ARIN question

All, Does anyone have a baseline on the "maximum" allocation a small to mid-sized ISP can receive from ARIN? I realize resources are scarce in IPv4 land, and I am a bit nervous to initiate the process myself without an understanding of what can/cannot be allocated. I'm not looking for anything insane, maybe a /23 or something in that realm. I'd appreciate any feedback/input any of you have – on list or off. Just looking to get a better grasp on the IPv4 climate before I start telling our people to spend money. //warren