Many businesses don’t want to pay for color copying services. They believe that operating in-house will lower the price of black and white copying. They factor the costs of copying into the operating costs of the business and don’t think about them again. In the long run, however, our copy services can save you money. Basically, it comes down to the obvious and hidden costs of in-hour printing.
Obvious costs of in-house printing
The first section of costs for in-house printing are the obvious costs. If you’re running a busy office, you have to have a copy machine equal to the task. Large, professional size copy machines are a huge, out of pocket expense. From there other costs include keeping the printer stocked with ink, toner, and paper. As anyone who has ever had to order ink can tell you, it’s one of the most expensive fluids in the world. Paper may grow on trees, but it’s not priced like it is. Altogether, one of the main office expenses is keeping a professional quality printer stocked and loaded.
Hidden costs of in-house printing
The obvious costs of in-house printing are to be expected. Normally, when business owners compare the price of in-house versus professional printing, they only think of it in terms of paper and ink. In-house copying also has hidden, sometimes less tangible costs.
First of all, consider the time that the printer eats up. “The copier is broken” is enough of a cliché that it’s a standard sitcom joke. Art does imitate life on occasion. You have to factor in maintenance and down time to your copier budget. If you need color copying, you need to factor in materials for that as well.
Copying in the office also takes up space. Copiers aren’t small. If both your important copying (presentations, formal reports, color copying) and your day-to-day copying (inter-office paperwork, request sheets, etc.) are relying on one machine, things are going to get cramped. Your employees take valuable time out of their days to copy and print. That time has to be factored into your budget. How much this drains your resources, depends on your office. A small, two or three person office probably won’t notice the lost time, much. However, a larger office will feel the loss of time and space much more keenly.
Paying for professionalism
Getting your copying done professionally won’t just save on hidden costs. You also get a better product from professionals. You may be the best in your business, but if you’re not a professional copier that’s just not your product. If a lot of your work hinges on copies (say, presenting beautiful color copying to investors, or having crisp and clear black and white copying for large scale reports and banners) it pays to get the best base product you can. That comes from professional printers.
Copying in-house is great—in theory. In practice, you can save money on a better product by opting for professional printers. Both obvious costs and hidden costs of in-house printing can be offset by the right price for professional printing.