Office Depot and NFL Legend Turned Entrepreneur Fran Tarkenton Form New Partnership to Empower Small Business

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Office Depot® (NYSE: ODP), a leading global provider of office supplies and services, today announced that the Company has inked a new partnership with NFL legend and entrepreneur Fran Tarkenton to provide small businesses (SMBs) with a one-stop shop for general business tips, custom-tailored advice, networking, and more.

“This partnership is an important mission since small business is a major economic driver, contributing 55 percent of all jobs in the U.S., according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.”

In partnership with Tarkenton, Office Depot has launched the Small Biz Club, a content-rich small business resource center, which is available free-of-charge to help established businesses to grow stronger and new businesses to introduce their concepts to the world.

Small Biz Club benefits include:

• Access to free, on-demand business coaching events
• A free website builder, including a website monitoring tool
• Online video courses to help start, run, and grow a business
• Legal forms and agreements
• A free business risk assessment

Additionally, Office Depot and Tarkenton will host a free online coaching and networking event entitled, “Everything Is Marketing,” on Saturday, February 23 at 10:00 a.m. EST. This new series of online coaching events, known as “Success Saturdays,” has been designed specifically for small business owners, and the first broadcast will be hosted by Tarkenton, Office Depot’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer Bob Moore, and a panel of real-life small businesses. The webcast will allow participants to submit questions directly to the panel and find opportunities to connect and chat with each other following the event.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and through our partnership with Fran Tarkenton, Office Depot is elevating its commitment to empowering these very important customers,” said Moore. “As one of the most successful and well-respected entrepreneurs in the nation, Fran has been a champion of small business for decades and will bring valuable in-the-trenches lessons to Office Depot customers.”

“Throughout my business career, I’ve had a deep passion for helping entrepreneurs bring their concepts to life, be profitable, and create jobs – a passion Office Depot shares as well,” Tarkenton added. “This partnership is an important mission since small business is a major economic driver, contributing 55 percent of all jobs in the U.S., according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.”

To learn more about the products and services available at Office Depot, please visit your local Office Depot retail store location or www.officedepot.com. To become a fan of Office Depot on Facebook and receive exclusive content, offers and more, please visit www.facebook.com/officedepot. To follow Office Depot on Twitter, please visit http://twitter.com/officedepot.

About Office Depot

Office Depot provides office supplies and services through 1,675 worldwide retail stores, a dedicated sales force, top-rated catalogs, and global e-commerce operations. Office Depot has annual sales of approximately $11.5 billion, employs about 39,000 associates, and serves customers in 60 countries around the world.

Office Depot’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP. Additional press information can be found at: http://mediarelations.officedepot.com and http://socialpress.officedepot.com/.

About Fran Tarkenton

Fran Tarkenton is a serial entrepreneur based in Atlanta, Georgia, having personally started and run 20 successful companies since retiring from the NFL. His efforts to provide knowledge and tools to small business have been a full time undertaking since 1996. Mr. Tarkenton is a passionate advocate for small business, operating through Tarkenton Institute, Inc., to directly serve hundreds of thousands of small business owners and entrepreneurs nationwide over the past 17 years. Mr. Tarkenton’s multiple companies and websites are each focused on ways to help entrepreneurs succeed in any industry and at any stage of development. A complete list of subsidiaries and brands can be found at http://www.Tarkenton.com.