Lease vs. Buy: What’s Best for You?
Leasing also has its detractors. Some business managers, especially in the not-for-profit arena, argue that interest rates for leased equipment are too high. They would rather purchase an asset and avoid interest fees. This can be short-sighted because the amount of capital available for all projects is likely to be limited, so buying an asset that could be leased means that the organization will be forced to put off purchases of other, equally important assets. And often, it is the print shop asset that is deferred.
Ray Chambers, CGCM, MBA, has invested over 30 years managing and directing printing plants, copy centers, mail centers and award-winning document management facilities in higher education and government.
Most recently, Chambers served as vice president and chief information officer at Juniata College. Chambers is currently a doctoral candidate studying Higher Education Administration at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU). His research interests include outsourcing in higher education and its impact on support services in higher education and managing support services. He also consults (Chambers Management Group) with leaders in both the public and private sectors to help them understand and improve in-plant printing and document services operations.