The general rule is that a business is small enough to qualify for SBA assistance if it has less than 500 employees. However, this general rule is subject to industry-by-industry variations. Below is a summary of the industry standards that the SBA uses to define a business as "small." See the SBA page
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Type of Concern | Standards |
Manufacturing | The maximum number of employees may range from 500 to 1,500 depending upon the type of product being manufactured. |
Wholesaling | The total number of employees may not exceed 100. |
Providers of services | Annual receipts may not exceed $3.5M to $14.5M, depending upon the industry. |
Retailing | Annual receipts may not exceed $3.5M to $13.5M depending upon the industry. |
Construction | Annual receipts may not exceed $9.5M to $17M, depending upon the industry. |
Special trade construction | Annual receipts may not exceed $7M. |
Agricultural | Annual receipts may not exceed $0.5M to $3.5M, depending upon the industry. |