AOL Celebrates National Small Business Week by Offering Entrepreneurs an Extensive Package of Special Features.

Business Editors

DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6, 2002

Live Webcasts, Interactive Polls and Special Message Boards Offer

Small Businesses the Opportunity to Speak Out on Important Issues

FSB: Fortune Small Business Provides Online Coverage Honoring

America's Top Entrepreneurs

America Online, Inc., the world's leading interactive services company, today announced the launch of a special package of content, features and resources to commemorate National Small Business Week, which celebrates the important role the nearly 25 million U.S. small businesses play in their local communities and in shaping the nation's economy.

Sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), National Small Business Week recognizes the outstanding achievements and economic contributions of small business owners from across the country who are coming together to take part in a number of nationwide events and celebrations honoring the spirit of entrepreneurship. AOL is a corporate sponsor of National Small Business Week activities in Washington, DC.

Throughout the week, AOL is providing small businesses with exclusive online content and features from FSB: Fortune Small Business, polls and message boards from Netscape, counseling from the SCORE Association (Service Corps of Retired Executives), free business software research tools from BizProLink and small business policy-related information from Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP). The weeklong package, available on AOL and at Netbsiness.com, will give small businesses the ability to follow Small Business Week ceremonies in Washington, in addition to providing resources and advice to help them run their businesses more effectively.

"America's small businesses are a driving force behind our economic growth, employing more than half the country's work force and creating 75 percent of new jobs each year," said Marcia Parker, Director of Programming, AOL Small Business. "National Small Business Week lets us recognize the important contributions entrepreneurs bring not only to the economy but to the nation's heritage and character. AOL is proud to show support by providing leading online small business resources to help entrepreneurs continue to succeed."

AOL members, and visitors to Netbusiness.com, will be able to follow Small Business Week activities in Washington through direct links to the official SBA Webcast, and via special AOL content, which will include profiles of Entrepreneur of the Year winners. Webcasted events will include the Entrepreneur of the Year Award luncheon and speeches by SBA Administrator Hector Barreto and Labor Secretary Elaine Chao. Panel discussions and workshop sessions will also be held throughout the week.

Moreover, AOL is producing a daily poll on a wide range of important small business issues. The polls will be tied to Netscape message boards, allowing visitors to voice opinions on the current state of small business. The Small Business Week package will also link to the AOL GovernmentGuide (www.governmentguide.com), providing quick and easy access to a wealth of resources from federal, state and local agencies.

FSB coverage of the National Small Business Week on AOL includes exclusive online content, including inspirational profiles of small business owners who have reinvented their businesses after the events of September 11th, and a feature on ways people transitioning from the corporate environment to the entrepreneurial world can effectively start a business in a difficult economic environment.

Teaming with small business experts BizProLink, The SCORE Association and Women Impacting Public Policy, AOL is providing links to a number of free small business resources, including online counseling, business plan assistance and public policy information as part of the package:

- BizProLink is offering AOL members and Netbusiness users free access to a
wide assortment of business software products and services that enable small
business owners to quickly search through a directory of over 22,000 software
solutions for small businesses. This simplifies the selection process and makes
the purchasing decision cost effective. BizProLink offers industry-specific
business plans, consulting, sales/direct mail leads and information to small
businesses via AOL and Netbusiness.

- The SCORE Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to entrepreneur
education and the formation, growth and success of small businesses nationwide,
is providing free email business counseling to small businesses via AOL. By
clicking on links throughout the package, AOL members and Netbusiness visitors
can tap into the network of 11,500 working and retired executives and business
owners who contribute their time and expertise as volunteer business
counselors.

- A national bi-partisan public policy organization representing more than
250,000 women business owners nationwide, Women Impacting Public Policy is
providing AOL members special content focusing on small business policy issues
in addition to providing women owned small businesses with important updates
from Washington, DC and state capitols around the country. Columns from Terry
Neese, President of WIPP, will also be included in the package.

About America Online

America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL Time Warner, Inc. (NYSE: AOL). Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services.