space, dried-up ink cartridges, and needless energy-consumption. What’s more, the “Goldilocks printer” may depend on whether you need:
- Inkjet or a laser printer?
- A copier or a printer?
- Multifunction or just monochrome?
Some printers are more suited for specific verticals like the manufacturing industry, while others are perfect for a small business.
Yes, there is a lot to consider! And requires a bit of math.
Don’t worry. We provide an easy-to-follow framework in our eBook, How to Select the Right Printer.
Furthermore, we suggest you take our Office Print Savings Calculator to begin understanding what that you “Goldilocks’ printer” might look like.
Treat any printer like a big expense
Two cosmic laws never change: Messing with dinosaur DNA brings trouble, and your printer is going to break down. We can’t help you with dinosaur genetics, but we do know that printer downtime results in:
- Employees wasting about 22 minutes a day on IT issues including printing— totaling up to 91 hours a year.
- Service calls that can cost anywhere from $40-$330, and with multiple calls per month, this can add up.
Taking care of your printer reduces document interruption and keeps it tuned-up so that it’s always a quality printer. You can start by ensuring you have the best possible printer cartridges (and avoid counterfeits) so that your printer isn’t worn down or damaged. Even an action as mundane as loading paper can go a long way in reducing printer-destroying paper jams, as seen in this video:
We also propose regular printer cleaning, standby mode, and closing the manual tray when not in use.
Think of lifecycle costs
The most reliable printer in the world isn’t a quality printer if it’s draining the budget. Even if you diligently take care of your printer, as mentioned in the last section, there are going to be expenses.
Printer industry thought-leaders know that people need to think beyond the printer itself and consider the “Lifecycle Cost” of acquiring AND operating a business printer. The operating costs, including service and printer cartridges, are far higher than the cost of the printer itself.
A typical lifecycle cost breakdown is:
- 60% Printer service and toner
- 40% Printer hardware
We provide complimentary maintenance and service with many of our printer solutions. Regardless of what route you take (options are provided in the next section), make sure you have a vision of what it’s going to cost to keep your printer working and working well.
Also, keep in mind this: the cheaper the printer, the more expensive the replacement printer cartridges are likely to be (printer brands follow the razor blade model: sell the handle cheap to lock consumers and then make up the costs by overcharging for razor cartridges).
Forget traditional models for that quality printer
Unless you’ve been living under the ruins of Jurassic Park, you’ve noticed that we live an economy increasingly based on subscription-based services. Think of transportation (Uber), lodging (Airbnb), or movies (Netflix). The transactional model is no longer king.
Therefore, the days of committing to owning a printer or copy machine are no longer necessary. Offices can leverage leasing (but beware of their quicksand contracts), managed print services, cloud-based printing, or a paperless office (although we contend it’s more of a myth). In our case, we evolved with consumer demands: we provider printers and printer service/repairs at no cost if you just buy our toner and ink.
The principal point is that you don’t have to drop a lot of money on an imaging device. And with a printer partner that comes with managed print services or leasing, you can get the right advice to get that “Goldilocks’ printer” whether you end up owning it or not. If only Hammond had listened to his copy machine guy.
We hope this helps you think outside-the-box so that the next printer out of the box is a quality printer. You don’t have to break the bank but break the code of your printing and budget needs, with a view of future costs and productivity.
If you still feel this is all still on the daunting side, like a T-Rex chasing your across Jurassic Park, know that we provide complimentary and personal advice on how to get a quality printer for your office.
