Gas prices hurt business

These small-business owners are not only feeling the pain at the pump, their companies are losing steam.

By Jessica Seid, CNNMoney.com staff writer

With gas prices near record highs, some small-business owners are getting pummeled at the pump. Roland Kelley, the CEO of Fast Action Moving, a moving and storage company based in San Diego, says it's been hard to adjust to the cost increases. To compensate for prices as high as $3.30 a gallon, "we've had to raise rates by about 5 percent. It's helped out, but...we're still taking a loss," he said. In addition, the 10-truck operation has had to severely cut back on their long-distance moves and do more local runs. "We have to take a hard look at jobs to see if it's worth it," he said. Kelley admits that if gas prices continue to rise, "we'll have to try to pass it on to our clients." It seems obvious that rising gas prices would take the fuel out of a moving company, but they're certainly not the only ones feeling the squeeze.

Gas budget triples
Stan Houston runs an insurance agency in rural Enterprise, Ala., where gas costs $2.89 a gallon. Meeting clients and doing home inspections requires a lot of time on the road and Houston averages about 900 miles a week behind the wheel. To fill the tank of his Ford F-150 costs Houston approximately $70, which he must do at least three times a week, not counting weekends. "My gas budget has more than tripled and I am now unable to expand my business like I had planned to do." In some cases, Houston said, "the commissions that I earn on appointments don't even pay for the gas it cost to drive to them." In addition, Houston recently had to lay off one of his two employees to cut costs. His other employee commutes more than 60 miles to the office every day and she would have quit a long time ago if it weren't for her loyalty, he said.

'I cannot stop driving'
Vinnie Crell runs a manufacturers representative group and must travel to meet with retailers to promote sales of his clients' products and secure orders.
To maintain and solicit sales, Crell, who drives a Toyota Matrix, is on the road every day and figures he fills his tank about three times a week. "My gas expense has increased by $30 to $40 a week," Crell said, which takes an additional 4 percent of his annual income. Because of the nature of the job, "I cannot stop driving, drive less or even carpool," he said. Like many other small-business owners dependent on their automobile, Crell said, "if I do not buy gas, I cannot work and do not make money."