Can you run a small business while serving in the military? Absolutely! But it's not without its challenges, especially if you are mobilized for a deployment. These tips can help you balance your small business and your military service.
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Joining the military is a big commitment, even if you skip the active duty route and join the Guard or Reserves, which is traditionally considered a “part-time” military experience. Some of you who serve or have served in the Guard or Reserves might be laughing at the “part-time” statement.
But that only tells part of the story. In practice, many members serve much more than the one weekend a month, two weeks a year. And they are also on call, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Because a reader sent me a question about joining the Guard or Reserves as a small business owner. Since there is no one-size-fits-all business, and each job in the military is unique, there is no clear-cut answer. But I’ll do my best to lay out some observations for how to successfully run a small business in the Guard or Reserves.
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Note: While most of the following tips will also apply to active duty servicemembers, there are other barriers to owning a small business while serving on active duty. This article is primarily directed toward members of the National Guard or Reserves, who typically need to have a full-time job in addition to their military service.
Ryan, I have been looking for the perfect person to ask, and I think you may be the man. I have been curious how the ANG health benefits may be beneficial to someone in business. As well as tax breaks. I do not yet have my business started but I expect to be in full swing in about 2-4 years. I currently have a great job and am doing great for income (car sales) and benefits are good. I serve in my church as well and will continue to do so even while in business.
But am considering health care and change of tax responsibilities once my business has started. Point blank, has serving in the ANG been beneficial to a businessman/owner? Obviously (as a business owner) we have to pay for our own benefits since we have no employer to match or benefit. I have read in certain states that there are State Income Tax breaks for those who serve.
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Would these two things (ANG health benefits and State income tax breaks) be valuable in a business owners situation? Or, is there enough reward with health benefits and State income tax breaks to make a business owner interested? (besides the excitement of an adventure, these are two reasons I am considering the ANG). Any answer would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you for your question. I am a small business owner and a member of the Air National Guard. So I’m experienced enough to give you some tips on what works, and what doesn’t. And I’ll give you some food for thought if you aren’t sure what type of business you want to start.
I’ll start by saying, you shouldn’t join the military strictly for the benefits. They can be many, and they can be valuable. But you need a stronger basis for serving. The military is a full-time commitment, even if your commitment on paper appears to be part-time as it might appear to be with the Guard or Reserves. But you do mention excitement and adventure as another driving point for joining, so let’s assume you’ve decided the military is a good option for you and the benefits are just icing on the cake.
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You may be a professional in your career and you may be at the top of your game. But when you join the military, you start at the same place everyone else starts – at the beginning. This typically means a couple of months of Basic Training (boot camp) and several months of technical training to learn your military job.
At the minimum, you can expect to be away from home and your business for a minimum of 4 or 5 months on the low end, to well over a year on the long side.
This is where I’m shaking my head. I don’t see how it can be easily done. During your Basic Training, you won’t have access to a computer or a phone*, much less the time to actively run a business. So the only way to run a business
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Is if you have a strong supporting staff to take care of the daily activities. In other words, your business needs to be more or less hands off.
*This applies to enlisted basic training, based on my experiences and what I have read about the other branches of the military. Some officer training schools may allow Internet access for completing assignments and may have limited phone access. But your time will be at a premium and you will be hard pressed to have an active role in running a business while training.
Tech school is somewhat different and less restrictive than basic training. Military recruits may be allowed to have phone and computer access at tech school, but your capacity for running a business will be very limited. Your primary focus is on learning your military career. The difficulty of the course load varies by career field, but regardless of how difficult the material, you will be drinking from a fire hose. You will be expected to maintain an aggressive pace while learning your job. There simply won’t be much mental bandwidth left at the end of the day to effectively run a business.
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I joined the Guard after a long break in service. I had already attended basic training, so that wasn’t a concern. But I had to attend a new tech school because I joined a new career field. I was able to continue running my business while I was at tech school because my nights and weekends were my own. But my military duties had to come first, even if that meant studying in my off-duty hours (which I did most nights). I underestimated how difficult it would be.
So How Did You Do It? Great question. My business is already established and it is location-independent. I run several websites, do freelance writing, and occasional digital marketing consulting jobs. In other words, I can run a business anywhere I have an Internet connection. And I can take long breaks from my business without losing much. I may take a small hit on revenue if I don’t perform some freelance services, but I make up for that with my military income. I also have several contractors who help maintain my sites when I am not present.
Yes, absolutely. As I explained above, I attended a two-month tech school as a small business owner. And I have been serving for over a year and a half in the Guard. And I haven’t missed anything.
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I also know several small business owners who are members of the Guard or Reserves. Most of them have very different businesses than mine. But they all have one thing in common: they have a strong support group helping run their business. This includes spouses, family members, employees, contractors, etc.
But just because some people have success doesn’t mean it will work for everyone. As I mentioned, my business is location independent. Running a physical business requires your presence unless you have employees who can run the business in your absence. So keep that in mind, as your training may take you away from your business for some time.
As I mentioned earlier, every small business is different, and every military career brings different challenges. The only way to be successful at both is to have a lot of flexibility in your life and in your business. My business is the ideal type of business for serving in the military because it is location independent. All I need is Internet access, and I’m good.
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But there are many other small businesses that work well for military members. I’ve known members of the Guard whose full-time job was also a small business. Some examples include writers, artists, musicians, consultants, contractors, construction company owners, shop keepers / retail store operators, and many more.
Either start your business now, or join the Guard/Reserves now, then start your business later. If you join the Guard or Reserves you can get most or all of your initial training out
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