CSBJ Daily

Rising fuel costs have prompted a Small Business Administration revision of size standards for small businesses in the heating-oil and liquefied petroleum gas dealers industries.

The SBA also has restored small-business eligibility to firms that may have exceeded existing size standards because of higher oil prices.

The final rule, which will be effective Aug. 21, converts existing receipts-based size standards from $11.5 million in average annual receipts in the heating-oil dealer industry and $6.5 million in the liquefied petroleum gas dealers industry to a 50-employee size standard — providing a more stable size definition for small businesses.

Average weekly heating-oil prices increased 95.9 percent and propane prices increased 74.5 percent, fluctuating more than 35 percent between 2002 and 2007.

Before the rule change, many small businesses in these industries were exceeding existing size standards because of unpredictable oil cost increases.