Under the agreement, Netscape Netbusiness users will have direct access to SCORE’s national network of 11,500 working and retired executives and business owners who contribute their time and expertise as volunteer business counselors. . Additionally, visitors to the SCORE site will have direct one-click access to the Netbusiness site and its wealth of content, community and e-commerce via a Netbusiness link on the SCORE site.

The relationship builds upon the common goal of providing small businesses with the tools and information they need to succeed. SCORE members volunteers spend more than a million hours a year mentoring and advising small businesses throughout the country on a broad range of business issues—free of charge. The association assists approximately 300,000 small businesses every year through its Web site and in its 389 chapters across the United States.

Fred Singer, Senior Vice President of AOL Interactive Services, and General Manager of Netscape Netbusiness said, "We are delighted to be partnering. Our agreement with SCORE to will help us expand the online resources available to Netscape Netbusiness users. Through its vast army of dedicated business veterans, SCORE provides small businesses with the kinds of practical advice and mentoring that can only come from the breadth and depth of its members’SCORES’ volunteers’ years of experience. We look forward to building upon our relationship and providing leading online resources for small businesses."

SCORE CEO Ken Yancey said: "By combining the knowledge, skills and commitment of our volunteers with the resources and reach of Netscape Netbusiness, we are working together to bring the diversity and strength of our two organizations to provide the resources and expertise to help small businesses get started, grow and succeed."

Offering an array of easy-to-use and fully customizable information, productivity and communications tools, Netscape Netbusiness benefits small businesses and entrepreneurs at each stage of their venture - from creating and running the enterprise, to marketing and sales, to building and strengthening relationships with consumers and other businesses. The Netbusiness Marketplace , offers a global e-commerce network linking hundreds of communities and marketplaces enabling small, medium and large businesses to buy, sell and interact online.

The Netbusiness Card—a free service from Netbusiness—provides a simple and effective way to establish an online presence, enabling users to communicate dynamic, detailed information on their company's services, industry classification and products to millions of potential customers.

With more than 11,000 volunteer business counselors, SCORE provides free "face-to-face" small business mentoring and advice in local communities across the nation, as well as free and confidential "e-mail counseling. Users can visit the SCORE site to get email counseling by searching a list of the association's 800 seasoned business executives by keyword and pose a question to the expert of their choice. Typically within 48 hours, the SCORE advisor will respond to the question and continue communications until the question is completely answered or the problem is solved.

About Netscape Netbusiness

Launched by AOL and Netscape in September 2000, Netscape Netbusiness (http://netbusiness.netscape.com/) provides a free, one-stop home on the Internet to enable owners of small businesses to better manage both their operations and everyday lives. Netbusiness offers easy-to-use and fully customizable information resources, productivity and communications tools including message boards and custom Netbusiness version of Netscape Instant Messenger, and a free online presence with the innovative "Netbusiness Card", which enables registered users to create an "online storefront" for free.

About The SCORE Association 

The SCORE Association was formed in 1964 as a nonprofit association dedicated to entrepreneur education and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. For information about starting or operating a small business, call 1-800/634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you. More than 11,500 volunteer members provide individual counseling and business workshops for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. SCORE has assisted more than 4.5 million Americans with small business counseling. Visit SCORE on the Web (www.score.org).