Business Editors

    STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 2, 1999--It's September and Americans will soon observe Labor Day, a holiday celebrating the contributions and achievements of workers to our national prosperity. But while some of us are relaxing at home, one booming segment of the American work force, the small business industry, is probably on the job. Small companies comprise 90 percent of all businesses in the United States, and according to a recent survey of 2,000 small business owners by Pitney Bowes, Inc. (NYSE: PBI), the small business industry works longer hours than any other segment.

In fact, these people put in an average of 54 hours each week, as compared to the average working adult who works a 42-hour week. Fewer than 20 percent of small business owners work a 40-hour work week or less. Long work weeks cut across all small business sectors (services, wholesale, retail, finance, insurance, real estate, manufacturing and other). But the owners of small retail businesses were at the top of the scale with 24 percent putting in over 60 hours a week on average.

The good news is that while they work longer hours, Pitney Bowes' survey results also show that almost 80 percent of small business owners truly enjoy their work. In addition, they are optimistic about the future of business generally (40 percent), more so about their own industry (52 percent), and even more so about their own business (63 percent).

"Since starting my own business, I look back at 40-hour work weeks with some longing and nostalgia," says Bill Baker, principal of Baker Communications Group and a SoHo business owner in Danbury, Connecticut. "Now everything is pretty much fair game for work including nights, weekends and definitely holidays. But it's not so bad - when you do it to build your own business, it doesn't quite seem like work. It's more like investing in yourself."

Hats off to the small business industry on this Labor Day for all their hard work, dedication and commitment to the U.S. economy.

Under its PitneyWorks brand, Pitney Bowes offers a full suite of mailing, messaging, marketing and financial services dedicated to meeting the needs of small business owners.

Pitney Bowes, Inc. is a $4.2 billion global provider of informed mailing and messaging management. For more information about Pitney Bowes' services and products, please visit http://www.pitneybowes.com or call 1-800-640-7058.

     --30--tia/ny*

     CONTACT:  Pitney Bowes, Inc.
               Beth Ghiloni, 203/373-6952
               E-mail: ghilonel@pb.com
                    or
               Brodeur Porter Novelli
               Karen King, 203/399-3303
               E-mail: kking@brodeur.com

     KEYWORD:  CONNECTICUT
     INDUSTRY KEYWORD: INTERACTIVE/MULTIMEDIA/INTERNET COMED 
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