Should you rent or buy mats for your business?
When you’re starting out in business, renting equipment such as mats can be a smart way to manage your cashflow. Renting mats is also a great way to try before you buy, even though it likely involves compromises in quality, appearance and safety. So when do you upgrade from the compromise to something that’s perfect? Maybe you’ve done the maths, and you’re thinking that you must have gotten the numbers wrong.
Surely, owning the perfect solution for your business can’t be cheaper than renting a lesser alternative, can it? Lately, we’ve been getting a lot of calls from companies frustrated at the service fees they are paying to rent their mats. They’re 90 percent sure that buying mats would be better and cheaper for their businesses. Are they right? We will answer with a few real-life examples, as well as mention some things they might not even have thought about.
LONG TERM COST SAVINGS
The short term costs associated with renting mats can sound very appealing, with costs starting from less than $10 per week. But as is often the case with rentals, if you take a more long term view the costs very quickly add up over time, with the average mat lasting 3-5 years the long term savings can be very worthwhile.
CASE STUDY: Mechanic Service (Queensland)
A company was renting three unbranded 1500 x 900 mm mats. The rental company was charging them $120 per month and servicing the mats weekly. They came to us and were able to buy three mats that were customised with their branding for just $723, which was the equivalent of six months’ rental fees. (Even if the mats last only four years—half of what we expect)—the company will have saved an incredible $5,061, while owning a superior, branded product.)
YOU AVOID RENTAL CONTRACTS
When you buy a mat, you own it. There’s no obligation to keep paying rent!
YOU CONTROL WHEN YOUR MATS ARE CLEANED
With a rental mat, you’re paying for all that industrial cleaning even though your mat might not need it—after all, you’re already paying your cleaners to give your mat the once over. (This article covers how easy it is to clean a mat.) When you own your mat, you choose how often you need to get it commercially cleaned; you’re not on someone else’s schedule. This means that you can have it cleaned immediately after heavy weather, for example. With a rental mat, you could be waiting for a scheduled clean that’s weeks away.
QUALITY MATTERS
When you buy your own mat, you know it’s going to be brand new and high quality. When you rent a mat, you could get a great mat one month and a 10-year-old mat the next. You have no way to control this, but you’ll pay the same whatever the age of the mat that’s delivered. Rental mats are chosen based on how well they fit the rental company’s needs, not yours. For instance, a rental mat needs to be able to withstand years of industrial laundering; a mat that you buy specifically for your business is chosen for how well it fits you.
WE MAKE YOUR MATS TO SUIT YOUR BUSINESS
When you buy a mat, you control the size and other specifications. A low-rise office complex has totally different needs from a petrol station, but the rental company could despatch the same mat to both locations. It’s important to specify your requirements because mats exist to protect floors and prevent slips and falls. The wrong size or type of mat isn’t going to do this as reliably as a mat tailored by size and surface to its location and its foot traffic. Buying a mat means you can also have it in your colours with your logo or a promotional message, which is a great way to build your brand awareness.
FIND THE RIGHT MATS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Explore our quality range of floor and counters mats below.
NEED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BUYING A MAT?
We have 25 years in the matting industry, manufacturing mats and importing from manufacturers we trust. We’re happy to advise you about the right mats for the jobs you need them to do and how to get a high-quality mat for a price that will make buying a mat an easy choice.