Printing & Copying

It surprises me every day to see starting investors and businesses use Black and White printing for their business promotions.  We are in 2010 and color is IN.  With all the video, websites and other marketing, the minium you can do is color. As a Real Estate Investor and Real Estate Trainer and Consultant, we need to make a strong first impression with everyone we come it to cantact with, so I need color.

So, why do so many folks use Black and White instead of Color?  I guess the answer is to save money which is something that every start up and small business must do to survive.  There are good places to save money, but on your business presentations is not a place to save.  This is what your potential clients see first and gain an impression of your business.  Your first impression is the most critical thing you can focus on.

What does this have to do with throwing out your old printer.  Yesterday, my marketing director and myself were putting together flyers and chose to print them off on my personal color laser printer at the office.  Now Murphy’s Law came into play and the Cyan (Blue) toner ran out and put everything on HOLD.  Off to the Store we go.  Well, Murphy was more than alive and well and the first office supply store didn’t have any.  Off to the next store, no luck.  Well, since the deadline was approaching, we had to find a solution.  We went to one last place and if they didn’t have what I needed, I was going to buy a new printer, a replacement set of replacement ink. 

Great News.  They did carry the ink.  NOT.  They didnt have any in inventory and it would be until Monday and each color (5,000 pages) was going to cost $154.00 per color.  Well, now I am looking at $600 in ink that I can’t get until Monday.  We were just headed out to go back and purchase a new lazer color printer and the gentleman behind the counter said wait, I have a deal for you.  I am thinking – RIGHT.

Here was the deal.  $299.00 + tax for (1) A Brand (NEW NEW NEW, in the box) New Dell Color Lazer Printer, (2) A complete set of replacement ink for all colors and (3) 1 year onsite support to repair the printer at my office should something go wrong.  Let’s see.  New everything including replacement ink that I can have today for $300 or get toner for the old lazer printer on Monday for almost $600.  What do you think we did?  Your right.  We bought the new setup and went home, hooked it up and tosed a perfectly good printer in the trash.  Be prepared to throw out the old (even if it is only a couple of years old) and go for the new.