Benefits of Renting Office Equipment
Companies that weathered the recession are much leaner financially than they were in the first part of the century. They have learned the lessons of extravagant spending and dependence on credit. As a result, many have come to value the savings to be had by renting office equipment versus the costs associated with purchasing, maintaining, and disposing of expensive technology.
This practice goes back to the long established model of renting or leasing office copiers . Most of the major manufacturers as well as independent dealers offered lease options for their mammoth copy machines. Companies paid a flat rate plus a per copy fee and received maintenance and supplies like toner, as part of the agreement.
Today the practice has been expanded to include any type of office equipment imaginable. From computers for the staff to fax machines to specialty equipment for medical professionals — some company somewhere is renting it. Short-term rentals are growing in popularity as well. Small businesses can rent a projector or a laptop long enough to give a single presentation and then return it the next day. Weekly and monthly rentals are also common. And, of course, it is still possible to have long-term leases of a year or more for those companies that want the convenience of the technology without the hassles associated with maintaining it.
02.14.11Imitation in Personal Development
Mimicry begins with very small children. They attempt to mimic the sounds and movements of adults and older children around them. They may even attempt to act like family pets or other animals they encounter. It’s part of developing an ability to express their feelings, and, later, their identity.
From imitating family members, children quickly learn to idolize individual people. They play house and school and cops and robbers, emulating the roles they may one day inhabit. They also look to superheros, celebrities and historical figures as role models. Everyone has seen the four year old who refuses to take off his Batman costume. It’s just the next step in mimicking the characters, behaviors and roles that he looks up to.
By the time a kid reaches adolescence, the role models have changed, but mimicry remains an indication of what they value. Teens in the 70s ran around in Kiss costumes and those in the 90s dressed in the grunge style of Kurt Cobain. Idolizing rock stars is a common theme. As is following the fashion trends of a favorite actress or even politicians. By adopting the outer accoutrements of an idol, kids hope to begin to embody their spirit and character. Eventually, all these pieces learned from imitation coalesce into the identity and character of an adult.
02.1.11Marketing with Membership
Retailers are constantly trying to find new and better ways to attract new customers and to reinforce their relationship with their existing customers. Many have found that creating a membership system is one of the best ways to do both. By distinguishing between regular customers and “members” of some sort or other, they can provide member-only benefits that keep customers engaged with their products over the long run.
The most obvious type of membership programs are those companies that require customers to pay an annual membership fee in order to buy their products at all. The more popular form of membership provides a “preferred customer” or “shoppers club” discount to those who participate. Think of all the supermarkets that issue a key tag to customers who fill out a simple application which then entitled them to discounted prices when the tag is swiped at the checkout counter.
Their ability to appeal to the human nature to belong and the cultural indoctrination of the old “membership has its privileges” model, makes these programs ideal marketing tools . It is no longer about having a luxury car key, but about which club key tags one has one has on their key ring.
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