Should You Sell Your Laser?

Cosmetic lasers are a serious investment, which means getting the right money for your machines if crucial. It isn't always obvious when the best time to sell a machine is. So, when SHOULD I buy a new machine?

Upgrading to a newer model

As your practice grows in size and expertise you will inevitably want to upgrade your machinery for laser hair removal, skin tightening, and lipo-suction treatments. Better equipment can mean an increase not only in customer satisfaction, but in referral and return rates too. 

Depreciation is a big concern for cosmetic lasers, so in order to make sure you get the most money for your cosmetic laser, be sure to upgrade to market your old unit quickly, and with expert advice.

Wrong Fit

I often meet spa owners and physicians who buy new pieces of equipment to expand  their practice, sometimes adding laser hair removal services or liposuction treatments. Unfortunately, sometimes you can find yourself stuck with a cosmetic laser that doesn't fit your need as a business. Without the proper flow of customers, the unit does not help the business, but hurts it. Often times, it is not that all cosmetic laser equipment will not work for their  practice, but that the laser that was chosen just is not the right one. 

Broken Lasers

Depending on the severity of the issues, repairs are the common solution to minor problems. However, you may pay more than it is worth. Many times, it is better to sell your broken unit for parts or what it is worth and purchase a used, newer unit to help increase sales. The longer any unit, especially a broken unit, sits around in the storage of a practice, the more value it loses. If you know that having a unit repaired by the manufacturer or a third party is too expensive to justify, your next option is to sell it, or work with a retailer to replace your current laser with another.

First Time Buyers

Congratulations on opening your practice. Now the hard part. The last thing you want to do is to break your budget. The goal, of course, is to increase profitability and expand your customer base. Often, buying aesthetic equipment new will cost the 20-60% more than buying a gently used, or refurbished cosmetic laser. 

These used lasers are almost brand new, but the price is significantly lower. This will help your practice avoid opening with a enormous bill to pay, and instead, make a profit sooner from quality treatments you can provide your patients. 

Liquidation, or Retirement

So you've reached the home stretch! The last thing a retiring doctor or practice owner wants to think about while trying to clean out an entire office is what to do with all of the equipment he or she will no longer use. Among organizing, financials, and making sure years of work are in order, who has time to call reseller after reseller to find the best deal? How do you know you are getting a good deal? Though a unit will never resell for its purchase price, reselling the equipment rather than storing it or throwing it away can often help recover a good amount of its cost. Making sure you know the year, shot count, type, make, and model of your unit, while obtaining bright pictures and video of the unit can help increase its profitability. If a buyer can see that your unit, though used, is still in perfect working order you will get the most of your money.