ATLANTA, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Small business owner Henry Perry used to spend 10 hours per week handling payroll for Cal Oak Flooring in Livermore, Calif. With help from The Home Depot's new Business ToolBox program, he is down to just one hour, saving him valuable time he can now spend with current and prospective clients.

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Joining Mr. Perry are more than 12,000 other small business owners who have registered for the Business ToolBox since it launched in April. The Home Depot(R), the world's largest home improvement retailer, says this is one of the only programs for small businesses available anywhere that offers one-stop shopping for a comprehensive collection of discount business services and products. It is also the only program that offers a leading health insurance and benefits program that is available in all 50 states.

A recent survey of Business ToolBox members found that 71 percent consider health insurance and benefits to be an important issue, and 38 percent said they plan to use the Business ToolBox health insurance program to meet their health insurance needs. The survey also found that nearly 50 percent of members joined to save money, while 20 percent joined because the ToolBox offers benefits that they could not find elsewhere, and 18 percent joined to save time so that they could focus on their core business.

"Small businesses from a variety of industries, not just contractors and remodelers, are finding that the Business ToolBox has the services they need at a discount," said Jim Stoddart, senior vice president of Growth Initiatives for The Home Depot. "We have floor installers using it for payroll and CPAs using it to purchase office equipment. It's a program that can save any small business time and money."

Small businesses typically pay up to 20 percent more than large businesses for the same services. Business ToolBox allows them to take advantage of cost savings and discounts on services such as payroll processing, business insurance, credit card processing, wireless telecommunications, uniforms and logowear, computers, shipping, office supplies and more, comparable to cost savings and discounts available to large companies.

Some other business service programs require members to utilize and remember multiple phone numbers or pass codes. The Home Depot Business ToolBox provides its customers with a single point of contact for all of their needs. Customers can choose to contact the Business ToolBox partners through either a dedicated Web site or through a single toll-free telephone number. This one- stop shopping approach saves even more time.

In addition, no matter what type of business a member has, he or she can save countless hours by downloading free management tools designed specifically for his or her business, including sample business plans, human resources forms, lists and letters, financial forms, and employee management and motivation tools.

According to a National Federation of Independent Business survey, health benefit costs are the number one problem small businesses face today. To address this concern, The Home Depot Business ToolBox offers an industry- leading insurance solution. Whether an owner needs insurance or simply wants to offer insurance options to his or her employees, the Business ToolBox health insurance and benefits platform gives owners a one-stop shop for all health benefit needs. Benefit options are available in all 50 states with customized solutions in individual and group coverage for major and limited medical, dental, vision and discount programs. Customers who are employed by small businesses, including part-time employees, enjoy the option of purchasing insurance and benefits with the assistance of a live telephone counselor, even if their employer does not offer an insurance option.

The Home Depot Business ToolBox resources and services can be accessed through the Business ToolBox call center at 1-866-333-3099 or online at www.hdbusinesstoolbox.com. Additional information can be found by visiting the Contractor Services Desk at any The Home Depot store in the United States.

About The Home Depot

The Home Depot(R) is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,087 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. Through its HD Supply(SM) businesses, The Home Depot is also one of the largest diversified wholesale distributors in the United States, with more than 900 locations in the United States and Canada offering products and services for building, improving and maintaining homes, businesses and municipal infrastructures. In fiscal 2005, The Home Depot had sales of $81.5 billion and earnings of $5.8 billion. The Company employs approximately 355,000 associates and has been recognized by FORTUNE magazine as the No. 1 Most Admired Specialty Retailer and the No. 13 Most Admired Corporation in America for 2006. The Home Depot's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index. HDG

Source: The Home Depot