Date: 2/10/2002
Tips on Purchasing Computer Equipment
- Leasing
By Richard Dean, CompleteSynergy
http://www.completesynergy.com
© Copyright 2002
Small businesses are among the largest purchasers of computer
equipment, but with technology prices soaring few can afford
to invest in new equipment. Richard Dean investigates the advantages
of leasing.
Buying computer equipment causes many small business owners'
sleepless nights. Increasingly technology plays an important
role in the workplace; it can improve staff efficiency, cut
costs and improve the customer experience leading to more sales.
Unfortunately these benefits don't come cheap, especially for
small businesses that have limited capital and often cannot
afford the huge cost associated with new equipment - £15,000
is not unusual for a network of five computers.
Leasing is an option that offers a huge number of benefits over
a traditional bank loan. In a leasing agreement, a leasing agent
purchases the computer equipment and then rents it to you over
a number of years, typically 3 to 5. Your business pays a fixed
monthly sum, which is manageable and can be incorporated into
business plans and cashflow forecasts. Even better, you can
claim full tax relief on the value of the equipment, because
your business never actually owns the equipment. At the end
of the lease period you can normally purchase your equipment
for a nominal sum (£50 or less) or simply swap the equipment
for the latest models.
Leasing protects you from IT depreciation, which is all too
common in the rapidly developing arena of computer technology.
If you decide that a computer is too slow, then you can simply
swap it for the latest model, often with no or very little change
in monthly payments.
Depending on who you choose to lease with, you can also benefit
from technical support over the life of the lease which removes
the need to employ a full time (and expensive) IT expert. "Our
clients are predominantly small business owners, who realise
the need for IT, but lack the technical skills needed to choose
the best equipment for their needs and resolve problems that
may occur," says Mr John Swarbrick of CompleteSynergy who lease
IT equipment nationally to small businesses. "We provide peace
of mind technically as well as financially on an IT investment,
allowing business owners to focus on what they do best; selling."
Leasing is growing fast in the UK and is set to increasingly
feature as an easy solution to the nightmare of purchasing IT
equipment. With the right agreement it could benefit your business
and even improve cashflow. As with all financial decisions however,
seek advice from your accountant before committing to additional
expenditure. Sweet dreams!
Contacts
Richard Dean, CompleteSynergy
http://www.completesynergy.com
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