WASHINGTON--(Business Wire)--
The U.S. Small Business Administration is proposing increases in the size
definitions for three broad commercial sectors. The proposed increases cover
size standards for 71 different types of businesses, two-thirds of them in
retail trade sectors. The rest are in accommodations and food services, and
other services.
The changes, if adopted, will expand eligibility to small businesses and help
them gain access to SBA`s financial assistance, contracting and other programs.
"SBA has undertaken a comprehensive review of our size standards to ensure they
are current and reflect changes in the economy and the marketplace," SBA
Administrator Karen Mills said. "SBA`s lending and government contracting
programs provide effective opportunities for small businesses to help them
expand and create jobs, especially during these tough economic times. This
review and proposed changes will help make these critical programs available to
more small businesses and ensure SBA is in a position to be a real partner in
helping our nation`s entrepreneurs and small business owners succeed."
SBA recognizes that in some industries, existing size standards have been
affected by changes in industry structure, market conditions and business
models. SBA is therefore conducting a comprehensive review of all its small
business size standards, and these three proposed rules are the first in the
series. SBA is examining every industry to ensure that existing size standards
are based on current economic data and SBA will propose to revise those where it
believes it is necessary. The newly proposed rules give the public an
opportunity to review and comment on SBA`s proposed standards as well as on the
data and methodology that SBA uses to evaluate and revise size standards.
Before this comprehensive review, the last overall review of size standards
occurred more than 25 years ago. Since then, most reviews of size standards have
been limited to in-depth analyses of specific industries requested by the public
and federal agencies. The SBA also makes periodic inflation adjustments to its
dollar-denominated size standards. The latest inflation adjustment to size
standards was published in the Federal Register on July 18, 2008.
Comments can be submitted on this proposed rule on or before Dec. 21, 2009, to
www.regulations.gov, where they will be posted, or mailed to Khem R. Sharma,
chief, Size Standards Division, 409 3rd St. SW, Mail Code 6530, Washington, DC
20416, or via e-mail at: sizestandards@sba.gov. For more information about SBA`s
revisions to its small business size standards, visit http://www.sba.gov/sizeand
click on "What`s New."
Release Number: 09-74
U.S. Small Business Administration
Tiffani Clements, 202-401-0035
Internet Address: http://www.sba.gov/news
Copyright Business Wire 2009
