The Ultimate Guide to Managed Print
Everything you need to know about taking control of your business printing costs. No jargon, no hard sell - just honest advice.
Printing: The Forgotten Line in Your IT Budget
Ask most business owners how much they spend on printing and you'll get a blank stare. Yet it's one of the largest unmonitored costs in a typical IT budget - and the less you track something, the more it costs.
This guide covers everything from why cheap printers aren't cheap, to how lease contracts catch businesses out, to exactly how a print audit works. Whether you're buying toner from Amazon or locked into a 5-year copier lease, this will help you make better decisions.
What Is Managed Print?
Managed print is a complete service that covers your business printing hardware, supplies, and maintenance in one package - so you know exactly what printing costs and never have to think about toner again.
Business-Grade Hardware
Printers and copiers built for business workloads, not consumer devices repackaged with a higher price tag. The right device for your actual print volumes, regardless of brand.
All-Inclusive Service
Toner, parts, consumables, labour, and callouts all included. You just add paper. When something goes wrong, a qualified engineer is a phone call away - with national coverage.
Monitored Costs
A simple cost-per-page model means you always know what printing costs. No more surprise toner orders, no more ad-hoc purchases on Amazon, and no more guessing.
The Hidden Cost of Cheap Printers
That printer you bought for under a hundred pounds was designed to be cheap to buy and expensive to run.
The Razor-and-Blades Problem
Printer manufacturers sell hardware at razor-thin margins (some even at a loss) because the real money is in consumables. A set of replacement toner cartridges for a typical desktop colour printer can cost more than the printer itself. Over two to three years, you might spend five to ten times the purchase price on toner alone.
Real Example: The Numbers Behind a 'Cheap' Printer
HP OfficeJet Pro 8720
Mono cost per page: 1.67p
Colour cost per page: 8.80p
Monthly print cost at average volumes: ~Ā£199
HP OfficeJet Pro 9010
Mono cost per page: 1.80p
Colour cost per page: 6.41p
Monthly print cost at average volumes: ~Ā£91
Combined annual running cost: Ā£3,481 - for two printers that cost under Ā£200 each to buy.
The Same Workload on a Managed Device
Mono cost per page
0.8p
Colour cost per page
5p
Annual running cost
Ā£1,939
Annual saving: Ā£1,542. Over five years: Ā£7,710. The hardware pays for itself within 18 months.
Ownership vs Leasing: The Full Picture
Over 80% of businesses lease their printing equipment. We think most of them shouldn't.
The Typical Lease Model
- You never own the equipment
At the end of 5 years of payments, the leasing company collects the device (at your expense) and you start over
- You pay far more than the device is worth
The leasing company pays the dealer upfront, then charges you the capital cost plus interest, admin fees, insurance, and more
- You're forced to upgrade on their schedule
Most leased devices would happily run for 8-10 years, but the lease forces replacement at year 5 whether you need it or not
- Walking away is deliberately expensive
Termination clauses ensure that even when you know you're overpaying, it costs more to leave than to stay
Our Ownership Model
- You own the device outright
Pay once (or over 10 interest-free monthly instalments) and it's yours. No lease, no residual value games
- Run it for as long as it works
Business-grade devices last the best part of a decade. Replace it when you need to, not when a contract tells you to
- 0% interest purchase plan available
Spread the cost over 10 monthly payments with no deposit and no third-party finance company involved
- 12-month rolling service - no lock-in
A simple service agreement covering toner, parts, and callouts. Leave with reasonable notice if you're not happy
Case Study: The Ā£40,000 Copier Lease
A business approached us coming into the last year of a 5-year copier lease. They had two HP Color LaserJet MFPs on a lease costing Ā£2,000 per quarter (Ā£1,000 per machine). Over the full 5-year term, they would have spent Ā£40,000 on two copiers they didn't even own at the end.
The equivalent devices through us would cost approximately Ā£3,500 each to purchase outright - roughly Ā£7,000 total. The customer used our 0% purchase plan to spread the cost over 10 months. Once paid, they own the equipment and can run it for as long as it serves them.
5-year lease cost
Ā£40,000
Owned nothing at the end
Purchase cost
~Ā£7,000
Owned outright
Saving
Ā£33,000
Over the lease term
The business also moved from a 5-year service contract to a 12-month rolling agreement. No more being handcuffed to a supplier. They didn't even need new equipment - the existing devices had years of life left. They were only being replaced because the lease was up.
What to Watch Out For in Print Contracts
The print industry has a tarnished reputation for good reason. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Here are the tactics to be aware of.
Our position: We publish clear pricing, use 12-month rolling service agreements, don't require volume commitments, and don't hide fees in the small print. If that sounds different to what you're used to, it's because it is. Read more about our approach on our managed print service page.
How Our Free Print Audit Works
Not sure if managed print would benefit your business? The print audit is the fastest way to find out. No cost, no commitment - just data.
Monitor
We deploy an intelligent monitoring agent to your network. It identifies every printing device you're running and begins tracking usage data - how much each device prints, in colour and mono, and the associated costs. This runs quietly in the background for around four weeks.
Analyse
Our print specialists analyse the collected data, break down the running costs of your current equipment, and build a comprehensive report on your current situation. This includes cost per page, total monthly and annual expenditure, and where waste is occurring.
Improve
We present the findings to you. If improvements can be made, we'll have real facts and figures to back it up, along with detailed recommendations. If your setup is already in good shape, we'll tell you that too. No pressure, no obligation.
What the Print Audit Report Covers
The Security Side of Print
Printers are network devices. An unsecured printer is a genuine entry point for attackers.
In 2020, ethical hacking group CyberNews demonstrated this by remotely accessing nearly 28,000 unsecured printers worldwide. These weren't sophisticated attacks - they simply found devices exposed to the internet with no security configured.
Consumer printers typically have no meaningful security features. Business-grade managed devices include protections that most businesses don't know they need until it's too late.
Secure Print Release
Documents only print when the user authenticates at the device. No more sensitive papers left in the output tray.
Encrypted Storage
Documents held in the printer's memory are encrypted, protecting data at rest.
Access Controls
Restrict who can print, copy, scan, and access device settings.
Managed Firmware Updates
Firmware is kept up to date as part of the service, closing known vulnerabilities.
If you're working towards Cyber Essentials certification or improving your overall cyber security posture, your print devices should be part of that conversation.
Our Commitments
We work with a specialist print partner who shares our approach to honest, transparent business.
Nothing Hidden Below the Line
What we quote is what you'll pay. No surprise fees, no hidden clauses, no inflated charges buried in the small print.
No Long-Term Contracts
12-month rolling service agreements with easy termination. We'll never ask you to sign a 5-year contract.
No Hard Sell
If our proposal makes sense, the numbers will speak for themselves. We don't do pressure selling.
Complete Honesty
If managed print doesn't make financial sense for your business, we'll tell you. We'd rather earn your trust than take your money for something you don't need.
Qualified Engineers
Direct manufacturer warranty with nationally covered, fully qualified engineers trained on the specific equipment you have.
No Brand Loyalty
The right device for the job, regardless of manufacturer. Recommendations based on your needs, not our commission structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Find Out What Printing Really Costs You?
Our free print audit takes the guesswork out of print costs. We'll deploy monitoring software, collect the data, and give you a clear picture of what you're spending - with recommendations only if the numbers justify it.
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