Why your small business still needs a printer

Don’t think you need a printer in your small company? Think again. We’d all prefer to think that we are near a paperless society. After all, we are able to create our important documents on our smart phones, tablets and PCS and then store them in the cloud. We can then send these documents to important clients. There’s no need for printing them out, right? Not quite. Many of your clients will still require hard-copy documents detailing your transactions with each other. These customers might not be tech-savvy enough to adjust to paperless business. Or they refuse to go paperless. Whatever the reason, they demand printouts. If you cannot provide them, you’ll lose their business.

Can’t turn away business

Fortunately, writer Paul Mah with Small Business Computing.com recently took some of the factors that small business owners should look into before they purchase a printer. Consider these tips before making your next printer purchase.

All-in-one?

You’ll have to first decide whether you’ll need a printer that does several things or focuses solely on printing. A multi-function printer can scan, photocopy and fax. And for some businesses, those that often perform these tasks, a piece of equipment that does several different things will make sense. However, if your business rarely faxes or scans documents, a traditional printer might be the better choice. Multi-function printers, due to their additional features, are rarely cheap.

Laser vs. Inkjet

Next, you should decide whether an inkjet printer or laser printer is the best decision for your business. Inkjet printers are usually less costly than laser printers. As Mah writes, you can often get a good inkjet printer in the $100 range. Moreover, inkjet technologies have improved. Today’s top inkjet printers create clear and crisp documents. On the flipside, if your business does a lot of printing, you’ll be replacing those inkjet heads often. That can boost the price of one of these printers. Inkjet printers can also be messy; their printheads clog if they’re not used often enough. As Mah writes, laser printers are usually regarded as being of higher quality. It’s true that these printers create documents that appear especially neat and vibrant. The downside? Laser printers are certainly not cheap. You’ll also have to take a close look at the types of printing your small business does. Will you be printing a lot of documents? Then you might wish to invest in a printer that’s sturdier. Do you need to print in color? Then you’ll need a printer that either uses several cartridges or a single-cartridge system to produce both black and color ink.</p