Should You Buy New or Used Equipment for Your Business?

Deciding whether to buy new or used equipment is a choice more small businesses should be making. That’s because many small business leaders only buy used when they don’t have any other choice. Once they can afford new gear they never go back to pre-owned. While there isn’t much that can be done to magically afford new equipment, there’s no reason companies capable of buying new have to do so every time. In fact, buying pre-owned gear for your business is often preferable to new, as the following examples show:

Vehicles

Anyone who has ever bought a new car from the dealership knows how much the value drops as soon as it’s driven off the lot. With this in mind, there’s rarely a good reason why a business should be buying brand new automobiles when barely used options exist. This is especially the case with utility vehicles, as makes and models available through a pre-owned truck seller like Charter Trucks are typically thousands less than their later model counterparts. This, despite sometimes only having a few thousand miles on the odometer.

Machinery

Whether it’s better to buy new or used machinery for your small business needs is a bit tricky. New technology allows companies to take advantage of state of the art design and sophistication, as well as better secure their ability to adapt in the future. Of course, “state of the art” can also be described as “experimental”; time will tell if the new design will hold up to the demands of commercial manufacturing. Buying pre-owned is preferred so long as two factors are in play: the machine itself has no signs of major repairs, and the design model has a reputation for longevity.

Computer Technology

Okay, when it comes to computer technology, it’s probably always better to buy new if it’s possible. However, “new” is a very broad category here so let’s narrow it down. It’s bad policy to opt for the lowest price choices, as they are likely to be obsolete in a few years’ time. In fact, you really want to shoot for the stars here, to ensure your choice in small business computer array will last through more than a few software transitions and updates. If you can only afford the lower end of new computer technology, it’s actually probably best to instead buy refurbished models of superior machines, which will likely cost about the same. That way you aren’t stuck having to replace them in just a few short years.

Deciding whether to buy new or used business equipment comes down to more than just which is affordable. In many instances, those companies which can make the investment in brand new gear may be better off choosing pre-owned options instead. Of course, there are always going to be situations where new is better. At the end of the day, business leaders can’t go wrong by simply making their equipment buying decisions based on a number of factors and elements at play. Do that, and the right choice between new and used will most like always make itself obvious.