Affordable Print Solutions for Small Business: A Practical Guide From Someone Who’s Been There

Affordable Print Solutions for Small Business, When I was a first-time venture owner last year 2019, I committed all of the beginner errors. Yet the one that I still cringe? And printing costs almost 400 a month without realizing it. The costs quietly bogled between invoices, marketing flyers, product labels and the banner here and there due to a trade show.

I was able to save thousands of money only after six months to realize that smarter print solutions would have allowed me to save money. Today, since I was able to assist dozens of other businessmen and women in organizing their business processes, I would like to tell you what really works when you are counting each dollar.

The reasons why printing expenses creep on the small businesses.

This is what is so about printing–it seems to be nothing until you get it all summed up. A couple of cents a page does not make much. However, when you need to print 500 invoices per month, promote a product, and make package inserts, then those cents are counted as significant money.

The volume of printing of most small business owners I have spoken to is down about 40% of their actual print volume. They forget about the test prints which failed, the last minute signage to that farmers market on the weekend, or the employee who printed a 47 page report which otherwise could have remained as a digital copy.

The good news? It has some truly cheap options that do not involve trade-off in quality or convenience.

Selecting the Right Printer: It Is Not all about the Lowest initial Price.

This is what the majority of them fail. They purchase an inkjet printer at $79, and use the cartridges until it costs them 50 dollars to replace after every couple of weeks. The cheap printer proves very costly throughout its life.

Laser printers have revolutionized the printing world of small business. Yes, they are more expensive now, around 200 to 400 dollars depending on the quality of the good model, but the price per page is significantly reduced. My present printer is a monochrome laser printer manufactured by Brother and purchased three years ago. The toner cartridge had a life of 18 months when it was used moderately and replacement toner cartridges cost approximately 45 dollars at 3000 pages.

Divide and conquer: it is about 1.5 cents per page in contrast to 8-15 cents with the majority of the inkjet systems.

In case of color printing, then you need to think whether you really need it in house. Most companies print materials of color very rarely that outsourcing is more economically viable. Yet, when you are creating marketing materials on a regular basis, a color printer with a laser or an inkjet tank printer such as the Epson EcoTank models provide exceptional per-page cost reductions.

The Outsourcing Sweet Spot

Printing should not be done in house. The knowledge of when to outsource is important in cost management.

Print on demand has revolutionized marketing of small business. Products such as Vistaprint, Moo and GotPrint also provide professionally print business cards, brochures and banners at prices that are literally impossible to compete with. I recently had an order of 500 high quality business cards at the rate of 24 and the turnaround time was two weeks.

Commercial printing usually wins on cost quite literally when it comes to larger quantities of anything- postcards, flyers, catalogs etc. These companies are equipped, experts and they have bulk buying power that can enable them to print 1000 flyers in full color at half the price at which you would spend on ink and paper to print 200 flyers.

Workable Cost-Reduction Plans that Really Work.

In addition to the selection of appropriate equipment, it depends on daily habits and systems.

Use print policies in case of employees. It is bureaucratic, but even basic measures such as turning on duplex printing by default and previewing before printing would save a man 20-30 percent in possibility of waste. I have a friend who owns a coffee shop, who saved someone more than 100 a month by simply making his staff ask to print the recipes and schedules.

There are areas where digital alternatives are embraced. Invoicing online, using such applications as Square or QuickBooks, saves paper and makes the payment go through in less time. Customers can be directed to the in-depth online information by utilizing QR codes on small printed materials.

Buy supplies strategically. The prices of printer papers vary between seasons. Buy in large quantities during the back-to-school sales when the prices are low. Third party ink and toner cartridges have become much better- many are now similar quality at 60-80 percent of the price of branded products. Simply purchase through sellers who have good returns.

True Numbers Out of True Businesses.

One landscaping organization that I referred to incurred expenses totaling at 3200 dollars on printing every year. Once they changed their printer to a laser printer, scanned over client offers to the electronic format, and delegated seasonal promotional mailing to an online printing company, they fell to $1,400. Same performance, same business look.

One example is a boutique retail store that only cut its expenditures by 45 percent by switching to receiving receipts through email rather than printing them and apply the use of a tablet-based catalog instead of printed lookbooks to the customers.

Moving forward: Green printing as a competitive edge.

Customers are increasingly appreciating the status of businesses that do not have negative impacts on the environment. Recycled paper, default double-sided printing and unnecessary printing reduction is not only cost effective, but is becoming a competitive advantage.

A number of paper producers are currently producing tree-free materials using bamboo or sugarcane waste at a price only slightly higher than regular paper. Waste not to consider such options as they keep getting better.

Final Thoughts

The cheap printing is not about magic solutions it is about being deliberate. Print only what you are actually printing, spend money on the right equipment based on your specific needs, outsource wisely, and develop habits that will minimise waste.

The saved money can be used to finance the marketing efforts, inventory or just give you breathing space. That is what having a smart small business is all about.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which type of printer is the most economical to small businesses?
Black and white laser printers are the cheapest per page when working on high text documents, and usually cost 1-3 cents per page as opposed to 8-15 cents per page on inkjet.

Is in-house more cost-effective or outsourced?
It depends on volume and type. Color material of high volume and high quality is normally outsourced at a lower cost whereas everyday printing is done better internally.

Is it useful to use third-party ink cartridges?
Quality has been enhanced to a great extent. Third party cartridges that are reputable can be saved between 40-60 percent with only slight variation in quality, yet purchase at sellers with liberal returns policies.

What can I do now to save on the cost of printing in the office?
Default duplex printing, adopt print preview provisions, and automatic invoicing to digital-only – these three will save the money 20-30 times just by themselves.

What is the most recommended online printing company among small business?
Vistaprint, Gotprint and Moo are always dependable. Compare prices according to your needs as the prices differ depending on the kind of products.

What is the frequency of changing the business printer?
A good laser printer should have a lifespan of 5-7 years when well maintained. Replacement when the cost of repair is close to 50 percent of replacement cost.