When you consider the technology that your particular business needs to thrive, what springs into your mind? Cloud storage? Contact-management software? Social media pages? Tablets and smartphones for your salespeople and other staffers? What about printers? You may think that printers have become obsolete, going the way of faxes before them. But you would be wrong. Sure, we’re all looking forward to the time when business goes entirely paperless. With e-mail, cloud storage systems, social media sites and tablets that are as powerful as miniature computers, we’re closing in on that day. But we aren’t there yet.
Can’t turn away business
That’s because a number of clients with which you’ll deal still haven’t gone paperless . They’re either not willing or unable to transition into a paperless system. If you wish to keep their business, you need to supply them with printouts listing your transactions with them. Fortunately, you can still find plenty of high-quality small business printers on the market today. Writer Paul Mah, with Small Business Computing.com, offers you several recommendations on finding the right one for your business.
All-in-one?
You’ll have to first decide whether you will need a printer that does many things or focuses solely on printing. A multi-function printer can scan, photocopy and fax. And for some businesses, the ones that often perform these tasks, a piece of equipment that does many different things will make sense. However, if your business rarely faxes or scans documents, a traditional printer may be the better option. Multi-function printers, because of their additional features, are rarely cheap.
Laser vs. Inkjet
The old debate has always focused on whether laser printers or inkjet printers make more sense for small businesses. The reality is, both kinds of printers come with downsides and upsides. Consider laser printers. As Mah writes, it’s widely acknowledged that laser printers produce cleaner, more vibrant copy than inkjet printers. On the down side? Laser printers are more expensive. Then check out inkjet printers. These are usually less expensive and their technology has improved so the prints from them are clearer than ever. But you will find downsides here, too. For one thing, you’ll need to replace those printer heads often if your business does a lot of printing. Secondly, the printer heads clog up on an inkjet printer in the event the printer is not used often enough. There are other considerations when buying a printer for your small business. The more you print, the higher-end printer you’ll need. If you need to print in color, you’ll need to decide whether to use a printer containing both black and color cartridges or one that uses a single-cartridge system to generate all colors.
We're curious to know how many of our readers see the need for a printer in their futures...Care to comment? Let us hear from you!