The economy may be recovering but very few businesses will be loosening those tightened belts just yet.
In almost every industry, institution or organisation, managers, accountants and buyers are working hard to review costs and identify weak-spots in their finances.
While some overheads are relatively easy to calculate and control, others are less-so and the slippery cost of photocopying in particular, is one business expense that has come under close scrutiny.
To make sure your business isn’t the unwitting victim of an unscrupulous supply scam, take the following advice:
Do Your Research
How do you know which photocopier supplier is reputable and reliable? You have to do some research.
– Make some calls and ask your network of friends or workplace contacts which photocopier supplier they use and whether they’d recommend them.
– Do some Googling and read customer reviews.
– Invite a few suppliers to quote you for their service and compare each before committing to any.
Doing your homework before signing a contract with a supplier could save you thousands of pounds each year.
Know Your Business
The printer is such a familiar piece of equipment that most people can navigate their way around new or more complex models with relative ease.
While this is great for getting the job done, it can mean that few people take the time to thoroughly understand the actual print needs of their business.
Make that time.
Knowing what volumes you need, whether you’d prefer to lease or purchase your equipment and whether you need any sort of managed print service will put you in a great position to talk terms with a supplier.
When it comes to negotiating terms with them, it’s important that you understand the industry jargon and can cut through it to get to the heart of what you need, what they can really offer you and how much it will actually cost.
Read the Small Print
It might not be the most thrilling way to pass an afternoon but reading the small print of any contract is sound business practice.
Ask your supplier to explain any areas that are unclear and be sure that you understand everything before you sign it. Disreputable suppliers will tie up hidden costs in fancy lingo in the hope that you won’t spot it; make sure you do.
Reputable suppliers with nothing to hide will often let you trial their equipment or test it on a short-term contract. Take advantage of these opportunities, they give you the chance to measure costs and analyse usage to quantify your actual needs.
Educate Your Staff
It’s likely that within your operations, you have someone with overall responsibility for managing your print equipment, contracts and costs but in reality, managing those things it the responsibility of everyone in your workforce.
Make sure that any personnel with printer access know how to use it responsibly. Just understanding how to use Print Previewand auto-duplex functions can effectively reduce the wastage of your consumables.
London-based photocopier supplier, CopyLogic, have been supplying industries and organisations across the South East with reliable, honestly priced print solutions for more than twenty years. To find out more about their service or to trial equipment,visit their website or contact their team on 020 8901 4700.
Image Credit:
Hyena Reality – FreeDigitalPhotos.Net
