Reserve duty hurts some small businesses

[seemslikeadream]

Part-time soldiers who are self-employed battle to recoup financial losses upon return home

"People who owed me money weren't paying on time because they knew I wasn't around," he recalled. And competitors whispered to potential clients, "'Irving is overseas in the war, and no one knows when he's coming back,' " he said.

As it turned out, McConnell, 52, who serves in the 358th Civil Affairs Brigade based in Norristown, Pa., returned to the United States early because of health concerns. Although he wasn't released from active duty for another six months -- just last month -- he resuscitated his business from his Fort Bragg, N.C., base via cell phone and e-mail.

Limited assistance from U.S.

Government assistance for reservists and guardsmen who are small-business owners is limited, despite more frequent call-ups and long deployments since 9/11 that have kept many of them away for one or two years, a potentially business-killing absence.

"If they don't do something very quickly to help reservists, I think they're going to lose reservists," said Robert J. Broody, who has served in the Army reserves for more than 20 years. He didn't see deployment once in his first nine years, but since 1991 he's been sent to Iraq, Haiti, Bosnia and back to Iraq.

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http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-smallbiz062804,0,5464714.story?coll=bal-business-headlines

[teryang]

1. This is a good article

...bringing to light a problem that isn't looked at very often. I think it understates the problem for self employed or small business owning reservists. Many have been forced to sell their businesses for whatever they could get.