▁one ▁man ▁companies ▁or ▁a ▁type ▁of ▁fre el ance . ▁ ▁United ▁States ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁the ▁Small ▁Business ▁Administration ▁sets ▁small ▁business ▁criteria ▁based ▁on ▁industry , ▁ownership ▁structure , ▁re venue ▁and ▁number ▁of ▁employees ▁( which ▁in ▁some ▁circumstances ▁may ▁be ▁as ▁high ▁as ▁ 1 5 0 0 , ▁although ▁the ▁cap ▁is ▁typically ▁ 5 0 0 ). ▁Both ▁the ▁US ▁and ▁the ▁EU ▁generally ▁use ▁the ▁same ▁threshold ▁of ▁fewer ▁than ▁ 1 0 ▁employees ▁for ▁small ▁offices ▁( SO HO ). ▁ ▁Also ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁small ▁and ▁medium - s ized ▁manufact ur ers ▁are ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁S MM s , ▁which ▁the ▁US ▁Department ▁of ▁Energy ▁class ifies ▁as ▁having ▁gross ▁annual ▁sales ▁below ▁$ 1 0 0 ▁million , ▁fewer ▁than ▁ 5 0 0 ▁employees ▁at ▁the ▁plant ▁site , ▁and ▁annual ▁energy ▁b ills ▁more ▁than ▁$ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁but ▁less ▁than ▁$ 2 . 5 ▁million . ▁ ▁O ce ania ▁ ▁Australia ▁▁ ▁In ▁Australia , ▁a ▁S ME ▁has ▁ 2 0 0 ▁or ▁fewer ▁employees . ▁Micro bus iness es ▁have ▁ 1 – 4 ▁employees , ▁small ▁business es ▁ 5 – 1 9 , ▁medium ▁business es ▁ 2 0 – 1 9 9 , ▁and ▁large ▁business es ▁ 2 0 0 + . ▁Australian ▁S ME s ▁make ▁up ▁ 9 8 % ▁of ▁all ▁Australian ▁business es , ▁produced ▁one