CORPORATIONS

CONTENTS:

• Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 for 2002
• Landings.com
• MetLife's Insurance Ratings & Corporate Giving Programs
• Fortune.Com

A lot of us must be following Jared's diet. Subway is the #1 franchise for the 10th time! Review the 2002 list for the other 499.

In the Top 500 rankings list, click on each company's URL and find a mini-profile of the franchise, including the costs of owning one. Valuable information for researchers.

Scroll down the profile to Corporate Information, where you MAY find a summary of their giving programs. Browse the site for other useful listings.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/Franchise_Zone/FZ_Special_Listing/
1,4731,12-12---F5-,00.html

LANDINGS.COM

If you're pursuing anything related to aviation, land here. Scroll to the bottom of the home page for Aviation's Directory, which has links to manufacturers, companies and clubs, indexed by name and location. Aviation news and publications are available, too.

The URL below is of particular interest. Use it to search aircraft ownership by the owner's name.

http://www.landings.com/evird.acgi$pass*46313151!_h-ww.landings.com/_landings/pages/search/search_nnr-owners.html

Pilots can be searched by name, rating and region.

http://www.landings.com/evird.acgi$pass*46313151!_h-www.landings.com/_landings/pages/search/certs-pilot.html

Or turn to Landings home page.

http://www.landings.com/

METLIFE'S INSURANCE RATINGS & CORPORATE GIVING PROGRAMS

Moody's Aa2, A.M. Best A+, Fitch AA+, S&P's AA. What do these insurance ratings mean? You'll find some simple explanations on the MetLife site.

While you're there, look in the left margin for the Corporate Citizenship link. This will lead to information about:

• The MetLife Foundation, supporting programs in health, education, culture and civic affairs
• Social Investment Program, funding community ventures that do not meet the customary investment criteria of private and institutional investors
• Diversity Supplier Partnership, which actively encourages the purchase of goods and services from minority- and women-owned businesses

http://www.metlife.com/Applications/Corporate/WPS/CDA/
PageGenerator/0,1674,P254,00.html

FORTUNE.COM

Look for new and update old prospects with the Fortune's list of America's Fastest Growing Small Companies (from the July/August 2002 issue of FORTUNE SMALL BUSINESS magazine).

http://www.fortune.com/lists/Fsb100/index.html

Beverly Goodwin