Exhibit 31.1

        CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-14(a)

I, Robert J. Murray, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of New
   England Business Service, Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any
   untrue statement of a material fact or
   omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
   statements made, in light of the circumstances
   under which such statements were made, not
   misleading with respect to the period covered by this
   report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and
   other financial information included in this
   report, fairly present in all material respects the
   financial condition, results of operations and cash
   flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods
   presented in this report;

4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are
   responsible for establishing and maintaining
   disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange
   Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e))
   for the registrant and have:

   (a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures,
   or caused such disclosure
   controls and procedures to be designed under our
   supervision, to ensure that material
   information relating to the registrant, including its
   consolidated subsidiaries, is made
   known to us by others within those entities,
   particularly during the period in which this
   report is being prepared;

  (b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's
  disclosure controls and procedures
  and presented in this report our conclusions about
  the effectiveness of the disclosure
  controls and procedures, as of the end of the period
  covered by this report based on
  such evaluation; and

  (c) Disclosed in this report any change in the
  registrant's internal control over financial
  reporting that occurred during the registrant's most
  recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's
  fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual
  report) that has materially affected, or is
  reasonably likely to materially affect, the
  registrant's internal control over financial
  reporting; and

5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have
   disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation
   of internal control over financial reporting, to the
   registrant's auditors and the audit committee of
   the registrant's board of directors (or persons
   performing the equivalent functions):

  (a) All significant deficiencies and material
  weaknesses in the design and operation of
  internal control over financial reporting which are
  reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's
  ability to record, process, summarize and report
  financial information; and

  (b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
  management or other employees
  who have a significant role in the registrant's
  internal control over financial reporting.


Dated: November 12, 2003

/s/ Robert J. Murray
- --------------------------------------
Robert J. Murray
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer