Small Business Equipment Necessities
- Posted: August 4, 2010 by Stacey Abler/ Last modified: August 3, 2010
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When setting up a small office, business owners must choose the equipment that will be necessary for the office to run efficiently. When the small business is new, it is important not to go overboard in buying every piece of equipment or the most expensive equipment that is on the market. Small business owners should start with the bare minimum and add additional equipment as the business dictates the need for it. This can control the start-up costs for the business and avoid having unnecessary equipment in the office.
Phone System
A phone system is a necessity for just about every type of small business. If the office has multiple employees, consider leasing a multi-line phone system. This can be a cheaper alternative than purchasing and often includes installation and maintenance. Most offices will want to have several phone lines, voicemail capabilities and other features such as placing calls on hold, transferring calls and voice conferencing. If budget is a concern, start with a basic phone system and upgrade at a later date.
Computer
Buying computers for the office can be one of the most expensive equipment investments for the small business owner. Nearly every employee in the office will need a computer in order to be able to complete daily tasks in the office. If the business employees sales people, consider investing in laptops that can travel with them and only have a docking station for it at the office. If purchasing computers is too expensive, consider a leasing option. Computer software is another expense. Check into multi-use licenses for popular programs such as Microsoft Office to save over purchasing individual copies for each computer.
Printer
If the small business owner is working with a limited budget, consider buying a larger printer with faster printing speeds for the entire office to use. All of the computers in the office can be networked to this printer and every person in the office can print documents on the same printer. Unless color is necessary for documents, consider only printing in black and white. Adding color cartridges and printing in color is considerably more expensive than printing only in black and white.
Fax
Many businesses will need a fax machine to operate. The fax machine will be needed to send documents to clients and vendors as well as receive documents quickly. With electronic signatures and emails, fax machines are becoming less of a necessity but in most cases, a fax machine is rather a small investment, particularly compared to other equipment in the office. Ensure your long distance plan will cover faxes as well otherwise this can become a very expensive piece of office equipment.
Copier/Scanner
A copier and scanner may be necessary for some small businesses while just an added expense for others. If very little copying and scanning will be done, consider buying a printer that includes all three functions. If hundreds or thousands of copies will be needed each month, consider leasing a machine. It is much less expensive than buying and generally based on the usage of the machine. Lease the most basic machine needed for your office needs. Adding bells and whistles that won’t be used often, if at all, will only increase the monthly leasing cost.
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