Tag Archives: laboratory

Six Top Reasons for Listing your Inventory on Used-Line.com

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Here’s the windup...

BaseBall Windup

Baseball Windup (Microsoft Office Image)

You mean you need a reason? Ok, so fine, we’ll give you six reasons. All six reasons are based on points that Used-Line customers have already made about Used-Line’s portal for used test, lab, and semiconductor equipment.

Used-Line appreciates customer feedback, both positive and negative. Well, mostly positive! But we are always ready to learn from our customers.

Let’s make one thing clear. There aren’t only six reasons for listing your equipment on Used-Line.com. We’re simply listing the TOP six reasons here. Our blog post would become a lengthy dissertation if we were to list them all. And you would probably get the point by the time you read Reason #73.

The six reasons we chose are those that we garnered from our customers’ feedback. You can read what our customers have said in their own words in our customer testimonials. Thank you, Used-Line customers!

…And here’s the pitch.
Baseball Pitch

Baseball Pitch (Microsoft Office Image) 

1. EXPOSURE

Used-Line exposes you to a large potential customer base. Used-Line visitors, whether dealers in the market for buying or selling equipment, or private buyers and sellers, learn to trust those users they conduct transactions with on Used-Line. It is easy on Used-Line to build your own network of long-term trustworthy dealers and customers because of the solid framework for conducting your business and because of the vast selection of equipment listings.

2. ADVERTISING RESOURCES

Billboards. Banners. Listings. Your own promotions.

Plane Banner

Plane Banner (Edited Microsoft Office Image)

The advertising packages available on Used-Line are both numerous and flexible. You can be up and running in a few minutes. A first-time visitor to the site can advertise his equipment in a listing right away, simply by completing an online form. For our more sophisticated brand boosting options or for a custom-designed strategy, you can contact a Used-Line Sales Rep directly. Used-Line understands that its users have many different requirements and budgets and, as a result, Used-Line offers many flexible options.

3. EXPANDING BORDERS
There is no need to restrict your customer base to a couple of city blocks.
Of course, borders in our world have fallen away with the globalization of markets via the Internet. However, Used-Line’s international Dealer Directory provides instant contact with a vast listing of registered dealers from all over the world. This both broadens your customer base, and gives you access to hard-to-find equipment that may be available in locales at a distance from your physical location.

4. TRIAL PERIOD
The one-month free trial of Used-Line advertising lets you test the system and examine your results. You should be able to gauge the potential ROI during this first month, as well as view your results with the Used-Line Statistics feature.

5. PRICE
Price means different things to different people. Price can mean the cost of your expenses for selling equipment via Used-Line. Price can mean the selling price of your equipment. Whatever it means to you, on Used-Line, you can find the price that works for you. If your equipment is on the lower end of the pricing scale, you will be able to find a pricing scheme for selling your equipment that may cost you nothing or next-to-nothing, but which will get you top dollar for your equipment. On the other hand, you can choose a budget-friendly package with the best results for selling your high-end equipment.

6. CUSTOMER SERVICE
A smile. A fast response time. Friendly advice. Flexibility. Full attention to your specific requirements. Professional. Goes the “extra mile”.

Need we say more?


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Why not rent? (Part two of two)

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In the last blog, I introduced a  February 2013 Scope Junction article that delivers the results of a survey on scope rentals. Readers were asked how often they had rented an oscilloscope. Of the 152 users who responded, more than 53% answered in the negative – they had never rented a scope.

Part One of this blog discussed a couple of points to consider if you are thinking about renting or leasing equipment instead of purchasing. Affordability was weighed against cost-effectiveness and the number of variables that can impact the ultimate cost of an instrument . As well, predicting the future of the industry was considered a factor in rental decisions.

Here are a couple more considerations.

Flexibility. You can rent state-of-the-art equipment that your budget does not allow you to purchase. For specific projects with stringent high-end specification requirements, a short-term rental lets you perform specialized tasks that you normally would not be able to run without the unique instrumentation features or specifications required for them. And – without breaking the bank. Although the flexibility of this type of short-term rental is attractive, it does demand more than a comfort level with the specs in order to match those required by the project with the capabilities of the instrument you intend to rent.

Test-drive an instrument. While renting, you can gauge an instrument’s performance strengths and weaknesses in your lab. Many instrument dealerships offer both rental and leasing terms. After leasing for a particular time period, you may be offered purchasing options at reduced terms. At this point, you should be able to clearly assess the suitability of the instrument as a permanent fixture in your lab.

And now for a little bonus tidbit. Or should I call that tipbit?

How to Find Dealers that Rent Out Equipment on Used-Line.com

The Used-Line Dealer Directory lists more than 900 dealers. How do you locate those that do offer rental equipment as one of their services?

  1. On the Used-Line.com home page, click DEALER DIRECTORY in the column on the right side of the page.
  2. In the Dealer Directory, use the filter on the left side of the page to choose the type of equipment you need: T&M, Lab, or Semi.
  3. Narrow your search further by Location and by product Specialization.
  4. Open the Services list, then select Rentals to view all the companies that offer rentals in the type of equipment you need.

    DD Services with Rentals

    DD services with rentals

 


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Why not rent? (Part one of two)

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In a February 2013 Scope Junction article, Michael Dunn delivers the results of a survey on scope rentals. Readers were asked how often they had rented an oscilloscope. Of the 152 users who responded, more than 53% answered in the negative – they had never rented a scope.

I’m wondering – why not?

Well, I know that there is that warm, fuzzy feeling one gets from owning one’s own stuff. There’s also the Guiltfree Factor. If you own something, you don’t get that oh-no-it’s-not-mine reaction when you spill your morning coffee on the bezel.
But, emotional issues aside, what’s on the plus side for renting a scope – or any piece of test or laboratory equipment? Here are just a few well-known, but worth repeating, advantages of renting equipment.

Affordability. Rental can be more affordable than purchasing, particularly for short-term periods and if support and maintenance are included in the terms. However, the cost of both renting or purchasing equipment needs to be carefully calculated. There are many variables, including natural depreciation of the instrument, usage, the condition of the instrument (new, used, refurbished, calibrated), specifications, configurations, need for support and repair, and yes, even size. The cost of a portable spectrum analyzer, for example, cannot be calculated using the same formula as one would use to cost a roto-molding independent-arm machine. Every company must, of course, use its own formulae for calculating the cost-effectiveness of renting or purchasing equipment.

No need to be an industry prophet. When you purchase, you need to factor in the future. When you rent, you can, well, not ignore, but somewhat downplay the effects of depreciation, usage, repairs, growth and changes in the industry, and internal turbulence within your company. You need not spend too much time wondering how much dust your instrument may be gathering at the end of the warranty period, or whether it will still be happily chugging along. A child’s “I need it now” philosophy very much suits the rental option. A year down the line is not really significant because you can swap the unit, or simply not renew the rental contract.

Stay tuned for part two, in which I’ll talk about a couple more rental considerations, and more.


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