Print is Not Dead for Small Business in the US

Some recent research has revealed that the printer is not as obsolete as one might have imagined, especially considering the digitization of so many business processes.

Print is Not Dead for Small Business in the US

Small businesses in particular are still reliant on printing, with 8 in 10 around the world declaring them necessary to conduct their daily operations. In fact, half of all businesses surveyed say they cannot operate at all without a printer.

Overworked Consumer-Grade Printers

The research was conducted by Lexmark – a provider of printing and imaging products, software, solutions and services – and collated into an excellent printing stats infographic by design agency Nowsourcing. One of the issues the study discovered was that many small to medium-sized businesses don’t invest properly in business printers anymore, and instead rely on consumer-grade printers which then end-up being overworked.

The research found that 53% of people who own printers own a model that breaks down at least once a month. Around the world, a total of 69% of small business owners said they find it difficult to source reliable office supplies such as printers.

This can be a particular problem for the law and automobile sectors, which both print around an average of 240 pages per day. The healthcare industry is not far behind with an average of 178 pages printed every day, while businesses in accounting and finance average between 20 and 35 pages printed per day.

Benefits of Printed Paper

The research also discovered some interesting benefits of printed paper, including that it encourages a longer attention span and stronger working memory. The infographic reveals that 29 out of 33 laboratories found that readers learned more from paper than from screens.

New technology is also evolving the role of an office printer. They are becoming all-in-one technology partners performing tasks other than just printing, with 49% of small business owners saying they need their printer to be more than just a printer. With modern solutions including the likes of fast-printing laser toner and access to cloud services, printing is far from obsolete in the business world.