A healthcare clinic that serves the needs of a small town population. A non-profit law firm that focuses on family legal matters. A restaurant franchise that operates from a tiny rental location. What do these businesses have in common? Print needs.

Nearly every organization demands some form of printed documentation, and every organization’s needs are unique, but many small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) face common challenges, such as: limited office/desk space for devices; limited color printing needs; lack of integration with existing solutions; and poor security.

For small businesses, or those with small budgets, printing or copying on inexpensive devices purchased at retail may work in the short term, but most will find a high number of support issues and a high cost per copy can arise with daily usage.

How To Optimize Your Print Environment | Cost & Productivity

1. Use higher-end multifunction devices when it makes sense. When used at the recommended level, higher-end print devices almost always provide a better overall cost of ownership than lower-end devices. In these cases, the actual purchase price of the machine may be high but the running costs are low. Whether you choose to purchase or lease, Rhyme can help you analyze overall printing volume for your company or a particular department and then recommend the right class device for your print volume to minimize your ongoing costs.
2. Use personal printing devices when it makes sense. The cost to acquire a personal printer these days is cheap, but the toner or ink cost per page is expensive. Personal printers still have advantages for remote workers, employees with a mobility disability, and employees with very low printing needs (particularly when their prints contain sensitive information).
3. Use two-sided printing (duplex mode). Default printing on both sides of the page is the most frequently cited action that companies report taking to save money on printing. About 30% of U.S. companies say this cost-saving initiative is in place. Many devices can be configured to default to two-sided printing. If you aren’t sure how to this contact our Help Desk!
4. Use B&W for draft printing. Draft prints probably don’t need to be printed in best quality color mode. Most devices today offer ink and toner saving modes for draft printing. Rhyme can help set up rules-based printing in your organization. This will not only help your users apply the right settings for the job, but it will also route the job to the most appropriate device.

Whether your primary business needs are faxing and electronic document routing, or simply fast black-and-white output, today’s devices offer the flexibility and compact size that SMBs need, without sacrificing functionality or ease of use.

Contact us to learn how Rhyme’s document systems can help with your SMB printing needs or call us at 800-362-4333.

For more printing tips and tricks see: