Carl

Said this on 11-12-2009 At 04:19 pm

Do you think its a little unethical for a news company that was paid by HP (whether it be money or presents) to write a puff piece about them? This isnt good.

The above comment was submitted in response to our article HP Exceeds Expectations & Invests in the Well-Being of Suffern, Ramapo and Small Businesses

Generally speaking, we require people who submit comments or articles to fully identify themselves; in this case, because Carl was taking me to task, I felt that it was important to approve the comment without requiring a last name.

In a previous article, I fully disclosed that my business was going to receive a free printer.  There were no strings attached, HP didn't 'buy' me nor have they tried to control what I say or write about them.  In an article that I'm working on now, I again mention the fact that I received a free printer and this blog post certainly reiterates this fact.  

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I have absolutely no problem taking anyone to the woodshed in the event that I feel it necessary.  I showed up, I listened, I observed and when I got home, I wrote. Still, Carl's comment brings up a valid point that hadn't occurred to me so here's my take.

HP did something different and they did it in our town.  With all of the fighting and complaining that seems to have permeated our village in recent months, the fact that we were selected and HP succeeded in bringing people back together for a common purpose that benefits us all, is in my opinion, newsworthy.  I respect Carl's opinion and at the same time, I also disagree that this was a puff piece.  This certainly was a positive piece if you're HP, but I think that they earned it; not based upon what they said but based upon what they did.  I'd like to hear opinions from other people as well.  Let's have an open discussion on this issue.

I expected a typical product launch/eco-friendly initiative-type announcement, some clapping, backslapping and then off to the next big thing.  Let's face it; being 'Green' isn't just for Kermit the Frog anymore.  It's a buzz phrase that's very much on people's minds.  Even Big Oil is jumping on the bandwagon.

What I saw and experienced was entirely different than what one might have expected.  HP selected photographs and artwork, predominantly created by local people, and demonstrated their commitment to eco-friendly printing processes by enlarging & reproducing these works and in the process, demonstrated that the printing needs of business can be accomplished in an environmentally responsible way.  Everything they did that day was based upon being environmentally responsible.  The t-shirts they gave out were even made from organic cotton and I've already mentioned that every eco-friendly detail was taken care of right down to the menus. 

They didn't talk and run.  On Tuesday they went around and installed equipment in some of the businesses and municipal offices, including the Village Clerk's Office and the Suffern Free Library. And they gave more to our Village & Town than was expected.  The SkyRoom equipped laptops are now being shipped to the Village, the Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Ramapo.

In the interest of full disclosure, three of the photographs that HP enlarged and displayed are mine.  I mentioned everyone else whose work was selected in this article  but it seemed too self-serving to toot my own horn; I must say that I'm humbled and honored to have been included with such accomplished group of artists.  

As mentioned, there are 22 additional larger prints in the windows of the shops in Downtown Suffern.  Getting local people to re-visit our Village shops can only benefit our community as a whole.  I know that Bruce Simon, Trustee-elect went around the block to take a second look after his son saw one of the photos and screamed with excitement.  I know another family parked the car and went to look at the art after seeing some of the displays and still another family made the trip because their child was in one of the photos.  This doesn't directly benefit me or my business but the well-being of our Village is certainly good for my family, my neighbors and the businesses themselves. 

I think it's great that a Village of our size got a shot in the arm.  It think it's even better that HP thought about leaving something behind that benefitted a struggling downtown area--I really do hope that these images stay in the shop windows until they are old and worn because I believe that they will bring more people into the village. 

HP has already done more than most and much more than expected but perhaps we can take action to expand the program with more art in more windows.  Who knows, maybe this could become a permanent fixture that draws people and new businesses to our downtown.  

We live in the era of Bernie Madoff, Enron, Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns.  Big business doesn't have a great rep right now and yet a very large company came to our town to help our economy, our businesses and our environment. 

Most companies focus on landing the big fish, the five, six and seven figure deals.  HP demonstrated their commitment to small businesses.  I really believe that small businesses will lead the way forward.  Let’s face it, the ‘experts’ say that we are in a ‘jobless recovery’. Businesses are struggling and the unemployed are still unemployed.  More and more people will most likely put their talents and skills to good use by starting their own venture.  It’s nice to know that there are companies out there that are taking notice and that are producing technology to help the little guy thrive at a total cost of ownership that they can afford.

What impact does a new LaserJet have on my business?  Ramapo Times is a success if you count eyeballs—the number of people who read it; it is not a financial success yet and may not be for quite some time.  I do have other things going on and this new printer allows me to save money on energy and paper costs.  I was also fortunate enough to not have to go out and spend money on a laser printer; something that I felt would provide me with more professional looking documents but that was not really in my budget.

As for my printer, it has been installed, it does everything that HP claimed it would do and I'm happy with it.  However, if the fact that I received a free printer from HP in any way causes people to question the integrity and objectivity of Ramapo Times, I'd rather give it up.  So here's the deal:

If people overwhelmingly feel that the integrity and objectivity of Ramapo Times is at stake, I'll donate my printer to a worthy cause.  Budget or no budget, the next day I’ll go out and buy the same printer because I think that after everything they’ve done for our community, HP has earned my business.