FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 6, 2000--Building on its strategy to provide small businesses with a single resource to grow their business, Staples.com today announced five new services that help customers obtain funding, collect debts, incorporate their businesses, select health insurance and sign up for DSL services. Adding to the more than 35 Staples.com hand-selected service providers, the five new providers of these services include LiveCapital, RecoverDebt, MyCorporation, ebDirect and Verizon Online are now available at www.staples.com/bizservices.

"We do the homework for our small business customers by researching the best providers in each service category and by aggregating them in one place," said J.B. Lyon, vice president of business services for Staples.com. "These new providers help our customers concentrate on growing their business, not searching for financing solutions, benefits or telecommunications services. Staples.com makes it easier to run a business and we stand behind each service we offer."

Staples' team of business experts identifies important, everyday services for small businesses and then performs extensive due diligence on potential providers, from a thorough evaluation of their services to an assessment of their financial backing and management team. In addition, extensive content, decision-making tools, side-by-side comparisons and expert content make Staples.com a convenient place to research and purchase business services. Staples.com offers more than 65 types of services through its approved providers and a quote request service with access to thousands of pre-qualified vendors. The new Staples.com business services include:

Financial Management

• LiveCapital provides companies serving the small business market with secure real-time financing and credit solutions. Its services provide small business customers with access to instant credit. A customer can complete one short application, have that application immediately evaluated, and instantly secure multiple financing offers from members of the LiveCapital Financing Network(TM), a diverse collection of over 70 leading lenders and lessors who together offer loans, lines of credit, trade credit, equipment leases, credit cards and more.

• RecoverDebt offers creditors of all sizes access to leading debt collection tools, including fee-based services, such as notification letters and letter series, and contingency-based collections. RecoverDebt.com works with the world's leading debt-collection agencies to provide customers with affordable, easy-to-use and fully trackable debt-collection services.

Legal and Insurance

• MyCorporation offers customers a variety of convenient and value-driven services to help them get their businesses off the ground, including Incorporation, Limited Liability Company formation, free Online Trademark Search, Comprehensive Trademark Search, Trademark Registration Application Preparation, free Trademark and Domain Monitoring services.

• ebDirect, a Web-enabled employee benefits services provider, offers customers a full range of group and individual benefits choices from leading health care, vision, dental, disability and life carriers. Service features include comparative quotes, customer service with local expertise, dedicated account managers, and an online benefits administration tool.

Technology & Communication

• Verizon Online provides Staples.com customers with low cost, high speed, instant access to the Internet through Verizon Online DSL service. There are no service connection fees and the first 30 days of service are free.

About Staples.com

Staples.com, a division of Staples Inc. (NASDAQ:SPLS), is an award-winning business-to-business electronic marketplace offering a comprehensive solution for the office needs of business customers. Staples.com currently provides an electronic marketplace where small, mid-sized and large businesses can procure office products and business services and obtain business information and expert content. Staples.com includes the operations of Staples Inc.'s e-commerce sites: Staples.com, Quill.com and StaplesLink.com, as well as its Canadian e-commerce business.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding Staples, Inc.'s business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-Q for the most recently ended quarter.

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