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Small business owners should always be looking for ways to save money within their current business model. One area that you can save money is in your business printing costs. These are expenses that may not seem like much on a daily basis. However, they quickly add up over time. Here are the top five tricks for lowering your business printing costs.
Print Less
This might sound obvious, but the first way to reduce your business printing costs is to print less. Make a conscious effort to only print what you have to. Ask your employees to do the same. If you do have to print something, check the print view before sending it to the printer. You might be able to cut two pages down to one by deleting a line or shrinking the font by one size. Do not print every email you receive. Consider adding a note to your business signature about printing etiquette. A popular one going around professional circles is, “please consider the environment before printing this email.” The first step in lowering your business printing costs is to print less.
Buy Paper In Bulk
If you are buying office paper one ream at a time, you are throwing money away. You know you will need more than one ream eventually. Buy your paper in bulk. The cost of a case of 8 reams of paper is around $20 – $30. One ream costs $5 – $8. You will save half around half of your paper expense if you buy it by the case. You may also consider buying paper from a company warehouse at a discount. This is much cheaper than retail outlets that charge a premium. The second step in lowering your business printing costs is to buy paper in bulk.
Recycle Paper
Even when you are cautious about what you print, there may be times you print by mistake. You might print a second page of a PPI document you did not need. It could be the last line of the previous page, or you may have a printer error that results in strange formatting. In these cases, keep the paper rather than throwing it away. Use these pages to print informal documents for use around the office. If you do this, just be careful not to use this paper when communicating with customers or going outside the office. It could look unprofessional. The third step in reducing your business printing costs is to recycle paper.
Recycle Ink Cartridges
If you are at all environmentally conscious, you should be recycling your ink cartridges after it has printed its last purchase order format. However, this should not just be done for the sake of the environment. Some stores offer a discount on your next ink cartridge when you turn in your old one. You may have to save up a few and mail them in. Either way, this is a great way to save some money on your next purchase. You may also wish to consider your options when buying ink. You can buy high capacity ink cartridges that cost more money than the regular cartridge, but print a higher volume of copies. You can buy recycled cartridges. You could also look at buying third party ink or cartridge refill kits. Be aware, these options are generally not approved by the printer manufacturer. This might void your warranty. Make sure you are recycling your ink cartridges to lower your business printing costs.
Buy The Right Printer
This may be the most important step, as it relates to everything else surrounding your business printing concerns. Make sure you buy the right printer for your business. Research your options. Think about your usage and how much you will print. It will not help you learn how to get rich quick, but it will certainly help prevent you from wasting money. If you are a small business, an inkjet printer may be fine. If you are larger, you may need a laserjet. Be aware, the cost of the printer may not accurately reflect other costs. Oftentimes, the cheaper printers have the most expensive ink. If you do not expect to print in color, do not buy a color printer. Color ink is significantly more expensive than black ink. If you occasionally print in color, but not enough to warrant a color printer, consider outsourcing these jobs to a print shop.
Cost Per Page
An excellent way to maximize efficiency for your business is to learn about the cost per page, or CPP, of particular printers that you are considering. Every type of printer is going to incur ongoing costs with consumables. Consumables refers to ink or toner cartridges. Consumables costs are determined by the amount of ink used for each page of print. This is known as the CPP rate. To get a rough estimate of CPP, divide the cartridge price by the manufacturer’s number of expect pages it provides coverage for. Determining the CPP for each printer you consider is the best way to maximize efficiency and lower printing costs for your business.
Lowering your business printing expenses is relatively easy. It just takes a little effort. Make a promise to print only what you need. Make sure your staff follows your lead. Recycle paper and ink whenever possible, and take advantage of deals by buying paper in bulk. Finally, be sure you purchase the right printer for your business. Research the pros and cons of each model, including the price of ink. Use this post to help your business reduce company printing costs.
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