News release

HP and SCORE Host Nationwide “Wellness” Workshops for Small Businesses

Groups issue white paper on impact of disasters on small businesses

HP and SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business” today announced the second annual nationwide series of small business disaster preparedness workshops.

The “Small Business Wellness Workshops” provide small businesses with education and solutions to plan for and recover from disasters – both natural and man made.

Underscoring the necessity of disaster planning for small businesses, HP and SCORE also recently published a white paper, “Impact on US Small Business of Natural & Man-Made Disasters,” which highlights the consequences a small business could face if ill-prepared.

“HP has a long history of supporting small business and is excited to work with SCORE again to educate small businesses on how to protect themselves against unexpected natural and technology-related disasters,” said Lisa Baker, director, Business Marketing – Americas, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Our workshops were widely successful last year, and once again, we will aim to help small businesses focus on their bottom line, rather than on technology challenges.”

“With our mission to foster the growth and success of small business, SCORE understands that disaster planning is imperative, not a ‘nice to have,’” said Ken Yancey, chief executive officer, SCORE. “As today’s small businesses are increasingly dependent on their computer systems, these workshops combine SCORE’s scenario planning expertise with HP’s data protection knowledge to address the full spectrum of disaster preparedness.”

Workshops empower small businesses to protect themselves

Each year due to storms, fires or unexpected hard drive collapses, an alarming number of small businesses lose irreplaceable customer data, tax documents, employee records and other critical information.

During the Wellness Workshops, attendees will learn how to protect their core business information. Additionally, a bonus session on “greening your business” provides attendees with tips on making their businesses environmentally responsible.

The HP and SCORE Small Business Wellness Workshops will be held at the following locations:

• April 2 – Lions Gate Hotel, 3410 Westover, Sacramento, Calif.
• April 29 – Waterford Fair Oaks, 12025 Lee Jackson Highway, Fairfax, Va.
• May 13 – Independent Visitors Center, 1 North Independence, Philadelphia, Pa.
• May 20 – Doubletree Hotel, San Jose, Calif. – held in conjunction with Business Matchmaking Western Regional event
• May 29 – Crowne Plaza Hotel, 801 Greenwich Ave., Warwick, R.I.

Workshops dates with locations TBD:

• June 4 – Austin, Texas
• June 11 – Birmingham, Ala.
• June 25 – Nashville, Tenn.
• July 9 – Raleigh, N.C.
• Sept. 10 – Denver, Colo.
• Sept. 17 – Milwaukee, Wis.
• Oct. 8 – Cincinnati, Ohio
• Oct. 22 – Louisville, Ky.
• Nov. 19 – Las Vegas, Nev.
• Dec. 2 – Tampa, Fla.
• Dec. 9 – Kansas City, Mo.

Business Matchmaking brings together buyers from all federal agencies and many Fortune 500 companies to meet with small businesses offering various products and services. Since its inception, Business Matchmaking has generated more than 52,000 one-on-one appointments resulting in more than $1 billion in contracting opportunities for entrepreneurs through regional events held all across the country and in online sessions.

Valuable data for protecting a business

The white paper published by HP and SCORE demonstrates the many types of disasters to which small businesses are susceptible, including large natural events such as hurricanes as well as those caused by human or mechanical errors, such as incorrect keystrokes or hard drive malfunctions.

The study shows how some businesses floundered after a disaster, and how simple steps in preparedness could have completely changed the outcome. With a few proactive steps, any company can safeguard its valuable data to ensure that if the unthinkable happens, the company will still survive.

More information about the white paper and the event, plus event registration for the Small Business Wellness Workshops, is available at www.score.org/HP_events.html.

About SCORE

Since 1964, SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business” has assisted more than 7.9 million aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners through counseling and business workshops. More than 10,500 volunteer business counselors in 389 chapters serve their communities through entrepreneur education dedicated to the formation, growth and success of small businesses.

About HP

HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its customers – from individual consumers to the largest businesses. With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the world’s largest IT companies, with revenue totaling $107.7 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended Jan. 31, 2008. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

© 2008 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.