Have a pay as you go copier

But now Swindon firm Cats Solutions which started life as Copycats may have given a helping hand to any company that uses a photocopier by bringing in the pay as you go Xerox machine.

Cats was the UK's first digital print company, and last year was voted Wiltshire Business of the Year in the Newsquest-backed awards.

Now it believes it may revolutionise the photocopying industry for British business after striking a deal with copying giant Xerox to sell its machines and introduce the revolutionary tariff.

Greg Smith, the managing director of Cats Solutions said: "We think what we are doing is industry-changing.

"We do digital printing and we were asked to take over the Xerox concession.

"At first we decided that selling boxes is not what we do I always said I would never sell photocopiers."

But after thinking it over, Cats decided to adopt the mobile phone-like tariff and so far, coupled with a television advertising campaign, the venture has been a startling success

Seven deals were done on machines after just over a week of the scheme.

Xerox liked the flexible billing idea so much it paid for the commercial.

Mr Smith said: "People said 'you can't do that' but just because it's always been one way doesn't mean you can't use the pay as you go."

As well as helping business, the idea could be invaluable to schools and colleges, which can often have equipment that goes almost unused throughout the six weeks of the summer holidays.

And, because Cats has millions of pounds worth of print equipment at its Rushey Platt headquarters, in West Swindon, it also includes as part of the deal that any large volume copying such as duplicating brochures, manuals or staff guidebooks can be done professionally by Cats overnight, including the binding, so staff are not tied to the copier for hours at a time.

Mr Smith said: "I get fed up with bad news.

"This is something that's great for Swindon we're the only company in the country doing this."