November 8, 2005

       CHEVY CHASE, Md. - (November 8, 2005) - ValueStar®, a leading publisher of print and online directories of quality service businesses and validated consumer ratings, received the "Models of Excellence" award from InfoCommerce Group, a market analyst and consulting firm serving the commercial online data publishing industry worldwide.

      The "Models of Excellence" award honors companies that demonstrate how real revenue is generated by selling and distributing information online. Winners received their awards last night at the InfoCommerce conference, which runs November 7-8 in Philadelphia.

      "The ValueStar service is a creative, rigorous and technologically sophisticated approach to addressing a growing need: how to credential and rate service businesses," said Russell Perkins, President of InfoCommerce Group. "It neatly sidesteps many of the issues that have challenged others who have tried to rate services businesses, and its commitment to both print and online support of its participating businesses creates a strong overall value proposition."

       ValueStar offers the only free, independent directory of local service businesses which includes feedback from current, validated customers. The company publishes ratings of local businesses based on input from consumers who have paid for services from ValueStar-rated businesses. Businesses cannot pay to influence their ratings. This approach gives consumers increased confidence and trust that ValueStar's ratings are valid and objective, helping them make better provider decisions.

       The InfoCommerce award comes on the heels of ValueStar's aggressive re-launch of the ValueStar brand under new ownership and with an improved and highly scalable model for obtaining consumer feedback and acquiring local service business listings. ValueStar is currently operational in the San Francisco Bay Area, where it has enlisted more than 60 service businesses and already leads the market in consumer awareness for local service directories.

      "The 'Models of Excellence' award highlights our success at creating a scalable business based on credible, highly valuable content that continues to attract new consumers and local businesses," said Lou Morsberger, CEO and co-founder of ValueStar. "Our model lets us tap into recent consumer feedback and local knowledge while providing more benefits to local businesses and their customers than existing local search or yellow page options."

       The ValueStar ratings system significantly shortens the customer acquisition cycle for local businesses by harnessing the power of positive consumer endorsements and providing increased incentives for consumer participation. The service, which is free to consumers, includes dispute resolution, a money-back guarantee up to $1,000, and a compelling consumer loyalty program in easy-to-see, easy-to-search online and printed consumer directories.

      The original ValueStar program was founded in 1992 and had grown to more than 7,000 local service businesses under contract in seven markets. In the Bay Area alone, more than 40,000 consumers participated in the service, generating $2 million in revenue. Service Ratings, LLC purchased ValueStar's assets in December 2001 and secured $1.1 million in Series A funding in March 2005.

About ValueStar
ValueStar is a leading publisher of online and printed local service directories providing confirmed consumer ratings of service businesses and professionals. ValueStar evaluates local service companies on a range of factors and uses a proprietary system to gather feedback from actual consumers. The company is owned by Service Ratings, LLC and headquartered in the Washington, DC, area, with operations in Oakland, Calif., which service consumers and businesses throughout the Bay Area.

For more information, go to www.ValueStar.com.