Purchasing a high-performance laptop is an expensive proposition. A laptop lease provides the same performance at a reasonable cost. A laptop computer lease can save a small business valuable capital during the tenuous early stages of growth, reduce costs save money on taxes.
Advantages of Using a Laptop Lease to Get Cheap Laptop Computer
The decision to lease a laptop should result from a careful analysis of the pros and cons involved. Leasing a laptop is often most cost-effective when the purchase price is above $1,000. If the price is below this, most businesses, even start-ups, will opt to buy. However, if a business requires a high-performance laptop (i.e. game development, data analysis), they should consider these advantages to leasing a laptop:
- Cost Savings: Monthly payments of $100-$200 will not be an albatross around the neck of a balance sheet when compared to the $2,500 price tag some high-end laptops can command
- Free Technical Support: Shrewdly negotiated maintenance agreements can yield free hassle and cost free repairs as well as free replacement in the event of catastrophic failure
- Flexibility: Leasing a laptop allows a business owner to test out a number of models before committing to a large and costly purchase of multiple laptops for the whole company
- Constant Cutting Edge Technology: A new laptop every two or three years ensures working with the newest software and hardware.
- Tax Breaks: A company can deduct lease payments as a business expense if they are not planning on purchasing the laptop at the end of the lease.
- Worry-Free Budgeting: A customer knows exactly what they will be paying monthly for the term of the lease, even if it crashes. No need to fret about how they will afford a new laptop in the event of a crash.
Other advantages of leasing a laptop are described in the article Leasing Laptops: Choices and Options.
Disadvantages of Leasing a Cheap Laptop PC or Entering into a Computer Lease
An objective discussion of any topic requires the presentation of both sides of an argument. Leasing a laptop is not the ideal solution for everyone. Catherine Roseberry's article, Purchase or Lease New Laptops, presents a side by side comparison of the pros and cons of leasing a laptop. The following are some of the disadvantages of a laptop lease:
- The sum of all monthly may amount to more than the initial purchase price of the laptop. Though these payments will be spread over a number of years, this fact bothers some customers.
- Depending on the terms of a lease, a leaser may be prevented from upgrading or trading in until the expiration of the lease term. This can be avoided by shrewdly negotiating the terms of the contract.
- Lack of technical support during travel. Many lessors require maintenance to be carried out at specific locations which are locally based.
- Cancellation fees if a lease is terminated before the expiration of a term.
If a laptop is needed on short notice or for a very short period of time (i.e. business convention) a laptop rental is a more appropriate option. For a detailed description of laptop rentals see Laptop Computer Rentals - Rent a Laptop.
Considering a Computer Lease When Looking for a Cheap Price Laptop
Leasing a laptop is an effective way to provide essential technology without inciting a riot in the accounting department. It is usually not the best choice for moderately price laptop computers, but there is no better option for saving money on a high-performance laptop when it will be needed for a period of at least a year.
Also, the free technical support available can remove the incessant headaches that usually accompany ownership of a complicated piece of technology. A small business owner should seriously consider a laptop lease if capital preservation is of paramount importance to their business plan.
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