Office printer leasing

Expensive and high maintenance, yet an essential piece of office kit, a printer is something most businesses can’t operate without.

When it comes to printing woes, we’ve got some good news: there’s an easy way to have all the printing perks, and none of the upfront costs. How? By leasing your printer instead of buying it, of course.

Leasing a printer is a more affordable alternative to buying one outright. Essentially, leasing your printer allows you to make monthly payments to hire a machine that would probably be way out of a start-up’s price range.

With top-of-the-range printers coming in at over £3,000, and a potential need to invest in more than one, leasing offers an affordable way for small businesses to access high-end tech at a price that won’t break the bank.

This guide should tell you all you need to know about leasing a printer for your business; alternatively, if you’d like to receive and compare pricing quotes directly from suppliers, use our handy short form to select how many printers and which features you need for your business..

What is office printer leasing and who is it suited to?

Printer leasing facilitates bit-by-bit payments to essentially hire, rather than buy, a printer.

A typical lease will last between three to five years (depending on the supplier), and is a binding contract. This means that once the lease is taken out, you are legally obligated to make your monthly payments for the agreed amount of time. Early termination of the contract may incur a significant fee.

Printer leasing is a good option for those businesses in the position to confidently say that they’ll need the printer they lease for the next three or so years. But, if you think that your business might need a more temporary printing solution, then you’re probably better off renting rather than leasing.

Printer leases are most beneficial to businesses that see printing as an operational focal point. For standard, day-to-day office admin, it’s likely that you’ll just need the basic printing functionalities, and could therefore manage with an office photocopier that has a printing function.

Take a look at the Startups page on photocopier leasing if you think this might be a more suitable option for your business.

What’s the difference between renting and leasing a printer?

While leasing and renting are similar, there are some big differences between what it means to rent, and what it means to lease a printer.

Renting a printer is another affordable way to access costly equipment. Often set-up on a monthly rolling contract, when you rent your printer, you can terminate that contract with as little as 30 days’ notice. This flexibility and lack of long-term commitment can make renting the preferred option for start-ups.

However, this works both ways. As convenient as the short-term fix is, your supplier can also recall their equipment with as little as 30 days’ notice, making printer rental a conveniently temporary, but much less secure option.

Also, when you lease your machine, you often have the option to buy the photocopier with a final lump sum at the end of the lease. This is not the case with a rental contract.

Printer leasing benefits for small businesses

Small businesses can enjoy a whole host of benefits by leasing a printer. For example, instead of making a hefty outright tech-purchase, you can free up your cashflow and invest in other areas of your business, whilst still having access to the equipment you need.

Ever wondered what you do when you have to get rid of a printer? There’s no printer symbol on the recycling box, nor would a printer fit in your average office bin. Disposing of old kit like printers is a hassle, which can be avoided if you choose to lease – the lease agency will sort all of that faff out for you, saving you time and resource.

What’s more, leasing a printer means that your business will stay abreast of any tech advancements. Once your lease is up, you can upgrade to a new, more up-to-date model, rather than having to save and fork-out for a new printer when your current one gets too old and tired.

Here are just some of the quick-fire benefits of leasing, rather than buying, a printer:

• No initial investment – printers are expensive, and not all businesses have the funds available to make the investment. Leasing removes the substantial initial outlay, but still delivers the goods.
• Cashflow – cashflow is key to any business, start-up or otherwise. Leasing a printer helps to free up that all important cashflow, keeping money where it matters rather than paying out a large sum in one go.
• Tax – did you know that leasing a printer can help to reduce your tax bill?
  As lease fees can be deducted as a regular business cost, they are more beneficial than capital allowances (a claim you can make when you buy assets that are kept for use in your business). You may be able to claim the payments as a business expense, making your monthly payments 100% tax deductible.Note: for sole traders or partners with an income of £150,000 a year or less, a different system may apply when it comes to tax. If you buy a printer outright, you can claim up to 40% of the purchase price against tax in one year, and 25% of the outstanding balance after that. When you lease, you can claim everything you pay on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis.
• Stay up-to-date – Leasing a printer will allow you to take advantage of technological developments at a time and cost that suits you, rather than having to pay to upgrade to a whole new model.
• Maintenance – Printers are complex pieces of equipment that can be a pain to try and fix. But when you lease your machine, maintenance often comes as part of the package, taking the stress out of any admin hassle. Many contracts also offer the option of including toner refills.
• End of contract flexibility – Once you reach the end of your lease agreement, you’ll have the option to end, renew, or upgrade your lease, or even buy the printer.
• Easy financing – Because the financing options for lease agreements are usually provided by the printer supplier themselves (or their chosen third-party finance company), lease agreements are usually much easier and faster to secure than a bank loan.

Things to consider when leasing a printer for your business

• Do you need colour or mono printing?
  Do you need to print in colour, black and white (monochrome), or both?Colour options are marginally more expensive, and the toner needed for colour inks definitely bumps the prices up. Think about what you’ll be printing: is colour necessary?
• Slow and steady or fast-paced?
  Printing speed is measured in pages per minute (ppm) and varies between manufacturers and models. Generally, print speeds of 20 ppm or below are more suited to smaller offices with lower print volumes.Anything higher will be better suited to medium-sized or growing offices. Very high-end machines can produce a whopping 100 ppm – ideal for large businesses, or offices with high print volume demands.
• (Paper) size does matter
  Do you work mainly on A4? What about A3, or even A5 and A6? You get the picture. The machine you choose must accommodate all of your printing needs, taking the hassle out of resizing print-outs yourself.The size of the paper you use will also impact the size of the printer. Make sure you’ve got the space before you invest in a crazy-big A1 printer lease.
• Connection is key
  Most printers connect to WiFi, which facilitates remote printing. However, if your printer can’t connect, you’ll have to use the old-fashioned ethernet cable method, which will have an impact on where in your office your printer lives.Note: USB connections are sometimes available.
• If the printer fits…
  Printers can be very big machines, and they aren’t the prettiest either. Make sure the model you choose will fit spatially and, if groovy office interiors are your thing, you might want to consider its aesthetic placement too.High-volume machines are usually pretty hefty and come as floor-standing models. Low-volume machines are often smaller and can fit on a desk.

Comparing printer leasing quotes

Leasing and office printer allows you to hire a printer long term, which is ideal for those businesses looking for a happy medium between renting and buying. Leasing provides security but does away with the financial responsibility that comes with an outright purchase.If you’re looking to lease a printer, it’s important to consider the following factors:

• The size of your workspace – be aware of how the (possibly quite large) machine will impact your office space and environment
• The printing volumes and speed required – think about the size of your team and the demand there will be for printing
• The type of connectivity you need – is a USB connection enough? Or is wired connectivity a must?
• The printer features and functionality – which features will be important in helping your team work efficiently (or in an eco-friendly way)?

No matter the size and scope of your business, one thing is for sure: you’ll get a better deal on your lease if you compare quotes from multiple providers. To get tailored leasing quotes today, simply fill in the form at the top of the page and speak to a supplier without delay.