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Are You Blissfully Ignorant on Your Copier Purchase in Denver?

November 13th, 2009
What Copier Customers in Denver Don't Want to Know...

What Copier Customers in Denver Don't Want to Know...

Sometimes it is nice not to know what’s happening.  People will go years without a physical when they feel bad because they don’t want bad news.  It is human nature.  We all all like to pretend we want to know hard facts, but we really don’t.

Copier purchases are no different.  You have been working with the same copier company in Denver for years and who wants to think they have been getting ripped off.  If you have been getting ripped off, do you really want to know how bad it has been?  This can be devastating.  We realize our beloved rep, has been soaking us for years, it feels bad.

We are not saying that your copier company in Denver is actually ripping you off.  We are saying that if they are, you likely haven’t bothered to discover this harsh fact.  So, if you want to break this viscious cycle on your copier purchases in Denver, you will need to look at some key things.  Here are some typical signs of being oversold.

  1. You only print Letter/Legal, but have a copier that takes Tabloid (11 X 17)
  2. You only print mono but you have a color copier
  3. You pay for prints you don’t actually use
  4. You spend a lot of money, but do very few prints and copies.

Contact us if you would like a form to help you discover what your total cost of ownership is for your particular copier in Denver.

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Used Lexmark X644e Copier – Low Meter!!

October 15th, 2009
Lexmark X644e

Lexmark X644e

We have a customer who has a few extra Lexmark X644e’s due to a few facilities merging.  If you are looking for an amazing copier deal for a small office, this is perfect.  It has been under maintenance with us for the last year and 3 months since it has been new.  The copiers have less than 2,000 total pages (they have a max duty cycle of 225,000 pages per month!) on them and they are in excellent shape.  This company bought a bunch of them and paid over $2,000 each.  They sold for $2,499 in the open market.  The best thing is we have compatible toner available for this unit to make the cost per print about $.005 per print.  ($149 for a 32,000 page cartridge!) 

Give us a call if you are looking for 1, 2 or 3 copiers.  If you purchase all 3 they will sell for $1,250 ea.  They are $1,350 each if you just want one.  What are some of the features?

50 Page per minute print and copy

Scan to Network

Scan to E mail

Scan to USB Drive

Duplex Scan

Fax

If you want to see all of the key features to know, here is a full overview!  You will not find a better overall deal for the small office environment that needs color scanning, but black and white printing and copying.

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Used Copiers in Denver are not Always a Better Deal

September 15th, 2009
Just Got a Copier and Already Feel this Way?

Just Got a Copier and Already Feel this Way?

We often run into customers who are looking for a cheap copier here in Denver and they decided to buy a used copier assuming a used copier is always a better deal.  This is often the case, but sometimes a used copier is exactly what you don’t need.  What are some of the issues a used copier can cause you? 

  • Generally a copier is on a 4 to 5 year lease.  A used copier will generally be over 4 years old.  This is approximately equivalent to about an 8 year old car.
  • Used copiers are generally tabloid capable with finishing options, if you don’t need tabloid capability or finishing options on your copier, then you are giving yourself more problem potential
  • Who owned the copier before you?  If you don’t know, it’s possible your copier company doesn’t either.
  • Does the copier have a history of issues?  Again, like buying a car, it’s a risk.

Now, if you do need tabloid and you do need finishing, this is a great option and is worth looking at.  If you just need letter/legal, why not just buy a Lexmark X654de, a 55 page per minute copier with scanning and fax for about $2,450?  If you are at $2,000 anyway for a used copier, a new one is just a few hundred bucks higher.  We’re all about saving money, but we’re also about making sense.

If you are needing a used copier or a new copier, give us a call and we can help with either.  Our goal is to sell you a copier that is appropriate for your needs.

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Buying a Used Copier vs a New Copier — Practical Help

September 1st, 2009
New-or-used-copier
Are you in Denver or the Denver metro area and have been considering buying a used copier? It can be a tough call, but there are some things to think about if this is what you are considering.  The first question is why are you considering used anyway?  Is it to save money or to save the planet?  If it is to save money, this is certainly a valid option, but it may not always make sense.  Let’s go with some typical situations where it makes sense to purchase a used copier and some situations where it does not make sense to purchase a used copier in Denver.

Here are a few situations where it DOES make sense to purchase a used copier in Denver:

  • You are trying to save the world and want to make sure more things are not being unnecessarily produced.  Going green is a valid reason to consider a used copier.
  • You have a limited budget AND need all of the finishing options
  • You have a limited budget AND need tabloid capability.  (If you say, what’s tabloid? It is quite likely you don’t need it.) Tabloid is 11 X 17 paper (not legal).

When it DOES NOT make sense to purchase a used copying machine:

  • You have lower volumes and print legal/letter only
  • You do not have advanced finishing needs
  • You do not have patience for mechanical issues
  • You want a solid warranty at no additional charge.

Used copiers can be a good deal, like a used car, but you need to remember several things about used copiers.

  1. Used copiers are generally for sale after their 5 year lease expires…  so you are getting old technology unless you look around.
  2. New features like scan to E mail and Scan to Network are included in the newer devices, they are not always in the older ones, so double check.
  3. New copiers generally do color scanning, even if they are black and white machines.  If you need color scanning, be wary of used copiers.
  4. Used copiers are going to have more mechanical issues.  If you want no problems or issues, I would avoid a used copier.

The circumstance where a used copier makes the most sense:

You want a Black and White Copier that is tabloid capable and has all the finishing options and your budget has been slashed so you need it to be inexpensive.

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Don’t Get Trapped by the Allure of Low Cost Prints in Denver

August 25th, 2009
Low Cost Copies Can be Enticing, but Beware!

Low Cost Copies Can be Enticing, but Beware!

We talk to customers in Denver who seem to only be able to look at the cost of the copies when they are assessing the cost of a copier.  I wanted to write this post to warn you this is a dangerous way to think.  Why?  There are fundamentally 3 different sources of cost when it comes to copier costs in Denver.

  1. The equipment
  2. The supplies
  3. The maintenance

When you get allured by the low cost per print, you are looking at #2 and #3.  This is a valid componet of the overall cost, but it is more than just those two… there is also the equipment portion.  So, lets look at this simplistically.  If you have a copier that is $9,000 and costs $.008 per print or a copier for $3,000 and $.018 per print and you plan to own the copier for 4 years, how many prints do you need to do a month before it’s breakeven?

The math works like this –

  • $9,000 – $3,000 = $6,000 differential on equipment
  • $.018 – $.008 = $.01 differential in prints.
  • $6,000/.01 = 600,000 — this is the number of copies needed for breakeven to occur.

600,000/48 = 12,500 copier per month.  I would generally say if you’re doing more than 10,000…  getting the big copier would make more sense (as you’ll have better finishing, stronger mechanics, etc…) Less than 10,000 a month, you may as well get the $3,000 copier and pay more per print.  If you only did 4,000 prints a month and got the bigger copier, you would have spent an extra $4,000 for copies than had you bought the smaller unit.

  • Eq A cost – Eq B Cost = Equipment Differential
  • Supp B cost – Supp A cost = Supplies differential
  • Equipment Differential/Supplies Differential = Breakeven quantity of prints

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Don’t Watch Your Color Savings Go Up in Smoke!

August 16th, 2009

Abstract smoke red & blue on white background

You bought a new color copier to go ahead and lower the cost of your color printers, or you are about to….  If you are in this scenario, there are some steps you need to take today to keep your color copier in Denver as inexpensive as possible.

  1. Set people’s default print to black and white and make sure to select the “use black ink only option”…  composite gray counts as a color page with most manufacturers.  (Meaning you’ll get what looks like a black and white page, but still have to pay a color price to get it.
  2. Before you sign a contract.  Look at your documents.  Is there a lot of color or only a little bit?  You plan should reflect this in one way or the other.  If you have a lot of color, DO NOT sign a lease that says you can be charged for color at a higher rate if you exceed 20% color coverage.
  3. Do not pay for scans.  Or don’t pay more than $.0015 per scan.  Any more than that, you’re getting ripped off.
  4. Try to make sure people stay in the habit of printing in Black and White whenever possible.
  5. Get some training on tools manufacturers will include to manage your color costs and exposure.  All of them have something, make sure you know what it is and you use it.

If you need a color copier in Denver, please give us a call right away so we can help you avoid some of these costly mistakes!

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Your Copier in Denver Needs to Work, not be Sexy…

August 10th, 2009
Having a Big Copier is Sexy, but is it Necessary?

Having a Big Copier is Sexy, but is it Necessary?

 

It is time to look into another copier and you are getting ready to call your rep who sold you your last copier…  after all, they did bring you doughnuts every Friday for a few months!  Before you call your rep back and get into the latest, greatest, sexiest copier out there…  here are a few things that might surprise you.

  1. 97% of all copies are letter/legal and not Tabloid, according to industry sources like Gartner. So, do you actually need a tabloid capable copier?
  2. Small copiers generally have faster warm up times and are very fast these days.  Some customers are concerned that if they buy a smaller copier, there will be a workflow bottleneck.  It is generally more likely to have the bottleneck with the big copier because warm up times are so much longer
  3. Some smaller copiers, such as the Lexmark X654de can run copies at a rapid 55 pages a minute, so speed is in the “small copiers” now too.
  4. Color generally costs 8 to 10 times what Black and White does, do you actually need color?  If you do, are all the drivers set to default to black and white?
  5. Stapling and hole punching costs about an extra $1,500 in most cases

If you want some no nonsense help and and a copier quote from someone here in the Denver metro area, give me a call and we can schedule an appointment.

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What Your Copier Company Isn’t Telling You

July 22nd, 2009
Copier Secrets

Copier Secrets

Are you thinking about purchasing a copier here in Denver and it seems that you are getting a different story from 100 different copier sales reps? It is a hard decision to buy a copier which is both affordable and appropriate for your needs. One of the biggest mistakes people seem to make is they purchase a tabloid capable (11X17) copier for Letter/Legal needs.

Here are some simple facts in the industry for you to consider.

1) Less than 3% of printed pages are tabloid sheets but 24% of unit placements are A4 capable.
2) While you may think your low cost per print justifies spending more on the larger copier (and it does sometimes), industry averages say you’ll spend 40% more over 3 years ($7,000) if you buy the A3 copier.
3) An A3 Copier will take up more space and use more power and also go slower than an A4 copier (again, using market averages, these averages are definately not always the case…)

Before you just buy another A3 copier, consider a Letter Legal Copier instead. One manufacturer we deal with has put this information together for you to consider before making your next copier purchase in Denver.

what-your-copier-company-does-not-want-you-to-know

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Copier Training, Why it’s Worth the Time!

July 5th, 2009

time-is-money

You are going to spend how many thousands of dollars on your next copier in Denver? The strange part is that no one seems to really want to take the time or pay any money to  get training or installation on the new device.  This seems a bit crazy because for the $200 to $400 for training/installation, you can learn how to speed up many of your daily tasks to take only half the time or so.  Of course many companies selling copiers will say it’s free, when they should say it’s included…

What are some ways training would be worth it because of the time you’d save? Here are a few ways your efficiencies could improve…

For example, you are wanting to print some flyers for your sales reps to hand out, but only want 1/4 page flyers.  You have the promo file, and what do people do in the real world?  They print it, then shrink it, then shrink it again, then cut it, then paste it, then copy it…  wow…  that’s a lot of work (an the copy quality starts to suck too…).  Why not print it, make four copies and then use the paper saver where the copier will do all of the calculating for you turning it into four nice hand flyers?  It would take 30 seconds instead of 20 minutes and it’s already built into the copier.  With high tech devices, time is money.

What else might you be missing?  Well there is margin shift, booklet making, edge erase, fax forwarding, document boxes, etc…  there are a lot of features out there, so if there is some office function you need to do often, there is likely a shortcut available out there, it’s just a matter of getting trained and comfortable with the features that are out there.

If you have a copier need coming up and want to go over what technology there is out there to help you out with your needs, give us a call right away.  We make saving time and money our business!

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Why Bother? Frustrations of a Copier Rep…

June 26th, 2009

So, here we are in a struggling economy and we are dealing with people who don’t seem to care about finances…  Which seems crazy to us.  I wanted to attach an example(century_21_ll) of how we do our TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)comparisons so you can see we take saving you money seriously.  I was asked to consult on a deal a few weeks ago where “they are going to gring you hard on cost…” was what we heard.  I put together a proposal which would save this real estate company about $75,000 over 3 years (down from $150,000).

One would think this would be compelling.  Not so.  We presented the case and the numbers of why a smaller solution would be a more sound financial decision, but this real estate company decided that our qoute recommended copiers and printers which were far too small.  Nevermind that we have 100’s of customers using these devices for the same exact function!

Now, I have to re-quote “something bigger”…  which I will do, reluctantly… However, it is frustrating when you know a customer you want to help is absolutely hell bent of pissing away thousands upon thousands of dollars.  It is absolutely their right, but I prefer to work with people who buy machines APPROPRIATE for their needs and volumes.  Customers who are not so entrenched in an old way of working (where the sales rep can pad his pocket), that they will actually listen to a proposal… even if there are ultimately reasons they decide against it.  Be careful to not be so married to your current way of doing things that you, like this real estate company, piss away thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars because something is “too small.”

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