From an energy efficiency point of view, I think the best thing is consistency. Try to get whatever programs you're going to put together, and keep them consistent, because in a lot of cases, these small companies are almost completely reliant, in terms of their business plans, on government programs. An example of where that was done poorly is Ontario Hydro in the late 1980s. It had a number of energy efficiency programs, and all of a sudden it pulled back on them very quickly. There were a number of a small firms that went out of business in very short order because the whole basis of their business plans was gone.
If the programs are not to be consistent over many years, then at least, as changes are made, have a lot of telegraphing of what those changes are going to be in order to give parties time to react. Six months is not enough time.