MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 13, 2006--The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) kicks off National Small Business Week on April 24, to help recognize the more than 24 million small businesses across the country and their contribution to the U.S. economy. According to the SBA, small businesses employ half of all private sector employees and have generated 60 to 80 percent of new jobs annually over the last decade. As part of an ongoing commitment to provide small business owners with tools they can use to succeed and grow their businesses, the Better Business Bureau System and Capital One Financial (NYSE:COF) today released BBBTips(TM) on Hiring Staff to provide small business owners practical advice and information for each step of the hiring process.

"Many small business owners know that adding employees can increase productivity and help their efforts to better meet customer expectations, but they aren't sure how to begin the hiring process," said Steve Cole, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. "Knowing when a business should hire staff and learning how to find qualified candidates are just a few of the tips offered in this new set of BBBTips(TM)."

Today's small business owner often juggles multiple responsibilities, assuming the role of human resources manager and chief financial officer in a day's time. For many, an essential part of business growth requires identifying the right informational resources to manage these changing roles. The new BBBTips(TM) on Hiring Staff provides information on:

When to Hire Employees

Information and strategies for determining when a company is ready to hire personnel

How Much it Costs

Tips for determining the short- and long-term cost of adding employees

How to Recruit Staff & Conduct Interviews

Practical tips and advice for completing a successful recruitment and interview process

    Mistakes to Avoid

    Important strategies to avoid common hiring mistakes

"Attracting candidates with the right experience and knowledge base and steering those candidates through the interview process is important to the success of a small business," said Dave Wasik, senior vice president, Small Business at Capital One. "This new set of BBBTips(TM) offers small business owners easy guidance on how to estimate costs, conduct interviews, and manage the hiring process."

The Capital One-sponsored BBBTips(TM) for Small Business are free and available online at www.bbb.org/tips/capitalone.

About Capital One

Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One Financial Corporation (www.capitalone.com) is a financial holding company whose principal subsidiaries, Capital One Bank, Capital One, F.S.B., Capital One Auto Finance, Inc., and Hibernia National Bank (www.hibernia.com), offer a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. Capital One's subsidiaries collectively had $47.9 billion in deposits and $105.5 billion in managed loans outstanding as of December 31, 2005. Capital One, a Fortune 500 company, trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 500 index.

Capital One offers a range of products to meet small business needs, including small business credit cards, small business loans and lines of credit, and small business savings accounts. As one of the largest small business lenders, Capital One provides specialized support designed to make it easier for small business customers to manage their finances so that they can focus on what's important to them. Capital One small business products are available via direct mail, capitalone.com, phone (877.561.9847) and fax.

About BBBTips(TM)

BBBTips(TM) is a trademark of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. (CBBB) that is used to identify consumer and business information articles and brochures that have been developed in partnership with the Better Business Bureau Consumer Education Foundation, Inc. BBBTips(TM) are made possible, in part, through the generous financial and technical support that is provided by corporate sponsors who are members of the CBBB and of the local BBB where the corporate sponsor is headquartered. BBBTips(TM) are designed to provide unbiased and factual information to assist consumers in making informed and intelligent purchase decisions.

CONTACT: Capital One Financial Corporation, McLean
Alison Athay, 206-239-0140
aathay@apcoworldwide.com
or
Council of Better Business Bureaus
Sheila Adkins, 703-247-9312
sadkins@cbbb.bbb.org
SOURCE: Capital One Financial Corporation