and advice to help your business grow. gas prices continue to rise and that s hurting both consumers and the nation s small businesses. the price of a gallon of gas is now more than $4 in many american cities, which has a lot of consumers cutting back on spending. as a result, some small businesses are reeling. many entrepreneurs say they re also losing customers because they have to raise their prices to make up for rising energy costs and many small business owners are becoming increasingly pessimistic about the economy. mike miter runs factory services agency, a family owned commercial eating, air conditioning and ventilation company near new orleans. he is also a member of the board of trustees of the national small business association. great to see both of you guys. good morning. so, i d like thank you. i d like to hear how gas prices are affecting each of you. baxter, i ll start with you.