SEC Form 4

FORM 4
[ ] Check this box if no longer
subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form
5 obligations may continue.
See Instruction 1(b). UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.  20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility
Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^* Schlerf, Steven     G. (Last)                      (First)                      (Middle) 500 Main Street c/o Legal Department (Street) Groton, MA     01471-0001 (City)                      (State)                      (Zip) USA 2. Issuer Name and Ticker
    or Trading Symbol
New England Business Service, Inc.   NEB 3. I.R.S. Identification
    Number of Reporting
    Person, if an entity
    (voluntary) 4. Statement for
    (Month/Year)
    August 2002
5. If Amendment,
    Date of Original
    (Month/Year) 6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
                        Director                           10% Owner            X          Officer                             Other
Officer/Other Description           Senior Vice President 7. Individual or Joint/Group
    Filing (Check Applicable Line)
X   Individual Filing       Joint/Group Filing

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1. Title of Security     (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date     (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction     Code     and     Voluntary     Code     (Instr. 8) Code  |  V	4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed (D) Of     (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)         Amount      |         A/D         |         Price	5. Amount of     Securities     Beneficially     Owned at     End ofMonth     (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Owner-     ship     Form:     Direct(D)     or     Indirect (I)     (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of      Indirect      Beneficial      Ownership     (Instr. 4)
Common Stock Par Value $1.00	08/30/2002	A | V	92.707   |           A           |   $23.040	3,639.311	I	By 401(k) (1)
Common Stock, Restricted, Par Value $1.00	08/06/2002	A |	4,484.300(2)   |           A           |   $22.300		D
Common Stock, Restricted, Par Value $1.00	08/30/2002	A | V	43.159(3)   |           A           |   $23.370	5,086.538	D
Common Stock Par Value $1.00				7,993.432	D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).

(over)
SEC 1474 (3-99)

Schlerf, Steven G. - August 2002

Form 4 (continued)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security
    (Instr. 3) 2. Conver-
    sion or
    Exercise
    Price of
    Deri-
    vative
    Security 3. Transaction
    Date

    (Month/
    Day/
    Year) 4. Transaction
    Code
    and
    Voluntary (V)
    Code
    (Instr.8)


Code | V     5. Number of Derivative
    Securities Acquired (A)
    or Disposed (D) Of

    (Instr. 3,4 and 5) 6. Date Exercisable(DE) and
    Expiration Date(ED)
    (Month/Day/Year)




  (DE)     |     (ED)   7. Title and Amount of
    Underlying Securities
    (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price
    of
    Derivative
    Security
    (Instr.5) 9. Number of
    Derivative
    Securities
    Beneficially
    Owned
    at End of
    Month
    (Instr.4) 10.
Owner-
ship
Form of
Deriv-
ative
Security:
Direct
(D)
or
Indirect
(I) 11. Nature of
      Indirect
      Beneficial
      Ownership
      (Instr.4)

Explanation of Responses :

** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations.
        See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

Note:   File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient,
            See Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not
required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number. By: /S/ Michelle R. Palermo-Murphy as Attorney-in-Fact
________________________________            09-04-2002    
** Signature of Reporting Person                         Date

Power of Attorney

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SEC 1474 (3-99)

Schlerf, Steven G. - August 2002

Form 4 (continued)

FOOTNOTE Descriptions for New England Business Service, Inc. NEB

Form 4 - August 2002

Steven G. Schlerf
500 Main Street
c/o Legal Department
Groton, MA 01471-0001

Explanation of responses:

(1)   401(K) is a unitized stock fund consisting of company stock and cash and the amount of securities listed on this form is expressed in equivalent shares. The amount of shares attributed to a plan participant and expressed as equivalent shares may change from time to time without the volition of the plan participant and depends upon the amount of cash in the fund, the fair market value of company stock, and the number of plan participants.
(2)   Shares granted pursuant to the Plan vest according to the following schedule; 15% of total grant at Company's 1st annual meeting of stockholders following the date of the grant; 35% of total grant vests at 2nd annual meeting of stockholders, with remaining 50% of grant vesting at 3rd annual meeting of stockholders.
(3)   Amount represents dividends on restricted shares that are automatically reinvested in additional restricted shares under the terms of the underlying restricted stock award.

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