Perth Web Development

When it comes to capital expenditure on office equipment, small businesses can’t afford to make the wrong decisions.

Practical considerations like getting the right equipment for the job (and getting it right first time) are all-important. It’s all very well getting the smartest software or the latest multifunction model copier, but it’s only a good purchase if it’s suited to your needs. With the economy in the current state of ill-health, small businesses are at greater risk than ever and cannot afford to make costly investment mistakes, so any purchasing decision has to be the right one. Easy to say, not so easy to do with management resources at full stretch – and not enough time or manpower to always do the requisite research.

So when it comes to purchasing a new copier, fax machine, printer, scanner etc – these few hints may help. Whilst every business has its own specific needs, taking the time to go through a structured, well-prepared process for capital investment is an investment in the well-being of any small or medium-sized enterprise.

· Understand what your current and your future requirements for the office equipment are . Do you need a colour copier or will black and white suffice? Do you require the photocopier to print both sides of the page, what are your paper handling needs, collating needs, what speed/resolution are you looking for, fax capabilities etc?.

· Do you intend producing quality full-colour documents for marketing, sales and presentation purposes?

· Do you currently outsource much printing – and would doing it in-house be more efficient and cost-effective?

· What multitasking capabilities do you require ? Some machines call themselves multi functional, but they are only able to perform one task at a time.

· What are your networking needs and do you need a wireless machine?

· Functionality is important. Is the machine user-friendly, how many people will have access to it and will they need training?

· Volume capability is important – you don’t want to lose productivity with people idle waiting for printing or for the copier to work.

· Maintenance requirements (how often will it need to be serviced and can some of the maintenance be done in-house?).

· Do you have a need for document management software?? Investing in software for the electronic management, capture, storage and organisation of files and data can be a key success driver for a small business.

· Equipment peripherals eg copier cartridges.

When it comes to space, small businesses are often hampered by small premises so issues around size, noise levels etc are important. A leading Perth photocopiers supplier, Adscopiers, say that Samsung recently announced the evolution of the smallest and quietest multifunction laser printer in the world, with market research showing that the Samsung CLP-300 colour laser printer series was the best-seller in Australia in 2007.

The advance of technology has meant there is very little price difference between a stand-alone copier and a multifunction office device. When it comes to small businesses and office equipment, the right choice can be a key success factor in growing the business.