by Zoe Zorka
Image Source. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Having the right equipment for your business is vital. Good quality equipment can be expensive, however there are tricks to save costs. Here are just five ways to spend less money on business equipment.
Hit the sales
Many business equipment suppliers have sales throughout the year. These can be great opportunities for buying discounted equipment. Make sure to follow suppliers by email or on social media to get notified of these sales. Also look out for coupon sites where you may also be able to nab deals.
Opt for used equipment
You’ll pay a lot less for equipment that’s used than you will for brand new equipment. Such equipment may not always be in top notch condition, so you do have to be careful who you’re buying from. If you can try, stick to trusted sellers. Sites like Gumtree could allow you to pick up the equipment in person and inspect it before buying. There are also suppliers that specialise in used equipment – you can usually read reviews online to get an idea of how trustworthy these suppliers are.
Rent, don’t buy
If you only need equipment for a short period, you may be better off renting than buying. There are suppliers out there that specialise in everything from air conditioner rental to crane hire. Not only will you save money, but you’ll usually be guaranteed good quality equipment. You may even be able to outsource some equipment that you don’t physically need on your premises. For example, many people outsource printers for one-off large printing jobs rather than buying printers.
Think green
You should also consider the energy efficiency when acquiring electronic equipment. As a general rule, older machinery is less energy efficient than newer machinery – something you may want to consider when buying used machinery. There are suppliers out there that specialise in energy efficient commercial equipment.
Keep on top of maintenance
Keeping equipment well maintained will save you money in the long run. For instance, a computer that is well maintained is less likely to suffer from problems such as software corruption or hardware failure, which means less repair costs. For certain equipment, it could be worthwhile keeping a logbook so that you can spot damage early and get it repaired before the equipment completely fails – this could prevent costly downtime. This could include cleaning and servicing a coffee machine and keep a record to ensure all faults are recorded.