Business equipment: how to buy well, new or used
Start with the task, not the model
Business equipment is bought for a specific process: selling, cooling, frying, hair cutting, diagnostics. If you name the task, the seller will pick the right options. If you just write “need a refrigerated cabinet”, the offers will differ in size, power and price so much that you can't compare them.
Work out in advance how much space, electricity and water you have at the site. This more often limits your choice than the budget does.
Where to look by area
For a shop you will need shop and display equipment (racks, display cases) and billing and POS equipment: billing machines, thermal printers, scanners. For storing food and drinks there is refrigeration equipment.
A food business builds its kitchen from restaurant and cafe equipment. For workshops and factory floors there is industrial equipment. A salon will need beauty salon equipment, and for garages and car washes there is separate equipment. There is also laboratory and medical equipment; for medical equipment it is better to consult the specialists of your facility.
What to put in your request
- What exactly you need: the type of equipment and for which process.
- Capacity and volume: litres, kilograms per hour, number of seats, power.
- Dimensions: the size of the installation spot and of the passages leading to it.
- Power supply: single-phase or three-phase, power, availability of water and drainage.
- New or used, and what condition suits you.
- Brand or model, if already chosen.
- Delivery, installation, commissioning: needed or not, and to which city.
- Budget, and whether you are interested in a loan or leasing.
How to compare offers
Compare the same specifications: power, material (stainless steel or painted steel), country of manufacture, what's included. The price often differs exactly by the package: one includes delivery and connection, another only the bare unit.
Ask about the warranty and service: who repairs it, whether spare parts are in stock, how long you wait for a technician. For used equipment ask for a video of it working, the year of manufacture, its usage history and confirmation that the main parts are not worn. For billing equipment, check compatibility with your accounting software and tax invoicing requirements, and if in doubt, ask your accountant.
A typical mistake is to buy at the lowest price without counting electricity consumption and consumables. Sometimes a more expensive model pays back faster. Another mistake is not checking whether the load will fit through the doors and the lift.
Ask about delivery time: standard equipment is often in stock, while industrial or non-standard equipment may be made to order over weeks. If the opening of your business is tied to a date, put the timing in the agreement. Food, medical and other businesses have to meet safety and technical rules, so find them out from the relevant local authority.
How searching works on BlaBlaPrice
You don't need to write to ten companies. Create one request: describe the task and the parameters. It is checked before it is shown, and you see which details sellers still lack. Then suppliers in your region reply in the chat: what they offer, the price, delivery time, warranty. They see where their offer ranks among the others and can improve their terms to win your request.
The site shows the one that is best on substance first, and seller reviews are visible next to it. Contacts stay hidden until you choose an offer. It is free for the buyer. More on the page “How it works”.
