Gateway Business Solutions | St. Louis Copier Dealership

Are you in the market for a new copier? Maybe your current copier has finally given up, or perhaps your business is expanding and needs an upgrade. Whatever the reason, buying a new copier can be a daunting task. Luckily, St. Louis businesses have access to a wide range of copier sales and services to help make the process easier.

One of the first things to consider when purchasing a new copier is the type of copier that will best suit your needs. Do you need a basic copier for occasional use, or do you require a multifunction copier that can handle high-volume printing, scanning, and copying? Copiers come in a range of sizes and capabilities, so it’s important to assess your business’s needs before making a purchase.

Another consideration is whether to buy or lease your copier. Purchasing a copier outright can be a significant upfront cost, but it also means that you own the machine and have more control over maintenance and repairs. Leasing a copier can be a more affordable option, as monthly payments can be spread out over a longer period. Leasing also often includes maintenance and repair services, making it a convenient option for businesses that want to avoid the hassle of copier maintenance.

When looking for copier sales in St. Louis, it’s important to work with a reputable dealer. A reputable dealer will not only have a wide range of copiers available for sale or lease, but they will also provide service and support for your machine. This includes routine maintenance, repairs, and even training for your staff on how to use the copier’s features.

Lastly, don’t forget to consider the cost of supplies when purchasing a copier. Toners, inks, and other supplies can quickly add up, so it’s important to factor these costs into your budget when selecting a copier.

In conclusion, purchasing a copier can be a big decision for any business. With copier sales and services available in St. Louis, businesses can find the right copier to meet their needs and budget. By considering the type of copier needed, whether to buy or lease, working with a reputable dealer, and factoring in the cost of supplies, businesses can find a copier that will help them run smoothly and efficiently for years to come.

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Call or email for pricing….. wecare@gbsmo.com… 636-273-1066

MX-6580 MX-2651 MX M3071 MX M3571 MX M7570 MX 6580N

MX 7580N

Compare Digital Copier Prices – Connect With Local Vendors in Your Area
It doesn’t matter whether you’re leasing or buying, comparing prices is the best way to save money on your copier investment. Tell us about the copier you need in this form and compare different rates from suppliers in your area.

Sharp Corporation began in 1912, in Osaka, Japan with their founder inventing the snap belt buckle (no fastening holes in the belt). In 1925, they began mass producing the first crystal radio in Japan. In the early 50’s Sharp produced the first Japanese manufactured television and began mass producing them in the early 60’s. In 1961, they were the first Japanese company to develop a microwave oven.

In 1962, the company established its first overseas subsidiary (sales) as Sharp Electronics Corporation in New York City. After becoming a leading manufacturer of home appliances, Sharp began making microprocessors and calculators, and in the early 70’s they entered the photocopier business.

In 1979, they opened their first overseas manufacturing facility in the U.S., located in Memphis Tennessee where they began making televisions and microwave ovens.

In the 1990’s Sharp released the world’s thinnest fax machine and a convection microwave oven. Sharp over the years has made many different types of consumer and industrial electronics including, TVs, VCRs, cd players, calculators, audio equipment, microwave ovens, home appliances, solar cells, mobile phones, fax machines, and more.

Sharp continues to be a world leader in manufacturing consumer electronics. Today, Sharp is well known as a leading manufacturer of televisions, microwave ovens, and copiers.

Copiers Or Printers: Which Is Cheaper?

Perhaps the first question that should be raised is that of cost: is it cheaper to run a fleet of printers, or a centralized copier?

It truly depends on your organization and your workflow. But in many cases, there isn’t much of a difference to the bottom line at the end of the day- no matter which route you pick. This catches many people off guard, so let’s explain:

There are a few different costs to factor in here. There’s the initial cost of entry for the hardware itself, the long-term costs of toner, and the costs involved in servicing and maintaining the devices.

 Printing Hardware Costs

Without question, the copier is more expensive here. Single-function printers, and even some desktop all-in-ones, are exponentially cheaper than a full-size stand alone copier. Buying printers can be done piecemeal as they go on sale, avoiding a huge upfront expense.

A copier, in contrast, is either a several thousand dollar investment out of the gate, or broken down into the cost of a lease agreement, which is another monthly bill that one doesn’t have when operating a fleet of printers.

So if cost is your concern, why would you consider a copier?

 Long-Term Toner Costs

While printers are initially the cheapest option, copiers tend to make up for their initial price tag by being much more efficient in their use of toner. (And, as anyone in charge of purchasing office supplies can tell you, toner is NOT cheap)

One of the most reliable ways to determine your long-term toner cost is to calculate your cost-per-page (CPP). If you take your toner costs and divide them out by the volume of paper that your office produces, you can figure out exactly how much it costs every time you click ‘file-print.’

What we find is that copiers have a much lower CPP than printers. So much so that, depending on your volume, it may actually make up for the cost of the device itself.

 Maintenance & Service Costs

Here, you run into a few different considerations.

Printers, for the most part, tend to have less maintenance issues than copiers. Since there are less moving parts, there are less mechanical issues and less places for paper to get hung up within the device. Another virtue of printer’s being simpler is that they are sometimes able to be fixed in-house, as opposed to calling in a repair professional as you would with a copier.

That being said, printers are cheap enough that it’s often less hassle to replace a printer than it is to repair it, which leads to additional cost. Or if repairs are attempted, they’re being done by an in-house IT team that doesn’t specialize in printers and could probably be using their precious time on more valuable projects.

In contrast, copier maintenance and service is usually included within the cost of a lease, making it easier to budget for those costs. (Of course, this can also be true for printers on a managed print program, but we’ll discuss that a little later!) On top of that, you can usually rely on the expertise of the service tech that’s being sent to help fix your issues, provided you’re working with a respectable copier company.

Yet if something was to go wrong with your copier, your office printing is at a stand-still until that device is back up to speed. How critical is printing to your operation? Can you deal with the occasional spot of downtime? Do you have an alternate method of printing? Copiers are too expensive to replace when something goes wrong, so you’re at the mercy of that service provider to fix your problem.

 To Consolidate, Or Not To Consolidate?

At the end of the day, it’s all about your workflow and what suits you best. Have the budget for an initial investment and an office that doesn’t mind sharing? Get a copier. Need maximum uptime and versatility? Go the printer route. The important thing is to go in with both eyes open, knowing what costs will inevitably arise from your chosen strategy.

Of course, you can always try for the best of both worlds and try a blended approach with a managed print program.

Many of our clients prefer to designate a copier for large jobs and maintain a number of satellite desktop printers to supplement it and improve office workflows. While initially this may seem like inviting two sets of costs, with a managed print program it actually allows for a streamlining of budgets:

• Copiers and printers costs can be blended to ensure a more efficient cost-per-page for all printing.
• Printers can serve as backups in case of unforeseen copier downtime.
• Printer service is covered under the managed print agreement, reducing replacement costs.
• Service and supplies are taken off of IT’s plate.

We can help…. Call 636-273-1066  for a free consultation !

wecare@gbsmo.com

Before You Buy a Copier for Your Small or Home Office

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BY SUSAN WARD
Updated February 07, 2020
While the notion of a paperless office sounds great in principle, the reality is that many small or home office (SOHO) businesses still have a need to copy printed documents frequently enough to consider having an in-house copier.

The old-style standalone office copy machines have nearly disappeared in the digital age, replaced by multifunction printers that combine the functions of printing, copying, scanning, and optionally faxing into a single device. Technically a “copier” in today’s terms is normally a printer that has built-in scanning so that a document to be copied can be scanned and reproduced by the printer.

As with most electronics, copier/printer devices continue to decline in price yet come with more features than ever, and the convenience of copying in-house rather than driving to a print/copy shop can’t be beaten.

Here are the key buying factors to help you choose a printer/copier for your SOHO.

Inkjet Versus Laser/Led
For high-speed copying of text documents, Laser/LED printers are generally the better choice. Inkjets are capable of printing at much higher resolutions making them more suitable for graphics, especially photographs.

Cost
While printer and ink/toner costs can be deducted from your taxes, you still have to foot the bill initially, and it can add up. When considering the cost of a printer/copier, factor in the expense of ink or toner, especially if you’ll be printing/copying on a regular basis. Printer manufacturers sell the devices at or below cost and instead make their profits on selling ink and toner. To make sure they get their money’s worth, many companies equip their units with ink/toner cartridges that have embedded microchips that prevent “unofficial” cartridges from being used or have “starter” toner cartridges that have half the normal capacity. That bargain inkjet or laser may not be as great of a deal as you thought when it comes time to replace the expensive ink or toner cartridge(s).

Color printer/copiers are particularly expensive to run as they require 4 cartridges (black and white, cyan, magenta, and yellow). It is typical for the replacement cost of inkjet/toner cartridges to exceed the purchase price of an entire unit.

With wifi and Internet connection, many printer companies can now monitor and automatically send you ink/toner when it detects you’re getting low. This requires a subscription service, the cost of which is based on the number of pages you print per month. While a subscription service might save you time over ordering or driving to a store, you want to factor in the monthly cost versus your printing output.

Fortunately, most inkjet and some laser toner cartridges can be refilled at a much lower cost. Companies such as Costco offer one-hour inkjet refills. Refill kits are also available for the do-it-yourself types, but refilling inkjet or toner cartridges is messy and not for the mechanically-challenged. You can also reduce the amount of ink you use by using smaller fonts, previewing and proofing your document before printing, and using “Draft” or “Print in Grayscale” options. Also, note that you still have more ink in your cartridges even when you get the “low ink” warning.

To get an idea of how much the printer will cost on-going, check the manufacturer’s published cost per page.

Volume
Most small business-oriented printer/copiers aren’t designed for heavy volume so check the unit’s recommended usage (pages per month duty cycle). The number of pages that can be printed with a particular cartridge, referred to as ISO yield, will give you a rough idea of how often the cartridges will need replacement.

Note that even if you have an in-house printer/copier, it may still make sense to use local or online copy/print services for larger print/copy jobs or specialty printing such as brochures. With the price of ink and toner, it is simply not cost-effective to do large volume printing/copying on less expensive printers/copiers, particularly with color documents or photographs. Purchasing a lower-cost printer/copier for basic needs and outsourcing larger print/copy jobs is an ideal compromise for most small businesses.

Duplexing
Duplexing is the ability to print/copy on both sides of the page. While it might not be necessary for your needs, there are advantages to two-sided printing such as saving paper. Along with saving on paper costs and the environment, double-sided printing can make stapling packets of paper easier as well.

Connectivity
For a printer to work, it needs a way to be told what do do. When it comes to copying, simply putting the paper on the copy glass and poking the copy button will scan and print the page.

To use as a printer, you need to have the devices, such as your computer, connected to give the print command. Aside from direct USB connectivity to a PC, most printer/copiers come with network connectivity, wired, wi-fi, or both. The advantage of this is reduced cables as well as the ability to print from a variety of devices such as your tablet or phone.

Black and White or Color?
Color copying is slower and more expensive but might be a feature you want your printer/copier to have if you intend to produce promotional materials for your small business, such as brochures, or copy color photos. Note that if you need high-quality color printing, you’ll want to make sure you use high-quality paper, which is often more expensive than regular printer paper.

Media Versatility
Choose a copier that’s able to handle a variety of paper sizes and weights and other media, such as transparencies and index cards. Look for copiers that offer flatbed copying if you’re concerned about copying from books. Many have sheet feeders which are useful if you have to copy several papers at once.

Paper Handling
As a small business person, you have better things to do than refilling paper trays or feeding single sheets through a printer/copier. If you print/copy regularly look for a model with a paper capacity of at least 250 sheets or more. You’ll also definitely want an automatic document feeder that holds at least 30 sheets.

Response Time
Printer/copiers that have no warm-up time are ideal for small and home offices, where the machine may be sitting idle for hours or days. High print/copy speeds are great, but won’t save you any time if you have to wait minutes for the unit to warm up every time it comes out of sleep mode. Some printer/copiers now offer a first copy time of fewer than 10 seconds.

Konica Minolta is launching its new A3 monochrome i-Series bizhub 750i/650i/550i/450i/360i/300i. As a touchpoint in the “Intelligent Connected Workplace” that connects people, devices and space, the new bizhub i-Series helps teams collaborate and move fluidly between different work scenarios and providers. The pre-installed MarketPlace gives users access to a wide range of IT services and applications. In addition, the Corona crisis has shown just how vulnerable organisations are with regards to cyberattacks. The optional Bitdefender virus protection solution in the bizhub i-Series ensures that the multifunctional devices do not become a gateway for external attacks.

Integrated services allow easy access to a wide range of functions

The introduction of the new bizhub i-Series 750i/650i/550i/450i/360i/300i brings easy-to-use, advanced IT services that users can access from the control panel of their familiar multifunctional device even if they have no IT skills. Konica Minolta MarketPlace, pre-installed on all devices, provides access to a wide range of IT services and applications, which are also managed centrally, simplifying operations for the IT department.

Next-level security: protection against external threats

The risk of cyberattacks threatening corporate governance is increasing and, as with other networked devices, multifunction devices must be protected against infection. The leading edge anti-virus solution Bitdefender has been embedded in the new bizhub i-Series’ firmware and can be activated in order to deliver the highest possible level of protection. The anti-virus solution monitors all scanned files and documents transferred to and from it in real time. It immediately detects viruses and malware and informs about the potential threat. It also enables manual scanning on hard drives as well as scanning on demand. This prevents the spread of viruses to other PCs and servers and ensures that the multifunction device does not become a springboard for the loss of corporate information. Furthermore, the bizhub i-Series can be equipped with bizhub SECURE, a special offering for MFPs on which different security levels can be set to ensure the security of office devices and protect device memory and network settings. A notifier app also warns the responsible project owner when settings are changed. Moreover, all bizhub i-Series models are ready for GDPR, so data privacy standards and security requirements are met in order to stay productive. Safe and up-to-date technology is always available because the latest firmware can be regularly uploaded in real time or scheduled.

Smart devices with high productivity for business document creation

The new bizhub i-Series houses a powerful engine, a quad-core central processing unit with standard 8 GB of memory and a 256 GB SSD (solid state drive) plus an optional 1TB SSD, which allows for quick-response, high-performance operations. One of the highlights is the decreased warm-up time of between 11 (bizhub 300i) and 18 (bizhub 750i) seconds. Print speeds range from 30 ppm (bizhub 300i) to 75ppm (bizhub 750i). The medium- and high-speed printers enable high volumes to be printed on demand and in a short time. All devices can be equipped with the intelligent media sensor, which automatically detects the paper weight and media type before registration and immediately applies the right setting for all paper, preventing paper jams and improving output quality. This is supported by a high-speed, one-pass document feeder with double feed detection, digital skew correction and large capacity trays. The new A3 monochrome MFPs offer large, newly designed finishers (50-sheet and 100-sheet), enabling the extensive creation of booklets. A manual stapler is integrated as well. Another highlight is the dual-scan document feeder in the bizhub i-Series devices with 45+ ppm that can accommodate up to 300 sheets with a faster 280ipm scan speed.

Simple design and usability

Users need to be able to focus on their core competencies and skillsets rather than be forced to figure out how to work with a MFP. Konica Minolta has taken this into account accordingly. The stylish, contemporary design boasts an intuitive smartphone style user interface with a tiltable 10” touchscreen panel, rounded edges and LED status indicators. Since the display is tiltable through 90 degrees, it also ensures an optimal view for wheelchair users. The most frequently used functions are always available at the highest menu levels. In addition, with the “Personalize” app available in the Konica Minolta MarketPlace, users can individualise the given functionality available from the home screen to adjust the device to suit their individual working behaviour. Users benefit from a device that adapts to their personal work patternreducing the time they spend in front of the device, which they can then use for other tasks.

Self-diagnosis minimises downtime and ensures uninterrupted use

Equipped with a large number of sensors enabling self-diagnosis and using the Konica Minolta Remote Service Platform, the new bizhub i-Series minimises downtime and ensures uninterrupted use. Consumables such as toner are delivered proactively, or a maintenance technician can be called automatically when needed. Thanks to these capabilities, tasks like stock maintenance and day-to-day issue management can be taken out of the hands of IT departments. This can be of great benefit, especially in small and medium-sized companies, where there is often a shortage of IT personnel.

Commitment to sustainability

Konica Minolta is also committed to environmental sustainability. The new bizhub i-Series reflects the strong commitment. Each model has an EPEAT Gold rating and meets strict Blue Angel standards. The new fusing unit and low-temperature fixing toner help to achieve lower energy consumption while operational and in sleep mode. Environmental impact is reduced further through the new packaging design, as traditional cushioning material has been replaced with lighter air cushions that still ensure protection during transport. Operating noise is lower due to improvements made to the cooling fan and the ADF mechanism – producing fewer distractions for a better-focused work environment.

New equipment on lease special with service included…. as low as $69 per month.

Call 636-273-1066 or email sales@gbsmo.com