STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 9, 1999--

           Study Reveals Five Types of Small Business Owners

          Online Guide and Customized Profiling Applications
           Provide Practical "Self-Help" Success Strategies

     A groundbreaking examination of small business and small business

owners conducted by Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI) has revealed the psychological and attitudinal underpinnings of success in this high-growth market segment. The largest study of its kind, the research demonstrates how the feelings, attitudes and ideas of small business owners directly translate into the way they run their businesses.

The Pitney Bowes' study, called "Attitudes and Behaviors That Create Small Business Success," was conducted with Yankelovich Partners and examined over 1,400 businesses. It delivers a comprehensive understanding of how small businesses operate, the factors that contribute to success and outlines five distinct types of small business owners. With this insight, business owners can profit from the successful strategies and practices of business owners most like them.

Previous studies have only explored small businesses from a demographic perspective. But the Pitney Bowes study takes a fresh approach, exploring attitudes towards every aspect of running a business, including growth, control, finances and technology, and defining them within the context of the personality of small business owners.

"By most measures, the owner IS the small business. How they approach life is how they approach their business. What they want, how they wish to spend their time, their attitudes, their skills and expertise, what they want to improve and what keeps them up at night are reflected in the owners' personalities and guide virtually all business decisions," says Elise DeBois, President, Small Business Solutions at Pitney Bowes. "If you identify the attitudes and behaviors of small business owners, you identify the attitudes and behaviors that make their businesses successful as well."

Five Small Business Segments Identified

"There is a misperception that small businesses are all pretty much alike," says DeBois. "Our findings show that while they may share common values and a driving competitive spirit, small business owners have very different approaches to doing business." Along those lines, five distinct types of small business owners were identified: "Idealists," "Optimizers," "Hard Workers," "Sustainers," and "Jugglers."

Idealists. Representing 24 percent of businesses, these owners are most likely to have started their businesses because they had a great idea or wanted to work on something special. They'd rather spend their time working on something other than financial details and seem to derive less personal enjoyment from their businesses. Idealists are the group that would be most willing to work for someone else.

Fairly sophisticated technologically, these owners and their businesses are most dependent on computers and are likely to make business purchases based on price. The most successful Idealists form relationships with suppliers that have been around for a long time.

Optimizers. This group makes up 21 percent of the businesses. They enjoy their work and never want to work for someone else. While they are the most committed to growth, these owners focus on profits, not the size of their company. They are extremely knowledgeable about financial matters and their emphasis on technology allows them to generate more revenue per employee than other business owners. Confident and savvy, they enjoy the personal rewards of ownership and feel their work and private lives are in balance. Successful Optimizers leverage the Internet and contract/freelance workers to keep costs down and use credit and leasing arrangements to support strategic growth.

Hard Workers. Hard Workers love what they're doing. Making up 20 percent of the population, they are the group most interested in managing a larger business. They report the highest levels of growth and are the most likely to use credit to meet their goals. Hard Workers exercise broad personal control, "sweat every detail", and are more interested in working with trusted suppliers than in getting the lowest possible price. The most successful business owners in this segment have a long-term growth plan and stick to it.

Jugglers. Also representing 20 percent of the market, Jugglers are the most involved and personally invested in their businesses. They are anxious about relinquishing control to their staffs and want things done to their own standards. For these owners, there never seems to be enough time. They are big users of credit, are starting to use the Internet more aggressively, and are proud of their ability to juggle all the different demands of the business. Jugglers are always looking for ways to improve their business and are optimistic about growth, even though they are concerned about the national business outlook. They are also the most demanding in terms of what they expect from suppliers and often feel as if they don't get the best deal.

Sustainers. This is the smallest of the segments, making up only 15 percent of the total. They enjoy their work and have a good balance between work and home life. Sustainers are likely to have bought or inherited the business, rather than starting it themselves and often hire family members. They are the least interested in and knowledgeable about technology and will simply put in longer hours to "get ahead." The most conservative of all owners, Sustainers are happy with the way things are and have little interest to grow or take on more credit obligations.

     Online Survey and Web Site Steer Small Business Owners Toward
     Success

     With these different types starkly outlined, it's clear that in

the small business world, "one size doesn't fit all." While virtually every small business owner wants to improve some aspect of their business, the advice and tactics that spell success for a Juggler will not be as productive for a Hard Worker. It's important for small business owners to profile their own unique "business personality" and then play to their strengths and offset weaknesses.

To help, Pitney Bowes has developed a series of simple online tools based on the study data. Offered free on the PitneyWorks web site at www.pitneyworks.com, owners can access study results and complete an easy survey to help them determine which of the five categories most closely matches them. A detailed profile is then generated, providing insight into the most direct path for success.

Additionally, PitneyWorks has developed a series of "roadmaps" that provide tailored advice for each of the small business segments based on the most successful behaviors within each category. Each roadmap is linked with a listing of relevant online and offline resources developed specifically for each profile. Small business owners can click to find recommended readings as well as the Web sites of small business organizations that can further help them with their particular needs.

About Pitney Bowes

Pitney Bowes Inc. is a $4.2 billion global provider of informed mail and messaging management solutions. Its full suite of mailing, marketing and financial products and services are designed for the way small business really works. The suite of small business solutions is being offered under the new PitneyWorks(SM) brand name. For more information please visit our web site at http://www.pitneyworks.com.