Expanding your business is no easy task.  But for those business owners who decide that expansion is the right move, one must make careful decisions when looking at the resources currently used in the business and be practical when adding or eliminating resources. Even small decisions made in the wrong direction can be the difference between growth and defeat.

One such resource that is often misused or just plain overlooked is the office printer.  Utilized properly and efficiently, this piece of equipment can save money, manpower and prevent adding unnecessary expenses that most business owners may feel are unavoidable. Here are just 3 ways your office printer can help you expand your business without having to expand your wallet:

• Postage…Do more in less time
• Producing New Marketing Materials In-House...Save $$
• Purchase an All-in-One Printer…the Upgrade that keeps on giving

Postage is a common expense for most small businesses that increases dramatically when adding the actual cost of postage to the labor involved getting mailings out.  Larger businesses endure the expense of procuring their own postage meter from the United States Postal Service and loading it with pre-paid postage via telephone or online. This is efficient, but also costly.  Small business owners make trips to the Post Office which is cost effective, but not as efficient. The solution? Register the business and create an account with the U.S. Postal Service online www.usps.com. Business owners can buy stamps, create mailing lists and print postage right from the office printer and request a pickup of the mail each day.  Printing postage from your office printer saves time and money.

Producing New Marketing Materials In-House can seem quite daunting.  As well it is tempting to outsource this task to a mass print company or copy store in an effort to save time.  The problem is that although some manpower is conserved, one usually must purchase a large volume of materials to see any value.  Print items such as business cards, letterhead, etc. that will not change are worth the volume. NEW Marketing Materials, Flyers and Brochures announcing the expansion, specials or promotions are not needed in large quantities, as they will change over time to reflect new promotions and ads as your expansion progresses. Tip: Print these items using black ink on colored paper to control the cost of ink.

Purchase an All-in-One-Printer; otherwise know as a Print/Copy/Fax machine. Although this is a suggested expense, it is one piece of equipment that a growing small business cannot do without. An All-in-One will allow you to streamline the way that your company paper trail is handled as a one stop shop for multiple tasks, saving time.  Having only one machine will save electricity; thus saving money.  Finally, one machine, one type of ink; needless to say the potential for savings are endless.

Proper use of your office printer can aid your expansion, save time and money; Money that perhaps in the not-so-distant future could be used to take a well deserved vacation.

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It is almost impossible to find an office anywhere that does not have some sort of printer;  whether it is an all-in-one, which does just about everything, or a small simple one to just print documents.  Either way, it most likely will be one of the three main kinds of printers used today in most homes and offices: laser, inkjet, or dot matrix.

A lot of people consider the dot matrix printers to be outdated and past their prime.  However, they do have their uses and can be more reliable at times than their counterparts.  The print quality cannot really be compared to the laser or inkjet printers, but many manufacturing companies use them still to print invoices and labels.

The dot matrix printer is considered an “impact” printer.  This is because it actually strikes the paper as it prints, much like a typewriter.    Continuous feeding paper can be used to print several carbon copies; requiring less ink in the process.  Printing invoices in this manner is very convenient, because multiple copies in various colors can be printed all at once and distributed immediately.  These printers tend to be slow and use only a few fonts, so they are gradually becoming identifiable with only certain industries.

The laser printer is probably more popular in large offices and corporations.  If a small office is able to buy one, they have the advantage of higher resolution and thus, better quality documents. These printers tend to be more expensive than inkjets initially, but their “toner” cartridges usually last longer than the ink cartridges used for inkjet printers.  That isn’t to say that the cartridges for laser printers aren’t expensive; they are.  The maintenance of these machines can be quite expensive too; however, if quality is most important and money isn’t the issue, then a laser printer is the way to go.

Unlike laser printers, inkjets usually cost less to initially buy.  However, since the printers themselves are relatively cheap, some feel the manufacturing companies are making up for the lower prices in the customer’s cost of ink.  Some companies even put a “chip” in their cartridges to let the printer know when it is out of ink.  Although these cartridges can be refilled by the consumer, the printer will not work because the chip still communicates that it is empty.

Even with expensive inks that smudge when they get wet, the inkjet printers do have some advantages. They don’t have to be “warmed up” to begin printing like the laser printers, and they print better photos.  There are also inks available that tend to smudge less, although they are not as readily accessible as regular ink. The inkjet is a lot quieter than the dot matrix and much faster too.

All these types of printers have good and bad characteristics, depending on the opinion of the person using them.  Some are expensive but have better quality, while others cost less but are limited in their functions.  No matter which one is being used, they all have their purpose and fulfill it well.

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Despite the fact that this is the technological age and most work gets by e-mail or over cell phones, there are certain times that meeting in person is required.  Meeting others in person is still the best way to network, whether it is to get a new job or to find contacts for your present business.  For decades, the best way to get your name out there, and to remember the names of those you have met, is by exchanging business cards.  Business cards are often also used for personal interactions, as a good way to give your name and phone number to a potential date.

Now that you know the importance of business cards, the question becomes a matter of how to create them.  Many regular print shops will print business cards for you.  Likely you will need to come up with the design and text yourself and give it to them in digital form.  There are also companies online that specialize in printing business cards.  They focus only on that aspect of business and you can make sure they will do a good job.  Some stores, both online and brick and mortar, will have a minimum amount of cards to print so that it is worth the effort to them.  For that reason, you may want to consider printing them yourself.

In addition to only wanting a small number of cards, there are other reasons to consider printing them yourself.  One reason is if you want to change your design every so often.  Rather than printing hundreds of the same card, you can print smaller batches of various designs.  Perhaps you want one look for personal use, one for business.  Or maybe you want one card to give out at certain networking events and other for another purpose.  It could be expensive to print all those different kinds at a print shop because each different design will cost extra.

If you decide to print your business cards at home, you will need to make sure that you use a good word processing program in which you can properly print the design of your card in the proper dimensions.  You will also need to get high quality heavy card stock paper.  You can chose matte or glossy paper per your preference.  You can use color or black and white ink, depending on how you want your cards to look.  In either case, make sure you are using good quality ink.  Don’t forget that you can save money by having your cartridges refilled rather than having to buy new ones.

For cutting the business cards, you will need to invest in a paper cutter.  That will ensure that you can have a nice, even, straight cut.  There is paper available that has perforated edges, but it does not look as good as using a paper cutter.

While it will take some work to make business cards yourself, the creative freedom and the lack of limitations on quantity may make it the best choice for your business.

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For many, the idea of starting their own business is an exciting prospect. For once you’re able to be the boss and to design your own schedule. You’re solely responsible for the amount of money that you are able to earn and the potential that your business has also rests on your shoulder. Many are so excited to own their own business that they often don’t sit and contemplate the things that they’re going to need in order to ensure that their business is a success. One thing that many forget about is the printer. The Role of the Printer In Business When you’ve got a business, having a high quality printer is very important. Almost all businesses can make constant use of a printer. Say, for instance, that you’re a carpenter. You may at first believe that a carpenter would have no need of a printer, but this is not so. A carpenter often needs to print out their invoices, or needs to print out a list of materials that is needed. Some use printers to print out the diagram of what their proposed design would look like, while others use their printer to print business cards to pass out. If you have a printer that is just “okay”, you’ll like wind up having to purchase a new one in short order, as most printers that are good for home use don’t hold up enough to be able to print constantly, which is often something that home business owners find themselves doing. The Right Printer When you’re searching for a new printer, the first thing you need to figure out is what you need your printer to do. Do you need it to be able to simply print things? And what quality of items will you need it to print? Often if you’re only looking to print out invoices, you can get away with purchasing a less expensive printer than you would need if you were going to be printing photos or something in that vein. Do you need your printer to be able to scan or to fax as well? Printers that can do all three, print, copy, and fax, are often a bit more expensive than printers that are only designed to print, but the consumer also gets to save a bit of money as well, as they do not have to purchase three separate machines. Some, however, say that the printing quality in an all-in-one machine is not as good as it is for printers that only print. Once you’ve found the right printer for your business, make sure you figure out where you’re going to order your ink cartridges. Having a good supply of ink cartridges on hand is often very wise, so that you do not have to worry about running out of ink at an inopportune moment. Printers are very important in the business world, which is why your printer choice matters so much.

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