The clock is ticking! Have you checked with your accountant about Section 179 deductions for office equipment purchased in 2011? Section 179 is perhaps one of the most beneficial small business tax deductions included in various Stimulus Acts over the past few years, yet many businesses are missing out on its real benefits.

How Section 179 Tax Deductions Work?

Suppose your business purchases or leases $100,000 worth of new or used office equipment this year. Prior to Section 179, you could only write off only a fraction of this amount annually (say, $20,000 a year for 5 years). Now, through Section 179, you can write off the entire office equipment purchase price for the tax year you buy it in.

Obviously, writing the total office equipment cost off up front is  $28,000 more beneficial than writing just a small portion every year— over time:

• You can get a full deduction* on the same tax year of purchase.
• You can add more equipment on the same year instead of waiting.
• You can move your business in a positive direction.

Get More Benefits from your Office Equipment

Section 179 of the IRS code was legislated to provide tax relief for your business. Section 179 was even enhanced for 2011 so there is simply no better time than now to take advantage of these excellent tax deductions. All you need to do is to take action while it lasts! And what better way to make the most of your tax deductions than securing an improved office workflow and acquiring cost-saving office equipment and office technology print solutions?

So, Why do Most Small Businesses Overlook Section 179?

Well, firstly, Section 179 isn’t automatic. If you want to take the deduction, you must elect to do so and consult with your accountant before filing your tax return for the year. You can only use your 179 deductions for the tax year your business purchased or leased the property and placed it into service.

Secondly, most business owners still find Section 179 complicated and are somewhat doubtful about this tax deduction when it is, in fact, very simple to use. All you need to do is buy (or lease) the equipment, and use a special IRS form. Just make sure you keep complete records of the business equipment you leased or purchased during the year.

Officia Imaging is the leading service provider for office equipment and document management software solutions for California businesses. We offer award-winning office products and solutions that increase value for your money by providing high-quality service time and again.

Call Officia today for a free document workflow analysis and money saving solutions that will help you – Make a Great Impression.  

*For most small businesses (office equipment expenses totaling less than $500,000), the entire cost of office technology can be written-off on the 2011 tax return. For large businesses adding even more than $500,000, the write-offs are just as substantial.

A further key to identify overspending is document monitoring. Knowledge is power; knowing the types of documents and how many of which are being produced, is important to cutting costs. Ask yourself

• Could printed documents be archived instead?
• Are accounting and sales printing the same document multiple times?
• Are employees taxing your office equipment for personal use?
• Do you know your print to waste ratio?

4 Steps to Monitor Document Use

You can’t fix what you don’t know is broken; and you can’t start saving until you are able to recognize specific areas of over-produced documents, redundant circulation and technology neglect. In some cases, you might even have equipment that is not being fully utilized.

Again, knowing what documents are being produced will help you accomplish your goal: to save money. To identify whose, what, when, where and how many documents your California office is producing Officia Imaging recommends you:

1. Place and monitor recycling containers near copiers and printers, keeping a close eye on what is printed and any waste that is occurring.
2. Install monitoring software and archive technology.
3. Create a document management plan.

Sure, if you replace your budget busters with more efficient devices, you will cut costs significantly. And yes, your organization will be on the right track if you consolidate vendors and install document management software. But without a plan, you may be jeopardizing an opportunity to trim expenses and thrive during these tough economic times.

Request a No-cost Officia Document Analysis

Don’t risk it! Consider a no-cost document analysis, which can help your business create a plan to save as much as 40% on your document production, management and distribution, as well as learn more about other cost-saving office technology solutions.

Officia Imaging is the leading service provider for office equipment and document management software solutions for California businesses. We offer a free Document Workflow Analysis to help you assess your current document management systems and to provide you with recommendations that can reduce costs and increase productivity of your organization.

Ask Officia for a free document analysis and— Make a Great Impression.

The next budget buster is multiple office equipment vendors. Organizations commonly acquire or inherit copiers, color copiers, printers, scanners or fax machines based on an isolated need and a revolving budget. Over time, this hodge-podge of equipment results in too many devices, outdated equipment and unreliable technology, such as analog copiers or dial-up fax machines.

Multiple office equipment vendors create inefficiency for employees as they spend time ordering copier supplies, tracking services and maintaining each device. Additionally, with various invoices, accounting winds up entering and cutting a check to each vendor. In this case, a clear-cut solution would be to:

1. Differentiate office equipment by vendor.
2. Consolidate office technology to one vendor (as terms expire).
3. Purchase toner and other office equipment supplies from a single vendor

When you list office equipment by vendor, you may find you are using numerous companies to supply just a few items for each department. By combining office equipment, services and supplies to one consolidated invoice, businesses will experience a dramatic savings and witness a more efficient, productive staff.

Officia Imaging offers wide-ranging office products and services that can significantly reduce your costs and increase your workflow effectively. Through Officia’s award-winning partners and world-renowned solution providers, you can get all your office equipment and document management solutions from one locally owned and managed company at a reasonable price.

Contact Officia for efficient office equipment and—Make a Great Impression.

Common budget busters in the document imaging world include:

1. Inkjet printers and outdated equipment
2. Multiple print vendors (more than one supplier for printer equipment and office supplies)
3. Inadequate monitoring
4. Lack of a document management plan

Ink Jet Printers Can Be 10 Times More Expensive to Operate

Among the top budget busters are inkjet printers. While they appear a sensible choice, don’t let discounted prices and factory rebates fool you. Operating costs can be as much as 10 times the amount of newer, more efficient printers and all-in-one or multifunction devices.

While many companies reimburse employees for purchasing warehouse and club products, in the end, those organizations usually foot gigantic bills to cover the cost of supplies. If you search closely, you’ll find toner cartridges cost slightly more than inkjet cartridges but print thousands of pages per cartridge, versus inkjets, which only print in the hundreds.

Calculate Your Cost-Per-Copy

The bottom line is that you need to calculate your cost per copy. You can start the process by following these steps:

1. Take an inventory of your current office equipment.
2. Verify your operating costs with accounting.
3. Create a supply log to confirm any overspending.
4. Replace old office equipment with a more efficient energy star print device.

This doesn’t mean you need to run out and buy 20 new printers to replace 20 old inkjets! On the contrary, it means you need to be smart about the type of office machinery you purchase going forward, and you should have an idea of how much these desk-top devices are really costing you, as well as what they are being used for.

Officia Imaging will conduct a comprehensive Document Workflow Analysis to help you understand your document spend and find better options for office equipment that can significantly increase the efficiency of your California business..

We also provide managed print services, office equipment and software solutions that extend the value of your investment. With Officia Imaging, you can get all your document imaging needs take care of without overspending.

Call Officia for a free document workflow analysis and—Make a Great Impression.

Are you overspending on documents and related expenses? California businesses continue to seek new ways to reduce overall spending while increasing— productivity and profits.

According to InfoTrends, an independent market research firm, corporations are spending, on average, six percent of their annual revenue on documents, office machinery and other related expenses. Research also shows some companies are spending upwards of 15 percent. The question becomes where is your spending — at 6 percent or at 15 percent?

In either case, there are steps a business can take to start saving on all levels of document production, document management and document distribution.

Document Printing & Use Analysis

The Officia Imaging Document Workflow Analysis combined with our talented team of document experts can show your business how to reduce its document spend up to 40% as well as improve your document workflow in no time.
Officia Imaging services California businesses with award-winning products and innovative software solutions that reduce costs, increase productivity, and protect the environment. By conducting a Document Workflow Analysis, we make sure you get more for your money.

Call Officia for a document workflow analysis and—Make a Great Impression.

The copier industry emerged in the 1970’s and grew rapidly in the United States with the availability of affordable Japanese made office equipment, sold through locally owned and managed independent copier dealerships. New office technologies such as fax machines were also offered through the dealer network and copier dealers often represented a single line of products such as Ricoh.

National Distribution Channels Emerge

Throughout the 1980′s and 1990′s, national distribution channels such as IKON Office Solutions (formerly Alco Standard) grew by acquiring the dominant local dealerships in key U.S. marketplaces and assimilating them into the distributor’s corporate structure, culture and operational processes. Originally, these copier companies gained efficiencies and the conglomerates grew quickly. But over time, the national copier distribution channel became homogenized, losing its character, connection with the customer and competitive advantage.

The Digital Migration

During the same period, the underlying copier technology also began to change with the rise of digital print technology. Traditional analog copiers became digital and products such as fax machines copiers and printers morphed into multifunction document management devices that efficiently and affordably print, copy, scan, store and retrieve documents. Significantly more cost-effective than a laser printer, today’s office technology equipment runs on your company network for convenient, efficient, secure and green printing.

Office Imaging Technology in the Information Age

Starting in the late 90’s, the national copier distribution channels stopped growing and contracted. Office technology changed dramatically and became print or image centric, but the need for quality and reliable local service remained critical to business operations.

Today, most small to mid size business owners prefer to work with locally managed independent companies, which they can maintain a lasting relationship with, rather than a rigid large national distributor with call centers.

Officia Imaging delivers the best solution for its customers through a financially strong, locally managed document imaging company with experienced leadership, dedicated employees and a deep commitment to customer service.

Contact Officia for local service you can trust and —Make a Great Impression.