printable version

4/30/2007

Arkansas Citizen Soldiers - Small Business Owners Will Your Business Survive Deployment?
by Herb Lawrence, Center Director, ASU SBDC

Since 1990 Arkansas citizen soldiers have left family and jobs to meet their military obligations around the world. While extended deployment creates many hardships, those service members who own their own businesses face additional concerns. "Who will operate my business?" "Who will take care of bookkeeping?" "How will my suppliers be paid?" These are just a few of the issues that business owner/citizen soldiers face.

To assist service members facing deployment, the Arkansas National Guard and the Arkansas Small Business Development Center network have developed a Small Business Mobilization Planning Guide to help address these issues. The planner will help determine the best course of action to meet specific business needs. Many service members have opted for business continuation. Others have elected to sell or close their businesses. All businesses are unique but this planning guide will help walk through options and chose a realistic strategy.

The guide will be available by May from the Arkansas National Guard and ASBDC. Assistance to service members is available through the Arkansas Small Business Development Center system providing free consulting assistance as they prepare for mobilization. For more information contact the Arkansas Small Business Development Center lead office in Little Rock at 800-862-2040 or go to the ASBDC website at asbdc.ualr.edu.


Subscribe right now to our FREE bi-monthly eNews service!
You will receive articles two full weeks before they appear on the Arkansas SBTDC web site!

Index of past articles

The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration through a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business and other institutions of higher education. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. It is the goal of UALR to eliminate discriminatory harassment and to promote equal opportunity regardless of race, gender, color, national origin, sexual orientation, age, religion, veteran's status, or disability.