As you can see from the leaderboard, the first round of the Officejet Pro Challenge is too close to call in this final fourth week of feedback from our five small businesses. Who do you think has delivered the most useful insight into how the HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless can help small businesses get professional quality color printing with significant cost and energy savings?

If you haven't voted, be sure to head on over and check out this week's collection of blog posts. We asked the five companies to test-drive the HP Creative Studio for Business and use the free customizable templates to make some simple marketing materials for their own business. From business cards and flyers to trifold brochures,  I think you may be pleasantly surprised by what these business owners were able to create within a short amount of time using the HP Creative Studio --  and by their feedback on the quality of the printouts.

So make your opinion count and vote for your favorite posts. The winning small business will receive a prize package that includes keeping the printer, 1 year's worth of Original HP ink and paper, and a professional design package from Logoworks by HP.

Wish you could take the HP OfficejetPro Challenge? The call for entries for Round 2: The Laser Edition is now open. Go here to learn more and enter.

Here's one marketing secret I want
to share: You don't need a dime in your marketing budget to successfully launch
and build your brand. You simply need the right resources, a bit of time, and
the commitment to learn, improve, and share.

Free DIY Marketing Resources

The adoption and acceptance of
social media is very good news for small business owners. The quality of
marketing expertise that's available via blogs, communities and online
conversations is staggering and could cost you thousands of dollars were you to
actually pay for it out of pocket (I did when I had a business).  But why would you, if you can get the same
expertise for free (or at incredibly affordable rates)?

Your brand's "story" (the mission statement, logo, brochure, web site) is
often the reason customers decide to spend money with you.  Start building the brand story for your
business by checking out these free resources:

1. Small Business Marketing Guide:
   
   
   Top small business marketing experts such as Guy Kawasaki,
   Anita
   Campbell of Small Business Trends, and Duct Tape Marketing's John Jantsch  share their expertise,
   strategy
   and tips
   to help you develop and evolve the compelling story of your business . (As
   of this writing, the Small
   Business Marketing Guide also offers free marketing webinars, too.
   
   
2. 
   HP
   Creative Studio:
   
   

   

   This 2009
   Webby-Award winning site offers dozens of free, professionally designed templates that you can download,
   customize, and print for your business within minutes, including:

• 
  Business
  cards and Business Identity Kits
• 
  Stationery
  and Envelopes
• 
  Brochures
  and Business
  Forms
• 
  Website
  and Blog Templates

 The HP
Creative Studio is also a great asset to find tools, access to discounts,
and other DIY and affordable design services (such as Logoworks
and Stock
Layouts)  that professional marketing
agencies use every day.

3. Twitter:
   
   Get expert advice, get
   opinions and share your expertise with world (or just your neighborhood) -
   in real time.  Any marketing expert worth
   their salt is on Twitter, and you get their sage advice for free. Better
   still, many experts will follow you back and respond to your questions.
   Even better still, when you're ready to test drive your new marketing
   materials, the Twitter universe is a great place to ask for feedback and
   opinions. (Author and marketer Tara
   Hunt asked her Twitter followers to rate the jacket design of her new
   book "The Whuffie Factor", and she got hundreds of opinions plus free
   designs in response.)
   
   Use the following resources to get started and put
   Twitter to work for you (I've also included links to the resources'
   Twitter account):

• 
  How to Use Twitter to
  Grow Your Business (via @Copyblogger)
• 
  50
  Ideas on using Twitter for Business (by @ChrisBrogan)
• 
  We Follow (@wefollow): This is a user-powered
  Twitter directory that makes it extremely easy to find people by topic, company
  or interest. (You'll find me in WeFollow's
  HP category.)

Take the first few steps to launch
your brand - there's a world online ready and willing to help. Including me.

Angela LoSasso manages HP's Small Business Wiki
and writes for the Small Business
Marketing Guide. You can also find her on Twitter.

Just because your company is classified as a small business, it doesn't mean your marketing can't rival that of a Fortune 500 company.

You want and need impact, yet you need to save money while your technology works to make you money. We get it. And we want to help.

Here are my Top 5 reasons small businesses can hit print -- affordably -- with HP and the Wireless HP Officejet Pro 8500 system.

1.       Look big. Save big time.

• 
  The Wireless HP Officejet Pro 8500 delivers professional quality
  COLOR printing for up to 50% less cost per page than laser.
• 
  It's easy to economize because the Officejet Pro
  has four individual ink cartridges, which means you only need to replace cartridges
  that run out. The water-resistant HP 940 Officejet Inks also offer premium durability (so they hold up to weather and heavy handling -- why do I think of realtors and pizza delivery menus?) 
  
• With the HP Creative Studio for Business, Marketsplash and other key HP partners, you can affordably create, customize, and print agency-quality marketing materials yourself.

2.       Be kind to the Environment (and your
wallet).

• 
  The Wireless HP Officejet Pro 8500 can save up to 50% energy vs.
  lasers.
• 
  With its auto-duplex feature (geek-speak for
  double-sided printing), you can print on both sides of the page, saving paper
  and cost, and avoid print-shop minimum charges.

3.        No
messy cords + get bonus points for sharing.

• 
  When you have an Wireless HP Officejet Pro 8500, you are now officially untethered from your desk
  so you can print from anywhere in the house or office within range of your
  wireless network.
• 
  Anyone on your wireless network can share a
  single printer. (It supports Ethernet, too.)

4.      
You
wear a lot of hats. Your printer should, too.

• 
  Print. Scan. Copy. Fax. The Wireless HP Officejet Pro 8500 is a versatile HP
  All-in-One. No more need to buy and supply separate machines.
• 
  Print photos without a PC. Insert your camera's
  memory card, use the color display, select and print your photos. Yes, it's
  that easy.

5.      
Peace
of mind: It's HP. It's reliable.

• 
  Get first-class support 24x7 toll-free or via
  email in as little as an hour through HP's renowned Total Care support.
• 
  Get exclusive offers and discounts on supplies,
  plus get free next-business day shipping with My Print Rewards.

For more info, check out these related links:

• Computer Shopper Reviews gives the Wireless HP Officejet Pro 8500 an Editors' Choice award
• Check out the specs, features, fine print and more in the HP store and find an authorized reseller near you.
• See my colleague Bret Bottger's post in the HP Inkjet Blog for more expert tips and info.

Angela LoSasso manages HP's Creative Wiki and HP's Small Business Wiki. Inbetween creative projects, you'll find her on Twitter.