Should I buy or lease this equipment? (small business)

Top picks

Protocol

1. 1

   Step 1 of 6

   Paste facts (5–8 min).

   Assemble only what you actually know. Mark gaps [MISSING] / [NEED FACT]. Do not invent rates, BATNA, legal outcomes, or benchmarks. This small-business purchase gate is not the weekly cash-position brief (snapshot) and not the lease-clause checklist (clause reading after you have a lease doc). Do not invent APR, residual values, or Section 179 outcomes.

   Paths at a glance

   Path	Lean this way when (from your paste)
   A — Buy	Utilization high and sustained; cash or financing terms you pasted clear your hurdles; ownership fits horizon.
   B — Lease / finance	Cash preserved matters; you have real lease/finance quotes; term matches need horizon.
   C — Rent short-term	Need is temporary or utilization uncertain—rent quotes you have beat owning now.
   D — Defer / subcontract	Demand unproven; subcontracting capability is available; wait for clearer utilization.

2. 2

   Step 2 of 6

   Lock decision-tree rules (step 2).

   Paste the rules first so the model cannot mint APR, tax credits, Section 179 outcomes, or residual values.

   Copy-paste prompt

   Copy rules

   Help me run a BUY vs LEASE equipment decision tree.
   Hard rules:
   - Use ONLY quotes, utilization, and cost facts I paste. Do not invent APR, tax credits, Section 179 outcomes, or residual values.
   - Mark tax topics [NEED ADVISOR] unless I pasted advisor numbers.
   - Paths: Path A Buy / Path B Lease/finance / Path C Rent short-term / Path D Defer/subcontract.
   - Not tax, accounting, or legal advice. I decide.
   Confirm in one sentence, then wait for my pack.

3. 3

   Step 3 of 6

   Fill pack (step 3a) and generate (step 3b).

   Paste the pack, then send the generate command. The model must not pick a path for you.

   Paste pack

   Copy fact pack

   EQUIPMENT / CAPABILITY NEEDED: [ ]
   PURCHASE PRICE QUOTE(S): [or MISSING]
   LEASE / FINANCE QUOTE(S) I HAVE (rate/term only if on the quote): [or NONE—do not invent APR]
   SHORT-TERM RENT OPTIONS: [or NONE]
   EXPECTED UTILIZATION (hours/jobs per period)—my estimate basis: [or MISSING]
   MAINTENANCE / INSURANCE / STORAGE COSTS I KNOW: [or MISSING]
   CASH / DEBT CAPACITY NOTES: [or MISSING]
   HORIZON (how long I need this capability): [ ]
   SUBCONTRACT ALTERNATIVE: [or NONE]
   TAX EFFECTS: [NEED ADVISOR unless advisor already gave numbers I paste]

   After you send the filled pack, copy the Generate command in the next box and paste it into the SAME chat so the AI runs the decision tree / produces the output.

   Generate command — copy and send this next (same chat)

   Copy generate command

   Build the decision tree now:
   1) Facts vs [MISSING]
   2) Scorecard table: Criterion | My fact | Lean (+/0/− or NEED FACT) | Note
   3) Path A Buy / Path B Lease-finance / Path C Rent short-term / Path D Defer or subcontract — for each: when it fits, what must be true from my pack, 3 owner-verify bullets
   4) Do NOT pick for me. Do not invent facts.

4. 4

   Step 4 of 6

   Choose a path (step 4); optional wording.

   Only after you pick a labeled path. Owner-verify: facts still match your pack; [MISSING] gaps filled or accepted; any sendable wording uses only terms you authorize.

   Path wording

   Copy path wording

   I chose Path [A/B/C/D]. Draft an internal one-page decision note with Facts vs Assumptions vs Open questions from my pack only.
   No invented APR or tax savings. Mark [NEED ADVISOR] / [NEED FACT].

5. 5

   Step 5 of 6

   Second-model check (step 5).

   In the other tool, paste the tree plus your pack:

   Second-model check

   Copy second-model check

   Here is a buy-vs-lease tree from another assistant plus my pack.
   Find: (1) invented APR/residuals/tax savings, (2) utilization invented beyond my notes, (3) lease clause enforceability claims, (4) forced Buy or Lease.
   Return only corrections. Not tax advice.

6. 6

   Step 6 of 6

   Human decide and act (step 6).

   Pick one path. Fill [NEED FACT] gaps from real sources. Send or implement yourself—AI drafts are not approvals, contracts, classifications, or tax elections. When reviewing a lease PDF later, use the lease clause checklist.

When not to

• Not tax or accounting advice—do not treat chat as Section 179 guidance.
• Do not invent APR or residual values missing from quotes.
• Skip if you have no quotes or utilization basis—get those first.
• When reviewing a lease PDF later, use the lease-clause checklist.