Investing in specialist printing equipment is a significant decision. The machine needs to suit the work a business wants to produce, while the way it is funded needs to fit the company's finances.
Ocean Capital Exchange helped Blue First Printing (opens in a new tab) with asset finance for a **Mimaki JFX200-2513 EX Flatbed Printer**.
It is a practical example of how asset finance can support investment in business equipment, giving a company an alternative to paying the full purchase price from its own funds at the outset.
The investment: a Mimaki JFX200-2513 EX Flatbed Printer
For a print business, production equipment is central to what it can offer customers. A specialist flatbed printer represents an investment in the business's production capabilities, rather than simply another day-to-day expense.
Blue First's investment was in the Mimaki JFX200-2513 EX Flatbed Printer. Our role was to help with the finance for that equipment, bringing the funding conversation alongside the decision to invest.
The choice of machine and the choice of finance are separate decisions. A business may know exactly which printer it wants, but still benefit from help understanding how to fund it.
Why consider asset finance for printing equipment?
Buying machinery outright can tie up a substantial amount of cash in a single purchase. Asset finance can spread the cost over an agreed term, subject to the lender's assessment and the structure of the agreement.
For printing businesses considering a similar investment, potential benefits include:
- **Preserving working capital.** Funding equipment separately can leave more of the business's own cash available for materials, wages, premises and other operating costs.
- **Planning repayments.** An agreed repayment schedule can help a business assess the ongoing cost of an investment alongside its other commitments.
- **Supporting equipment investment.** Finance can provide an alternative to waiting until the full purchase price has been accumulated in cash.
- **Considering the whole funding requirement.** The deposit, term, borrowing cost and any final payment all matter, not just the headline monthly figure.
These are potential benefits of asset finance generally, not a statement of Blue First's individual agreement or financial circumstances. Finance also creates a repayment commitment, and the overall cost can be higher than purchasing outright.
Our printing machinery finance page explains the funding considerations for businesses investing in print equipment.
Where Ocean Capital Exchange adds value
As a commercial finance broker, Ocean Capital Exchange helps businesses explore funding options across a panel of lenders, rather than being limited to the products of a single bank.
For an equipment purchase, the conversation should start with the business and the asset: what is being purchased, the amount needed, the preferred contribution and the repayments the business can reasonably support.
The aim is to establish a suitable funding approach, not simply find a product that happens to be available. Lenders can differ in the equipment they will fund, their eligibility criteria and the terms they offer. A broker can help a business navigate those differences and understand the information needed for an application.
With Blue First, our involvement centred on helping with asset finance for the Mimaki printer. We have not published the purchase price, funding amount, interest rate or repayment terms, and this article should not be read as a finance quotation.
A business relationship that works both ways
Our relationship with Blue First also extends to printing. Ocean Capital Exchange has used Blue First for exhibition materials, including business cards, leaflets and roller banners.
You can read more about that experience in our article on preparing your printing for an exhibition, or visit Blue First's website (opens in a new tab) to explore their printing services.
Planning your next equipment purchase?
Whether you are considering a printer, production machinery or another business asset, it is worth exploring funding before committing to a purchase.
Read about asset finance from Ocean Capital Exchange or contact our team to discuss the equipment you want to buy and your funding requirements.
Ocean Capital Exchange is a commercial finance broker, not a lender. Finance is subject to status, eligibility and lender approval. Rates, deposits, fees and repayment terms depend on the asset, applicant and lender. Assets may be at risk if repayments are not maintained.