BusinessWeek Covers Unique Struggles of the Reservist-Entrepreneur

Members of the Reserve or National Guard deployed overseas have unique struggles when compared to their active duty counterparts. Charles Moskos, professor emeritus of sociology at Northwestern University, says one of the unique stressors they face is a financial penalty for long deployments coupled with fear over losing their civilian job or small business while away. BusinessWeek covers the plight of the reservist-entrepreneur in their January 30, 2007, issue.

Click on 'Article Link' below tags for more...

A few grafs from BusinessWeek:

"The small businessmen or women, or the lawyer or doctor, more than any other [self-employed] segment, have made the greatest sacrifices," says John Goheen, spokesman for the National Guard Assn., a Washington-based advocacy group. He argues more support is needed. "In a dynamic economy, people come and go, businesses start and fail in 18 months—that's quite a long time," Goheen says.

William Elmore, the associate administrator for Veterans Business Development at the SBA, estimates that about 6% of the 550,000-plus active Reserve and National Guard members are self-employed, and that 9% of all Reserve and National Guard in the labor market are self-employed. Elmore is charged with the difficult task of building awareness of the programs and delivering support to servicemen and women, with a limited budget. ...

Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), the chair of the Senate Committee for Small Business & Entrepreneurship, has been working for several years to introduce a Military Family Bill of Rights, a bill that includes comprehensive and direct assistance for military members and their families, including loans, grants, and tax credits for Guard and Reserve members who own their own small businesses or work for one.

Please read the whole piece, and then head over to BusinessWeek's 'Entrepreneurs Who Serve Their Country' slideshow.


 Related Posts

• 44% of Reserve Forces Dissatisfied with Labor Department Employment Discrimination Help
  
• OIF Reserve/National Guard Forces Especially Feeling Burden of War
  
• WaPo: Army Reserves Feel the Pinch of Increased Operation Tempo
  
• Ed Schultz Show: Reintegration Program Discussion Wednesday
  
• Surge -- And Strain
  
• Unacceptable: National Guard Makes Post-deployment Mental Health Screening Optional
  
• NYT Magazine Covers Experiences of National Guard in Iraq
  
• Financial To-Do List for Returning Reservists
  
• Advice for OEF/OIF Vet Employers and Co-Workers
  
• Veterans: Job Search Resources
  
• New Jersey: 25% of Troops Returning with Problems
  
• Boston Psychologists Reach Out to Help Army Reserve Families
  
• Insurance Information Institute Study: Employers May Not Be Ready for the Wounded
  
• Returning Troops Battle Unemployment