ADVISORY/Robert Dole, Industry Leaders Celebrate Launch of EqualFooting.com.

Assignment/News Editors

ADVISORY...for Thursday (March 16)

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

What:       Launch Party for EqualFooting.com, with announcement of
            new online financing center and new marketing partnerships

When:       Thursday, March 16, 2000
            6:30-8:30 p.m. (Media session before party at 5:30)

Where:      Columbus Club, Union Station
            Washington, DC

Why:        EqualFooting.com is a business-to-business online
            marketplace providing small businesses in the construction
            and manufacturing sectors with unprecedented purchasing
            and financing power. The site currently touts the largest
            maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) supplies catalog
            on the Internet. Small businesses can use EqualFooting.com
            to find the best price on supplies and equipment, as well
            as the best deals on leasing rates. EqualFooting.com has
            grown from 3 full-time founders in June, 1999 to over 80
            employees and 10,000 members in February, 2000.

Who:        Featured speakers at the launch party include:
            --  Robert Dole, former Senate Majority Leader and
            presidential candidate.
            --  Reed Hundt, former chairman of the Federal
            Communications Commission.

How:        RSVP 301/654-9292, ext. 456.
            For interview requests, contact George Evanko at The
            ProMarc Agency, 202/293-8561.

Misc.:      EqualFooting.com was founded in May 1999 by Jim Fox, Angie
            Kim and Aaron Martin, formerly of McKinsey & Co. Seed
            financing was provided by Capital Investors - whose
            partners include Steve Case (Chairman and CEO of American
            Online, Marc Andreessen (co-founder of NetScape), Daniel
            Akerson (Chairman of Nextel), John Sidgmore (Vice Chairman
            of MCI Worldcom) - and Jim Stewart
            (CEO of WingspanBank.com). First round financing was
            provided by New Enterprise Associates, FBR Technology
            Venture Partners, Draper Richards and former Federal
            Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundt. More
            information on EqualFooting.com can be found at
            www.equalfooting.com.