Sharp to Sell it's Imaging Division or Not to Sell it's Imaging Division

I was not planning on writing on blog tonight, however with the recent news from last night that Sharp (Japan) has rejected a proposal from Samsung to buy Sharps Imaging Division (FYI, all of our Print4Pay Hotel members were notified last via email).  There's already been 12 threads in reference to the proposal. 

For months and months we've been hearing the hype from Sharp USA that the Imaging Division will not be sold, matter fact there so much hype out there that many pundits were starting to drink the Koolaid that Sharp USA was dishing out. 

In fact recent months have been better for Sharp (Japan), I mentioned this in an earlier blog.  As I told a few Print4Pay Hotel members today, why would I bother presenting a proposal to someone if they were not in the market or willing to listen?

It's obvious that Samsung and Sharp were talking due to the fact that Samsung engaged with Sharp for a 3% stake in the company.  What we don't know is if the original proposal to Sharp included the offer to buy the Imaging Division, or this was something that was done after the investment by Samsung.  We also don't know why the proposal was rejected, was it not enough money, did the Japanese banks squash the deal, is Sharp still reluctant to sell one of money making divisions, or are they holding out for a better offer or maybe there's a better offer on the table from someone else?

Today, I received this headline "Sharp May Sell Copier Operations to Samsung", whoa, now this is a complete turn around from what I heard last night, and this report came from the Sankei Shimbun.

At this point in time, I'm leaving for my trip. I hope that Sharp & Samsung will work something before I get back.

BTW, here's the link to see what our members have been posting.

-=Good Selling=-

The Worst Copier Web Sites in the World Contest!

This was a recent thread that we posted on the Print4Pay Hotel forums. It all started the other day with a Press Release from Sharp USA that they had signed on another new Copier/MFP Dealer.  Over the last six months Sharp has been issuing Press Releases about the signings of these new Copier/MFP Dealers, the Press Releases about signing new MFP dealers is something that Sharp had not done in the past prior to an analysts report that Sharp may sells it's MFP/Copier business.

One bold Print4Pay Hotel member has been researching these new dealers and visiting their web sites. In a recent Sharp Press Release our Print4Pay Hotel member posted a link the new Sharp Dealers web site. Which lead us to probably one of the worst copier dealer web sites we've ever seen. If the web site is indicative of the Dealerships technical capabilities and solutions, then.... well better to read the thread from our Print4Pay Hotel Member,

"Another technology giant and world power of copier dealers that doesnt even put there name, phone number or address on the web site, let alone that they handle sharp. That will turn it all around".

With that one thread our Print4Pay Hotel members launched a campaign to post links for the "The Worst Copier Web Sites in the World".  We then added a contest that would allow our members to vote for the "The Worst Copier Web Site in the World".  In just one day we've had 13 threads and 6 Dealers web sites listed.  Another Print4Pay Hotel member made this comment,

"BAAAAAAAHHHHHHAAAAAA LMFAO! Is that a sorter?

If you have a copier dealerships web site that you'd like to add, then go here for the Print4Pay Hotel forums, post your link, and then take a gander at the sites that are listed. At the end of the month we'll open up the polls so every one can vote on the "The Worst Copier Web Site in the World".  Hmmmm, seems to me I mentioned "contest", what will the winner get?  You'll have to tune in to the forums to find out.

As an added incentive for new members to join, after you've registered here (it's free), I'll send you one of my Print4Pay Hotel Publications at no charge. You can have your choice for one publication. They are located on the eight side of this blog under Print4Pay Hotel Publications. Make sure you send me and email about the FREE publication! art@p4photel.com

-=Good Selling=-

Sharp "Reading between the Lines"

Sharp Action is the title of a thread on the Print4Pay Hotel forums.  Just today I had the chance to check out the threads from Print4Pay Hotel members.

The thread was started by GMAN (we all know GMAN is good for some juicy news) that BIG News is coming for Sharp Dealers and consider yourself warned!  I love a good rumor just as good as everyone else if not more.  I PM'd (private message) GMAN through the forums and all I'm going to day is "that is it not Sharp's Promotional Plus Pricing".

The one thing that I love about the Print4Pay Hotel forums is that you can "read between the lines" meaning when it comes to Sharp USA I can understand where they are coming from and why they are so aggressive in the US marketplace now.  But the "reading between the lines" comes from other Print4Pay Hotel members that are speculating or hearing someone else on another level.

Vince McHugh writes his own blog at The Connected Copier, if you're following his blog and mine about Sharp and the comments then I believe you are being kept up to date with the recent events of Sharp Corporation.  Every since a Nikkei analyst stated that "Sharp MAY sell it copier division", Sharp USA has been on the defensive, so much so that they've signed some 15 new dealers, instituted a new Promotional Plus pricing program and even had the Chairman of Sharp's Dealer Advisory Council tell Vince that he should stick to selling copiers, this is his statement "I recommend that you focus on your business".  So, here's a Sharp Dealer Owner that is trying to set the record straight because he heard from "Sharp Corporation's top factory executive and Member of the Board that they shared plans for a profitable B2B business".  I agree, that top exec needs to say the right thing and do everything he can to keep the factories running, stating anything else would just keep adding fuel to the fire.

Here's some of the comments from the forums: